Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: 077. Shout - (1)
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Two weeks had passed.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
My schedule during that time had been completely packed.
First thing in the morning after waking, I swept the chapel courtyard littered with fallen leaves.
Then in the mornings, I prayed with the visiting believers.
Around the end of Mass, Elise would drop by for a chat.
At lunchtime, I prepared a meal for Sophia and visited Ophelia Hall to check on Void's condition.
Finally, after afternoon classes ended, magic training with Isolde wrapped up the day.
"Feels tougher than my army days, somehow."
No forced march could compare.
Thank goodness the boy I'd possessed, Leo, had a sturdy build. If he'd had the frail constitution typical of orphanage kids, I'd have fallen ill by now.
That said, the days I'd spent weren't meaningless in the slightest.
"Priest."
For starters, Void could now speak.
The word "priest," no less.
Probably because Helena had spent so much time muttering curses about me under her breath.
"Mom."
Oh, and he'd picked up "mom" too, of course.
Naturally, the figure Void saw as mom was the nanny, Helena.
"You've turned me into a real mother with a kid, you damned priest."
"Mom!"
"...I'm sorry."
"Priest!"
Helena glaring at me like she wanted to kill me was only natural.
"Uh, why does that child... see Miss Helena as his mom?"
"Miss, please..."
As an aside, Elise reacted with utter bewilderment.
Either way, the fact that Void was slowly starting to speak human words was a good sign. It meant he was gaining humanity. At the very least, he wouldn't end up as a speechless demonic beast like in the original story.
"Priest, you've finally mastered Flame Arrow!"
There had been major progress in my magic training with Isolde too.
I could now cast a beginner fire spell: Flame Arrow. Of course, its power was so weak it couldn't pierce a single log, and since it relied on Isolde's mana link, I couldn't even fire ten shots a day...
"Still, it's way more efficient than holy magic."
Compared to holy magic, which I could only use for basic healing, this was remarkable progress.
"Right? Mana's so much better than that holy power stuff, isn't it? Easier to use, more versatile. No comparison at all."
"...Hmm."
I decided not to ask why "that holy power stuff" had such a dismissive tag attached.
No way sweet Isolde could hate holy power.
"At this rate, you'll reach mid-tier mage in no time."
"That's... good news, but... the magic I'm using isn't my own mana. It's purified mana I'm receiving from you, Miss Isolde."
As I'd said, I was using a cheat method to cast spells.
Considering how mana control is the hardest part for most mages, it was like riding a bike with training wheels.
No, even worse—like driving an autonomous car in a marathon.
"It's fine for me. I can easily provide that much mana."
"If you're okay with it, Miss Isolde, then great..."
"Ah, but if you become a higher-tier mage, Priest, we'll have no choice but to strengthen the mana link, right? Yeah?"
"..."
Isolde asked with a bashful smile.
Mana link strengthening.
I remembered her scant outfit from last time, so I could guess what the next upgrade might entail.
Which was exactly why...
"Hmm... Wouldn't it be better to solidify the basics first before advancing?"
I wanted to avoid strengthening the mana link.
Isolde's eyes narrowed slightly at my words. But it lasted only a moment. She clapped as if she'd just remembered something and pulled an item from her pocket.
"Oh, right. Here, Priest."
"What's this?"
"A ticket."
"Ticket?"
What Isolde handed me was none other than a ticket. A first-class seat ticket, at that.
"Is there an event?"
"You didn't know? Erebos holds its regular presentation around this time every year. It's where cadets from each department show off their skills to VIP guests from outside."
"...Ah."
First I'd heard of it.
Uncle Lowen, who could've told me how the academy operated, had been tied up with the church since the Great Cathedral incident.
"Regular presentation, huh..."
Simply put, like a school festival or expo.
Come to think of it, the original game had a similar feature around this point.
"Name was... Growth Evaluation, right...?"
From the prologue through Act 4, it ranked your character growth and gave advantages accordingly—a game system.
Now that the game had become reality, it manifested as this regular presentation.
"Hmm..."
Not numerically quantified by the system, but if I had to rate it, I'd say A-rank or higher.
Either way, it was a chance to visually check how much Sophia, Isolde, and Elise had grown.
With Act 4 approaching, I needed a power inspection beforehand. Better to attend.
"...Yes. Sounds good."
"For real? You promise you'll come? It's a deal?"
Isolde hooked her pinky with mine, then stamped our palms together before leaving with a satisfied smile.
And so, the following week.
Erebos's grand hall buzzed with crowds.
"Quite the big event."
Nobles of the kingdom, elders from the mage towers, knight order captains, and church priests. The nation's elite had gathered to inspect Erebos's future talents.
Such a major event reduced to a throwaway in the game. What a shame.
Thanks to Isolde's ticket, I sat in first-class, watching the stage, when the knight department cadets' demonstration began as the opening act.
When knight cadets' names were called, the knight order scouts in the audience lit up, scrutinizing them.
"So that's how knight orders send love calls."
Sure enough, it felt more like an expo.
As I thought that, the knight department representative took the stage.
A woman with deep crimson hair.
Sophia Veronica Aquilova.
Her hair had grown out over the past few months, now tied in a short ponytail that exposed her nape, making her look more mature and sleek.
—Shing.
Sophia drew the Ink Sword and began swinging. Straight, honest trajectories. Even a sword novice like me could tell it was impressive skill.
As the kingdom's knights gasped in admiration, an anomaly occurred with Sophia's blade.
Crackle.
Like lightning striking. The Ink Sword's edge wrapped in a sword-red aura, gleaming brilliantly.
Sword aura.
One of the prerequisites for Swordmaster. The technique of coating a blade with mana infused with physical force.
"Ooh... Sword aura at that age!"
"Indeed, worthy of Swordmaster exam qualification."
The knight captains in the stands gaped.
The moment Sophia's demonstration ended, love calls poured in from all sides. From the royal knights to small border lord orders.
Even knowing she was a traitor's descendant, her overwhelming talent rendered family background irrelevant.
The offers flooded in for a while, but Sophia let them all flow past one ear.
Finally, a fed-up royal guard scout asked,
"Miss Sophia, how exactly did you awaken sword aura? It's not in Erebos's curriculum."
To that, Sophia wiped sweat from her brow and answered indifferently.
"Thanks to my master. Without him, I never could've drawn sword aura."
"Master? You have a master? Who might that be?"
"...A priest here at the academy."
"Priest? A priest taught you swordsmanship? What priest could..."
The audience buzzed.
At Sophia's bold reply, countless eyes locked onto me in the conspicuously visible first-class seat.
Well, I was the only one in Erebos parish priest robes up here, so unavoidable.
"No helping it..."
Just a brief commotion.
Flash.
...Or so I'd thought.
"Ooooh!"
"Saintess Candidate! Truly the woman most favored by the gods!"
Next up: the holy department demonstration.
Saintess Candidate Elise Aurora de Lua on stage conjured a golden divine tree of holy power, drawing standing ovations and gasps from all church priests.
Meanwhile, a church high priest approaching Elise wiped fog from his glasses and asked,
"Truly astonishing. Amid recent unfortunate events that must have wearied body and soul, to maintain such pure, resilient holy power. What's the secret, sister?"
"I had a place of respite for my heart."
"Respite?"
"Yes. Tiny and shabby compared to the Great Cathedral, yet cozier and warmer than any sanctuary. Especially the priest managing it—he possesses saintly virtue worthy of the title."
"Ooh... Such a fine sanctuary in the academy!"
Eyes focused on me once more.
This time, they felt a bit stickier.
"...This might be a big problem..."
Maybe I shouldn't have come.
I cautiously hunched down, sinking deep into my chair.