Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Strike While the Iron is Hot
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“Ugh... You're so mean, Apostle...”
Veronica, who had buried her face in my chest, pouted cutely and whined.
“Liar... Playboy...”
“I love you, Veronica.”
“Eek! Puhuhu... Hee!”
‘...?’
An odd laugh escaped Veronica's lips at my straightforward confession of love.
Embarrassed by it, she cleared her throat and spoke up.
“Ahem! Trying to sweet-talk your way out again? That won't work on me anymore, Apostle!”
She glared at me with feigned haughtiness, but there didn't seem to be any real anger there.
For some reason, I felt a surge of playfulness.
“You were calling me 'darling' earlier, so why back to 'Apostle' now?”
“Th-that's... only in bed... You're still the Apostle...”
“Goddess~ Veronica says she likes me more than you~”
“A-Apostle!”
Her face flushing red, Veronica flailed her hands and clapped them over my mouth.
The Goddess would surely overlook this much...
Even losing control to my lower brain...
It had seemed serious at first, but now...
‘Well... thanks to it, things got good with Veronica...’
We'd committed blasphemy in the prayer room, but if the Goddess had intervened, maybe she wanted this situation too?
As I fooled around with Veronica while thinking of the Goddess, evening crept up on us before we knew it.
“Veronica, we should get up soon. We have that meeting tonight, remember?”
A shadow of sadness crossed Veronica's face.
She fidgeted with her lips before opening her mouth, letting out a heartbreaking sound.
“Apostle... You'll come to the church with me often, right?”
She looked up at me with a worried expression.
Truth be told, I was basically cheating right now.
No, I was cheating.
Veronica was my mistress, meeting in secret, and that made her sad.
As darkness clouded her face, I steeled my resolve.
“Veronica, look at me.”
Her eyes trembled as she gazed up.
She'd gone all in, but now that her head had cooled, the aftermath scared her.
“I won't let you be someone I can't be proud of. I'll get permission somehow.”
Light flickered in Veronica's eyes as she mumbled.
“Sniff... I love you, Apostlee! Mmm~”
“Mmph! We have to go!”
After sharing our love once more, we teleported back to the imperial palace.
After disembarking from the carriage and entering the palace, I grabbed Veronica's hand and strode toward Jenia's room.
“A-Apostle! Already?”
“Strike while the iron is hot.”
“Iron horns? You mean the ox from the scriptures?”
Veronica looked puzzled at the unfamiliar saying, but I didn't slow my pace.
We soon arrived in front of Jenia's room.
-knock knock
-Come in.
Jenia's eyes widened when she saw me and Veronica.
“Oh? Liam, the meeting alrea—...”
Her eyes shook violently as she spotted our clasped hands.
I dropped to my knees before Jenia and looked straight into her eyes.
“Jenia! I love Veronica too!”
It felt like a scene from somewhere.
Jenia plopped down into her seat.
‘Slap? Punch? Kick? Please don't draw a sword, please...’
But contrary to my fears, she crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hand.
Like a queen on her throne.
“Hoo...”
Her eyes closed as she sighed deeply, lost in thought.
Veronica fidgeted with her fingers, head bowed.
A suffocating silence stretched on.
My chest grew heavy, so I called out to her.
“Jenia...?”
“Quiet.”
-gulp
I heard Veronica swallow.
“Right now... I'm pondering what to do with this man who boldly declares he's two-timing right in front of his fiancée.”
-flinch!
A heavy strike straight to my conscience.
But I couldn't give up.
Then came a single phrase that shattered my resolve.
“Should I cut it off?”
The light in my mind dimmed, the world turning gray... well, not quite, but enough to rattle me.
As my eyes trembled fiercely, an unexpected reaction came from elsewhere.
“N-no, Jenia! Gasp!”
Veronica panicked and covered her own mouth.
“Hoo~”
“J-Jenia, you know how it is...”
“Ha! You've done it all?”
“Y-yeah...”
“Ha! Went all the way, huh?”
Veronica's face turned beet red as she bowed her head.
And not just her—my head naturally drooped too.
All that talk of resolve, and here we were, quite the sight.
“...Can't live without Veronica?”
“Apostle~!”
“Quiet!”
I answered Jenia's question.
“Yeah...”
“So I'm expendable?”
“No...”
“Haa... What am I going to do with this man...”
After pondering a moment with a sigh, she spoke.
“Ha... Truth be told, I knew something like this would happen eventually.”
Jenia pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
“With Veronica spewing hearts like that, how could I not notice?”
“Hehe...”
“Tsk!”
“Eek!”
Jenia looked down at me and clicked her tongue.
“Tch! Don't look so dejected! That's even more annoying!”
“Jenia...”
Her words were practically 90% approval, and I looked up at her with moved eyes.
“Ha... They say love is blind...”
“Don't eat my face, Jenia...”
“Hey!”
Jenia grabbed my chin.
Unable to resist, my head was pulled forward until my gaze met her steadily glowing red eyes.
I was overwhelmed by those eyes that seemed to promise danger.
-gulp...
“You okay, Jenia?”
-giggle
“I'm fine, because you love me the most.”
Her usually round, affectionate eyes turned sharp and cool for the first time in a while.
The playful girl was gone, replaced by a queen radiating dignity and intimidation.
“Otherwise, you couldn't torment me like that every night... right?”
“That's...”
“Sigh... You're already too much to handle.”
“Sorry...”
The finger gripping my chin flicked it lightly.
Jenia, now smiling mercifully, spoke.
“And... Veronica's fine with me.”
Veronica lifted her head, eyes sparkling.
She raised her arms and approached Jenia.
“Waaah! Jeniiaa!”
“Sigh... Come here, Veronica.”
-poof
“Thank youuu.”
“Groaning in agony earlier, and now you're thrilled?”
“Heehee! Super happy!”
Jenia gently hugged Veronica and stroked her hair.
The heartwarming sight brought a smile to my face too.
As I watched, Jenia suddenly exuded an aura of authority.
“Hic!”
“Liam... No more.”
“Aww... Don't worry, Jenia...”
“Swear it.”
“No more incidents like this.”
At that, Jenia smiled brightly and spread her arms.
“Good. Now hug me quick.”
“Apostle, come here quick!”
I stepped forward into the warm scene.
As if something like that would happen again?
Absurd.
“Alright! Today we're setting guidelines for our Academy behavior.”
“Waa~ Apostle's so cool~”
[Master... Do we have to?]
“Hey! Lumie, we need to nail this down to minimize variables.”
“Yeah, Lumie... It's already pretty messed up...”
“This is the meeting?”
Our group huddled in my room.
I stood before a large chalkboard, chalk in hand.
It's our habit to hold meetings before operations.
Anyway, today's topic? ‘What stance do we take at the Academy?’
There are endless stories and concepts in the world.
Their impact on the plot is massive—head wrong, and it's doom.
No exceptions, even for a 7th-circle mage.
So, what we need to decide: ‘Follow the original story?’ or ‘Ignore the original and smash through?’
“First up, votes on ‘Kill the Heretics preemptively’ versus ‘Watch and wait.’”
“I'll speak.”
Lancelot raised his hand, and I nodded.
“Better to kill them first, right? Sneak attack before they cause trouble makes it easy.”
Strike first... Easy way. Prevent the incident from happening at all?
But it has downsides...
“I'm against. Originally, there was no war... it shouldn't have happened. But purging Heretics tangled the timelines, sparking war.”
Leave Heretics be and prepare for controllable futures, or block incidents but brace for unknowns?
Tough call...
“I think... Watch closely and deploy the moment something happens!”
Veronica's compromise: Stay ready, minimize victims.
Good approach—follow plot flow, cut sacrifices.
“Ideal, but how to monitor 24/7? What about civilians sacrificed in their prep? That's the issue.”
“If Jenia knows event dates, focus surveillance then?”
I answered Veronica's question.
“Events are already derailed. No guarantee same people involved.”
Butterfly wings birthed a typhoon—we've seen it. Still, monitor known ones.
As I thought that, Jenia's voice cut through our worries.
“I know a few extremist spots. Recruit young lads and lasses to infiltrate?”
‘Oh?’
Not bad—more manpower makes it smoother?
“Mm... What if Heretics kidnap the kids?”
A surprisingly thoughtful remark from Lancelot.
‘This guy's worrying about others?’
I stared wide-eyed, and he grumbled.
“What? I think that far too.”
“Don't lie, you insolent fool!”
“What the—?!”
Jenia's input stopped our bickering.
“Obviously: Defensive magic tools, teleport scrolls, high salary, performance bonuses over 3 years. Volunteers only.”
”“Oh...””
Lifelong risk? Bare minimum.
I nodded, clapped, and declared.
“Jenia, Employee of the Month!”
“Ooh!”
“Jealous~”
-clap clap clap
Jenia's shoulders puffed up as we applauded.
Smiling proudly at her, I moved to the next item.
“Next: Votes on ‘Hide our strength at the Academy.’”
“We should hide it. Too strong, and they might exclude us from events on purpose.”
True—if everyone cowers, Heretics might flee.
Already standing out; more could draw stones.
“But aren't we too famous already? Can we hide?”
““Ah...””
Lancelot's sharp point left us stunned.
“Now that you mention...”
“We've got awards already...”
“Right! I was nobility!”
We settled on the lukewarm ‘Strong but untouchable.’
Debate continued: ‘Hidden pieces?’, ‘How to warn of terror?’ etc.
Clear answers and worries flew, leading to the final item.
“Finally! Debate on ‘What to do with key figures?’”
Last topic: The protagonist.
Lancelot already marked as someone to watch.
“But do we need to? Commoner limitations?”
“Don't underestimate, Lancelot. Swordsmanship, even my magic—he could catch up.”
“That talented?”
“And everyone loves him, regardless. Imagine him rallying at the Academy where elites gather, then invading the Empire? Nightmare.”
“Urgh... Horrific.”
“Killing's problematic too. Innocent so far, and unknowns this time...”
Jenia pondered a world without the protagonist.
Veronica thought, then beamed.
“Why not just befriend him? Would he attack friends?”
“““Ah?”””
“Now that you say...”
“Have we beaten too many Heretics...?”
“How'd I make friends...? Last was Owen...?”
Lancelot clutched his head in agony.
Probably some demonic chant echoing in his mind.
Protagonist's good-hearted—wouldn't hurl himself at injustice otherwise?
If we say ‘We're the survivors?’, would he storm the palace over world-ending secrets?
He'd seek alliance.
But if he knows the future like Jenia and obstructs from duty...
‘Kill him.’
This world manipulates memories of those who knew imperial secrets.
For now, Jenia still can't recall.
Hoping the protagonist can't too—or handle before trouble.
Adopt Veronica's idea fully.
“Veronica, Employee of the Month too!”
“Yay! Heehee!”
“But how to befriend?”
This guy's killing the vibe today.
“Someone with lots of friends...?”
“I know popular socialite concepts...”
“Me, just you guys and Owen...”
Our party's: Maniac, socialite disaster, torture fan, lunatic...
Plus linguistic wizard...
Would they click with normals?
‘I love gouging eyeballs! You?’
‘Ah! Can't forget splitting thighs—slash! Hehe.’
...
Straight-up bribes like ‘Hi? Here to help!’ seem suspicious.
“How'd we befriend Owen?”
“Sword spar... Heh!”
“I... learned acting...”
“Tried weird languages to boost holy power...”
Hopeless. I leaned back.
“For now... Don't approach pushy. Play it cool. Jenia, Lancelot—handle it. Thinking politics department.”
Jenia and Lancelot: Swordsmanship. Veronica: Theology. Me: Admin/politics.
Jenia suggested.
“Mm... Liam, better combat department?”
“Magic department? Nothing for me.”
True—body sturdy, elixirs? Energy boost?
And I'm better than Academy profs, though teaching's iffy.
“Not that—combat depts freer for events.”
“Ah.”
Makes sense: Field classes, protagonist in swordsmanship...
“Swordsmanship then?”
“You?”
“...Need the noise?”
“Apostle's swordplay... hot...”
‘These guys?’
Their cold reactions nearly brought tears.