The Goddess's Apostle

After the demon attack, the academy's situation took a peculiar turn. Things that should never have happened to the Empire had erupted all at once: demons appearing for the first time in a hundred years, those demons assaulting the academy, and the Hero awakening in the middle of it all.

While everyone reeled in confusion, the academy declared a week of closure to restore its facilities. The students cheered at the unexpected vacation. X, however, was the exception.

"During the break, training goes up to eight hours. Got a problem with that? Beat me and we'll talk."

Roxwell dragged a still-sleeping X out to the training grounds. Naturally, the place was deserted. The only two standing on that barren, sun-scorched earth were Roxwell and X.

For the first time in a while, X shouted in his mother tongue.

"Roxwell, you son of a bitch!!!"

"...What the hell does that mean?"

"It's a dialect from my homeland. It means I'll give it my all."

"Sounded a lot like you were cursing me out..."

"Must be your imagination."

He knew there was no escape, so he resigned himself. Asking whether they could skip it was never going to work. To Roxwell, training was as essential as breathing. But today was excessive even by his standards, so X pushed back.

"Okay, but why are we doing this on a holiday?"

"The Grand Feast Day got moved up to April. Meaning a bastard like you doesn't get holidays anymore."

"What?! They're moving the Grand Feast Day? Why?!"

The Grand Feast Day commemorated the Hero party's subjugation of the Demon King a hundred years ago. It was also the academy's biggest celebration, given that raising Heroes was the academy's entire motto. On that day, the gates opened even to ordinary citizens, and events centered on the students and professors filled the grounds. In other words, the Grand Feast Day was what you'd call a festival episode.

Why would something like this happen all of a sudden...?

When X wondered aloud, Roxwell shrugged.

"I don't know the details either. Some agreement between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, apparently. A sudden official notice came down yesterday. We're pretty thrown by it ourselves. But that's not the important part."

Right. The problem was that the date had been moved up. Which meant—

"If I don't take first in academic ranking by April, I get expelled..."

"Glad you're quick on the uptake. You get it now?"

Roxwell drew a practice sword.

"It also means I get fired if you screw this up."

"First in academic ranking in a month? That's impossible! Do you have any idea how many monsters go to this academy?!"

"Which is why I thought it over. There's a way. The only way a bastard like you could ever take first."

"Don't tell me..."

Roxwell tapped X on the head with the practice sword.

"Enter the tournament. First place there is your only shot. Winning it and picking up the bonus credits is your best bet."

The tournament. An event where every kind of character went one-on-one and combat power got measured. For the author, it was an easy way to pad the word count. For the readers, it was students beating the hell out of each other. One of those catch-all "if you don't know what to write, just throw this in" universal events — the tournament episode.

The original novel had featured one too, of course. It had been used to showcase Leon's combat power after he awakened as the Hero.

"I can't..."

X's voice was pitiful.

"It's absolutely impossible..."

"What's impossible."

"There's no way I can do it! Forget the Crown Prince and the Princess — how am I supposed to beat Leon, who just awakened as the Hero? He's definitely going to enter!"

Fights against people who wielded divine power, like Leon or Frey, had to be avoided in particular. Humanization had a restriction: it would come undone if struck by powerful holy energy.

And even if I take first, that's a problem too!!

First place received the award directly from the Emperor and the Pope. The ceremony was held under heavy security. There was no way his identity wouldn't be exposed. There was also the option of dropping out at a convenient point during the tournament. However.

"If you're thinking of throwing a match, you'd better be ready to lose your head along with it. I hold a grudge when I get fired."

The violence standing right in front of him was more frightening than any future that hadn't arrived yet.

"How else were you planning to take first if not the tournament? What you needed was proof you might be a Hero. But a student who actually awakened as the Hero just showed up. Nobody's expecting a damn thing from you anymore."

"Ugh... Well, that's true, but..."

"At the faculty meeting, there were voices calling to expel you on the spot. If it weren't for Professor Lung, you'd be outside the academy by now."

"Professor Lung?"

"That's right. Even in this situation, Professor Lung is backing you. And the only way to repay that faith is to win the tournament and take first in academic ranking. You got some other idea?"

"...I don't."

X's shoulders slumped in defeat. Seeing that, Roxwell sighed and flicked him on the head with a finger.

"What's with this hair. Why'd you suddenly dye it white. You rebelling?"

"Ah, this is... something came up..."

"Kids these days, tsk... Get ready. I can't teach you how to study, but I can teach you how to win."

"...Are we really training for eight hours?"

"Hmm. Yeah, eight hours might be a bit much."

Roxwell swung the practice sword as he spoke.

"We'll make it twelve."

X barely managed to knock aside the incoming blade and shouted.

"Roxwell, you son of a bitch!"

This should be enough to fool Elysia.

After twelve hours of training, X collapsed in a heap. Roxwell left, saying he'd be back tomorrow. Alone on the training grounds, sprawled out on the dirt, X thought things through slowly.

I said all that, but I had a pretty good idea the Grand Feast Day would get moved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up.

Originally, they would have tried to exploit the Empire's power vacuum — the gap created while suppressing the demons running rampant within its borders. But the response had been faster than anyone imagined, and no vacuum had formed. Up to this point, it matched the original. Something, however, had diverged.

There was an incident on the day of the Hero Memorial Ceremony.

The Hero Memorial Ceremony was a rite honoring the day the Hero had died after slaying the Demon King — a day of deep religious significance. And on that important day, demons had appeared. To quell the chaos, they needed something to paper over the disaster. The only thing that could do that was holding an event on a new commemorative day.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to this... but here we are.

X let out a sigh. Even if he'd predicted it, having fewer days off was still a miserable thing.

I can prepare for the academic ranking to some extent, too.

Credits consisted of base credits and bonus credits. Base credits were the average of your three highest exam scores. Bonus credits were extra points earned through academy events or outside activities. Academic ranking was determined by the sum of both. What X was aiming for was the bonus credits.

The academy has plenty of bonus credits you can pick up.

A plot where someone just studied well and outshone everyone else was boring. That was why all kinds of incidents had been created, and through those incidents, the Hero's party proved their grades. Aside from the main scenario, most of the story proceeded this way. If he could snag bonus credits from those events, aiming for first in academics wasn't that hard.

Taking first in the tournament is obviously impossible — and I shouldn't do it in the first place.

The tournament was the starting point where Crown Prince Darius and Leon came into sharp conflict, before the Empire-split scenario. When Darius demanded Leon swear loyalty to the Empire, Leon refused, saying he would walk his own path, then beat Darius in the finals to become the champion. From that moment, the Crown Prince and the Hero became complete enemies, and both of them faced enormous crises in the Empire-split scenario as a result.

And that's a critical part of the plot.

He couldn't carelessly change ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the tournament's outcome. He just needed to take first in academic ranking. He didn't need to become first by winning the tournament in some dazzling, protagonist-style fashion. Survive dirty and ugly — that was the real final victory.

"Aigoo, every bone in my body is killing me..."

X slowly got up. It was already past six in the evening. He didn't have a shred of energy left, but even if he was going to rest, it was better to rest in his room.

"Still, maybe because my race changed, I can actually endure this..."

Thanks to a 6-Star martial artist's relentless instruction and sparring, his skills were improving at a rapid clip. X drew Auror from his sword. A vivid blue light.

"Already 3-Star and 3rd Circle. Yeah, no wonder people pay bribes to buy their way in here."

The academy education system's exceptional growth rate. Even without the System's support, anyone following the same schedule as him would show this kind of growth. They'd be faster than him, if anything — not slower.

I wonder how Lola's doing...

The thought occurred to him, and he was about to check Lola's character information when a clear, lovely girl's voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rang out from behind.

"Hello!"

X turned to look at the person who had called him.

Luminous pink eyes caught his gaze and held it. Pink hair cut to her neck, tied back in a short tail, left a striking impression. The girl met X's eyes with a natural smile. Overall, she gave off a kind, healthy air. The light of the sun just beginning to set caught on her and wove a mysterious aura around her shoulders.

She looked like a goddess.

Not a metaphor. Not a rhetorical flourish. Not a poetic expression. Not a theoretical description. Without a single decorative phrase — a goddess.

Who is this?

Which was precisely why he was suspicious. A goddess had no business walking this earth so openly. A mysterious-looking girl wouldn't have been strange in itself, but there was no way he would forget a character this distinctive.

"Ah, yes..."

The fact that a girl like this had suddenly come up and greeted him was a little suspicious. Still, she had said hello, so returning it was only common courtesy.

"Hello...?"

"Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you...?"

"How have you been?"

"So-so...?"

"That's good to hear!"

"Thank you..."

"I look forward to working with you!"

The girl held out her hand for a handshake. Just as he was about to take it before it became rude, his instincts sounded an alarm.

The nameplate on her uniform is blue. That means she's a first-year.

X was taking every elective course. Which meant he remembered every student's face. And he had never seen this student before. He took a step back, making his wariness plain.

"I don't think we're close enough to be exchanging friendly greetings. Who are you?"

"I'm Elia! And your name is X, right?"

At those words, his wariness hit its limit. He wasn't unaware of his own notoriety at the academy. But a complete stranger confirming you're X, right? was strange. That was the kind of thing assassins usually said.

"You've got the wrong person. I'm not someone named X..."

"But she said you are."

"She? Who...?"

"Ah, right. X! Could I ask you for a favor?"

Elia closed the distance with storm-like speed. At the sudden advance, X stepped back once more. It was the right call.

Shing—!

A sword stroke sliced through the air in front of his face. If he hadn't retreated, it would have cut straight through the bone of his nose.

"Ugh...!"

"Ah! You didn't get hit! This is my first time holding a sword, you know!"

"Wait, what are you—"

"X! Duel with me? A match? Please!"

At the same time, Elia swung her sword again. The force behind it was so intense the blade trembled in her grip.

An actual assassin...?!

X snapped to his senses, hurriedly backing away and dodging the sword. Looking now, the blade in Elia's hands was a practice sword. It wasn't sharpened, so it wouldn't cut. But if he took even one hit, he clearly wouldn't be getting up with his bones intact.

"Wow, you dodged it!"

Elia seemed to find the situation entertaining, still smiling as she swung. X responded calmly. The unknown, overwhelming power was oppressive, but she was just swinging the sword with raw strength.

If that's all it is, I can handle it.

Elia's sword came down in a powerful diagonal slash. A beginner's sword through and through. An unremarkable strike. X quickly took a mid-guard. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That alone would catch the blade on his crossguard. The moment the sword was blocked, he would step forward and go for her neck safely. That was the plan.

BOOM—!!

The instant Elia's sword touched his crossguard, tremendous force traveled down the blade and slammed through X's entire body.

"Ghak...!"

The enormous power sent him rolling across the ground in an undignified heap. The fact that he didn't let go of his sword in that situation was thanks to his training with Roxwell — which was the only reason he was able to block the next strike as well. Before he could even collect himself, a merciless blow came flying at his head. Instinct engraved by training reacted instantly and stopped it.

BOOM—!!

"Khuhk...!"

Violence surged through the sword again, crushing him. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Something had definitely gone wrong inside him.

I can't block any more of this...!

An absurd difference in power. How was this kind of strength bursting from those slender arms? She didn't even have Auror. He couldn't block the next attack. He would definitely get hit. The moment he thought that—

"That's strange. You're supposed to be an evil being who'll destroy the world, X. You can't possibly be this weak."

Elia withdrew her sword and looked down at him with a puzzled expression.

"This isn't a trial. The trial I imagined should be so terrifying it feels like the world is ending, and so difficult that no one could possibly accomplish it."

"What... kind of bullshit is that..."

"Goddess? Goddeeess~ You haven't been answering since last time... What should I do? Is killing X like this really the right answer? But this isn't a hero's trial..."

"Goddess, you said?"

Plenty of goddesses flashed through his mind. Starting with Deus Lute, all the way to the lesser goddesses of the frontier. But among them, his instincts were certain of only one. Elia heard X's mutter and smiled brightly.

"That's right! It's the Goddess! The Goddess told me to kill you, X!"

There was only one goddess who would order him killed. Elia just smiled with innocent cheer as she spoke.

"The Goddess who created this world and made everything in it! She granted me grace and blessings I could never repay in a lifetime! When she got me admitted to this academy, she told me!"

X hurriedly checked Elia's character information. And he couldn't believe his own two eyes.

"She told me to kill the ringleader who will destroy the world! The heinous, wicked being known as X!"

Elia was a System Holder — the same as X.