Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Scandal's Bookmark (2)
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"What the hell is this?"
Liv stared intently at the small ice duck Adella had left behind before departing, swallowing back tears.
It waddled cutely across her palm, but something about it felt off-putting.
As she debated just tossing it away, the line of waiting students began to murmur.
At the same time, the ice duck started chirping peep peep.
Liv, at the front of the line, looked up in shock at the unbelievable sight unfolding before her.
"Oh my god..."
The Saintess was pouncing on the shopkeeper.
The fact that the Saintess received divine revelations was a closely guarded secret known only to a select few bishops in the Holy Kingdom.
However, these revelations didn't come in the form of prophecies or oracles.
The Goddess Hella of Light had never once preached doctrine through the Saintess's mouth or descended as her incarnation.
Thus, the "revelation" referred to here was something profoundly metaphysical and unpredictable—essentially akin to a natural phenomenon.
Thud.
"Huh?"
Caroline, who had been glaring at Louis as she approached him, suddenly felt a push from behind. She lost her balance without realizing it.
Normally, her exceptional sense of balance would have absorbed such a minor impact effortlessly, but her unadjusted body caused her to barely brace herself against his chest.
"What..."
"???"
Louis's bewildered face.
Caroline was just as stunned.
She gritted her teeth and whipped around to see who had shoved her.
But no student stood there.
Even the Chairman, the closest person, was a good ten steps away, pondering whether to reprimand her embarrassing behavior.
"What do you think you're doing? Move aside quickly."
"I was just about to..."
Crack!
"Kyaaah!!"
This time, a girlish scream escaped as her body floated up.
A tremendous repulsive force on the level of wind magic slammed into her back, and 'accidentally,' her foot caught on a loose brick on the ground.
As a result, Caroline ended up in a position as if she had shoved Louis down, feeling cold sweat trickling down her neck.
—Saintess? Are you alright?
—Oh my, what happened...
—Louis! Get up quick! What are you doing right now?
—I have no idea what's going on either...
No mana could be detected anywhere around.
In a place gathered with so many mages, not even the Reincarnation Duke would fail to notice such precise magic just for tripping someone over.
A low curse slipped from her bitten red lips.
"Fuck."
A supernatural phenomenon infused with intent.
Unfortunately, Caroline had experienced this misfortune exactly once in her life.
When she was chosen as the Saintess.
Which meant this was—
"No way...?"
A 'revelation.'
After some commotion, we arrived at the platform where the magical train departing Pharenchia awaited.
Lehel gathered the students and handed out tickets along with a single glowing bookmark, explaining about the city of Scandal.
"Okay, can everyone hear me? This study trip is a bit special. Strictly speaking, Scandal isn't our 'destination' but a 'stopover.' You all have the bookmark that came with your ticket, right? Don't lose it—keep it on you at all times."
Scandal was the name of a man once called a legendary adventurer.
Among the many ruins he discovered, the most famous was the Uzet Great Library, an imperial legacy and one of the Four Great Wonders.
Of course, it had burned down long ago, leaving only ruins.
The only book salvaged from it was the Hero Summoning tome Terra had mentioned.
"You all know that the libraries of Pharenchia and Thessalon occupy the same dimensional space, like seas of knowledge connected to each other. So, what about the Empire?"
Lehel draped a long rosary over both hands, twisting it into a ladder shape.
Then she twisted it once.
"Amazingly, the Holy Asetaria Empire copied their treasure trove—the Uzet Great Library and the entire city—and stored it in a single dimension. Like a perfect replica. The key point is that not just the dirt-and-sand walls, but the people inside all move realistically!"
Of course, they weren't truly living beings.
If anything, they were like data stored in a computer.
One amazed student raised a hand.
"So, can we go inside the Uzet Great Library?"
"In theory, yes. But book access will be extremely limited. Like the academy library, it requires special security clearance—and that needs a certificate issued from the imperial capital."
Naturally, no one could obtain one now, drawing sighs of disappointment from many.
"Don't be too bummed. You can buy any magic books on the market, and even if not, you'll experience things you've never encountered before."
The purpose of this study trip was to stay in what was once called Uzet—a city of the Empire now known as Scandal—and immerse ourselves in its ancient legacy.
This was where the selection of those proficient in runes and ancient tongues came into play.
"Hey, you. Over here."
Someone tapped my shoulder from behind as I listened to Lehel.
It was a rugged-bearded adventurer; the escorts for this trip had gathered separately.
I spotted a familiar face explaining things to them—Guard Captain Mark.
"Ahem, everyone assembled. I'll explain the precautions for this escort duty. Does anyone here know runes or ancient tongues?"
Thirty students and thirty escorts.
Naturally, no one in the escorts' group raised a hand, so I stayed quiet too.
The languages of this world posed no issue for me, but no good came from volunteering.
The only one here who knew that was Liv.
"As expected. Remember: absolutely do not write or speak in Scandal. If asked anything, just nod and pretend to be mute. The imperial phantoms won't react kindly if they detect our true nature."
"What happens if we're caught?"
"You'd spend the study trip in jail. Worst case, mistaken for black mages and tortured. Especially protect your assigned students."
At that, I felt some glares directed my way.
The escorts included knights from noble houses, adventurers, a few guardsmen, and knight division students eager to visit Scandal—quite the mix.
Undoubtedly, the role everyone coveted most was escorting none other than Princess Erzebet.
Me snagging that spot didn't sit well with them.
With departure imminent, students boarded, followed by the escorts.
But besides me and Mark, one mercenary lingered: the bearded bald guy who'd dragged me here.
"Hey, Mark. You sure it's fine for the princess's escort to be this guy?"
"It's under direct orders, Boris."
"He doesn't look reliable. Heard he's just a canteen owner?"
"Well..."
The guy, looking like he crawled out of some mountain bandit camp, eyed me disdainfully.
He even cracked his knuckles—not just talk, that pissed me off.
"Escorting royalty's tough. Wanna swap with me?"
"The princess would have a harder time boarding with your ugly mug."
"What!? You little...!"
I sized up the glaring Boris, briefly wondering if the train could manage with one less escort.
Worst case, I could handle Erzebet and two others.
"Hey, what the hell is that hand..."
"Ah, haha! Time for us to board too, right!? Louis! Here's your cabin key!"
But as I casually raised my fist, someone sweating bullets blocked me.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm from the knight division. Volunteered to escort the study trip students."
The delinquent who'd once snatched bread from Adella was gone, replaced by... no, actually a whole new person: Ansen.
He desperately blocked my hand from reaching Boris, using 2nd-circle magic to send his voice to me.
'Causing trouble here could cancel the whole trip...!'
"I can handle two. Or make it three?"
'If it turns out one student is a doppelganger, it really won't get canceled... Haha...'
Pretty sharp.
Not wrong.
I took the key and headed to board, then turned back to Mark.
"Hey."
"Yeah? Louis?"
"Is there a temple in Uzet by any chance?"
"Of course there is. Wait, Louis! You can't—"
"Good."
Crunch!!
"Gaaah—!"
A single knee joint lock later, Boris howled in agonized bliss.
I nodded at Ansen to drag him aboard and boarded the train.
The magical train from Pharenchia to Scandal and back was a specially modified vehicle.
Every seat was a 'sleeper cabin.'
Erzebet's room at the front was luxurious enough to rival any hotel.
I unlocked the cabin door with the key. It opened to a soundproofed booth, with the bedroom separated further inside.
"Ah, one moment."
Erzebet, unpacking, approached from inside and opened another door.
As expected, even for an escort, privacy was protected with a double-door setup.
A small peephole allowed checking inside, but a palm-sized curtain could block it completely.
"Security's tight."
"Of course. Did you think I'd be sharing a bed with you?"
"Didn't expect my spot to be this cramped."
"That's..."
Erzebet eyed the space—like a one-person dry sauna, barely enough to sit in, let alone lie down.
She seemed conflicted but eventually turned away sharply.
"Ah, no matter what, no sharing a bed!"
I hadn't even asked.
Least she could do is toss me a pillow.
Anyway, I unpacked too and took a quick look around the bustling train interior.
What intrigued me most was who was escorting Liv.
Anyone like Boris would be trouble.
According to Lehel earlier, the trip lasted 7 days, so a week-long injury should suffice.
Of course, in this world—unlike Earth—divine medicine was advanced enough that I might need to cripple another if things went south.
While scouting the interior before departure, I found a spot I liked.
"Oh, mind lighting up one?"
I recalled Erzebet snatching the cigarette from my mouth last time, warning me not to stink up her space.
No point fighting in a stuffy cabin with poor ventilation.
I glanced around, opened the door, and found a cramped interior like an airplane lavatory—already occupied.
"Y-you!?"
"Saintess?"
Seizing the chaos of unpacking, perhaps? Caroline, who acted like the real Saintess—not the Bloodletter Inquisition inquisitor—in the academy.
Even caught mid-lighting a cigarette, she yelled urgently, more worried about something else.
"Hey, d-don't come in! Don't close the door!!"
"We just met, why the informal... Whatever, move aside. Let me sit too. Why make a smoking room this tiny..."
Click!
"Huh?"
The door locked shut with a click, followed by Caroline's sigh as she leaned her head against the wall.
"Shit... We're screwed..."