Lichten Academy, Church of the Celeste Sect.
A room that must have once been the most splendid was now filled with darkness.
A single ray of light pierced the room through the blackout curtains blocking the window.
Dust particles danced in the beam of light, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
Did she think that beam of light was a holy sword meant to condemn her?
A girl kneeling on the bed struggled to escape the light.
Finally reaching a corner where she was fully enclosed, the girl’s movements ceased.
Hugging her knees and burying her head in them, the girl was none other than the candidate for the next Saintess of the Deus Church.
Aria Lumines Bell.
“…No. I don’t want to.”
A soft breeze blew in through the window.
The curtains fluttered, causing the beam of light to shift around the room.
Revealed by the moving light were luxurious furnishings, expensive luxury items, and sacred relics.
Each time these objects glimmered, Aria buried her face even deeper.
“I can’t do it. I just can’t… Please…”
She was afraid.
Afraid of the fact that she had been chosen as the Saintess candidate.
Afraid of the expectations placed upon her.
Afraid of the greed she saw in the eyes of those who handed her those expectations.
And she was also afraid.
Afraid of her own worthlessness, that she would never fulfill any of those expectations.
“Sob…”
Where had it all gone wrong?
Was it her fate to become a Saintess candidate?
Or was it the belief that she could change herself in the future?
Or maybe it was the fact that she had cruelly rejected that person’s touch, declaring she no longer needed it?
Even in that place, now shrouded in darkness with no light left, Aria couldn’t find her own space.
She believed that the only space allowed to her, an endlessly insignificant self, was the corner of the bed attached to one side of the room.
Aria buried her face even deeper.
Then she caressed her wrist. The rough scars she felt.
Since becoming a Saintess candidate, she couldn’t even freely add another line to the scars on her wrist.
The forced tattoo twisted her wrist whenever she held a knife.
“…Sob.”
All she could do was hug herself tightly enough to feel like she was breaking apart.
But it was as if even that wasn’t allowed, as the door opened.
— Creak
Suddenly, a flood of light poured in.
“Eek!”
Aria hastily pulled the blanket over herself.
She trembled under it.
The visitor sighed deeply as he looked at the trembling lump under the blanket.
“……”
The Holy Knight Yerhi, the personal guardian priest of the Saintess candidate.
“Lady Saintess.”
“I’m not, I’m not a Saintess. I’m not the Saintess…”
“Lady Saintess candidate.”
“I-I did wrong. I did wrong… I won’t do it again. I’m sorry, Ian. I’m sorry…”
— Sob, sob.
Seeing the broken Saintess candidate, the Holy Knight Yerhi’s eyes grew dark.
Through numerous attempts and experiences, he knew he couldn’t comfort her.
So he merely stated the purpose of his visit.
“Lady Aria, you need to prepare for the promotion battle.”
“Sob… Sob…”
“We have selected the most capable students from the Priest Department. They have all pledged to devote everything to you, the Saintess candidate. We have also arranged funds to commission high-level Aether magicians, scouts, and knights.”
Since the disciplinary committee, countless arrows of criticism had been aimed at Lady Aria.
The artifact mentioned to have written the will of that filthy human, Ian Blackangers. That was the cause.
Subsequent investigations found no evidence proving Lady Aria’s guilt.
So she could stand tall with confidence.
No matter the truth, she could stand tall.
“In times like these, you must show even more strength.”
Thus, it was imperative to advance to the Aether class.
It made no sense for a Saintess candidate to be unable to handle Aether class. If this reached the ears of the Pope, it would be better for her to quit the academy.
But there was no need to worry.
As long as she followed the plan he had laid out, the Saintess candidate would advance to the Aether class.
This was the best result Yerhi had achieved after countless nights of deliberation and effort.
“Wh… where is Ian?”
And yet, the Saintess candidate still uttered that name.
Ian, Ian Blackangers.
Again, that name.
Grinding his teeth, Yerhi responded.
“He has nothing to do with this. I, Yerhi, am here to do my utmost for you, Lady Saintess…”
“I need to see him…”
“Absolutely not. That is an order from above, Lady Aria.”
‘… Wasn’t it you who said you no longer needed him?’
Yerhi swallowed the words that nearly escaped his lips.
He knew about Aria’s past because he had investigated it.
Ian Blackangers had been gaslighting her continuously since childhood.
Hadn’t Lady Aria said so herself?
“Sob. No. I can’t endure this any longer…”
The Saintess candidate trembled under the musty blanket.
She should have been perfect in every way.
So why had things turned out like this?
Yerhi’s eyes gleamed a cold blue.
‘It’s Ian Blackangers, after all.’
He was the root of all problems.
If so, eliminating him would solve everything.
This promotion battle.
There would be ample opportunity.
For Deus.
And for Lady Aria, who would shine brilliantly upon the world.
◆
The air was tense.
In a secluded meeting area on the outskirts of the Academy, Ian rubbed his arms against the chilly atmosphere, reminiscent of the northern regions.
‘Where did it all go wrong?’
No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t pinpoint the cause.
So he focused on the situation before him.
Danya and Elena.
Sitting across from each other, cold air flowed between them.
Danya’s tail was bristling, and she finally spoke.
“What are you?”
Surprisingly, it was the first word exchanged after ten minutes of staring at each other.
Elena responded as if she had been waiting.
“My name is Elena. I serve Deus. And you?”
Elena, usually timid, spoke with an unusually bold and loud voice.
Wasn’t she supposed to be shy?
While Ian was momentarily confused by this sudden change, Danya spoke up.
“I’m Danya. Uhm… Guardian of the Forest, the Great Forest?”
‘… Danya, since when did you become the guardian of the forest? It’s just that the sacred ground of the beastmen is in the Grand Forest.’
Ian barely restrained himself from pointing out the inconsistency.
It seemed like Danya was saying anything to avoid being intimidated, and it was somewhat effective as Elena’s gaze wavered slightly.
“Huh, hmm. This is the first time I’ve seen someone of similar height to me, and you seem to be taller than I thought.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The conversation between the two was filled with things Ian wanted to correct.
Once the dam broke, their conversation—or rather, their argument—continued without interruption.
Mostly, Danya attacked and Elena countered, leading to increasingly pointed questions.
“I still find it suspicious. Why would a priestess, who should be the purest and solely devoted to God, want to team up with someone like Ian? You must have an ulterior motive!”
Although Danya was clearly attacking Elena, it was Ian who felt the sting.
“Do you really think I joined just because of Brother Ian’s face?”
“No, I don’t think that’s the case.”
Ian took another hit at Danya’s firm head shake. She continued.
“It must be something more sinister! Your eyes are filled with desire!”
“I follow the will of God! My intentions are pure!”
“Hmm?”
“Truly! My intentions are entirely pure.”
“Then swear to God about these pure intentions.”
“S-Swear? Well… that…”
Elena fidgeted nervously.
Danya’s pupils narrowed as she watched her.
“Suspicious, indeed.”
“Eek!”
Elena shrank back with a strange noise.
“There’s something you’re hiding.”
“Ugh…!”
As Danya leaned forward, Elena seemed to make up her mind, closing her eyes tightly. Then she shouted loudly.
“I-I joined because of Brother Ian’s firm and long—”
“…?”
“Red, juicy, and when you bite into it, something sweet bursts into your mouth and fills it with flavor! That’s the only reason!”
Danya’s eyes turned icy cold.
No, they were almost shooting laser beams.
She glared at Elena, who still had her eyes closed, then slowly turned her gaze towards Ian with a creak.
In that intimidating atmosphere, Ian hastily whispered to Elena.
“Snowflake fruit.”
“Oh! Snowflake fruit!”
— Whoosh.
Danya’s tail, which had been standing on end as if ready to strike, relaxed.
At the same time, her sharp eyes softened.
Danya sighed quietly, muttering under her breath.
“… Thank god.”
What was she thinking…?
Suddenly, she locked eyes with Ian and blushed furiously, shouting, “Wh-what are you looking at, p*rvert!”
Then she quickly turned her gaze back to Elena.
“But there aren’t many fruits that are red, firm, and burst inside.”
“Wh-what was it that I ate… A do… Doma?”
“Do you mean tomato?”
“Yes! That’s it! It was so delicious! I thought it was a fruit blessed by God!”
Elena’s words were completely off.
Is a tomato a fruit?
No. Is it blessed by God? No.
Tomatoes were actually vegetables and were known here as the ‘Devil’s fruit’.
Knowing this would likely break their contract based on snowflake fruit, so Ian decided to keep quiet.
“… Do you also like tomatoes?”
“Yes, I do. Do you, Lady Danya?”
Elena smiled brightly first.
Danya’s eyes completely softened.
“You know the taste!”
“Sister!”
Suddenly, they clasped hands and began praising tomatoes.
Ian was honestly bewildered.
‘…What’s with them.’
The two who had been fighting just moments ago were now perfectly in sync, holding hands and gushing about how delicious tomatoes were, as if they had been persecuted together.
Now that he thought about it.
‘Maybe I was the one who asked what’s so good about tomatoes with sugar coating.’
Hmm.
They must have been holding a lot in.
Anyway.
“Did you know? Tomatoes taste great even when you cook them with rice!”
“Oh, that sounds like God’s blessed food just imagining it!”
Their niche tastes accelerated, becoming even more obscure. At this rate, the whole world might turn into tomatoes.
Ian had no choice but to make a decision.
A very sensible remark came from Ian’s lips.
“Aren’t you two competitors?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Tomatoes are limited, and you both want to eat them. Tomatoes are quite a luxury fruit, right?”
“…”
A brief silence ensued.
It felt like the calm before the storm.
Of course, that calm didn’t last long.
“Nyahh!”
“In the name of God!”
Before Ian could intervene, Danya and Elena’s fight began.
