Chapter 214: Strategy (4)

Chapter 214: Strategy (4)

The ceiling...wasn’t unfamiliar to me...

Well, actually, it wasn’t even a ceiling in the first place.

“...”

Looking up at the starry night, I furrowed my brows.

The red aura had been cleared away, so everything looked normal.

If this was what was seen as soon as my consciousness came back with a jerk after being inside Faenol’s Image World, then what had happened was obvious.

...Chapter Cleared.

After unlocking the power of the Holy Sword, Iliya succeeded in overpowering Faenol.

“Teach. Teach?! Have you come to your senses?!”

“...Yeah, but I feel like I’m gonna be out of it again soon.”

As soon as I got up, Iliya suddenly appeared, held and shook my shoulders while saying so.

Judging by how hard my vision shook as she shook me, she didn’t hold back at all. Ugh, my head...

“...Anyway.”

I looked down at the Holy Sword that rested in her scabbard.

Unlike the last time I saw it, the whole sword was emitting faint light.

“So, did the sword finally acknowledge you?”

“...I think it did, somehow.”

Iliya looked down at the Holy Sword while letting out a chuckle.

“Also, I can somehow have a conversation with the being inside it now.”

“...There’s something inside it?”

Now, that was new.

The game said that the Holy Sword was an item with a Seraphim’s Blessing on it, but I had never heard of any information that implied it contained some kind of being inside of it.

“...Yes. A creep.”

“...”

Seeing her glaring at the sword with a genuinely uncomfortable expression, I was at a loss for words.

What is it that she reacts like that?

“...Anyway, congratulations.”

Dropping the subject, I smiled at her.

“You’re a proper Hero now. Everyone will be proud of you.”

“...But, there’s someone I wanted to show this to the most...”

She said meaningfully. I looked up at her.

“...Um, Teach.”

“Mm?”

“I...have a lot of things to ask you...”

She said, her gaze was fixed on the Soul Linker that was hanging on my wrist.

“...My brother...is inside that...isn’t he...?”

“...”

Holding back my bitter smile, I silently nodded at her.

Now that she asked with such certainty, I couldn’t dodge the issue even if I wanted to. Besides, I had used the Guardian’s Lion Breastplate in front of her.

Mixed feelings passed over her face.

Then, silence enveloped us for a while, as if both of us didn’t know what else we should say to each other.

“...You’ll give me a proper explanation, right?”

“...In the near future, yes.”

My answer was quiet.

But, it was also firm.

“But now, I can’t.”

Hearing my words, she silently smiled.

Her expression looked somewhat forlorn.

“You must have your reasons for that, Teach.”

“...”

“I’ll wait for you. Because you would never do anything that would harm me.”

She placed so much trust in me...

So much that I couldn’t help but feel burdened by that trust...

[...Why can’t you just tell her now?]

...It’s not the right time.

I answered Caliban bitterly.

She should’ve figured out that he had died by now, and since that was the case, there was no way that the topic of ‘why’ he died would be left out.

The Empress and Lady Tristan were closely related to that.

It wasn’t something that either of us could do something about if I were to tell her at this moment. If anything, it would just affect her negatively more than anything.

“...”

But...

When I said that I’d tell her everything in the near future, I meant it.

Because it was an important part of the next chapter, ‘The Empire’s Great Turmoil’.

“...Anyway!”

Iliya raised me to my feet with a wide smile.

“We did it, Teach. We overpowered the Devil!”

System Messagen n

[ You have cleared ‘Chapter 4 - Crimson Night’! ]

[ As a reward, an additional function of ‘Fallen’s Seal’ is unlocked! ]

[ As a reward, a special event related to the leader of each country is unlocked! ]

nn nn nn

And when I saw a window pop out before my eyes, as if it was the proof for what she said, I burst out laughing.

There were all kinds of problems, but in the end, I survived again.

Somehow, I managed to survive.

I got up with a deep sigh.

nn nn nnnn n nnnn nn nnnn nn

Atalante continued while rummaging through documents.

“A lot of things happened during the Hero Selection, but Student Iliya Krisanax will be appointed as the Hero... I’ll take care of the incident’s cleanup to the best of my abilities, but I’ll still have to hear your opinion on this matter.”

She said as she gave me some documents.

To sum it up...

It was about Faenol’s treatment.”

“...It's fascinating.”

Atalante replied with a stiffened expression.

“She is someone who has caused such a big incident, yet you stopped it before any casualties could happen by utilizing your usual tricks. But still, the incident could become a continental-level disaster if you didn’t take care of it so quickly.”

“...”

“And since she’s the main cause of such an incident, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were to execute her right there and then, but...”

Atalante adjusted her glasses before looking up.

“There are several groups who came to me, insisting that I should save her. Among them, the one who strongly expressed this opinion is the Tribal Alliance.”

“...”

“I can’t even imagine the risk they’ll have to take by protecting someone who almost caused a Devil-related incident. The fact that they’re still going so far in spite of that...”

Atalante glared at me.

“...Meant that you created this situation, didn’t you, Dowd?”

“Yes.”

I readily admitted it.

Prior to all this, I made the Tribal Alliance Chieftain owe me a favor and I was just using it now.

To be exact, it was this.

System Logn n

[ Special interaction with the ‘Tribal Alliance’ is added! ]

[ You can request ‘Special Support’ from the target in question only once! ]

[ 'Special Support' is the right for you to make a request with almost no restrictions on the target and fields; it can have an enormous impact, so use it wisely! ]

nn nn

The reward I received when I cleared Chapter 3.

I used this to save Faenol.

“She’s the woman I have my eyes on.”

“...”

“There’s no way I’d let her get hurt.”

I said with confidence while Atalante held her forehead, as if she was dying.

After that, long silence enveloped us, before she finally opened her mouth again.

“She’d be released. But—”

Her gaze glinted sharply.

“...Are you confident that you could shoulder all the responsibilities?”

“Of course. In fact, even if I don’t need to do it, I’d do it. Though, it’ll take time.”

Because the things that were related to her past had to be solved slowly from now on.

...And it’s necessary at the end of progression.

Faenol was tied to the Magic Tower, a group that would become important later in the story.

Resolving her pent-up rancor was connected directly to clearing the main quest related to her later in the story.

And most of all...

“I’ll make her happy.”

“...Make her happy?”

“Yes. Because I promised her.”

When I said that to the Red Devil, I meant it.

I had to take responsibility for what I had said.

Hearing my words, Atalante let out a smile.

She looked like a parent who was looking at her unruly child contentedly.

“If you’re really thinking of taking responsibility for it properly, that’s a relief.”

But then, she handed me another document with a sigh.

“...But what’s this, Dowd?”

“...”

When I saw it, my expression instantly stiffened.

Then I broke out in a cold sweat.

“What is it that makes you react like that? You look way more serious than earlier.”

Hearing that, I shut my mouth for a moment.

How do I even start...

“...Apparently, they made a bet among themselves...”

“A bet?”

“The bet was...the person who’s the most helpful to me would take my...um...virginity...or so I heard...”

“...”

A mix of confusion and despair appeared in Atalante’s face.

It was as if she didn’t know if she should fall into a despair after hearing that her students made such a destructive bet, or at how I was swept in such a bet, or at the fact that the ones who made such a bet were the most powerful beings across all dimensions.

“...So, is this what was sent to me?”

“...”

“A suggestion to have my first experience together at her house?”

“...I guess so.”

Atalante answered while looking down at the document she handed me.

It was an invitation to the Tristan Duchy house in their Dukedom.

It contained a request to stay there during this break.

While it was a request, refusing it wasn’t an option.

In other words...

I had to spend my break in Eleanor’s house.

“...”

Ah.