Chapter 76
Chapter 76
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Chance for the Transfer Student (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* * *
***
The academy's night was serene.
The footsteps of the guards on night patrol weren't loud enough to shatter the silence, nor was the sound of the night breeze rustling the bushes long enough to disturb the night.
It was an ordinary night, as if the uproar brought by the transfer student had been a lie.
The eternal stillness was broken by a bizarre voice.
"...Today, the Saintess arrived at the academy."
A whiny voice, as if dozens of people were speaking at once.
"Everything is as the prophet foretold."
With each echo of the voice, the nearby streetlamps flickered, and fireflies dropped dead one by one.
Moonlight peeked at the owner of the voice amid the surreal scene, but all it revealed through the darkness was a thick robe whose interior couldn't be seen.
"Now, we shall resume the plan we had postponed. Does anyone object?"
Amid the night's darkness stood several figures besides the owner of the bizarre voice.
"I object."
A husky middle-aged woman's voice spoke from among them.
"...Why?"
"Have you already forgotten about Manju? The prophecy has already been twisted."
The owner of the bizarre voice shook their head.
"The Manju incident... has nothing to do with the prophet's prophecy."
"Why not? According to the original prophecy, the Saintess should have gone to Manju during summer vacation. Not to a perfectly fine Manju, but to one already burned to ashes!"
The middle-aged woman raised her voice in frustration.
"Is that all? What about the transfer student who arrived at the academy today? Was there even a mention of them in that grand prophecy?"
The moment the word "transfer student" was uttered, everyone in the darkness fell silent.
After a moment, the bizarre voice rang out again.
"The net of prophecy is coarse indeed, but it misses nothing. He's merely hiding his identity—he surely exists within the prophecy."
"...Nonsense."
"Aiba, how have you lost your faith?"
The middle-aged woman, whose name had been revealed, flinched but did not stop speaking.
"We are not a church. We must look at the reality before our eyes, not faith. The transfer student was hiding their identity? Why on earth, and with what intent, would they do such a thing?"
"...How tragic, how tragic. Aiba, you've mingled with Earth's demons for too long."
As the bizarre voice finished speaking, the surrounding darkness rippled.
Thud! A streetlamp couldn't withstand the invisible pressure and exploded, thickening the darkness that enveloped the area.
"...Wait, wait. Priest, please calm down. Doesn't Aiba have a point?"
A light voice interjected between the two.
"The Priest seems to have guessed the transfer student's identity. Won't you share your wisdom with us as well?"
"...."
"Only the faithful like the Priest can maintain firm belief in the face of doubt. You know that, right?"
No sooner had the eerie voice ended than the pressure emanating from the one called Priest melted away like snow.
"Tch, faithless lot..."
The Priest clicked their tongue softly before continuing the explanation.
"Recall it: where and how the transfer student appeared, and what they've been doing since."
Everyone present knew full well what the transfer student had done, even without being told.
From the moment the Saintess failed to appear at the entrance ceremony, all their attention had been focused on North Manju.
"...Did no one really notice? He is a secret escort dispatched by the Holy Knight Order to protect the Saintess."
"A secret escort? What makes you think that...?"
"The prophecy states that the shield of the corrupt Holy Knight Order hides in the academy to protect the Saintess. And the transfer student has been protecting her from Manju onward. Would those two connections be mere coincidence?"
It was logic full of holes, yet no one present pointed it out.
Was it because they were religious folk, as usual? Or because the hypothesis truly sounded plausible?
The transfer student's feats were that unrealistic.
A mercenary who popped up out of nowhere slays a dragon alongside the Saintess and earns the dragon's recognition? As if he were some mythic hero.
But what if that mercenary's true identity was the Saintess's secret escort? If all this was a scheme by the heretics... then it was entirely possible.
They would need to activate their intelligence network for a more thorough investigation, but everyone present had similar thoughts.
"Does anyone still object to the plan?"
No reply came. In this situation, silence was affirmation, and the Priest nodded.
"Then, as the prophecy foretells, the academy shall burn."
"...When do we begin?"
"Today, the moment dawn breaks."
No further explanation was needed. The figures in the darkness turned away without a word.
As everyone vanished without even a footstep, only the middle-aged woman called Aiba stood rooted, staring at the Priest.
"What do you wish to say, lingering behind?"
"As the Priest says, there's a chance the transfer student is the Saintess's secret escort, but..."
"...."
"Consider it differently: what if he is the master of fate within the prophecy?"
Master of fate. At those words, the Priest turned their head. Eyes blacker than darkness gazed at Aiba.
"...An Earthling can never, under any circumstances, become the master of fate. Just as with the Saintess, whose blood is tainted by filthy reds."
It was the most certain tone among all the words uttered so far.
Aiba turned away without a response.
Watching her retreating back, the Priest slowly turned to gaze up at the shattered streetlamp.
The broken bulb sporadically spat sparks, like a dying man vomiting blood.
After staring for a moment, the Priest raised a hand. And in the next instant, they clenched their fist.
Crackle.
With that, the night regained its silence.
***
The Saintess tapped her lips while looking at the uniforms laid out on her bed.
Two types of winter uniforms for the top and bottom, two types of summer uniforms, gym clothes, and even religious garments like a hijab and shoulder cape.
She picked up and set down each academy-provided uniform, deliberating.
'How should I wear them...'
Should she try a mix like she'd seen on SNS—winter top with summer bottom?
Or like the celebrity in that drama: winter skirt pants with a summer blouse?
There were some slightly risqué(?) outfits using academy pajamas and swimsuits, but those were out for actually going to school.
In any case, after over two hours of agonizing over uniform combinations, with only 10 minutes left before class, she finally settled on one.
A navy-based outer coat with silver accents paired with a neatly pleated skirt.
The standard Lord Howe Academy winter uniform combination—the exact outfit Seti had worn yesterday.
Confirming her attire, the Saintess debated whether to drape the pristine white shoulder cape symbolizing the priests of the Five Gods, but she finally left her room only after hearing the dorm supervisor's shout to hurry to school.
Fortunately, many students were cutting it as close as she was, so she wasn't running to school alone.
Of course, wearing an eyepatch and shoulder cape, she drew all eyes from students who recognized her.
Under normal circumstances, she might have shrunk back a bit... but right now, even that attention felt purely delightful to the Saintess.
She walked tall. As the Year 1 main building drew nearer, her heart fluttered with the realization that she was finally at the academy of her dreams.
'Did Seti or Yeomyeong... head to school already?'
Thinking of her one... no, her two precious friends, she passed through the main gate.
Yeomyeong aside, diligent Seti must have arrived early.
Yesterday, Seti had been dragged off to some disciplinary committee, so they hadn't even exchanged greetings, but today she absolutely had to catch up...
'Huh?'
The moment she entered the hallway, she spotted two female students walking side by side.
A blonde girl chattering away amiably and a black-haired girl listening quietly to her.
'Seti...'
Watching them, the Saintess felt a surge of emotion she couldn't quite place.
The sight of the two walking shoulder to shoulder was the academy life she'd dreamed of so desperately.
Of course, it wasn't strange for Seti to make friends besides her, but still... still, somehow...
Unable to contain the unfamiliar feeling, as her hands trembled, Seti noticed her.
The Saintess beamed as if she'd never felt slighted and waved enthusiastically, and Seti...
Bowed her head slightly toward her. A perfunctory greeting devoid of any warmth.
...?
That was the end of their reunion. No heartfelt conversation, no embrace. Seti entered the classroom with her friend.
Left alone in the hallway, the Saintess stood frozen, glancing back and forth between her own hand and the classroom where Seti had vanished.
What? What just happened?
Her mind screeched, refusing to accept reality. Was she having a nightmare?
"What are you spacing out for?"
Standing there rigidly for a moment, a familiar voice pulled the Saintess back to reality.
"...Yeomyeong."
She faced Yeomyeong, who looked surprisingly sharp in his uniform, but she couldn't praise him or greet him. Her mouth wouldn't open.
"Uh... um... uh..."
*I got rejected* floated to the top of her mind first. Then a barrage of harsh words followed, but none made it past her lips.
So she just shut her mouth and headed into the classroom.
Or tried to.
The moment she opened the back door, Seti greeted her with arms crossed.
A sly upturned lip corner, playful blue eyes full of mischief.
"Yo."
"...."
"Long time no see."
The instant Seti uncrossed her arms and extended both hands, something burst forth inside the Saintess.
"You... you were messing with me on purpose...?"
"Worked?"
"You... you...! You jerk!"
The Saintess threw herself into Seti's embrace. Ignoring the stares from the other students in the classroom, she crushed her long-lost friend in a bone-crushing hug.
"I really, really missed you..."
"...I wasn't particularly missing you."
"You say that again!"
Unfortunately for the Saintess, the touching reunion didn't last long.
Just as she started rubbing her face against Seti's uniform, Yeomyeong cleared his throat.
"...Do you have to do this right in front of the door?"
***
The place more often called the Surveillance Tower than its official name, Academy Security Management Department.
At the top of the massive tower-shaped building was a room called the Central Security Office.
It managed not only the surveillance cameras installed throughout the academy but also the detection magic encompassing all four islands.
It was deemed an impregnable room no one could breach, but it wasn't without weaknesses.
For example... what if an explosion occurred in the general guards' on-duty room four floors below the Central Security Office?
The mana link to the Central Security Office would sever, and the island's detection magic would be neutralized in an instant.
Of course, the neutralization wouldn't last long. The mage stationed in the security office would quickly restore the magic.
However, the restoration would take at least five minutes, no matter how short.
Five minutes was more than enough time to turn heaven and earth upside down.
John didn't particularly agree with that line of thinking... but at least the organization he belonged to had judged it so.
"...John? Why the long face? Something wrong?"
His fellow guard asked as John fiddled with the thick bag.
John looked at him, intending to say it was nothing.
Telling him the bag contained an enormous bomb that would rock not just the on-duty room but the security office above was idiotic.
But what actually came out of his mouth...
"Supervisor Kim. You mentioned seeing your grandson recently, right?"
"My grandson? He's adorable, just like his mom. But never mind that—first, what's going on with you..."
"...Get out of the management department right now."
"What? John, what's gotten into you?"
John squeezed his eyes shut.
As the Priest had said, he'd mingled with Earth's demons for far too long.
"Fuck, didn't you hear me? Get out now!"
He drew his pistol from his waistband and aimed it at the other guards in the on-duty room.
Supervisor Kim and the others panicked with "Wh-what?" but didn't try to subdue him.
They were sneaking out of the on-duty room bit by bit, probably to call in the superhumans from other departments.
John would have done the same. It was the way to ensure no one got hurt.
Bang!
Confirming all the guards had left, John locked the on-duty room door.
He wasn't sure if this alone would save them from the blast...
But at least he wouldn't have to watch them die right in front of him, so that was a relief as he opened the bomb bag.
"Long live the empire's independence."
With that final testament no one would hear, the on-duty room exploded.
* * *