‘An unexpected gain.’
A dazzling golden key lay in my hand.
It was a reward granted in exchange for overlooking the Vatican’s blunder this time.
Its true nature? None other than access rights to the Vatican Archives.
Though it didn’t grant access to classified records, the sheer amount of knowledge and information contained in the Vatican Archives was said to surpass that of every other library in the world combined.
Even without classified material, it was an item of immense value.
Not a single emperor in history had ever possessed such a thing, which spoke volumes about its rarity.
Even if I didn’t use it myself, selling it would surely fetch an enormous sum.
‘Should I give it to Irene?’
I wasn’t the one who truly needed this—it was Irene.
She managed the entire Vermont family’s wealth.
She controlled the underworld, leading countless intelligence operations.
To someone like Irene, information was the greatest weapon of all.
The past records stored in the Vatican Archives would no doubt prove useful to her.
‘I should take a look at it first.’
I would scan through it, gather any useful information I could, and then hand it over to Irene.
The moment I finished that thought and slipped the key into my pocket, I noticed Yuri staring at me from across the way.
The instant our eyes met, she hastily averted her gaze, flustered.
“By the way, what are you planning to do about becoming the Saint?”
“Huh?”
“Whether or not you accept the title is entirely up to you. You don’t need to take my opinion into account.”
“Ah… It’s not that I’m refusing to become a Saint because of you, Count. I just don’t think it suits me, so I decided to step away from it.”
“…?”
Not suited for it?
Who else could possibly be suited for the role if not someone with such an unparalleled healing ability?
I let out an incredulous sigh.
“I do feel a deep sense of fulfillment in healing and saving people.
But after experiencing various situations, I’ve come to realize… fixing things is always less efficient than breaking them in the first place.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Wouldn’t it be more effective to eliminate the cause of injuries rather than treating the wounds after they happen?
Of course, if I have the luxury of time, I’ll still devote myself to healing people.
But if I, as a Saint, am expected to wander around solely to heal, that would be a waste of my skills and potential.”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ claps enthusiastically, marveling at the depth of our healer’s insight!]
I found myself speechless at Yuri’s conviction.
Rather than merely treating wounds after the fact, she wanted to eradicate the source of the harm itself.
Wasn’t that the very essence of a healer’s true duty?
No one had ever taught her this, yet she arrived at such a realization on her own.
Once again, I was reminded—Yuri was undeniably a genius.
Indeed.
Even if she had awakened healing abilities, she was far too strong to be confined to merely running around casting heals.
Just because her role was labeled as “healer” didn’t mean only her healing abilities would grow while her combat prowess remained stagnant.
In fact, it made far more sense for her to fight in a berserker-like style, using her healing powers to instantly recover from her own wounds.
“A fine idea. Go ahead and follow your own path.”
“Yes, Count…!”
Yuri responded confidently, her voice brimming with determination.
So, not only had the position of Hero been left vacant, but now even the role of Saint was unfilled.
At first, I had felt uneasy about this.
But now? I didn’t feel the slightest bit of discomfort.
Charlotte had ultimately abandoned the path of the Hero and grown even stronger by wielding the Super Super Strong Sword.
Yuri had forsaken the Saint’s duties and was on the verge of yet another awakening, embarking on the path of a physical healer.
What need was there for fixed roles or traditions when it came to giving wings to the young?
Even if they strayed from convention, as long as they pursued the path they truly desired, then that was the real “right” path for them.
“Julia. Doesn’t it feel like we’re forgetting something?”
“Hmm? Not really. Must be your imagination… right?”
“…Maybe.”
Something felt amiss, but seeing Julia brush it off so casually, I decided not to dwell on it.
It was probably nothing.
.
.
.
“Could you please move aside, Great Spirits?”
[Kyaaah! As if! You think a lowly human’s words would make me yield?!]
[Graaah! We will not budge until Julia gives the order!]
“This is driving me insane…”
The priests, who had rolled up their sleeves to begin road repairs, found themselves face-to-face with two colossal figures blocking their path, utterly unyielding.
No matter how politely they pleaded, the Great Spirits refused to listen.
And, of course, using force against them was out of the question.
It was enough to make one lose their mind.
So this is how Count Vermont holds grudges…?
He wasn’t without his cunning side, but I had never taken him for someone this petty.
I felt utterly betrayed.
“Contact Vermont immediately… Tell him to get these things out of here, for the love of all that is holy.”
[Kyaaah! ‘These things’? ‘These things’?! Did you just refer to us like that?!]
[Graaaah! We heard that! We’ll remember your face! When I become the Spirit King, I’ll make you pay!]
[“Kyaaaah! The throne of the Spirit King is mine! How dare you covet it?!”]
[“Graaaah! If a filthy brown beast like you takes the title of Spirit King, it will be a disgrace to all spirits! Give up now!”]
[“What did you just say…?!”]
BOOM!
The clash of their massive bodies sent shockwaves through the ground.
The priests, who had hurriedly evacuated to avoid being caught in the crossfire, could only weep as they watched the road they had been trying to repair descend further into chaos.
There was nothing they could do.
***
“Hmm…”
An unusual sight—a letter from the Academy.
Not just one, but quite a few.
Opening them one by one, I saw they were all requests for research collaboration.
One researcher was delving into the intricacies of Black Magic.
Another was investigating Evil Gods.
Yet another had begun re-examining the very concept of Anti-Mana, doubting its fundamental principles.
All of these studies could be conducted independently, but having the support of a powerful Black Mage would certainly make things easier.
That was probably why they had sent me these requests in the first place.
“There’s no reason not to cooperate. Who knows, I might even learn more about the Evil God attached to me.”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ gasps in embarrassment!]
I had already secured exclusive rights to the Neomium mines, so there was no reason not to fund these studies.
I had no aspirations of making a name for myself as a scholar—if anything, I preferred my theories to be torn apart, criticized, and refined by others until they were polished to perfection.
More importantly, if research into the Evil Gods progressed, I might be able to meet Kali face-to-face in the near future.
After all, I had already encountered Laura through one of her avatars.
Meanwhile, Kali had done nothing but nag from my shoulder like a nosy mother-in-law.
“I wonder what you actually look like.”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ recoils in horror and spirals into panic!]
…So that’s the type she is.
A keyboard warrior, huh?
The kind who talks big when hidden but clams up in person.
Either way, this was something to look forward to.
While I would be demanding a fair price from the other research teams for my cooperation, I decided I would personally fund the team researching Evil Gods.
That should speed up the day I finally meet Kali.
“Ah.”
Flipping through the letters, my hand froze upon seeing one from Yuri.
Right, I had sent her a letter asking about her well-being after the “Saintess Kidnapping Incident (not really).”
This must be her response.
– To the Mr. Black,
– Sorry, Mister. I was so shaken that I ended up sending a letter that probably made you worry. As you might already know, I’m safe for now.
– Things nearly spiraled out of control when Count Vermont intervened… but somehow, everything was resolved in the end. Did you ask the Count to chase after me?
– He said he heard a witness report that I was taken, but now that I think about it, no one was around to see it happen…
“Damn it…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ stomps her feet in panic, fearing your cover is about to be blown!]
Was “a witness report” too flimsy of an excuse?
It seemed like Yuri was starting to suspect the true identity of Mr. Black.
Considering how many subtle hints I had dropped, it wouldn’t be strange if she had already figured it out completely.
“Haaah… I can’t let her find out yet…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ shakes her head, claiming your voice is dripping with the desire to be caught.]
…Crap.
I really can’t afford to be exposed.
At least, not before graduation.
I had planned to reveal my identity in a grand fashion after graduation—right when I proposed to her.
But if she found out now, my whole plan would fall apart.
I let out another sigh, feeling increasingly troubled.
And just at that moment—
“Um… Count?”
“Ah, Yuri. What is it?”
The door creaked open, and Yuri appeared.
I hurriedly stuffed her letter beneath a stack of documents.
Oh, right. Since it was break time, Yuri had come to visit the estate.
I had nearly let my guard down and gotten caught in the dumbest way possible.
If I was going to be exposed, I wanted it to be cool.
Getting caught because of a misplaced letter? That would be way too lame.
“So, what do you need?”
“Ah, um… I have a favor to ask…”
“What kind of favor?”
“Can I… um… strangle you?”
“…”
…Did I mishear that?
I must have, right?
Because there was no way Yuri just said what I think she said.
And yet…
Her gaze was deep, unwavering.
Why the hell was she looking at me like that?
