Chapter 243: Second Semester

Chapter 243: Second Semester

Summer vacation is coming to an end.

My goodness. What have I even done?

I cleared a simple dungeon and a scenario dungeon, made Helena a saint, warned the Church of Righteous Radiance about a potential ambush, extracted Clara’s thoughts, and had sex, sex, and more sex...

“Huh? Wasn’t it a productive vacation?”

Muttering to myself and tilting my head, Elisha suddenly stood up while changing clothes.

With a confident smile, she placed her hand on her half-naked chest.

“Of course it was, dear. I, Elisha, have risen to the rank of Intermediate Magician! And three years faster than Carla! Of course, it was a productive vacation! Ohhohoho!”

That girl’s laughter always amazes me.

Well... she did grow at an incredibly fast pace.

No matter how talented she was, reaching the rank of Intermediate Magician in the first year was incredibly fast, even with the help of dungeon clearances.

Looking back, Elisha’s rapid growth had several plausible reasons.

Having a good teacher, getting involved in various events and reaping the rewards before the entrance ceremony, or perhaps spending what felt like 24 hours a day in-game.

Thanks to my faster-than-expected growth, I could challenge harder dungeons and achievements.

As I grew stronger, the snowball effect allowed me to take on higher-level challenges, and Elisha grew rapidly alongside me.

Intermediate Magicians require significant experience, and without special awakening events, advancing further is tough. However, the promotion to Intermediate Magician is relatively easier for lower-tier magicians.

Having a rival like Carla and a mentor like Iris must have also played a part.

But ultimately, her hard work was the most crucial factor.

She did well, so I ruffled Elisha’s hair vigorously.

“Well done, my Elisha!”

“Ehem! Ehem!”

Even though I had praised her several times before, Elisha still raised her chin and strutted as if it were the first time.

I patted her until her posture changed from raising her nose to looking at the ceiling.

Oh, but if I only praise Elisha, will Carla be okay? Last time, Elisha pouted when I only praised Carla.

I glanced at Carla. Had she changed clothes already? She looked neat and tilted her head in confusion.

Her platinum blonde hair flowed down the sides, and she wore an expression of not understanding why I was looking at her.

Carla didn’t seem to mind me ruffling Elisha’s hair. She even clapped along, trying to match my rhythm.

Just as I was about to return to packing with a mix of satisfaction and regret, Carla’s ruby eyes widened as if she realized something.

“Oh!”

With a short exclamation, she ran over and leaned her head forward.

“Did you also want to pat my head? Oh dear. You can do it anytime... Actually, you don’t even need to ask; just do it.”

“...Yes. You figured it out well.”

I was thinking of something entirely different, but I smiled and ruffled her hair, making Carla smile as if it were her plan all along.

“Well, I am Master’s slave, aren’t I?”

“Huh.”

Is that something to boast about? I wasn’t sure, but since it was cute, I let it slide.

I played with Carla’s hair, tugged her ears, and pinched her cheeks for a while.

Meanwhile, Iona, who had sorted my luggage in my place, giggled and sat next to me.

“What’s going on, Yandel? Did you see that?”

“Huh? See what?”

“Carla’s expression just now looked exactly like yours!”

Then, as if to demonstrate, Iona lifted the corners of her mouth with her fingers, making a smile-like expression.

“Like this!”

“...Do I really smile like that?”

Feeling a sudden urge to flick Iona’s forehead, I asked again, and the women in the room all nodded in unison.

Helena said this with a meaningful smile, rubbing her belly.

“...You mean the God of Righteous Radiance, right?! Right?!”

“Yes? Of course, the God of Righteous Radiance. Since I’m still inexperienced, the Lord says I can share my vision with Her even with my eyes closed.”

“That’s... quite inconvenient. Oh, how about Lady Clara?”

As soon as I mentioned Clara’s name, the medallion around Helena’s neck began to emit a white light.

Soon, the divine light intertwined, forming the image of a white-haired woman.

-Did you call?

“I didn’t call, but it’s good timing. We’ll see each other again in about ten days, but I wanted to say goodbye for now.”

-Oh? Don’t worry about me. I’ll do my best to help Helena... And if you want to hide from my sight, just leave the medallion in another room, so don’t leave her too lonely.

“Lady Clara...!”

-What is it, Helena? A saint is the cherished daughter of the God of Righteous Radiance. So, the previous saint, me, and the current saint, you, are like sisters, right? Not just in title, but truly. So, it’s fine to say this much... Was I too forward?

“That’s... not it, but doesn’t it sound like I’ve been lonely?”

-Weren’t you? Every night, you sighed while looking at the oddly revealing nun’s robe, so I thought...

“Ah! Please disappear! Please disappear now, Lady Clara!”

Helena flailed her hands at Clara’s image.

Of course, waving her hands wouldn’t make the holographic Clara disappear.

Watching Helena’s flustered and red-faced reaction with satisfaction, Clara waved lightly at me.

-Anyway, don’t worry too much, and take care of Helena when you see her at the academy.

“Of course. Do you need anything, Lady Clara?”

-Me?

Clara looked surprised, her emerald eyes widening, but she soon shook her head with a warm yet bittersweet smile.

-Not really. I’ll think about it later. We’ll see each other in a few days anyway. I’m looking forward to seeing what the academy is like.

With those words, Clara turned into light and returned to the medallion.

Helena, tired from flailing her arms, let out a deep sigh.

“Whew... Let’s save the sentimental farewells for the academy. Have a safe trip.”

“Wait. I have something to say before we go.”

“Yes?”

Helena tilted her head in confusion. After ensuring that only Albaor and Gilbert were around, I approached her.

“Brother?”

Helena looked at me with her pure golden eyes, unguarded. I grabbed her chin and lightly kissed her.

Smooch.

“I’ll be waiting for you. I just wanted to say that.”

“...!”

Helena seemed to forget how to breathe for a moment, her face turning as red as it could possibly get.

Smiling at her reaction, I turned to Iona.

“Everything’s ready. Let’s go, Professor.”

“Yeah. I saw something fun, so let’s get going.”

The crimson magic light filled my vision. I waved lightly at the still-frozen Helena.

I also nodded once at Albaor and Gilbert, who had similarly complex expressions.

Soon after, Iona’s teleportation activated.

Blinking at the sudden bright light, I found myself in a completely different environment.

After feeding Iona some blood and repeating the teleportation a few more times...

By evening, we had returned to the academy.