Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Assistant

◆

He had drawn interest from Cardinal Felix.

Also, Gray had come to trust him more than before.

Such was the summary of the changes that had occurred.

“……”

‘Why did things turn out this way?’

Carlisle gazed blankly at the window before him while having such thoughts.

Honestly, considering the reaction he had shown, he hadn’t expected a good response from Felix.

The fact that her curiosity had grown toward him and that some related event was being generated… 

‘I’m supposed to mentor this person?’

Far from mentoring, he’d rather not get entangled with her if possible.

The Holy Sword’s warnings, the strangely oppressive feeling every time they met, and the way his stomach seemed to churn whenever he saw that face.

‘Let’s think of it as good being good.’

Well, this was the final cycle anyway. He had to use everything he could.

Even if he had to go down a difficult path, if he could gain useful abilities, it wouldn’t be entirely bad.

If he could somehow get closer to this person, it would be a little easier to control Gray’s actions, too.

After all, she seemed to read the room to some extent when dealing with Cardinal Felix.

Speaking of which, how was Gray’s current state, who was now at the center of the discussion?

“……Um, Miss.”

“What?”

“May I ask why you’re acting this way?”

Carlisle asked with a smiling face, but was sweating profusely.

It was good that Gray had impressively demonstrated the technique she had been practicing at the Academy exam, but somehow her condition had looked bad ever since.

Usually, she would just casually throw work at Carlisle and only add a complaint or two about the results.

Now she was sticking close to him, observing his every move.

Whatever he did, she would follow behind him, watching him intently like he was being stalked.

“It’s my business.”

“……Don’t you have anything else to do?”

“For now, there’s nothing to learn anyway. There aren’t that many people who could teach me something.”

Gray’s face, which had been speaking confidently, scrunched up.

Because right now, there was someone in front of her.

Someone who could teach her something.

“Umm, Miss……”

“Shut up and do your work.”

“……”

Gray’s suffocating stalking continued once again.

What was this? A new method of harassment she’d discovered?

[She’s showing interest.]

‘……Excuse me?’

[If it were the old me, I’m certain. She has something she wants to say, but she feels like she’d lose if she said it out loud, so she’s acting like this.]

‘What are you talking about?’

[Since asking directly would hurt her pride, she’s trying to figure out the secret of how you do it.]

Ah.

So, asking how he could use something she couldn’t would hurt her pride.

As a compromise, she was collecting all the information she could by observing his every move?

How about that?

‘……Her behavior is kind of cute, isn’t it?’

He glanced back at Gray, who was following him with a frowning expression.

Considering her usual attitude, it would be normal for her to grab him by the collar and shake him while demanding to know how he knew such things.

[That’s because she’s grateful.]

‘What is she grateful for?’

[Well, she seems quite impressed by how you always act consistently, whether she’s there or not. Didn’t you confidently say everything you needed to say even to the Cardinal, whom she shows some deference to?]

‘Huh?’

[She was eavesdropping on the entire conversation you had with the Cardinal, so this is her reaction.]

……Ah.

She was listening to that conversation.

She felt grateful from that conversation, so she couldn’t treat Carlisle roughly as usual and was being anxious like this.

“……”

That was cute in its own way.

But that aside…

‘Why are you telling me now that you knew she was watching then?’

[Because you didn’t ask.]

‘……’

[I don’t have any reason to report everything to you one by one. Consider my feelings, having to directly mention the embarrassing things my past self was doing.]

‘When you put it that way, I understand again.’

After all, if you think about why she was eavesdropping in the first place.

She was worried about what might happen to him if she left him alone with Cardinal Gray, so she pretended to leave while listening, wasn’t that it?

Thinking of Gray holding her breath and concentrating outside the room made him want to laugh—

“……Miss, Miss. No one knows what other people are thinking.”

“It seems like you had an impolite thought.”

“I didn’t.”

Gray, who had been clenching her fist with suspicious eyes, tilted her head and lowered her hand.

This person’s intuition was sharp beyond measure.

What thoughts couldn’t a person have?

“By the way, Miss.”

“What?”

“I don’t mind being with you as much as you want, but now……”

He was also in a position where he had to go around attending classes.

While students could freely explore the facilities during the academy adjustment period for a few days, it was now about time for the semester to start.

From his position as a regular student, he had no choice but to separate from Gray.

“……”

She seemed unable to be unreasonable about that, as Gray also frowned but acquiesced.

“Do well in your academic life.”

Huh.

What was this? Was she worried about him?

“If I hear you’re doing worse than the other guys, I’ll personally twist your neck.”

“……”

“Got it? Don’t embarrass me.”

“……Yes, Miss.”

As if that would happen.

The words ‘do well’ seemed to mean she’d kill him if he didn’t ‘do well and come back’.

◆

[But where are you going now?]

“Let’s see…… I need to go find a senior to guide me.”

The Academy had a system where a suitable senior would guide newly entered freshmen on a one-on-one basis.

Choosing appropriate classes, helping with academy life adjustment, and forming close bonds between juniors and seniors… Such intentions were supposedly included.

‘Aren’t they just trying to establish discipline?’

Given how many individualistic freshmen there were, he thought that might be the purpose first.

He yawned and moved his steps. Walking through the campus with warm sunlight streaming down, he had a thought.

…… He was worried.

Now that he had separated from Gray, he couldn’t help but feel restless about whether she might cause some big accident somewhere.

Should he call it the heart of a father who left his child by the water…?

[……No matter what, it’s not that bad.]

“…Right? She should manage to some extent on her own.”

Thinking about Gray when she was young, he thought this person was also somewhat soft in her actions.

Seeing how she gave feedback promptly to whatever actions were taken, she sometimes felt like a somewhat twisted and violent child. Compared to the stubborn and obstinate Gray he had met in all the cycles, it was a world of difference.

In that sense, he was actually curious.

What exactly was the ‘experience at the Academy’ that made such a person grow into someone so hopeless?

“They say terrible incidents happen continuously in such a place.”

Carlisle said in a languid voice while looking at the campus.

It was tranquility like no other. According to Gray, it was a place where countless suspenseful events with flying blood and dancing flesh occurred.

[Well, it’s true. Right away… One impressive incident will occur soon.]

“What kind of incident did you experience?”

[It was when I first encountered a demon.]

“……”

[Of course, it wasn’t a real demon but a demon worshipper, but it was still a terrible experience nonetheless.]

“……Alright, that explanation is enough.”

Carlisle chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

Though the Holy Sword spoke calmly, if this person described something as ‘terrible’, it was certainly no ordinary matter.

It was the first contact with forces that would destroy humanity.

There would be blood everywhere. No matter how nicely it was put.

‘And there……’

Carlisle glanced at the system window.

Events related to Felix and Gray were written as ‘occurring soon’ simultaneously.

Though it wasn’t certain, it was natural to expect that this too would be related to the incident Gray was talking about.

In that regard,

“I need to prepare earnestly.”

[Of course.]

It would be good to set his principle of action for the near future toward smoothly handling the upcoming contact with ‘demon worshippers’.

In that regard, the first thing he should do is,

[First, you need to find someone to help.]

‘Someone to help?’

[It would be good to have someone in the academy who can accept your requests as they are.]

However, they shouldn’t be too conspicuous, but they also shouldn’t be too weak.

He needed someone who was ambiguously inconspicuous but seemed like they would gather information well.

“……Hmm.”

It felt like conditions were piling up in a complicated way.

“Why are the requirements so demanding? Why do we need such an ambiguous person?”

[The demon worshippers probably already have quite a bit of influence within the Academy. You already know well what level of schemes Hell devises, don’t you?]

“……”

[To face things moving in the shadows, you have to enter the same place. You can’t be too conspicuous.]

……True.

When the Hell invasion began, the speed at which the Empire and other countries collapsed couldn’t be explained unless they were already rotting from within.

In such circumstances, it would be strange to think there were no such forces in the Academy where the core talents of each country gathered.

What made Hell’s demons frightening was their cunning, even more than their direct combat power to devour all of humanity.

Inciting internal division, appeasement, threats, deception……

They were the kind who would devise every conceivable scheme.

‘……So we need a helper too.’

This kind of covert behind-the-scenes work was actually a bad move to try to handle alone. Someone to move together was absolutely necessary.

However, he would need to think about who might fit the conditions Gray had set. 

Da.

[Well, since they’ll be doing a lot of dirty work, it would be good to have someone who can’t say unpleasant things to you.]

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

[Well. Someone whose weakness has been caught?]

As if such a convenient person would just appear right in front of him.

Thinking that, he headed to where the senior who would guide him one-on-one was waiting.

“You’re late! How dare a freshman make a senior wait!”

It was a female senior holding her neck stiffly. She was wearing a sword.

And.

……She was someone he knew.

“Marquis’s daughter, Anastasia?”

This person.

She was the one whose life Carlisle had saved from Gray at the banquet.

“……”

Cracks appeared on the other party’s face as she recognized Carlisle.

“Wh-why are you here……”

The other party’s face, which had been making an arrogant expression, crumpled.

Seeing that, a hollow laugh escaped from Carlisle’s mouth.

‘Hero.’

[Yes.]

‘……How about this person?’

It seemed like he had found someone to help.