The Eve of the Entrance Ceremony (4)
"Please forgive my insolence, Lady Saint…"
The female professor bowed her head deeply, offering a hurried, stammering apology.
"[It is truly all right, so please lift your head…]"
Just moments ago, she had been frighteningly relentless, reprimanding us that holy arts and magic were strictly forbidden anywhere outside designated training sectors, demanding to know what on earth had possessed me to cast them. But the moment another faculty member nearby recognized me and blurted out whether I was the Saint, the professor had frozen stiff. Her face had drained of all color, and she had begun trembling from head to toe, muttering in utter terror about how she had just struck the Saint across the crown. That was how we had ended up in this bizarre spectacle.
The Hero, along with the young man who had been ready to tear into him a minute ago, stared at me with wide eyes, looking utterly flabbergasted by the revelation that I was the Saint.
Well, it saves me the trouble of explaining myself, which is nice, but…
When my identity was first exposed, my heart had briefly sunk at the thought that they might waive all discipline out of political deference and send me on my merry way. Fortunately, it seemed my status wouldn't completely shield me from repercussions. No matter who I was, unauthorized conduct within the academy could not simply be overlooked.
As expected of an institution that prided itself on treating nobles and commoners as absolute equals. Even for a high-ranking dignitary from a foreign power—practically the sovereign co-leader of the Holy Kingdom of Varkan—turning a blind eye to an overt breach of school regulations would create far too dangerous a precedent.
Not that I minded in the least.
If anything, receiving a penalty was the entire reason I had followed them here.
"So… you are saying that these two students were on the verge of a brawl in the training grounds, and the Lady Saint intervened with holy arts to stop them?" the professor asked, trying to piece everything together.
"[Yes, that is correct.]"
In truth, they had already crossed blades.
Had I not stepped between them, blood would have painted the flagstones long ago. My original plan had been to paint the situation as a near-miss before any blow was struck and take the full blame myself, but the Hero had impulsively jumped into the fray. Still, since the faculty were willing to take my testimony at face value, I had managed to keep the narrative from unraveling.
"I see…"
The professor stroked her chin, wearing a troubled frown. I had worried for a second that the Hero might blurt out an untimely contradiction, but thankfully, he wasn't dense enough to ruin his own lifeline and kept his mouth firmly shut. Yes, exactly like that. Stay quiet and let me save you from getting expelled.
"[Professor, I am entirely unharmed, so could you find it in your heart to overlook their part in this?]"
"Pardon? What are you saying all of a sudden…?"
Perhaps she had expected me to ask for leniency for myself since I had averted a disaster; my sudden defense of the boys left her visibly bewildered.
"[Both gentlemen merely intended to engage in an honorable duel, but failing to grasp the nuance of the situation, I hastily stepped between them. The fault lies primarily with me.]"
Naturally, none of that was true. There had been nothing honorable about it. The Hero had simply flown into a blind rage after someone insulted his master's swordsmanship, barked at the other boy to draw his weapon, and swung with lethal intent the second the blade cleared its scabbard, likely convincing himself it counted as self-defense.
The professor seemed to realize I was intentionally shielding the two. She let out a heavy sigh, looking at me with deep concern, and asked if I was truly prepared for the consequences—warning that it could very well lead to a formal suspension.
Are you kidding? That was music to my ears!
A legitimate, authorized vacation from the academy…
If that wasn't an absolute win, I didn't know what was.
I offered her a serene, angelic smile and nodded. Moved by the sight of a benevolent maiden taking the fall to protect two reckless youths, the professor bowed once more, offering her heartfelt apologies.
I really don't mind at all.
From my perspective, this was practically a blessing. My only real disappointment was that she probably wouldn't hit me anymore. I had wanted to savor a little more of that sweet, stinging bliss of everyday life—would it kill her to rap my knuckles just once more? What a missed opportunity.
In the end, I was handed a three-day suspension. Normally, unauthorized spellcasting would warrant a far harsher sentence, but my penalty had clearly been reduced because I had acted to break up a fight—or perhaps because of my station as the Saint.
"…"
The moment we stepped out of the faculty office, the student who had clashed with the Hero—Albert Lakharr, if I remembered correctly—glanced in my direction. He clicked his tongue with a faint scoff and stalked away without a word.
It was a strange feeling seeing him in the flesh. In the original game, he hadn't even possessed a distinct name, serving merely as an anonymous narrative sacrifice to fuel the Hero's growth. But unlike the game, this world had become a living, breathing reality built upon that foundation, and here, he was a person with a full name and noble lineage.
Eventually, he'll undergo demonization…
If the world followed the game's canonical trajectory, he was destined to succumb to corruption for reasons unknown, transform into a horned demon, and inflict catastrophic casualties on the academy. As much as I relished the agonizing thrill of absorbing injuries while healing others, I had no desire to watch dozens of innocents get slaughtered in cold blood. Ideally, I wanted to nip the tragedy in the bud before it could ever unfold.
The problem is, I don't know the cause.
I had no clue what drove him into the clutches of demonic power in the first place. You need to know the root of a crisis to preempt it, but how was I supposed to stop an event when I was entirely blind to its trigger?
Could someone blame me for not knowing despite logging thousands of hours into the game? Even a veteran gamer has limits. No matter how much of a die-hard power-gamer you are, you can't uncover information the developers never coded. If there had been even a shred of cut content, I would have extracted the game files and combed through the dummy data, but there hadn't been a single reference anywhere. As far as I could tell, the developers had simply rushed through that plot point with lazy writing.
Well, that incident is still a long way off according to the timeline. Best not to obsess over it right now.
There were far more pressing matters at hand.
I turned my head toward the boy standing beside me. Even without looking, I could perceive his presence perfectly well, but basic etiquette between human beings demanded making eye contact. One glance at his face told me he was completely at a loss for words now that the two of us were left alone. After wrestling visibly with his inner thoughts, swallowing hard with a look of solemn resolve, the words that finally tumbled past his lips were…
"Um… thanks."
A simple, clumsy expression of gratitude.
Yeah, I figured as much.
He had agonized over it so intensely that I half-wondered if he was about to make some profound declaration, but he was every bit the straightforward training fanatic I remembered.
I offered him a gentle, radiant smile.
"[It was nothing. Though… next time, I suggest issuing a proper, formal challenge before drawing your sword.]"
Otherwise, your academic career might meet a premature end at the hands of the faculty. Making an enemy of an educator in an institution like this was practically a death sentence for a student.
"Y-Yeah. I'll make sure to do that next time."
"[Fufu… that is more than enough.]"
With that, the groundwork was complete. I chuckled softly, turned on my heel, and began walking away.
"[Well then, I shall be on my way. Best of luck with your training~]"
I offered a parting wave as I took my first few steps.
Does it seem strange? Wondering why I would just walk away after going through all that trouble to meet him?
Anyone thinking that only sees half the board. Allow me to share a masterclass in how to become close with someone like the Hero without ever appearing needy or overly eager. It really isn't complicated: you provide them with an enormous, selfless favor, and then you attempt to walk away without expecting or accepting any reward.
Why bother with such a tedious routine? Simple. While I had urgent reasons to forge a bond with the Hero, coming on too strong from the very beginning was a terrible strategy. This was all performance—making him feel an irresistible urge to approach me first.
It wasn't about angling for a grandiose prize; it was the necessary groundwork to make future interactions entirely effortless. Besides, there was nothing the Hero could offer me right now anyway. In secular terms, you could call it playing hard to get.
Now that the seasoned pro had set the stage, it was time to reap the rewards. A boy who lived and breathed swordsmanship—honorable to a fault, or to put it bluntly, a total pushover—could never in good conscience let his benefactor walk away empty-handed after receiving such an immense favor. If I showed every intention of departing without even exchanging names, he would inevitably call out to stop me.
With that conviction firmly in mind, I strolled leisurely toward the dormitories.
Sure enough…
"W-Wait! Just a moment!"
Once I had put a modest distance between us, his panicked voice rang out from behind.
See?
I told you he wouldn't have any choice but to come after me. I could hardly suppress the smirk threatening to break across my lips as the entire scenario unfolded exactly according to script. Now, all that remained was to casually introduce ourselves and let a natural friendship take root.
Beneath the veil of holy serenity, a broad grin crept across my face.