Chapter 149

Chapter 149

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Lucky]

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Chapter 149 – Volunteering during the Golden Holiday (6)

Dolores L Quovadis, the Saintess of the Rune order religion, and the daughter of the Quovadis Clan, one of the seven great clans.

She didn’t particularly like Vikir initially. No, she was closer to the side of disliking him. From the first time they met at the academy, she had a strong aversion to Vikir’s image.

“Vikir, Cold Department- Class B, from the remote regions. What did you do to accumulate this many demerits?”

“... ”

“Regardless of how many attitude points you have, you know that accumulating demerits is bad for your grades, right?” Depending on the circumstances, you may even be required to skip lectures and perform community service, do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“... Watch yourself.”

He was a lazy freshman who had accumulated a full load of demerits shortly after enrolling. Even when he was criticized for laziness or breaching restricted areas, he didn’t show any signs of embarrassment or remorse.

He was not only lazy, but he was also impudent and arrogant. Moreover, as soon as he joined the school’s newspaper club, he didn’t hesitate to hurl harsh words at the “Night Hound.”

“He’s undoubtedly a villain.”

Something surged within Dolores when she heard Vikir insult the Night Hound. Who does he think he is to pass judgment on someone? How could a spoiled, lazy, and comfortable freshman, listening to lectures in a cozy environment, judge others, especially in such a sheltered place as this?

Dolores thought of the Night Hound. Although he was currently a suspect in the Quovadis’ orphanage terror incident, she firmly believed he wasn’t a bad person.

The vivid memory of treating patients during the Red Death outbreak remained etched in her mind.

“I saw him treating patients even when they were covered in filth. How can I judge him as a villain?”

The Divine Power that the Night Hound showed was not something that could be easily mimicked or acted out. Indeed, despite his rough and scarred soul, his spirit exuded a purity greater than that of any clergyman.

Dolores didn’t know who the Night Hound was or where he came from. But she could guess that he must have walked a long and thorny path, and she believed that his scars and the flowers that had bloomed from them were truly holy and noble.

She didn’t like people who insulted martyrs, so Dolores couldn’t hold any positive feelings toward Vikir.

When Vikir covered her mouth and pushed her against the wall, she was initially perplexed.

However, after seeing Quilt pass by in the corridor, she felt angry. She was the Saintess of Quovadis, and Quilt was nothing more than a lower-ranking noble, even from an outsider family. Her status made Dolores’s grievances entirely justified.

“Hahaha, even if you forcefully lay with a Holy woman, all you have to do is make a donation and all sins would be forgiven.”

Quilt had uttered offensive words about Dolores. So, she became even more furious at Vikir. If it weren’t for Vikir, she would’ve immediately left the place and punished Quilt.

Afterward, Dolores scolded Vikir and ran away in embarresement. And just seconds later, she regretted her outburst.

Dolores’ anger initially subsided over time, and she began to reflect on her own mistakes, as is typical of a kind-hearted person. Dolores remembered the previous situation. Vikir had clearly covered for her and attempted to assist her in an awkward situation. To be honest, Dolores found it difficult to confront Quilt in any situation. Sometimes in life, people who are lower in status do not feel like lower-status individuals. Quilt was one of those people for Dolores. His carefree, audacious, and relaxed demeanor made her uneasy.

Quilt’s absolute self-confidence stems from money, especially from the enormous bribes he gets offered in the name of indulgenses.

As the head of the Indulgentia family, Quilt had built a thick network of connections and power by distributing bribes disguised as offerings to various places. With his wealth and strong ties with higher-ups, Quilt was undoubtedly an individual who couldn’t be easily dealt with, even by Dolores, the Saintess of Quovadis.

Therefore, Dolores couldn’t do much besides getting angry when she was openly insulted by him. Besides, the conflicts within Quovadis had already become known worldwide through newspaper articles.

In such a situation, Dolores couldn’t simply blame Vikir for his actions in trying to protect her. In the end, she had to admit it within herself.

“...No, I should be thankful instead.”

Dolores eventually came to acknowledge this. If she had encountered Quilt in the corridor earlier, she might have lost her composure and made a mistake. She realized that Vikir was a person who had prevented such an incident from happening inadvertently.

Moreover, Dolores had another thought:

“It’s stifling.”

Vikir had certainly frowned when looking at Quilt. From this, one could infer that Vikir also didn’t particularly like Quilt’s actions. In this regard, Dolores shared a similar opinion with Vikir. This led her to view Vikir in a slightly better light.

“Still... pushing an unknown girl against the wall like that wasn’t right. We’re not... in any kind of romantic relationship.”

For a girl who had never experienced romance, being pushed against a wall by a boy was a very vivid memory. Even now, she couldn’t help but feel her heart race when she recalled that moment.

“...?”

Vikir put away the papers he had been reading as soon as he saw Dolores.

She spoke with an awkward tone, “Are you preparing for a written test? Studying this hard even during volunteer work?... Hmm, you’re surprisingly diligent.”

“What can I help you with?” Vikir’s tone was stern. It was likely due to his anger from the incident the day before.

Dolores hesitated for a moment and then stammered, “Uhm, well... Are you preparing for a written test during your volunteer activities? I asked some other friends, and it seems like you’re quite diligent in your volunteer work. Is it worth it?”

“Yes.”

“...”

“...”

“...Oh, is that it? Your response?”

“Yes.”

“...I see.”

Dolores was perplexed, unsure how to continue the conversation. ‘Was conversation always this difficult?’ she wondered. People had often approached her and initiated conversations, and the responses flowed naturally, even when she asked questions or shared information about which they weren’t particularly interested. Vikir, on the other hand, was unique. He didn’t say anything unless it was absolutely necessary. It didn’t matter if the speaker was the third-year student council president and a saint of the Quovadis Clan, one of the empire’s seven great clans.’

Dolores decided to be honest. “Actually, I came to talk about yesterday’s incident.”

“...?”

Vikir slightly furrowed his brow. It seemed like the memory of yesterday was uncomfortable for him. So Dolores decided to open up.

“Well, you see, there’s a bit of a situation at home, and maybe that’s why... I may have overreacted to you yesterday. Still, you were trying to help me, I suppose. I’m really sorry for yelling and...”

However, she couldn’t finish her apology.

Suddenly, Vikir abruptly got up and ran somewhere.

“Sorry, I...”

Dolores couldn’t finish her sentence.

Vikir was heading towards the area where many kids had gathered, near the sewage.

It was a place that was intentionally kept off-limits because it was so deep and dirty. Some children were already dangerously close to the sewage, and a few were peering inside.

Dolores hurriedly followed Vikir.

As she approached, she saw that Nymphet was whimpering. “Oh, the ball...”

The ball that the kids were playing with had fallen into the sewage.

Due to a lack of resources, the kids had been repairing and reusing the same old ball multiple times. Dolores had known this. She often sent new balls to replace the old ones, but the kids played with them so much that they quickly became worn out.

While Dolores was thinking about this, she heard a short, stern warning from Vikir. “It’s deep. Move aside.”

Dolores, puzzled, turned her head to see what was happening. Splash! Without any hesitation, Vikir jumped into the sewage.

Splash! Splash! Gloop...

In the disgusting sewage, Vikir swam as if he were swimming, eventually retrieving the ball the kids had lost.

Splish... Splash...

Vikir emerged from the sewage, and the children with surprised expressions came closer.

“It’s dangerous to play near the sewage. Go play over there... The ball is dirty, so let me wash it and give it back to you.”

Vikir said this calmly while shaking off the filth from the sewage.

Dolores, trying to understand the situation, suddenly felt an inexplicable warmth spreading throughout her body. She couldn’t comprehend this unusual and unfamiliar emotion.

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Lucky]

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