The Apostle of God (2)
The door swung open, and Judy Alber, Headmistress of Soul Academy, appeared in the doorway dragging a long, weary dark circle beneath her eyes.
Pure speculation on my part, but I'd wager she hadn't been able to rest since yesterday, busy patching up the whole mess.
'Hello, Headmistress.'
"Hello there, you old fossil of a Headmistress."
So apparently the correct way to address the Headmistress is "old fossil"?
Sure, her hair had gone completely white and her face was carved with wrinkles—she definitely looked her age—but she was still the Headmistress of the entire Academy, wasn't she?
Isn't calling her an old fossil going a bit too far?!
The thought rose unbidden, but words already out of the mouth cannot be taken back. Fortunately, Judy only chuckled at the insult and let it slide.
Is Judy just good-natured enough to shrug off being called an old fossil? Or is it that I'm sitting in the victim's seat, so she's willing to forgive a little rudeness? Either way, she didn't seem all that upset, so I'll count it a blessing.
'I've come to file a complaint.'
"I've come to lodge a complaint about what happened at this pathetic excuse for an Academy."
At the word complaint, a wry smile crossed Judy's face.
"A complaint, is it. You have every right, my lady, after what occurred. This will likely be a long conversation—shall we step inside first, Lady Arln?"
'Yes, that's fine.'
"Luring a young lady into your office. Suspicious, but I'll play along for now."
"Hehe. And how could I possibly bring harm to Lady Arln?"
The Headmistress's office at Soul Academy was exactly as I remembered it from the game.
The bookshelves lined with ancient tomes. The weathered old staff leaning against them. Even the parrot that had screeched noisily over the background music in-game.
If this place was recreated down to the last detail, then that secret passage behind the bookshelf should still be there too, right?
I settled onto the sofa and was admiring the cozy scenery of the office when Judy spoke first.
"Lady Arln. Are you feeling well?"
'Yes, perfectly fine.'
"Well enough to walk all the way here, I see."
"Indeed. That is a relief."
I did very nearly die, but "perfectly fine" was still the truth of it.
When I nodded, Judy let out a breath of relief.
"First, allow me to express my gratitude. According to the testimony of Lady Partran and young Lord Riez, who awoke yesterday evening, it was Lady Arln's command at the front that allowed everyone to escape that place without a single injury. Had it not been for your quick thinking, our Academy's negligence might well have cost lives. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for preventing that."
Uh. Um. Huh?
"At the same time, I offer you an apology. Because we failed to properly secure the dungeon, you were placed in terrible danger. I know an apology in words alone is meaningless. If there is anything you desire, please speak it. Whatever lies within our power, we will do our utmost to cooperate."
I hadn't expected things to turn out like this, and the sight of Judy bowing her head left me completely flustered—so much so that, for a moment, I lost my words entirely. Calm down. They've admitted fault. That means things are rolling in my favor. 'Uh. So, what I want is...'
"What I want is simple. Kerta's Crystal Orb—one of the magical tools this pathetic Academy has in its keeping. Hand that over, and out of the vastness of my mercy, I'll overlook yesterday's little blunder."
When I mentioned the tool for learning the Fountain of Mana skill, Judy's brow furrowed thoughtfully.
Kerta's Crystal Orb was treated as a genuine treasure even among the many magical artifacts housed within Soul Academy. Of course she'd have to think twice when I demanded she hand it over.
"How do you know of that artifact?"
'Is that important?'
"Are you interrogating me? Rude. Very rude, old fossil Headmistress."
Now things were finally flowing the way I'd planned. If Judy refused my proposal, then just as I'd prepared in advance—
"It isn't that, but... very well. I understand."
—I'd bring up Judy's little weakness and use it as leverage... Wait. What?
"One moment, please."
Saying that, Judy rose from her seat, asked my leave, and stepped out of the room for a short while.
I could not comprehend what was happening. Is she going to fetch Kerta's Crystal Orb right now? No negotiating, no coaxing, nothing—she just coolly decided to hand over the Crystal Orb?! Wait, if Judy actually brings back Kerta's Crystal Orb, then what does that make me, the one who was planning to blackmail her with her past?! This turns me into the sole villain of this whole exchange! Judy, why are you nodding along so easily?! In the game, she only forked over Kerta's Crystal Orb as a condescending little reward after you cleared an endless string of annoying quests! And now she's offering it up just like that?!
...Come to think of it, this worked out well for me. It really did. But feeling the gap between her character and mine filled me with a self-loathing I couldn't quite shake. So Judy really is a good person in this world too. Unlike a certain old man cooped up inside a mace who never stops nagging at all hours.
<Girl. You're not thinking something strange again, are you?>
'...Not at all?'
Honestly, why does he have to be so unnecessarily perceptive?
Before long, Judy returned to the room and held out a violet-tinted crystal orb before me.
"Is this what you desired?"
Beneath the translucent violet crystal, a lake of mana shimmered into view. Judging by its appearance alone, this was unquestionably Kerta's Crystal Orb.
'So this is...'
"So this is Kerta's Crystal Orb?"
"It is. A treasure crafted by the great archmage Kerta, woven through with the sum of his knowledge."
How I wished, right then, that I could use Appraisal like in the game. If this were the game, I could verify on the spot whether this was genuine or a fake. For now, I suppose I have no choice but to trust Judy's character.
"You needn't worry. When would I ever hand a falsified trinket to a daughter of House Arln?"
Had my suspicion shown on my face? Judy spoke up, as if to put me at ease.
"And there is more. I am not simply giving this away. Consider it a bribe."
'A bribe?'
"A bribe? What on earth do you mean?"
"When the Iron-Blooded Count's wrath descends upon this Academy, I would ask for your help in calming him. The Count, you see, is rather weak when it comes to his daughter."
Why on earth was Benedict's name coming up here of all places? But once I heard Judy's explanation, it made perfect sense. Whatever the circumstances, I had very nearly died during the Academy's entrance examination yesterday. If Benedict hears the news, how will he react? The man loses all reason where his daughter is concerned—who knows what he might do? He'd surely unleash his fury upon the Academy. And that fury would be colossal. Titanic. The kind of wrath ordinary people wouldn't even dare brush against. But I alone would be the exception. If I told him to go easy, Benedict would absolutely mind me. He did exactly that last time, with the whole affair surrounding Carl. So the Crystal Orb was a reward and a bargaining chip at once. Here, take this—in exchange, please temper the Count's rage. Benedict must be someone truly formidable, I suppose. Formidable enough that Judy, Headmistress of the prestigious Soul Academy, treads carefully around him.
'Understood. I'll help you.'
"Does the old fossil Headmistress really have to mind one household's temper despite being Headmistress? Fine. If my idiot father decides to do something idiotic, I'll pitch in and stop him."
Had that doting fool of a father made everything go this smoothly? I'd have to thank him later. Since the mesugaki curse wouldn't let me say an actual thank-you, a bit of aegyo ought to do the trick. Knowing I'd have to call him "idiot father" again made self-loathing curl in my chest, but it was fine. I'd already let go of most of my pride by now.
When I nodded, the tension around Judy's mouth eased slightly.
"Thank you, Lady Arln. Ah—and might I ask one more favor of you?"
'What is it?'
"What favor?"
"I apologize for stirring up painful memories, but... would you tell me what happened in the dungeon yesterday?"
Ah. That? So instead of Luka, you're hearing the report yourself? Perfect. I have zero desire to trade a single word with that man. Judy, for you, I'll talk all you like. You've given me something, after all—I'll tell you everything I can.
'Of course.'
"That much I can do."
Even after obtaining Kerta's Crystal Orb, I didn't use it right away.
The memory of drinking that elixir was still far too fresh—I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. Using Kerta's Crystal Orb would grant me the Fountain of Mana skill, which raised maximum mana and boosted mana regeneration, right? Which meant things would unfold exactly as they had with the elixir. I had no desire to roll around on the pavement writhing in agony, and I certainly didn't want to black out from the pain and lose an entire day.
So I made my decision: I would use the artifact after my schedule was done, back in my dormitory.
Having left the Crystal Orb in Carl's care, I slipped out of Soul Academy and headed toward the Church of the Main God located on the Academy grounds. I intended to check whether Joy and Jacob were all right, and while I was at it, receive my baptism.
So, Armadi, you pathetic Chief God—what kind of skill will you grant your own apostle?
Becoming an apostle of a god at Soul Academy conferred a fitting skill upon you. The God of War, for instance, granted skills advantageous in group battles; the God of Arts granted skills tied to charm or dexterity; the God of Flames dramatically increased fire resistance and proficiency with flame-type magic, and so on.
I had the skills granted to every apostle of every god memorized perfectly—every god, that is, except the skills granted by the pathetic Chief God. Because within Soul Academy, Armadi had never once appeared on screen. The deity was name-dropped, nothing more; he never once meddled in the mortal realm.
Come to think of it, Armadi was a useless, lazy good-for-nothing even in the game. But useless and incompetent as he may be, he is nonetheless the axis around which every god revolves. Considering that an apostle's skill scales with their god's divine authority, he's bound to grant something decent. My heart is pounding. A skill even I—someone with over ten thousand hours in Soul Academy—has never seen before. If I'm getting one anyway, I'd love something versatile and fun. And if he grants something so overwhelming it leaves me speechless, I might even be willing to call the pathetic Chief God by his actual name.
"Lady Arln."
The man guarding the church's entrance was one of the priests who had treated me the day before. The moment he saw my face, he took a step back—then, realizing he was the only one available to attend to me, he froze in place.
One thing I'd noticed while being treated at the church yesterday: Lucy's infamy spared no corner of this world. The priests of the Church of the Main God at Soul Academy flinched away from me, every last one of them. And the reason was obvious without asking. Surely these people knew about all the wicked stunts Lucy used to pull at the church? Even with the favorability boost from carrying the Main God's cross, this was the reception I got—imagine what it would've been like if I'd never picked up that cross. I genuinely didn't want to think about it.
"What business brings you here?"
'Am I not allowed to come here?'
"Pathetic priest. Am I a demon? Am I forbidden from setting foot in a church?"
"N-no, that wasn't what I meant. It's just... that is to say..."
When I pressed him with a furrowed brow, the priest panicked visibly and waved his hands in frantic denial. His reaction was amusing enough that I considered teasing him further, but I had business to attend to, so I let it go.
'Just kidding. I'm...'
"It's a joke, so quit looking so pathetic. I came here to receive my baptism."
"...Baptism, you say? But why would a young lady—"
'I've become Armadi's apostle.'
"I've been chosen as an apostle of your beloved Chief God, that's why."
"...I beg your pardon?!"