The Vacation Has Ended But...
The vacation has ended, but...
The Empire-wide tour that the Crown Prince hadn't even done, I ended up doing it. Seriously.
Starting from the 4th district in the south of the Empire, through the remaining districts, and finally arriving at the 1st district, which oversees the entire system, I barely realized that the vacation was almost over.
It was an endless succession of time that couldn't be explained by mere busyness. When one schedule ended, it was immediately a carriage or train to the next, where I'd pray, wave, and shake hands.
Each time, devout believers would swarm in like girls who met their favorite idol, cheering loudly. I was even worried that I might get trampled to death.
Where was it again? The eastern part of the Empire? When I went to the 2nd district, I was surrounded simultaneously by those praising the war hero and those venerating the saint, and had to endure being showered with cheers for a full hour.
The priest from the church who was guiding me and the two Special Intelligence Agency agents assigned to my security were just extras.
At least the police finally came and rescued me, or I might have been wandering around without stepping on the ground for the whole day.
What was I thinking then? Ah, this must be exactly what it felt like when Aladdin rode on the magic carpet.
If a blue-skinned man with a beard appeared here to slap my cheeks during the ceremony, it would have been perfect.
“W-were you alright, Lord Karl?”
“Come on, come down!”
I couldn't help but smile at the startled police officer and say, 'I'm fine, haha!' Honestly, it wasn't because they had bad intentions, but because I was so overwhelmed with emotion that they were acting like that.
Anyway, the Empire pilgrimage of the returning student who talked a lot and caused trouble ended here. The scary part here is that it's not completely over, but 'for now' it's over.
Right now, there's another visit to the Holy See during this winter vacation, and then another Empire-wide pilgrimage.
It's sad that vacation isn't really a vacation. At least, now that summer vacation is about to end and the second semester is starting, I can escape, so I should be grateful.
“Kyahaha! Come, Karl-senpai. No, should I call you Saint Karl Adelheit?!”
After roughly finishing the 1st district, the one who greeted me was none other than Eloise.
“…Does it make you happy to tease me?”
“I’m not teasing. I’m admiring. How does this look like teasing?”
“So, how is it admiration?”
You don’t know how hard I worked! Eh?! Everywhere I went, people gathered! Eh?!
…Damn it. Talking about it, it feels like I’m boasting.
“Savior! Noble! Saint!”
“Grrgh.”
If I don’t do it properly, next time at the pilgrimage, I’ll grow a mustache and wave my hand saying ‘Gganf, too!’ When I do that, everyone will shout ‘Hi!’ and rush south in a big group!
And then I made a separate elf residence and locked them up, and then all of them with soap… Ugh. Too far.
“Karl.”
While I’m trying to calm the Wubermensch inside me, suddenly Eloise taps my shoulder.
I reflexively turned around but stopped immediately. There’s already been enough, if I get more here, am I even human? The Gganfs aren’t that stupid either.
“Don’t move.”
“What?”
“Don’t sway like that in strange clothes with a decent outer garment loosely draped over them.”
“Eek?”
“If you don’t dress properly, there’s no way.”
Then Eloise got quiet. It seems my guess was correct. As expected, this Elf—
“If you don’t look after me, I’ll run around the academy like this?”
“…Eh?”
“And shout ‘I love Karl!’ everywhere?”
“Ahng?”
What are you saying, you crazy Elf! This kind of blackmail is the first time! I turned my body to scold her for not getting her senses straight.
“…Eh.”
“Ta-da.”
What? She’s fine. Not more skin than fabric or anything. Rather, her outfit is even more modest than usual? Is this really Eloise? It’s winter now, not summer?
“Ahahaha! What? That expression. Did I disappoint you?! I didn’t take off my clothes like before?”
What? It should be ‘relief’ not ‘disappointment’.
“Hee. I see. So how disappointed are you? Should I dress lightly in front of Karl like before?”
No. This is perfect now. So, don’t let Gganfs or Elves do that.
“When Karl said that, ‘Dress properly.’ So since then, I’ve been dressing properly.”
“Given the past record, it’s hard to believe.”
“If it’s hard to believe, you can follow me around and monitor me. I’ll allow that much. If you want, you can come to my room and bathroom too! Yeah yeah! Of course!”
Yeah. That’s why I suspect her. How can I believe it when she says things so casually!
I sighed, but still, I guess it’s okay as long as it’s at that level. Otherwise, I asked the Heigens side about it recently because I was curious.
“Hey. How did Eloise dress there?”
“Does she dress strangely even in the Empire? I told her to be careful.”
The reaction that came was very immediate and obvious. So, when I said she dresses very modestly here, the response was amazing.
“Eloise? What? Still young. It can’t be that she’s done for.”
Wow. If her own kind is like that, I can’t even imagine how wild she was.
Now, this woman is dressed so modestly that she almost wraps herself up completely, even though it’s summer.
“I didn’t know there was an Elf who listens well.”
“You should say ‘a woman who listens well’ not ‘an Elf who listens well.’ I can pretend to be dead if my favorite man tells me to! Here, shall I?”
“No. Please, don’t.”
A picture of the Medal of Honor recipient bringing an Elf and saying ‘Bbye!’ and the Elf faking death with ‘Kyaeng!’
I imagined it once. And the conclusion that came out was that no matter what, I get called crazy.
Meanwhile, Eloise came closer and suddenly rubbed my head vigorously.
When I asked what she was doing, she pouted saying ‘Since I did well, praise me! Praise me quickly! Give me praise!’ This really is a long-lived Elf. Her actions are completely childish.
Well, since she actually keeps her promises, it’s right to praise her.
“Oh. What? I thought you’d push me away saying ‘Get back’.”
“…After stroking my head, that’s what you say?”
“No. Karl seems to be embarrassed in some way.”
“Me?”
Not me? Last time too, when I tried to narrow the distance, you don’t remember running away, Eloise? Or do you have no memory of that at all?
This woman, other times she emits Elf aura, but at important moments, she becomes a shy Elf. Really, I’m going crazy.
“Anyway. Good.”
“Stroking my head? Well, I can do this sometimes.”
“Eh? Ah. There’s that too. Karl is getting more amazing, which is good.”
“…If you’re teasing again.”
“Absolutely not. This is really, just pure admiration.”
While quietly stroking Eloise’s head, I continued talking.
“Honestly, even I was surprised when I first heard it was a miracle. I never imagined it would actually descend. I thought it was just a novel made by the church to make people believe in doctrines.”
“That’s blasphemy against the holy. You know?”
“Well? As far as I know, the Bright Light Church doesn’t kill heretics even if they don’t believe in doctrines. Is it not the case?”
No, it’s not. If the Bright Light Church was like that, they couldn’t have quickly brought the entire continent into their teachings in the first place. And the church members were all good people.
“Even in such a church, they’re constantly surprised. A miracle descended. Even to the Empire’s war hero, the most glorious Medal of Honor recipient! That’s how amazing Karl’s deeds were!”
“When you look at it that way, the previous seniors—”
“Ah, a bit. Humility isn’t bad, but if you become too humble, it doesn’t make sense either.”
Eloise suddenly stood up and lightly patted my head. Ah. Ouch. It hurts. It hurts!
“Right now, Karl. Accepting and receiving that is correct.”
“…That’s too much. After all, I’m—”
“Would the gods do something without any reason?”
That’s exactly what’s scary. They wouldn’t do something without reason, but why me?
Even the opposite is worrying. Is there no reason for this? For someone who receives unearned goodwill, it must be burdensome!
“Well, it’s good for me! My man is even more amazing, so of course I’m happy!”
“That’s, I guess you got permission from Selena?”
“You don’t know?”
No. If you don’t know that, who does, you Elf!
*
After the summer vacation ended, the academy entered the second semester with the students again.
Originally, we would have talked about the new semester, another festival coming up, and various things in the Empire, but this time it was different.
When all the students gathered because of one piece of news that came from afar, they would talk about that topic.
“Is it really true? Is it really going to open?”
“It seems almost certain. Right now, all districts in the Empire are noisy because of it.”
“When was the last one? It was in history class. So, almost…”
“Almost 100 years ago.”
Even the academy students were shaken by the news. It was none other than—
[ The 7th Lumenus Ecumenical Council ]
And not long after, all the cardinals from each district began to move in large numbers to the Holy See.