Chapter 40
The Holy Kingdom.
The Grand Temple of the Church of Light.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Ariel doubted her ears as she stared blankly at the priest before her, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.
As though her reaction were only natural, Archbishop Gregory gave an awkward laugh and repeated himself.
"I apologize for having to ask this, but... would you perhaps consider enrolling in [Crocus Academy]?"
"...Could you explain exactly what you mean?"
Enroll in the [Academy] all of a sudden?
From Ariel's perspective, it was impossible not to be flustered.
"Of course."
Gregory nodded at Ariel's response, then unfolded and handed her a newspaper he had carefully folded inside his robes.
The headline printed in the newspaper was short and striking.
[The Church of Light's Pure White Saint Ariel Has Never Actually Attended an Academy?]
"What is this...?"
"It's nothing more than a minor scandal arising from your exploits in the Empire."
Gregory slowly explained the situation.
When a light shines brightly, it is only natural for those who envy it to appear and try to tear it down.
Especially in this world, where transportation was developed and news traveled actively between places, perhaps this phenomenon was only natural.
"Regardless of whether it's envy or something else, people will want to trip up Saint Ariel somehow."
Of course, even phrased that way, it was not a direct accusation.
After all, what flaw could anyone find in the woman who had purged heretics with necromancy?
"Ah, of course, if you read the article, most of it is praise for Saint Ariel, along with a small expression of concern."
After hearing Gregory's words, Ariel carefully examined the newspaper's headline.
In truth, the article praised the exploits Ariel had achieved in the imperial capital.
And finally, it ended by expressing concern over the fact that someone like Ariel had never attended an academy.
No matter how full of praise the main article was, it was only natural that the ending would leave the strongest impression.
If people saw this newspaper, they would probably read the final line and think:
[The Pure White Saint Ariel is someone who couldn't even graduate from an academy.]
That one line was certain to stick in their minds.
"What utter nonsense... Ahem. Forgive me. In any case, they used a rather shallow tactic."
Gregory sighed as he reined in the harsh words that had almost escaped him.
It was an article written at just the right level to let them evade any protest based on its contents.
The article had stayed precisely on the safe side of the line.
"Neither I nor the vast majority of the bishops and archbishops intend to guide Saint Ariel's opinion."
The Church of Light was not so weak that it could be shaken by a minor scandal like this in the first place.
"However."
It was none other than Gregory himself who had brought young Ariel to this church that day.
"I thought I ought to tell you about this, considering Saint Ariel's personality."
That was why Gregory knew Ariel's personality well.
He knew that, despite the mistaken impression of fragility caused by her refined appearance, Ariel's spirit was remarkably strong.
If they hid this from her out of consideration, she would probably understand, but then ask them not to do that and tell her everything.
"It is perfectly fine if you refuse."
He meant that sincerely.
"But I hope you will think it over."
With those words, Ariel left the room.
"..."
The academy. An academy...
As she walked down the cathedral's corridor, Ariel thought about [Crocus Academy], which had not existed before her regression.
The world Ariel had returned to after her regression had academies too, of course.
However, there had never been an academy with the same status as the current [Crocus Academy].
"Hmm..."
It was an academy that the scions of high-ranking families from every country were naturally expected to enter and complete.
That's right. In this world, [Crocus Academy] held a position similar to that of a university.
The child of a high-ranking official hadn't even attended university?
Naturally, it was a situation bound to become the subject of all sorts of gossip.
Ariel's situation was similar.
Knowing the half-collapsed world from before her regression, she had traveled from country to country removing the seeds of destruction.
The incident in the Empire had acted as a catalyst, causing the reputation she had built up, knowingly or otherwise, to burst all at once.
Ariel believed in people's goodness, but she also knew their evil well.
After all, she had directly experienced countless forms of discrimination and contempt before her regression, so she could hardly not know.
"Gregory told me merely to think about it, but..."
It was probably a ploy that took advantage of both this world's perception of [Crocus Academy] and Ariel's entire situation.
If this sort of ploy managed to leave even the slightest blemish on her, what came next would surely be easy.
"Haaah..."
She was already spending busy days turning down invitations to various social gatherings, and now this had happened...
In truth, Ariel's daily schedule was unbearably busy.
Aside from waking up in the morning and speaking with Abel for a little while,
she had to write refusal letters to nobles inviting Ariel, whose fame had risen because of the incident in the Empire, to their banquets.
Moreover, since the letters she sent could have political implications, choosing her words carefully was the bare minimum.
Once she finished writing those letters, she would leave the Holy Kingdom around lunchtime and travel through various countries performing volunteer work.
She found time around evening, but even then she went around gathering various kinds of information using the knowledge from before her regression.
It was, quite literally, a daily life for which even ten bodies would not be enough.
"Ugh..."
She had even installed a personal typewriter to maintain her relationship with Abel, yet she had no time to grow closer to him, and now this situation had erupted on top of everything else.
She returned to her room, sighed, and gazed at the typewriter on her desk.
The paper spread across the typewriter was densely covered with the contents of her conversations with Abel.
[Hello. This is Ariel.]
The message she had left that morning.
[The weather in the Holy Kingdom is quite clear today. Abel, I hope it's clear where you are too.]
[Then may Luminous's blessing be with you today as well.]
And beneath it, a new message from Abel had been typed.
[Is it because you're a saint? Getting up early every morning is impressive. I don't think I could do that.]
[Fortunately, the weather here is clear too. But perhaps because spring is approaching, it was so warm I nearly nodded off during class.]
"Heehee."
Ariel smiled lightly at Abel's message.
Imagining the decadent-looking Abel nodding off beneath the warm spring sunlight during class was somehow amusing.
[You should take care too.]
"..."
[You're working incredibly hard, aren't you?]
"Yes, I am."
Before the incident in the imperial capital, she had at least been able to take a break now and then.
But now, she was at the point where she scarcely even had time for that.
Ariel herself was well aware of the fatigue that had accumulated without her realizing it.
[It's all right to rest sometimes.]
Abel's message scratched at her innermost thoughts.
Ariel smiled faintly at the message.
A small gesture of consideration.
But the consideration of a man who, from Ariel's perspective, had quietly worried her and seemed dangerous reached even deeper into her heart.
[Surely nothing will happen just because you rest a little?]
Abel did not know the feelings of Ariel, the regressor.
But perhaps for that very reason—for they were not all that close—Ariel could treat Abel more comfortably.
Abel's casual consideration, offered in that situation, shook Ariel's heart.
"I suppose you're right..."
Maybe she had been thinking about it too complicatedly.
No, perhaps she had been afraid.
Perhaps she had been intimidated by matters related to [Crocus Academy], which had not existed before her regression.
"Haaah..."
Thinking it over again, she realized that she had been driving herself too hard.
The fall of the Empire, the civil wars that broke out in each country, and the world war that spread across the globe.
She was rushing from place to place trying to prevent them, but those things would not happen until quite some time later.
Besides, this world was completely different from the one before her regression, so there was no guarantee events would unfold the same way.
"Ugh..."
Ariel raised both hands high and stretched to loosen her bunched-up shoulders.
"Hmm..."
She thought she now understood a little why Archbishop Gregory had gone out of his way to tell her about this matter.
That look in his eyes, which had subtly regarded her with concern.
His words and actions, which had given her the choice while viewing her enrollment in the [Academy] positively.
But there had been no ulterior motive behind them.
After all, before her regression, Archbishop Gregory had been renowned throughout his life as a frugal and deeply religious priest, to the point that he was treated as a saint.
"Perhaps he was telling me to rest a little..."
Education at the academy took approximately four years.
Perhaps he intended to let her rest a little during those four years and spend time with children her own age.
"Haha."
Once she realized that, Ariel gave a small laugh and took out the [Crocus Academy] admission form she had received when she left the room.
"Hmm... I wonder what that Abel is doing?"
As she filled in the form, Ariel naturally thought of Abel.
He had said he was an illegitimate child of the Nebula ducal family.
If so, he might come to [Crocus Academy] as well.
After all, he was a scion of the Nebula ducal family, one of the Empire's four ducal houses, not some minor noble.
"Would that make us classmates?"
How should I put it?
No matter how she thought about it, Abel's image did not fit.
He was handsome, but should she say that his excessively decadent, laid-back air made him look far older than he was?
His aura completely overwhelmed his face.
No matter how she thought about it, his atmosphere did not suit the title of an academy freshman at all.
"It might be fun."
Someone with that kind of air being an academy freshman.
“No, maybe he won't come?”
Considering Abel's personality, perhaps he might not even try to come to the academy itself.
She could easily picture him flatly refusing: Why should I go there?
Either way, the future looked like it would be interesting.
Ariel could not hide the laugh that escaped her as she gazed out the window in the warm spring breeze.
Whoosh.
Savoring the floral scent that tickled her nose, she smiled faintly.
***
Vroooom.
A car crossing the wasteland.
The car drove across the wasteland for about thirty minutes after leaving the Nebula ducal residence, then finally stopped in an abandoned city.
"Where is this...?"
I got out of the car and looked around, frowning slightly.
It appeared to have once been a thriving city, but with its people gone, it was utterly desolate.
The stale smell of wasteland dust and corroding buildings pricked my nose.
"This city was once a center of trade."
Karon, who had gotten out of the car with me, began explaining as he slowly walked into the city.
"However, as the land's fertility dried up and money stopped circulating, the people left, and it eventually became a ghost town."
Saying that, Karon ran his hand over the exterior wall of a building that appeared to have once been a café.
"That is why the Nebula ducal family bought this city and uses it as a sort of training ground."
"Training?"
"As a training ground for developing the [Dark Shadow]."
A training ground?
At Karon's words, I surveyed the city.
But the scenery was far too desolate for it to be called a training ground.
It was a city where anyone could see that there was no trace whatsoever of people coming and going for a long time.
"Ah, of course, it is no longer in use. It became too desolate, so the duke abandoned it."
"Hmm..."
Listening to Karon, I took a cigar from inside my coat.
"Well, now that I've come as you wished, shall we get started?"
The reason we'd come to an abandoned city in the middle of this wasteland was very simple.
He intended to have a go at me.
At my words, Karon bowed deeply.
"Once again, thank you for accepting my troublesome request."
"..."
"What I want is for you to subdue me or inflict an injury serious enough to count as grievous."
As he said that, Karon vanished from my sight in an instant.
Superfast movement and stealth techniques capable of severing the thread of smoke I'd connected to him and slipping out of my sight.
It seemed the position of a member of the ducal family's [Dark Shadow] was not earned lightly.
[Then.]
Just as I was quietly admiring Karon's stealth technique, his voice began echoing throughout the city.
The city center, filled with dust and dirt in the desolate wasteland.
I had to face an assassin who killed master-level experts in urban combat...
'I thought about it.'
With the cigar between my lips, I looked up at the sky and exhaled a long plume of smoke.
'Something's definitely a little...'
Thinking back to my conversation with Ariel, I seemed to recall her saying she had been receiving an enormous number of invitations to nobles' banquets.
I thought back over everything I'd done after coming to this ducal family.
A fight with the duke, the operation to eradicate the [Miraz] drug, a brawl with the illegitimate children,
and now I was supposed to face an assassin in urban combat?
'Isn't my genre kind of different?'
[I will begin.]