Academy Saintess of My Chūni Writing Days

Honestly, I was a bit worried. gulp

That guy is just ridiculously strong. sweat drop

Even if I thought he could have understood when I asked him not to kill after seeing me give him a wooden sword, I can easily imagine Jian taking out the monsters on the stage, one by one, with just that stick. swoosh

What if he finishes them off too quickly, and the ones waiting behind get scared and don’t come up? thinking

If that happens, I had a plan B in mind—just block the entrance and let loose some holy magic! Luckily, that plan turned out to be utterly useless. doh

He doesn’t just fight one at a time; he faces three to five at once, letting them feel like they might actually land a hit while he dodges just narrowly, taunting them with his wooden sword. laugh track

Watching this felt like a pro gamer playing a fighting game against elementary school kids, occupying the arcade machine. ding ding ding

From below, Jian wielding his sword looked incredibly powerful yet almost touchable. Since he’s allowing a certain degree of attacks, it prompts the thought, “Maybe if we try a bit harder, we might win?” hopeful music

If I, who already know his skills, feel this way, how must the students confronting him feel? sweating bullets

Naturally, the students on the stage started to collaborate smoothly to target Jian, just as you’d expect from cadets. high five

The types of swordsmanship, spear styles, and magic were fewer than those used by the academy’s diverse students. It appeared a bit mundane at first glance, but they seemed to know each other’s weaknesses, protecting each other’s flanks and creating openings to attack with a myriad of possibilities. boom boom

…There’s definitely a considerable difference from the last two I faced. hmm

Curious about why that is, I looked at the students, and amidst the cadets cheering for the stage, I noticed some whispering to each other. whisper whisper

Indeed, they seemed to be formulating strategies and positions. strategizing vibes

This was bound to be different from the last two who thought me a mere civilian and arrogantly approached. thunder clap

As the even match continued, the students showed no signs of giving up. While watching the duel above, they devised plans below. Then, when their team went up, they analyzed their opponent’s skills again and formed new strategies… Who would’ve thought they were cadets from the officer school? mind-blown

Anyway, amid this evenly matched duel,

“Will this really work? Of course, I supported the plan, but…” worried tone

It’s no surprise for a clueless cadet to express such worries. By the way, this question came from student council president Lynn Mayer. clumsy dialogues

“Of course it’s possible.” confidently

I replied while casting healing on a student who had fallen under the stage.

I still vividly remember that sword, which had chips and even a half-broken blade, landing a hit on a high-ranking demon. Sure, its durability wasn’t as great as I’d hoped, but if I were told to receive a similar level of attack again, it would probably be impossible. My hit then was purely luck. I had already been attacked by Andrea and Jian, and I was injured. ahh

The sword must have been chipped and broken after slashing at the incoming shells. It might have shattered upon colliding with the high-ranking demon. The situation was so hectic that I couldn’t see it properly. whoosh

And because of this, there were others worrying for different reasons. gasp

“Will it be alright…?” deep concern

“Right?” worried too

Hearing Selena murmur gravely, Lynn echoed her thoughts, causing Selena to respond.

“No, not him. Those kids over there.” pointing

“…” sudden silence

Rational concern. I acknowledge that. nod nod

“Ugh!” sudden gasp!

Just then, a student got hit in the head by a wooden sword and yelled, so I quickly ran over and healed him once more. quick steps

By the way, there was another advantage to this operation.

As I mentioned before, witches prefer to amplify negative emotions, leading to division—just as the term “amplify” suggests, if emotions weaken to the point of being unamplifiable, they become entirely useless. boom

Even if they have already been amplified, emotions are still merely emotions! At first, the cadets were wary of me, seemingly ready to attack, but once I healed over ten or twenty of them, their perception of me slowly began to shift. light bulb moment

If there’s someone unconditionally healing those who don’t believe in themselves, it would be hard to see that person in a purely negative light. admiring gasps

Of course, that ‘unconditionally healing person’ just so happened to be the root cause of their bashing, but…I wouldn’t ruin the mood by mentioning that! cringe cringe

Anyhow, this method had the power to shift fundamental emotions! Where does this situation’s root cause come from? Jealousy! Destruction! dramatic explosion

A miraculous healing method that combines physical, magic, and mental healing all at once! applause

Ah, could it be that I’m a genius? proud laugh

While busily healing increasingly slower-moving cadets, I couldn’t help but feel proud inside. shiny eyes

*

The smell gradually faded. sniff sniff

It was never a strong smell to begin with. gag

With each time Clara approached the fallen cadets and cast brilliant holy power to heal them, the odor diminished slightly. Actually, to be more precise, it felt as if the ‘source of the smell was disappearing.’ vanishing sound

Ah-ha. ding!

It wasn’t that there had been a separate source of the smell, but rather, there were just too many sources. The slight smell that spread broadly on the same level came from the over a hundred cadets who were bustling about every day, of course, causing smells to emanate from every direction. whiff

Were they perhaps under some magic? wondering

Rina mused inwardly. Wondering if she’d offend by asking whether Clara knew that holy power also served as a deodorant, she decided it probably wouldn’t matter. Clara wouldn’t mind if someone expressed doubts about gods and religion. pondering looks

…How could such an unworthy existence as a clergyman receive so much love from the goddess? She found it hard to comprehend. sigh

Well, that’s not really my concern.

Moreover, here we go. He ends up solving it. I intentionally asked Lee Ji-An for this purpose, but once again he’s not—

Not at all—? dramatic pause

“Wait a second. Why should he be helpful to me?” confused

Rina scrunched her face. Leaning against the corner of the auditorium wall, she deeply pondered that bizarre feeling that was crawling up inside her chest.

Though she thought deeply, no answer surfaced. daydreaming

Well, if she were to nitpick, there were indeed a few things she felt grateful for.

After all, she preferred living here to staying in the demons’ den. Why that was, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because that high-ranking demon was just too terrifying? shivers

“…I can’t just say I want to go back now.” whimper

The suspicion regarding the witches’ army had faded, but the demon race was still intact, and six witches still remained. If she were to return, she would undoubtedly be executed immediately. And Clara, enraged by that…

Once again, such thoughts sent chills down Rina’s spine. shudder

Alright, let’s stop these thoughts. Let’s remain completely and utterly thoughtless. In any case, this situation seems likely to end soon, and then there’ll be nothing to worry about. relieved sigh

—That was Rina’s final conclusion.

Thus, while doing her utmost to maintain that ‘thoughtless state,’ she quietly observed the situation.

The number of cadets waiting below the stage for their turn gradually decreased. Simultaneously, more and more students were sprawled out, receiving healing from Clara. Naturally, the odor was slowly diminishing to nearly nonexistent. fresh air

“Damn it!” frustrated shout

Even after the last student fell, it wasn’t entirely gone—just ‘almost’.

‘……’ silent realization

Ah-ha. epiphany

And again, Rina came to understand.

It seemed the culprit was likely someone else. Even amid the chaos where cadets were being beaten and healed, a very faint lingering scent remained. The fact that this aroma persists means its source still exists. smirk

But thanks to this, tracking down that source became remarkably easy. decision made

…Not that I particularly wanted to say thank you, though. reluctant

Rina followed the faint lingering scent toward the auditorium filled with the cheers of the academy’s students.

*

“Is it over?” exhausted

As Jian said this, brushing away the damp front of his hair with his hand, an incredibly decadent—a, what should I say, sexy vibe radiated from him. whistle

Of course, this ‘sexy’ wasn’t meant to be taken literally; frankly, I wanted to turn my eyes away from that sight. But seeing him sweat profusely while looking like he wasn’t even tired raised my suspicion that he was deliberately letting sweat drip to hear the cheers from the girls over there. hmmm

What if there’s an incubus hidden in his veins? snickers

Well, I hadn’t included such a detail, and given Jian’s level of perception, it made no sense.

Look at that oblivious expression. Hearing the loud cheers from the girls, and even from the officer school students he’s just defeated, he’s just showing relief that he won, not even realizing the energy he’s unknowingly gathering from them. facepalm

Did I unintentionally make him too oblivious?

…No, if he were aware he was handsome, it would only bring him its own set of troubles; let’s be grateful he doesn’t hit on me. thank god

With his upper body completely drenched in sweat—something I’d rather not see as a same-gender individual—Jian stepped down from the stage and walked toward me.

“Here. Well done.” grin

Then, he handed over the wooden sword soaked in sweat. Eew.

I didn’t even need to return it since I just grabbed it from the back, but…I couldn’t outright tell him to “leave it back there.”

In the end, I braced my expression as much as possible and accepted the wooden sword. grimace

“Y-you should dry off quickly. It looks a bit, um, off.” blushing

Selena, with a reddened face, handed Jian a towel. Something looks a bit off, indeed. If it were a cute female student in this same situation, I’d be wanting to see more!

Honestly, the real reason was that I didn’t want other girls seeing him like that. jealousy

“Thanks.” beaming

With a refreshing smile, Jian received the towel and wiped his head vigorously. See, that’s counterproductive. His face is now like that of a super handsome boyfriend coming out of the shower. heart eyes

Good-looking guys always look good no matter what they do. It’s frustrating. pouting

Seeing that, I let out a light sigh and shifted my gaze to ask Lynn—when I noticed she, too, was flushed and sneakily glancing at Jian. guilty eyes

“……”

I lightly tapped Lynn’s shoulder, who was engrossed in her crush on Jian.

“Hmm? Ah, oh!” startled

Perhaps she was daydreaming halfway through; the class representative was slowly coming back to her senses.

“All cadets have returned, right?” serious tone

“Yes? Ah, yes! They all have returned. I checked the number.” reassurance

Now that she heard my voice, the class president seemed to regain her composure completely, clearing her throat a few times and prepping her voice. Then she lowered her voice and whispered.

“Shall we double-check just in case?” concerned whisper

“Hmm…” thoughtful

I placed a finger on my chin and pondered. Isn’t it fine to let them go? Lynn had a solid personality when it came to this; she likely hadn’t made any mistakes. nodding to self

-But I can’t think that way.
When utilizing opportunities that may not come again, it’s crucial to thoroughly take advantage so that a need for those chances in the future does not arise. Especially when it could involve human lives, it’s even more important! serious business

“Let’s check it once more!” determined

“Yes, understood.” eager to help

Lynn didn’t show any displeasure at my request. Truly a dedicated girl to the core. admiration

Turning alongside Lynn, I too faced the officer school cadets directly.

And there I was, on the receiving end of a glowing gaze from over a hundred students. intense

No, if I were to be precise, it was half of that—around fifty pairs of eyes. The remaining fifty, that is, the first-year female students from the officer school, were not looking at me but rather toward Jian, or more accurately, slightly closer to him. sudden realization

Well, that’s understandable. It’s only natural to be attracted to a handsome individual. I’ve seen several times how girls my age swoon over celebrities. snickers

However, here’s the thing. whispers

Why are the male students gazing at me with such bright eyes?

Oh, I know well enough that this body of mine is attractive. I have a pretty face, beautiful hair, and a decent figure. Even the clothes I’m wearing manage to leave nothing exposed while undeniably highlighting my curves, drawing attention. sensual aura

I can understand them sneaking glances; that much is fine—

But those eager eyes are more than just admiration; they carry a sizzling intensity of longing that I’d prefer they didn’t send my way. cold sweat

See, I’ve witnessed that gaze before.

It’s just like when soldiers perform at the military concerts. flashbacks

…….

With so many beautiful girl students near me, why do they focus on me? If we’re comparing uniforms, there isn’t a significant difference in exposure between school uniforms and my saint’s robe. Both Selena and Lynn are definitely cuties too; what isn’t capturing their attention? mildly offended

Could it be because I have a big chest? gasp!

Thankfully, thanks to Lynn clapping her hands to grab the cadets’ attention, their gazes shifted from me, allowing me to escape that spiral of confusion. relieved

“Then, let’s confirm the numbers. Class representatives, please step forward!” commanding voice

As Lynn called out, five students emerged. Their numbers were consistent across the classes. It was likely due to the similar student count—as a matter of reality, twenty doesn’t fulfill even one squad. However, given this world’s smaller population and differing combat styles, there’s a valid reason for that. analysis mode

As Lynn requested the class representatives to confirm their numbers, they nodded and immediately started lining up to verify. Truly a well-trained demeanor akin to soldiers when a mission is issued. commendable

…Come to think of it, their military training period lasts just over a month, so they’re likely in peak discipline right now. pensive

Considering that, it made me feel a bit sorry for them.

Of course, they’d be free after classes, and even if in the dorms, they’d return home during breaks.

“Class 1, no excess members.”

“Class 2, no excess members.”

Even checking seems very military-like.

As I watched them, a wry smile formed on my face when—

“……Class 5, one member is missing.”

I heard the remark.

“Huh?” confused

*

“Maybe they just finished their turn and went home?” suggesting

Satsuki tossed out that idea, but Lynn shook her head in denial.

“We live in dorms at school. Here, we also rent dorms within the building. To go out of the academy grounds requires permission. But leaving without saying anything…” serious tone

According to Lynn, the individual hadn’t been responding even after contact attempts, which is indeed suspicious. narrowed eyes

“Shouldn’t we inform the teacher?” seriously thoughtful

Lynn said that with a serious expression. What she suggested was naturally correct, but—

Oh, thinking back, we hadn’t mentioned any of this to our homeroom teacher, Seo-A, even while causing this commotion. gulp

Um, technically there shouldn’t be any issues as per the school rules. While only one side had someone missing, it wouldn’t be odd to see this as a skirmish. In the grand scheme, it was simply a voluntary physical training session after school using the facilities, with no injuries sustained.

The cadets who had been harassing Erica before, aside from what Aurora told me, hadn’t broken any rules either.

Yet, we wouldn’t want to mention that there might be involvement of witches in this matter. shudders

Ah, it’s not that we think we could do better, or that we could solve this ourselves without the help of boring adults, or that they wouldn’t listen to our stories…

……We simply forgot completely. brain fart

“By the way, where’s Rina? She was standing over there in that corner a moment ago.” clueless

Ah.

…It’s a good thing I kept that genius thought to myself and didn’t say it out loud. sigh of relief

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