[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 140 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (6)
Lormane, seated in her chair, greeted Maya with a smile.
"Come in."
"Have you been well, Chief Administrator?"
Maya bowed her head in greeting as Lormane stood up and approached her.
"I’ve been well. Let’s have a look at you."
Lormane gently cupped Maya’s cheeks, her touch soft.
"Judging by your complexion, it seems you’ve been doing well at the Academy."
"I’ve been well, thanks to Headmaster Kirrin’s consideration."
"Good. I’m glad to hear you’ve adjusted to your assignment. Please, take a seat."
Maya instinctively moved to prepare the tea, but Lormane stopped her.
"You’re my guest today. Let me handle it."
"Understood."
After preparing two cups of tea, Lormane sat across from Maya and began speaking.
"What is it you wish to report?"
"It’s about various matters at the Academy."
Maya took a sip of tea before continuing.
"Do you recall what my predecessor reported upon their return?"
"Of course I do. They basically cursed the Academy, saying it would collapse within a year."
"That’s correct. But since I’ve been dispatched there, several significant changes have occurred."
In a quiet voice, Maya began to report to Lormane about the developments at the Academy: the revival of the Combat Department, the resumption of intense practical exercises, the creation of the commercial district, the capture of trolls and wild horses, the recruitment of special students, and winning the competition.
"This is a completely different picture from what your predecessor described."
"Yes, Chief Administrator. And all of this is thanks to Professor Dian."
"As expected of Sir Dian. He’s truly remarkable. To single-handedly restore the Special Mission Academy, which was considered a failure even by the Imperial Palace... that’s no small feat."
Lormane smiled with a dignified grace.
"Sir Dian has always been like that. Such a capable and extraordinary man. It’s a pity that so few people truly understand who he is."
"I agree wholeheartedly."
As Maya nodded in agreement, Lormane’s smile deepened.
"You think so too? But you probably don’t know the full extent of it. What you’ve seen of Sir Dian as a professor is only a small part of who he really is."
Lormane began recounting stories from about ten years ago, back when the Demon King Slaying Special Force was first formed.
"You see, back then, Sir Dian did something truly remarkable...."
"His judgment was flawless. If we had followed Sir Linus’s plan, we would have been wiped out."
"I sometimes wonder if Sir Dian is a man sent from the future, or perhaps a divine apostle sent by the gods to save the continent."
Lormane passionately described the exploits of the Demon King Slaying Special Force, though in reality, she mostly focused on Dian’s achievements.
Maya silently sipped her tea, listening as Lormane went on at length about Dian.
"Oh dear."
At one point, Lormane found herself talking about how handsome Dian was, how strong and well-built his body was, and she covered her mouth in mock embarrassment.
"I seem to be saying all sorts of things. Forgive me, Maya."
"It’s alright. Hearing you speak, I now understand why everyone at the Academy is so fond of Professor Dian."
Maya’s response made Lormane fall silent as she stared intently at her.
Crunch, crunch.
[There were clear signs of strangulation on her neck, and significant bruising on her lower abdomen.]
Crunch, crunch.
[The patient repeatedly touched her belly, murmuring, 'I can’t get rid of it,' while Professor Dian whispered something to her. In tears, the patient replied, 'I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you want,' before lying down and sobbing for a long time.]
[Additionally, there was a dried, sticky substance at the corner of the girl’s mouth. It was unclear whether it was vomit or some other fluid.]
[Professor Dian and Head Theoretical Professor Ismera visited the infirmary together, both looking extremely fatigued after staying up all night. They requested holy healing.]
[No other students who participated in the same class came to the infirmary, suggesting that some kind of intense, unplanned physical activity had occurred between the two of them.]
Lormane continued turning the pages without reacting.
Meanwhile, Maya sat quietly, sipping her tea.
Before Maya’s deployment to the Academy, Lormane had given her special instructions: document everything related to Professor Dian.
Maya quickly understood why. Lormane was clearly infatuated with Dian.
The way Lormane had acted when Dian first visited the Church had been enough evidence for Maya.
As someone who admired and respected Lormane, Maya had diligently carried out her instructions and recorded everything in the patient ledger.
However, today, Maya realized she had been wrong.
After listening to Lormane passionately praise Dian for nearly two hours, Maya understood that Lormane’s feelings for Dian weren’t ordinary.
That’s why she had hesitated to hand over the ledger.
Maya was also curious.
As a priestess, she was prohibited from engaging in romantic relationships with anyone, regardless of gender.
So why was the Church’s highest-ranking official so obsessed with Professor Dian?
If word got out, Lormane would face severe disciplinary action and likely be excommunicated.
And yet, Maya felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
She was pleased that the Chief Administrator trusted her enough to show such dangerous, genuine emotions.
"Hmm."
Lormane let out a small, ambiguous sound as she reached the final page of the ledger.
That page detailed all the sounds Maya had heard from Dian’s upstairs room the previous night.
"I see. I understand now."
After a long pause, Lormane smiled faintly as she closed the ledger.
"You’ve written it all down quite diligently. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lormane said nothing more after that.
She simply stared down at the last page of the patient ledger, her silence stretching on.
But Maya wasn’t uncomfortable in the least. She calmly continued to sip her tea.
When her cup was empty, Maya stood up to pour herself another.
Then she quietly resumed her seat and continued drinking.
"Maya."
After finishing her third cup, Lormane finally spoke.
"Yes, Chief Administrator."
"Is there anything special happening at the academy this week?"
"As far as I’m aware, there is not. We're currently preparing for the end-of-term evaluations."
"Then I suppose I can visit the academy for a bit."
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]