Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Field Trip

◆  

“This is the data you requested.”  

The voice of Sear Whiteburn echoed crisply inside the Headmaster’s office.  

On the desk, the magical engineering orbs he had brought were simultaneously emitting light.  

They all recorded one common subject.  

Every second of Carlisle Belfast’s life within the academy, meticulously captured.  

“Are you satisfied, Cardinal Felix?”  

The other party nodded lightly.  

A request to thoroughly verify his capabilities.  

“This is sufficient.”  

“……”  

Headmaster Sear leaned back in his chair, his body pressing against the backrest, and silently observed Cardinal Felix.  

A woman who could manipulate the political balance of nations at will—the continent’s greatest shadow—was now meticulously scrutinizing every single move of a mere student.  

The smile on her lips resembled that of a parent watching their child grow up well.  

……No matter how you looked at it, it was an unsettling sight.  

“You seem more invested in him than in your own junior.”  

“Hmm—I won’t deny it. Lately, this has been more entertaining.”  

Sear Whiteburn burst into laughter at the candid admission from the hero’s greatest supporter, who cared more about someone else than the hero herself.  

“Your junior would be hurt if she heard that.”  

“She shouldn’t be. Lady Chasefield has always been the top priority.”  

However.  

“But I feel like the rudder that can move her lies in this direction.”  

As Felix spoke, Sear Whiteburn quietly nodded.  

“Is that why you’re requesting this ‘field study‘? And why you’re taking others instead of just the hero?”  

“Hmm—something like that?”  

“Cardinal Felix.”  

Sear Whiteburn rested his legs on the desk, a smile on his face.  

It was an act of disrespect that would rank among the worst in front of a Cardinal of the Orthodox Church, but he showed no concern.  

And why would he?  

He was the hero. The strongest of the previous generation.  

A man stronger than the current wielder of the Holy Sword.  

“I like you. That’s why I’ve cooperated with whatever you’ve asked without complaint.”  

“My, my.”  

“The number of calamities you’ve averted is beyond counting. Haven’t you stopped wars that could’ve engulfed the entire continent?”  

Cardinal Felix was a prime example of how far a brilliant mind could go when unshackled by morality.  

Listening quietly, she shrugged.  

“I was just lucky.”  

“Plenty criticize your methods for being extreme, but from my perspective—someone who’s carried the weight of humanity—your usefulness is undeniable. But.”  

Felix’s polite smile remained unchanged.  

Sear Whiteburn’s smile also lingered.  

Which only amplified the strangeness of the following conversation.  

“Lately, I’ve received reports of demon worshippers active in the capital. Coincidentally, the exact location where you’ve requested this ‘field study’”  

“……”  

“They’re beasts. They treat murder as entertainment, conduct rituals of worship, make parents kill their children, and siblings devour the corpses. Countless such incidents have been reported. Freshmen shouldn’t be entangled in such things.”  

“That’s true.”  

“Cardinal Felix. Are you planning to drag my students into something horrific?”  

“……”  

“I won’t tell you not to. For my junior, fine. A hero must eventually face such horrors. But.”  

Sear Whiteburn’s smile deepened.  

Though his voice was icy.  

“Don’t go too far.”  

“……”  

“If any of my ordinary students are sacrificed because of your plans, I’ll personally ensure you’re canonized as a saint.”  

There’s only one surefire way to make a religious figure a saint.  

Martyrdom.  

The calm death threat directed at one of the continent’s most powerful figures carried no emotion.  

If anything, that made its certainty all the more palpable.  

This former hero—  

Like all heroes, including Gray—  

Had the power, audacity, and shamelessness to act without worrying about consequences.  

“Send them back unharmed. Mentally and physically. Every single one. Understood?”  

“…I promise.”  

Felix replied just as calmly.  

“—As long as they’re ‘ordinary students’.”  

Sear Whiteburn frowned at the nuance in her words.  

“So, there’s someone who isn’t ordinary? The line I drew was ‘non-hero, ordinary students.'”  

“Yes. You’ve understood perfectly.”  

Felix’s gaze remained fixed on the footage playing on the table.  

Carlisle’s footage.  

“Still, there’s one student who doesn’t seem ordinary at all.”  

As if—  

His abnormality was on par with a ‘hero‘. 

◆  

Right after Gray arrived, the special exam concluded without incident—  

Though Gray grumbled and vented at Carlisle in the Forest of Eternal (‘You called me, so why isn’t anyone here?’), things passed without major trouble.  

“…Ugh, I’m exhausted.”  

Honestly, I just want to rest.  

How many days have I spent buried under incidents lately?  

So…  

…I’d really prefer it if certain people didn’t casually toss another incident my way.  

“A field study?”  

Carlisle repeated skeptically.  

Siona, who had just informed him he could participate, grinned mischievously.  

“Yup! Isn’t it exciting? A picnic, a picnic!”  

“With the cardinal?”  

“Even better! Felix is a beauty, isn’t she?”  

“……”  

“The hero, Carlisle, Vespa, the Imperial princess—we’re all going together! A big, noisy, chaotic picnic!”  

…This person’s energy is always so high it’s hard to adjust.  

And even more suspicious than her overwhelming enthusiasm was the fact that Felix was the one proposing this.  

[It might be good to go.]  

‘…Really?‘  

Honestly.  

If the Holy Sword hadn’t persuaded him, he would’ve given it much deeper thought.  

[If it’s the capital at this time… It’s a place where something terrible happening wouldn’t be surprising. Cardinal Felix must have a reason for calling me. She likely noticed signs of a horrific incident.]  

‘Any specifics?‘  

[The most probable is the ‘Black Market Massacre’. A demon summoning ritual. I remember it happening around this time.]  

According to the sword.  

It was the first recorded case of hundreds being slaughtered to summon a demon from hell using their corpses.  

The Cardinal was likely calling Gray for that reason.  

“……”  

A picnic, my foot.  

This was clearly a call for backup in anticipation of something horrific.  

‘But why bring me and the others along, not just the hero?‘  

[…I don’t know.]  

The Holy Sword groaned.  

[Which is all the more reason to go. Not knowing what she’s planning won’t do us any good.]  

‘Fair point.’  

He had a strange faith that Felix wouldn’t harm him or Gray, but that didn’t mean her methods were always clean or fair.  

◆  

-Specialty Info  

<The Cardinal’s Ideal>  

You resemble the person who gave the Cardinal a reason to fight for ordinary people.  

Perhaps more deeply connected than even she realizes.  

But even those who fight for noble causes must temper their extreme methods.  

Help the Cardinal balance her ideals and means!  

▶ ‘Upcoming Trait’ unlocked.  

▶ ‘Upcoming Trait’ is a trait that will unlock later without conditions.  

▶ Utilize the Cardinal’s feelings toward you to develop traits!  

[ ♠ Regret 0% ]  

[ ♠ Guilt 0% ]  

[ ♠ Obsession 0% ]  

…Seeing this made it even clearer.  

The mention of ‘tempering extreme methods’ implied she could spiral out of control at any moment.  

The weird part was—  

How was he supposed to develop those bizarre emotions like regret, guilt, and obsession?  

Did she even have any reason to feel that way toward him…?  

“……”  

Well, that could wait.  

“Professor Siona.”  

“Yes!”  

“Shall we go? Picnic-picnic.”  

“Picnic-picnic!”  

Though he wasn’t sure about the ‘noisy chaos’ part, the plan to join the picnic proceeded smoothly.  

And it wasn’t like they were completely avoiding the picnic mood.  

“—Whoa—”  

The moment they arrived at their assigned lodging in the capital, Vespa’s drawn-out gasp said it all.  

It was a ridiculously large and luxurious hotel—something he’d never seen even in his past life on Earth. The ceiling was so high you had to crane your neck to see it.  

The entrance was lined with dazzling chandeliers and lion statues symbolizing the empire, illuminating the evening sky in splendor.  

“T-This is where high-ranking officials stay—practically a state guesthouse—”  

The pale-faced Princess Illia’s stammering confirmed this wasn’t an ordinary facility.  

…No way this was meant for students. Maybe for Gray, the current hero, but not for the rest.  

Typical of Felix. When she invited someone, she spared no expense.  

The problem, however, lay in the consequences.  

Carlisle, Siona, Vespa, Gray, Felix, and the princess—  

Six people was a sizable group.  

Even a building this grand couldn’t accommodate so many separately.  

Which led to a critical issue.  

“We… Can’t have private rooms.”  

“…Don’t screw with me.”  

“……Swearing won’t change anything, ma’am.”  

Gray’s face twisted like a demon’s.  

For someone as hypersensitive as her, not having a private room must feel like the world collapsing…  

“How are the rooms assigned, then?”  

“The smallest room is a twin, so you’ll have the least inconvenience.”  

The other four would have to share a single room.  

And the least uncomfortable room would go to Gray.  

“……”  

Still, Gray pressed her temples, visibly irritated.  

“Then I’ll pick who I’m sharing with.”  

“Of course. Who would you prefer?”  

“……”  

Gray’s eyes lingered on Carlisle for a moment.  

…A long moment. Long enough to make even Carlisle uneasy.  

“Miss? Surely not me—”  

“You look like you snore.”  

“……”  

“And grind your teeth. No thanks.”  

…Ah.  

So that’s what the scrutiny was about.  

“I want the quietest, most well-behaved one.”  

“Hmm—In that case?”  

“……”  

Gray’s gaze shifted.  

Downward.  

Toward someone much shorter than her.  

“…H-Huh?!”  

The princess’s face paled as she met Gray’s eyes.  

“This one looks good.”  

Huh, what a surprise.  

Gray willingly choosing a child?  

“I can just knock her out if she annoys me.”  

“……”  

“Easiest to do since she’s the weakest.”  

The princess’s face went from pale to ghostly white, but—  

This was Gray.  

Someone who’d knock you out if you argued.  

‘…Good luck, Princess.’  

He had nothing else to say.  

◆  

-System Message  

▶ Event related to ‘Variable: Holy Sword’s Proposal – Hero’s Princess Training’ triggered.  

▶ A bond may form between the two subjects.  

▶ Likely to significantly impact the ‘Main Event’!  

◆