NOVEL NEXT Chapter 79
“…This is completely turning me into a total shut-in.”
“The resistance is just too intense…”
“Alright then. Speak comfortably. You’re not my subordinate or anything.”
“Got it.”
Well, what’s with that? You told me to speak comfortably, yet here I am glaring at the security captain who’s looking at me as if I’m absurd. The unnamed captain sighed deeply and extended his hand to introduce himself.
“I’m Gilbert. I’m in charge of the security force at Kalon Academy.”
“I’m Johann. A knight dedicated to Lady Karina.”
“Yeah. Johann. I never expected someone with such rumors to turn out to be this kind of person. You really managed to turn the 3rd platoon captain into a…well, into a joke.”
It seemed that Gilbert had quite a lot built up against the 3rd platoon captain, as he had this expression that looked like he could burst into laughter at any moment if I weren’t there.
“Why not just let it all out and laugh?”
“Ah, was it that obvious? Then my apologies.”
Hahaha!
The captain laughed so hard he could barely breathe, and only after a long while did he stop and apologize to me with a sheepish face.
“I’m sorry. It’s been a while since something felt so refreshing… That fellow became a laughing stock! What was his expression like?”
“He had his eyes rolling back.”
“I wish I could’ve seen that. Hmm, let’s get back to the main topic.”
The captain cleared his throat, as if to change the tone completely, and looked at me seriously. People change so quickly; it’s hard to adjust. I dragged a nearby chair and sat down. No need to stand around.
“Thanks to you, we were able to find the missing students before they completely disappeared. Truly, thank you.”
“You found the missing persons?”
“Indeed. They were held captive by a gang. They had some strange magic circle engraved on their backs, and the old geezers from the magic department are working to erase it. It’s all thanks to you.”
So all the victims have returned. That’s a better outcome than I expected.
“I merely did my duty.”
I replied nonchalantly, brushing aside the middle-aged man’s appreciative gaze.
“How did you find out that the 3rd platoon captain was behind this?”
“He just looks suspicious, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, he does have that look.”
We were really in sync with our words. I liked how the captain immediately understood me, even when I spoke casually. He seemed adaptable, and if we played our cards right, he could turn out to be a solid ally.
Surviving this brutally challenging game world to see the true ending isn’t going to be easy by relying solely on myself. The more helpers, the better. Renny, Millia, Karina, the captain… the more people I have to support me, the better.
After all, this game is not meant to be played solo, but in a party. While the game had a limit of five members, there’s no such limitation here, right? If possible, bringing in more people to just beat things senseless is the easiest approach.
Otherwise, I’ll have to strategize efficiently. Of course, Renny and Karina are non-negotiable. There really aren’t substitutes for those two. There’s probably no one stronger than Renny, and there’s only one Saint in this entire world.
…There could be another saint in the cult, but at least, none have shown up in the game.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”
“…This world gives me plenty to think about.”
“…It truly is a headache-inducing world.
Incidents are happening left and right in and out of the academy, so it’s getting unbearable here. Did you know everyone got chills when they heard that the Saint had gone missing? Unimaginable things keep occurring.”
“Sounds chaotic.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“So I think we should establish a more close-knit cooperative relationship. What do you think?”
“The more allies, the better. That’s for sure.”
“Since unbelievable incidents keep occurring, it’s hard to be certain you’re a reliable ally… but you’re supposedly the knight dedicated to the Saint, so you shouldn’t have any hidden agendas, right?”
So, are we playing a game of nerves here? This guy is surprisingly not as simple as he looks. He seemed kind of dumb at first.
For almost five seconds, the captain and I silently stared at each other.
Is he waiting for a reaction? I continued to stare blankly at him. Perhaps thinking I wouldn’t have anything to say, the captain broke into a big smile and spoke up.
“In any case! Thanks to you capturing the 3rd platoon captain, things have gotten easier. He’s a shady character, so he probably has a lot to spill. Since this incident cannot be covered up by family influence, feel free to ask anything you wish.”
“Can you share some information? We also need to know about that guy.”
First off, I wanted information regarding this kidnapping incident. I wanted to learn the identity of the hidden mastermind that was so ambiguous in the game. It wouldn’t easily show its face, so I hoped to find even the slightest clue about its identity.
Also, since the incident ended prematurely, I wanted to know why the ostensibly main culprit, the 3rd platoon captain, got involved in such actions.
Summoning a demon isn’t something one does lightly, and I couldn’t figure out why the 3rd platoon captain would perform such an act.
“I’ll willingly share. While this is confidential, you’ll need this information to guard the Saint. After all, we’re already in this together, aren’t we?”
That’s true. In the end, it seems that the captain and I will be working together to take down the 3rd platoon captain. Regardless of the side, we’ve created a need for collaboration.
“Deal.”
“Right. To celebrate our agreement, how about having a drink or-”
Just then. At the sound of a knock, the captain and I turned to the door simultaneously.
Who could it be?
“I have, um, important news to deliver!”
“What? Come on in.”
The person who entered through the door was a woman dressed in a typical secretary outfit. She glanced between the captain and me, then spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
“Th-the Saint has awakened!”
———————–
“Lady Karina!”
“R-Renny…”
…This feels awkward. I felt relieved inside when I saw Renny holding Karina’s hand with tears in her eyes.
She’s awake.
If she had just continued lying there, the true ending and everything else would have been for nothing. Thankfully, this incident was nipped in the bud before it escalated. If it had continued until the end…
“Johann?”
“Ah, sorry. My mind was just racing.”
“Is that so?”
Karina’s gentle gaze met mine. Looking at me in my knight’s attire, Karina’s eyes widened in surprise, and she spoke.
“The knight outfit really suits you.”
“…Thanks.”
“Well, you won’t believe what he did while protecting me! You’ll be shocked when you hear!”
“Exactly! It was so fun! People were completely taken aback! They were begging me not to grab their pants’ legs!”
“Calm down. Isn’t Lady Karina still a patient?”
Why does she suddenly look so gloomy? I couldn’t help but question the sudden change in Karina’s expression.
…Oh, could it be?
“Karina.”
“Yes?”
“Is it alright for me to call you that?”
“Yes. Please keep calling me that. Adding ‘lady’ feels too stiff and makes me sad…”
Karina’s eyes shaped the crescent moon. An enchanting smile that left me mesmerized. I finally snapped back to reality and avoided Renny’s sharp gaze that felt like it could pierce through me.
What can I do?
Even if Renny and Millia are beauties, Karina is on another level. She had a beauty that made it hard to tell if she was human or a goddess.
“Hehe. Now I can go to school with Karina!”
As if to flip the awkward atmosphere, Millia suddenly appeared between me and Karina and shouted with joy. Just hearing her voice makes you feel the excitement radiate from her. Karina broke into a wide smile at those words and gently stroked Millia’s cheek.
“Oh, Millia, are you joining too?”
“I cleared five dungeons to pay for the tuition.”
Upon hearing my words, Karina’s eyes widened in shock.
“You cleared five dungeons?”
“Do you know how surprised I was? When she came in with a huge pouch of money saying she had the tuition fees, I seriously thought she had robbed a royal treasury or something.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
“That’s amazing.”
Seeing them converse cheerfully put my heart at ease. How wonderful it would be if this continued. However, this damn world that competes with Soul Revue won’t let us have it easy. Surely, there will be more dreadful incidents ahead… What was the next one again?
There were three incidents that occurred in the first semester.
The Hellhound incident, the demon summoning, and…
“…Um… Johann…? Renny…? Professor is calling for you.”
I turned my eyes to the door at Elisa’s voice, who peeked in with half her face showing.
Why is she peeking like a deer caught in headlights? Can’t she just open the door like a normal person? As Elisa scanned us, she looked at Karina and hurriedly lowered her gaze, attempting to close the door.
If Karina hadn’t called for her…
“Excuse me. You’re the one who looked after me, right?”
“Uh, uh, uh…”
Poor Elisa struggled to find her words like a broken tape.
“Could you come over here?”
“I-I would rather stay over here…”
“You’re injured, aren’t you? Please come over here.”
Karina’s voice was firm. It felt like a doctor speaking to a patient. She cautiously inspected Elisa’s body, which had crept closer, and quietly took her hand.
A hand covered in bandages and wounds. Did she get hurt while rolling around in a tunnel? Karina fiddled with her hand for quite a while and then closed her eyes, whispering softly.
“Healing.”
A pure white light glimmered from Karina’s hand, exuding a sacred aura. Elisa, startled, tried to pull away, but Karina wouldn’t let go, holding her hand tightly.
“Lady Karina?! You shouldn’t strain yourself yet…”
“You don’t need to overexert yourself for me…”
Karina’s pale complexion deepened as she offered a sorrowful smile while cradled in Renny’s arms. Anyone could tell she was exhausting herself and forcing a smile. Turning my gaze to Elisa, I found her looking helplessly at Karina.
“No, really. I may be weakened, but I can handle this much…”
“Lady Karina, you must not overdo it. Your body is still-”
Renny carefully laid Karina back on the bed. Karina looked at us from her position on the bed and turned her gaze back to Elisa, speaking.
“Is that you, Elisa? I heard from Professor Lennon that you took care of me when Renny wasn’t around?”
“Uh, uh… hello.”
The awkward greeting floundered and collapsed. Just hearing it made it feel like the air had been sucked out of the room. Still smiling brightly despite that, Karina spoke.
“What a lovely name you have.”
Hearing that, Elisa wore a strangely guilt-ridden expression. What’s going on with her?
It seemed like she had something heavy on her heart.
“How did you get hurt?”
“I-I got hurt trying to save someone…”
“You did a good deed, Elisa. You don’t need to act like a sinner.”
“Well, still, I-”
“No matter what you were born into, that doesn’t define that person.”
It was a puzzling statement, as if she could see through something.
…Ah.
It was closer than I thought.
Peeking at Renny and Millia, I was relieved to see that they didn’t seem to grasp what was being said.
Is that a relief…?
To avoid causing trouble, we’d better slip out.
“Renny. Let’s take our leave. Professor Lennon is calling.”
“A-Ah… got it.”
“I want to go too!”
Our sharp-witted Millia child naturally grabbed my hand and joined our group. Alright, let’s have a chat with Professor Lennon.
—————
“Would you like some coffee?”
“I would be grateful if you offered me some.”
“I hate it when coffee is bitter…”
“I’ll make you cocoa instead.”
“Hooray!”
I watched with crossed arms as Professor Lennon brewed coffee using what seemed like a magical tool. He looked quite adept at it. Considering how much coffee he must have consumed while working, it’s no surprise.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you!”
“Thanks, Professor.”
“Not at all. It’s basic etiquette to serve tea to guests.”
I brought the cup to my nose and sniffed. It had a scent that oddly resembled perfume. Did the coffee from the café I used to order from a decade ago have this smell?
…Thinking back, I probably ordered iced Americano more than hot coffee.
“Ahem. The reason I called you is that I need to inform you of Lady Karina’s health condition.”
“…Please don’t tell me it’s not fully healed?”
Renny’s voice became somber. I couldn’t help but feel gravely serious about that statement.
Professor Lennon shook his head and replied to Renny’s question.
“It’s a bit ambiguous to call it a full recovery. Rather than healing, we have temporarily sealed the curse into this sealing stone.”
Professor pointed to a sinister-looking purple crystal sitting on the table. It emitted an ominous energy as if it were hiding a demon inside, which made me uneasy.
“If it’s sealed, shouldn’t that be the end of it?”
“Not at all. Since it was forcibly moved with a shortcut, once the power of the sealing stone is spent, the curse will revert back to Lady Karina. So before that, we need to completely undo the curse… but we need a holy artifact specializing in healing.”
“Even with the remains of the First Saint, you can’t undo the curse?”
Just as Renny said, the ultimate artifact, the remains of the First Saint, is right there, yet they can’t dispel it?
“The curse is so persistent and bizarre that it makes even the remains of the Saint difficult to use. Just to complete this single curse, how many lives have been lost…”
Professor Lennon shivered, as if the mere act of speaking about it frightened him. What the hell did that rat Harpas do to take down a Saint?
“We’re currently seeking holy artifacts, but as a mere professor, my abilities are limited. If possible, I’d like you to directly ask the cult to help you locate one.”
“Understood. I’ll reach out to every possible contact and search for it.”
“So please take good care of Lady Karina. This old man will continue to look for a way to lift the curse…”
We set our cups down without even finishing our coffee. The gravity of the new issue at hand left us with no appetite to drink.
Hills after hills. This is getting real.
“Let’s head back to Lady Karina.”
I nodded at Renny’s words.
—————–
“What a shame.”
In a dim room where the candle flickered almost dangerously.
A man dabbed his grey matter with tentacles sprouting from his slick head. The tentacles gnawed away at his brain with a delightful crunch as he sank into thought.
A failure from decades of meticulous planning.
He had prepared for some failures to an extent, but to fail so catastrophically…
It was beyond his expectations.
‘To create chaos little by little and crumble from within…’
According to the plan, by now he would’ve kidnapped magic-rich students and sacrificed them to summon a demon. But due to the capture of his ally right from the get-go, that plan fell apart.
An unexpected failure.
“…It seems necessary to adjust the plan.”
Creating chaos within the academy to distract attention and secretly infiltrating to steal the remains of the Saint—he missed that opportunity, which made him sigh heavily.
“…!)@(&!(#$ gods, please wait a little longer, I shall offer you this world.”
A tiny prayer, unheard by anyone, shattered in the air.