Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Holy Academy Pantheon (2)
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A chill ran down my spine.
Her mouth curved into a bright smile, but her eyes weren't smiling at all. That cold gaze was exactly like the Chloe I knew from Demon King's Son Surviving in the Holy Empire.
It's Chloe. True to her alchemist nature, if there's something she wants, she'll stop at nothing to get it.
In Demon King's Son, mages and alchemists seemed similar at first glance, but they differed in the details.
Magic created phenomena from nothing using mana. Alchemy, on the other hand, created changes from existing things using mana.
In short, alchemy always required a base material or object.
For that reason, Chloe—an exceptionally skilled alchemist—saw everything as mere objects.
Whether it's because she's an alchemist or just plain crazy, who knows.
House Atern, the marquis family she hailed from, had operated a massive trading company for generations. Their family tradition only amplified it.
To Chloe, people were just another type of object.
If the tenets of the main god Jedin didn't strictly forbid murder, she might have committed killings without hesitation if it suited her interests—a truly dangerous woman.
Of course, my bias might stem from all the bad endings I got because of her in the game. Still, no matter how beautiful she was, I couldn't stand that woman.
"Young Master?"
Eirin spoke up as I stood there dazed, not responding. I felt dizzy under Chloe's emotionless stare, but I decided to reply first.
I called out through the window.
"You worthless wench. How dare you halt this noble body's carriage."
"......Pardon? Count Julian, what did you just say?"
"I called you a worthless wench. Do you think I'm wasting my precious time on the likes of you for nothing? If you have no important business, get lost."
"Hm. I see. Understood, Count Julian. My apologies."
Chloe swiftly covered her face with her fan and turned back to her own carriage.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside. Truth be told, even meeting her eyes had terrified me, so I'd gone all out acting tough to ensure we'd never cross paths again.
Thank goodness she covered her face with the fan. She must be wearing that utterly terrifying, spine-chilling expression right now.
I hadn't spoken so rashly to a crazy woman like her without thought. Julian was a hopeless wastrel anyway.
Responding with rude words like that would actually align with his usual behavior.
He'd called the princess a milk cow and an insolent bitch. He'd be even worse to Chloe.
If Chloe realized I was still the same wastrel, she'd lose all interest in me. Especially since she loved stealing valuables from others.
But if she learned that the princess's esteemed fiancé had changed from a wastrel, she might take an interest. I'd used my head to prevent that in advance.
Eirin looked at me curiously.
"You're different from usual today, Young Master."
"Different? What do you mean?"
"You didn't even make eye contact with Lady Atern, saying her gaze was scary... or rather, that she wasn't to your liking?"
Hm. So that's how it was. Julian really had been a coward.
"I just didn't want to waste words on such an insolent wench."
"I see. But I agree she's a frightening person. Best to avoid getting involved with Lady Atern if possible. Especially avoiding any rash words..."
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind. I don't want any trouble either."
Eirin must have known Chloe's personality too. That's why she'd hinted I shouldn't have been so rude just now.
Still, given my status, she wouldn't go out of her way to cause trouble over some harsh words, right?
Julian held a noble rank even the imperial family couldn't touch lightly. Even the mighty House Atern ranked below the Border Count—a grand duke—in the empire's political hierarchy.
Plus, by reconfirming my wastrel nature on the very first day of the semester, her interest in me should have completely evaporated. It had to be that way.
"Then, Hans. Get the carriage moving again."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The carriage departed once more.
Chloe couldn't easily put her current mood into words.
'Worthless wench. And a pointless wench.'
She'd never heard such rude words directed at her before, so they sounded utterly alien.
What kind of house was House Atern?
A venerable alchemy lineage that had thrived in the central continent for ages. They even owned Atern Trading Company, one of the continent's three great merchant guilds—a prestigious marquis house.
And Chloe de Atern was the second daughter of Marquis Olivier, the current head of House Atern.
No one at Pantheon would dare hurl such insults at her.
Not even professors or instructors.
However, two people could, based purely on status.
The first was Third Imperial Princess Lillia Ramir Asterik of the Holy Empire.
But the perpetually airheaded princess, whose mind was a garden of flowers, would never insult her that way.
Besides, even for a princess of such noble blood, speaking rudely to the daughter of a high noble like a marquis would tarnish her own dignity.
The second was Julian von Reinhardt—the very man who'd just insulted her.
The Border Count family, the only ones in the Holy Empire with a grand duke's title. Chloe was merely a marquis's daughter without a title of her own, while Julian was Count of Harsen territory.
Second only to the princess in nobility at Pantheon. He was also the sole son of Saintess Agnes, whose influence persisted even after death.
Due to that symbolism, he'd even been ranked above Third Princess Lillia at Pantheon on occasion.
Yet, for someone of such high status, insulting her was equally unthinkable—just like the princess.
But Count Julian is a hopeless wastrel, after all. So it's not entirely impossible.
When he'd entered Pantheon last year upon coming of age...
Chloe had actually been quite interested in Julian. His incredibly noble status, as mentioned. And his engagement to Princess Lillia.
The princess's esteemed fiancé was someone she might even want to steal for herself.
The sole heir to the Border Count. The son of Saintess Agnes—that symbolic value. She couldn't stand handing such prized assets to the unambitious Princess Lillia.
But that interest had cooled remarkably quickly. Julian was even crazier than she'd imagined.
There were plenty of wastrels among noble sons, but Julian took it to extremes.
Every action was so inexplicably idiotic. Especially his art-inspired antics, which were utterly unpredictable even to Chloe's mind.
Someone that uncontrollable would lose all utility, even as a husband.
And I'd been deeply disappointed in that man.
Above all, the reason her interest had vanished: Count Julian feared her—as a woman. He couldn't even meet her eyes.
She was confident her beauty rivaled Princess Lillia's. She'd even tried seducing him with her radiant smile, which felled any man easily.
Yet that wastrel count fled in terror at the sight of her. It was a pathetic display unimaginable for a man from valiant Essenmont.
But... what was that just now?
Worthless wench. Pointless wench.
And not in his previous grubby, unrecognizable state. He'd transformed into a strikingly handsome man; if not for his opulent personal carriage, she'd have mistaken him for someone else.
A man's looks were of no interest to her.
What truly shocked her was that he'd met her red eyes head-on. Unlike before, without a trace of fear—eyes full of conviction.
With that bold gaze, he'd hurled his insults while looking down on her. Arrogant, brimming with confidence.
Something's happened to the count. I need to look into it.
She hadn't spared him a glance since her interest faded. If their carriages hadn't crossed paths today, she'd have ignored him.
But now, her interest in the count reignited. She'd have to watch him closely from now on.
If his value changed, she'd definitely steal him from the princess.
That aside. Worthless wench, pointless wench. Words I never imagined hearing.
Having heard such shocking words... why her 'secret place' had twitched was something even Chloe herself didn't know.
I was mentally reviewing my schedule ahead.
The first major event after the semester started was the public duel between the second-year sect representatives.
Chloe just now was the second-year rep for the alchemy sect, devoted to the goddess of alchemy, Istia.
The top students from each sect would clash in Pantheon's colosseum.
True to the skill of elite cadets, it was a real spectacle. I'd heard plenty about it on the way here.
I was now in Hesos Hall, one of Pantheon's buildings dedicated to the god of art, Hesos—a place mainly frequented by art majors.
Inside the building, I entered a spacious room Julian had used as his personal atelier.
It was littered with half-finished junk from his work. Just like the bizarre designs in the Border Count mansion's wardrobe.
Even I, who knew little about art, felt no aesthetic sense whatsoever. At best, it was recyclable trash.
I scanned the atelier again via the system.
As expected, the quests generated here were all miscellaneous junk.
The start of the semester meant the system would churn out a flood of quests like this.
Demon King's Son boasted infinite freedom, with endless quests. But that was just developer hype.
True to a flop game. No main quest—just a chaotic mess of side quests.
The recent system alert was a prime example. It wasn't high freedom; it was just disorganized.
But after 1,000 hours of play, I'd sorted the important quests in my mind.
Like the 10,000GP one in the alert: 'Proving Faith through Art Activities.'
To explain faith proofs, I needed to mention Pantheon's sects first.
The six major sects under main god Jedin at Pantheon, each devoted to the gods of art, war, magic, medicine, technology, or alchemy.
Faith proof was practicing what your god represented: creating art, honing combat skills, immersing in magic, and so on.
Cadets typically chose one, trained, awakened mana, and received holy priest ordination by the end of their first year at latest.
But Julian, as we know, had a severely delayed mana awakening. He hadn't received ordination in any sect.
As I looked around the atelier, Eirin spoke up.
"Now that you've successfully awakened your mana, Young Master Julian, you can receive holy priest ordination. As you've always said, do you plan to become a priest of Lord Hesos?"
She was right. In his first year, Julian had made a huge fuss specifically to become a priest of the art god Hesos.
But costing 10,000GP for faith proof through art means Julian had zero talent for it—especially painting.
That's why he couldn't awaken mana even by the time I possessed him, when others did it by mid-first year at latest.
No matter the bloodline conflicts, proper faith proof over time would have awakened his mana.
With Saintess Agnes's and Reinhardt blood—plus the demon king's—he'd have received a blessing from the war god or magic god if he'd stuck to it.
Honing swordsmanship. Immersing in magic. Both were faith proofs that pleased their gods.
But wastrel Julian couldn't persist in either. Instead, he'd wasted time on pointless art like this.
Music might have been better in the arts. The blood of Demon King Lucifer equated to that of genius bard Riel.
Eirin said Julian had hated music too.
True to a wastrel—talent for nothing useful. My body's original owner.
Anyway, what I needed now was to select any god and get ordained as a holy priest.
Slacking through first year was fine then. But circumstances had changed.
In second year, cadets joined reserve platoons of the capital guard for real combat training hunting beasts. Without ordination, no reserve platoon would take you.
Then it'd be theory classes and meaningless worship until graduation.
No thanks. I needed to become a holy priest ASAP. Platoon assignments were soon.
I answered Eirin.
"Yeah, Eirin. I need to get ordained quickly. If I don't join the guard's reserve platoon like this, there's no point in being at the academy."
"But time might be tight for Lord Hesos's blessing now. Or, since you showed such skill with swordsmanship at the military parade, are you thinking of the war god Roya's blessing?"
"No. Neither. Nor any sect."
I had no intention of going the standard cadet route. Sticking to one sect would waste my blood's potential.
It'd also cut contact with Demon King's Son's key figures.
So I planned to choose none of the six sects.
"But without choosing a sect, ordination is impossible, right?"
"Not necessarily. There's a way."
Especially, I planned to clear a hidden quest at today's student rep duel. That would let me become a priest of that god—something no Pantheon cadet could claim.
As I chatted with Eirin, someone entered the atelier.
A red-haired female cadet in a wide-brimmed witch's hat. Shorter than Eirin, I knew her name well.
It's Rosetta Rosemary.
Second-year rep for the magic sect. And a key player in the upcoming public duel against Chloe.