Chapter 81: The Lord is With Us (2)
Chapter 81: The Lord is With Us (2)
The Academy strives for equality. Regardless of social status, those with talent are given preferential treatment, while those without it cannot escape failure.
No matter how high-ranking a noble might be, they were not exempt from the standards the Academy imposed. This was proven by the number of high-ranking nobles who had been expelled since its founding.
At least hundreds had been sent packing. Even the children of the Empire’s Five Great Noble Families, who held immense power in the outside world, were mere students the moment they entered the Academy. In fact, the more prestigious the family, the more they viewed their child’s expulsion as a disgrace; they rarely attempted to pressure the Academy.
That was how much trust the Academy commanded as an educational institution. Everyone—including the current students—acknowledged that its evaluation criteria were strictly impartial.
However, if you were to ask if the Academy was truly "equal," some students might tilt their heads in doubt. No matter how prestigious the Academy was, it couldn't completely ignore the influence of power.
Setting aside the children of the Five Great Noble Families, when members of the Imperial Family or high-ranking officials from other nations enrolled, the Academy was forced to grant certain privileges. This was done to ensure they had excuses ready should anything happen to such high-profile individuals.
For example, the first-year princess in the Magic Department who enrolled this year was one such case. Though she was far down the line of succession, she was still a girl who carried the blood of the dragon. The Academy had to provide her with an entire annex for her personal use.
And then there was the woman sitting across from me right now.
Warm sunlight reflected off her silver hair as it cascaded down. She had clear, porcelain skin and delicate features, with eyes of a soft pink hue that commanded a singular presence.
Though she wore the priestly robes that symbolized the Theology Department, they couldn't entirely hide the sensual curves of her feminine form. Within her body, divinity and sinfulness coexisted.
She was the Saintess. A virgin favored by the Heavenly God Arus, a glorious title bestowed upon only one woman in each generation.
Of course, a new Saintess appeared roughly every thirty years, but until then, the influence the name "Saintess" held over the Heavenly God Religion was immense. This was because she was the living proof of the Heavenly God Arus’s existence.
The Heavenly God had fashioned humans from his own flesh. He taught them civilization and faith, and the first disciple to inherit the title of chief disciple throughout the generations was the "Pope."
However, that was merely a tradition based on human laws. It was the Cardinals of the Holy Kingdom, not God, who elected the next Pope.
In contrast, the Saintess was a girl born with an exceptionally vast amount of divine power; she was not someone humans could choose at will. Therefore, the Saintess symbolized being chosen by the Heavenly God, and the Holy Kingdom cherished her existence dearly.
In terms of treatment, she ranked above an Archbishop but below a Cardinal. Since she was one of the highest-ranking figures in the Holy Kingdom, the Academy naturally had no choice but to grant her special privileges.
One of those privileges was the very place where I was currently sitting. A small building attached to the temple, known as "Sun's Rest."
To maintain her public image, it wasn't lavishly decorated, but the place exuded a refined and classical atmosphere. The Saintess, along with the knights and servants of the Holy Kingdom who guarded her, usually stayed here.
However, I had heard that the current Saintess disliked special treatment so much that she kept her escort and servants to a minimum. Even then, guards were mostly posted at night; during the day, only Yuren, the escort knight she trusted most, stood guard.
That rumor seemed to be true. From the moment I entered Sun's Rest until I reached the reception room on the second floor, I hadn't seen a single soul.
In other words, this was a private audience. To be alone with a woman as beautiful and noble as the Saintess—and in a place other than an examination room, no less.
It was a stroke of luck. It was something I should have been happy about.
If only the Saintess wasn't acting the way she was right now.
"…So, you're saying you don't remember a single thing?"
Her voice was cold. Beneath that low question, an irrepressible irritation seeped through. Her index finger twirled a strand of her hair around and around. Her pink eyes were filled with blatant dissatisfaction.
This was a sight far removed from her reputation for being "benevolent and kind." It only served to make me feel even more bewildered.
Is this woman really that Saintess?
Her eyes, which had once been warm, had long since begun to scrutinize me sharply. A sigh escaped her lips.
Then, thud! The Saintess slammed her palm onto the table. Rising from her seat almost reflexively, she leaned forward, thrusting her face close to mine. Then, she let out a low, growling shout.
"Does that even make sense?! I don't know what you're really up to, but…!"
Already intimidated, I immediately traced the sign of the cross over my chest the moment I saw her anger. Then, I made a solemn declaration.
"I swear by the Heavenly God, I am telling the truth."
"Brother Ian, you'll be struck by divine punishment if you take the Lord's name in vain."
"But it's the truth."
I heard the sound of teeth grinding. The Saintess glared at me with fierce eyes, but even after seeing my aggrieved expression, she showed no sign of believing me.
"Haa…" She let out a sigh of resignation and slumped back into her seat.
She pressed her fingers against her temples as if she had a throbbing headache.
"…So that's how you're going to play it? Fine, Brother Ian. I understand perfectly."
It really was the truth. I looked at her with pleading eyes, but she only snorted. As if displeased, yet with a gaze that had softened somewhat, she avoided my eyes.
It was an impressive change in attitude. Just a moment ago, she had been spitting out words stained with anger and hatred in a fit of pique, but now she seemed somewhat intimidated by me. The emotion felt in her gaze was a faint trace of fear.
After a long silence, the Saintess eventually shook her head weakly. She snapped her fingers.
With a whoosh, a single document flew toward her. Was that magic? It was a feat impossible with divine power alone. Perhaps she was using an artifact.
The Saintess looked at me with hesitant eyes before pushing the document toward me as if she had made up her mind.
The document slid across the table and stopped exactly in front of me. It was a display of power control that had reached the pinnacle of skill.
When I looked at her with surprise, she spoke irritably.
"If it's classified, then there's nothing I can do. You're basically saying we should act like what happened then never happened and just hand over the information I prepared, right? Hah, seriously. Just how amazing is this organization of yours that…?"
"Classified" and "organization"—these were words that had absolutely nothing to do with me.
The question flickered through my mind for a moment, but my curiosity about the document she had handed me was greater. I picked up the paper and slowly scanned the information inside.
It was a map with several locations marked, along with the names of the facilities located there. Judging by the terrain, it appeared to be the Eastern Continent, and based on the names, the facilities were likely orphanages.
It was information that was utterly useless to me. However, at that moment, I felt a line from the letter flash through my mind.
'Orphanage.' Right. It said the place I went for my internship was an orphanage.
"As you requested, this is a list of orphanages that are receiving support from the Holy Kingdom but are struggling financially. Most of them are in that state because they are protecting too many orphans."
My eyes deepened as I carefully read through the document. Although I didn't know the exact circumstances, it seemed clear that this was the clue to unraveling the contents of the second letter.
If that was the case, it was best to take it for now. I folded the document neatly in half and tucked it into my coat.
"Thank you, Saintess."
I offered my thanks as I usually did, but the response I received was cold as ice. She looked at me as if I were absurd before finally failing to contain her curiosity.
"…By the way, what exactly do you plan to use that information for?"
"I don't know."
As if she had expected that answer, the Saintess shook her head. From my perspective, I was simply telling the truth, but since it was an answer that couldn't help but sound that way, I didn't bother adding anything else.
The Saintess waved her hand as if to ask if that was all I needed. It was a rather rude dismissal. However, my mind was already too cluttered to protest.
What on earth had happened while I lost my memory? The Saintess’s hostile attitude and the contents of the second letter—everything was so mysterious that my head throbbed.
However, before turning around, I asked the question that bothered me the most.
"Come to think of it, Saintess."
Her pink eyes narrowed slightly as if asking what it was. At that look urging me to get to the point, I asked her point-blank.
"…Is this your true self?"
The answer didn't come for a while. The Saintess kept her mouth shut, averted her gaze slightly, and then let out a deep exhale.
Then, she looked at me with a pathetic expression.
"Brother Ian, everyone has many different sides… How could a benevolent and kind orphan girl survive the terrifying political landscape of the Holy Kingdom?"
"Then, your usual appearance is a facade…?"
"No, no. That is also a side of me. It's just that the way I treat someone changes depending on who they are. And as for you, Brother Ian."
A benevolent smile, the one I was familiar with, formed on the Saintess’s lips. However, the pink eyes staring at me were nothing but cold.
"I've simply decided that this is how I should treat you from now on. I wasted my kindness on you."
I had no choice but to leave the room with a bitter feeling.
Finding out what had happened was my top priority. It was clear the Saintess had no intention of telling me about the recent events, so there was only one person left to ask.
The loyal escort knight who was always by her side.
Yuren.
It happened the moment I stepped out of Sun's Rest.
A silver line of light shot toward me.
The target was my Adam's apple. I instinctively drew my sword and parried it. However, because it was a surprise attack and the thrust was powerful, I couldn't completely deflect its trajectory.
Skreeee! The sound of two swords grinding against each other echoed. Bright blue sparks flew. Nevertheless, the bolt of light managed to graze my cheek.
It was a shallow wound. It took a while for the blood to start seeping out.
But if my reaction had been even a moment slower, it could have been a fatal injury. It was a good thing my physical abilities had been enhanced along with my mana by the "Dragon's Pure Blood"; otherwise, the me from a month ago would have died without even knowing why.
My startled gaze turned toward the man holding the sword. The man who had thrust the thin blade at me had jade-colored hair tied in a ponytail and a slender, androgynous face.
It was Yuren. He scrutinized me for a moment with sharp eyes before relaxing his grip on his sword as if disappointed. Then, he spoke.
"…What, you're weak again?"
Stepping back, he muttered those words. I could only let out a hollow laugh.
"Hah." I looked at him with an absurd expression. Despite that, Yuren simply offered a shameless smile and held out his hand.
"Welcome back, Ian. I've heard about the situation. You lost your memory?"
"…Were you guarding the door?"
"Of course, I'm an escort knight. Naturally, I heard the entire conversation you had with the Saintess."
With that, Yuren clapped his hands together and offered his congratulations. He seemed to have wanted to shake hands, but when I didn't respond, he apparently chose an alternative.
"You should be proud. There are only a few people in the entire continent who get to see that prickly side of my sister."
"I'm not exactly thrilled about it…"
I didn't know whether to be angry because I was ambushed or to relax because of Yuren's friendly attitude.
Unsure, I muttered to myself and fell into thought for a moment.
My hesitation didn't last long. As a swordsman, I couldn't exactly cry over a scratch on my cheek. I had to make a rational choice.
Though grumbling, I sheathed my sword and asked Yuren.
"So, do you believe me when I say I lost my memory?"
"I have to, don't I? I just confirmed it. Your skill level."
He shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms. He began to nod as if he had reached a conclusion.
Soon, Yuren's reasoning followed.
"At first, I wasn't sure because your eyes looked so different. But if you lost your memory, it all makes sense. You were temporarily possessed by someone. The only question is, even if someone possesses another person's body, it's hard to replicate their techniques to that extent…"
Stroking his chin and lost in thought, he seemed likely to go on with his theories for a long time. But possession wasn't what was important to me.
I felt the need to cut him off.
"What do you mean, my eyes?"
"Hmm? Oh, that… Back then, you had such a weary look in your eyes that I remembered it."
'Weary look.' I recalled hearing those words recently.
The week I had lost my memory before receiving the first letter—it was the same testimony as back then.
If so, this meant it was a phenomenon deeply related to the letters from the future. No matter how much Yuren racked his brain, there was no way he could come up with such an answer.
The very situation of receiving letters from the future was abnormal. It was another reason to stop listening to Yuren's theories.
I decided to resolve a more important question.
"Yuren, do me a favor."
He tilted his head. His eyes stared at me intently, as if telling me to go ahead.
"Do you happen to know what I did while I lost my memory?"
At my question, Yuren avoided my gaze for a moment. He seemed to be deep in thought. Then, he uncrossed his arms and asked me with a serious expression.
"…First of all, do you remember stabbing me in the shoulder?"
No, I don't remember that at all.
Cold sweat began to pour down my spine. I desperately suppressed the urge to wipe the sweat from my forehead and thought to myself.
It seemed that while I had lost my memory, I had once again gone around doing crazy things.