Hephaestus and Kaines, who had fled far from the Academy, realized that Kail was not following them and paused for a moment.
Hephaestus, pierced by an Aura Blade and injured, immediately clutched his wound and groaned in pain.
“Ugh… I underestimated him too much thinking he’s just a brat.”
“Underestimated? I think he was serious.”
“Kaines. Even in my current state, I feel like I could still crush your head.”
“Wanna test that?”
As the two men engaged in a pointless battle of pride, Aruki, who had been running ahead, appeared. Seeing Hecate slung over her shoulder, the two looked at her as if to ask why she brought that corpse.
“Why did you bring that corpse?”
“I thought I should bring something. And it’s not a corpse.”
“Not a corpse?”
Aruki silently dropped Hecate in front of them. Hecate hit the ground with a thud, grimacing slightly in pain as she began to open her eyes.
─Damn, humans…
“Oh, a talking Monster. This will fetch a high price…”
“It’s not just about talking.”
“What then? Does this monster use an Aura Blade or something?”
“That’s right. She does.”
Looking at Aruki incredulously, Kaines also started to pursue them, agreeing with her words.
“When we visited Schwartz before, I did get beaten by this one.”
“So what, this thing talks and uses an Aura Blade?”
“…Isn’t the ‘Sword’ spot currently vacant?”
Realizing the meaning behind her words about the vacant spot for Holy Weapons, Hephaestus stared at her with a bewildered expression.
Her statement sounded like she intended to bring Hecate into their organization.
“You’re going to bring a Monster into the organization?”
“The conditions are met, aren’t they?”
“…Well, our organization is a bit lenient, isn’t it?”
The entry condition for the Holy Weapons was very simple.
One thing only. The ability to shine on one’s own.
If one was an Aura Master, anyone could enter without any conditions.
Of course, each weapon had a set number of slots, so if someone wanted to take an existing slot, they needed to fight and win against the current member to claim that position…
“Even so, bringing in a Monster is a bit… isn’t it?”
“We can ask her ourselves, can’t we?”
Aruki shrugged her shoulders while looking down at Hecate, implying that they should ask her opinion after hearing everything.
Hecate, looking back up at the three people staring down at her, cautiously opened her mouth.
─…Ka, il. Can you do it?
“Huh?”
─If I join… can I have my revenge?
At those words, Aruki smirked as if amused.
“Anything you desire.”
─Then I’ll join.
For revenge.
And so, Hecate’s induction into the organization was decided.
* * *
Kail woke up to find himself lying in the Academy infirmary, a familiar place from having brought unconscious classmates there during training mishaps.
Turning his head slightly, he saw the Virgin Saintess praying with her eyes closed beside him. Kail gazed at her flowing pink hair before gently touching her.
“—You’ve awakened.”
Lagraisha, the Virgin Saintess, smiled warmly as she looked down at Kail. He stared at her radiant smile, reminiscent of the sun, before carefully sitting up.
“How long has it been?”
“About three hours since Hero-sama was brought here. Ah, don’t worry, all your injuries have been healed.”
“That’s expected. With you here.”
The Virgin Saintess, blessed directly by God, possessed divine power capable of restoring even severed limbs instantly.
Kail forced a bitter smile as he stood up. Though his wounds were perfectly healed, the fatigue from his injuries remained.
It couldn’t be helped. Divine power could heal wounds but couldn’t restore lost blood or muscle mass.
“You may rest more if you wish.”
“What would be the point of lying around?”
“If you stay lying down now, I planned to feed you myself.”
Hearing that, Kail quickly collapsed back onto the bed. As he repeatedly mentioned, his weakness was women with large chests.
Seeing Kail hastily lie back down after her comment, the Virgin Saintess chuckled softly.
Shortly afterward, an apprentice cleric appeared with a meal for the patient, though no one recalled ordering it. Taking the tray from the apprentice, the Virgin Saintess picked up a spoon and began stirring the porridge.
“Aaah, here you go, Hero-sama.”
“Aaah-.”
Propped up on the bed with only his upper body raised, Kail accepted the porridge from the Virgin Saintess while observing her closely. Each time she laughed and jiggled, her upper body bounced excessively.
Caught up in the compassionate aura only a Virgin Saintess could exude, Kail finished eating without realizing whether the food went into his mouth or nose, and thanked her as she wiped his mouth.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. By the way, what happened? You suddenly appeared covered in blood, scaring us half to death.”
“Just had a little fight.”
“An opponent capable of injuring Hero-sama like this?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
Murmuring about how vast the world was, the Virgin Saintess furrowed her brow as she looked at Kail. Then, with determination, she nodded and spoke.
“Hero-sama, I don’t think I’ve ever explained why I call you Hero-sama.”
“Huh? Well, wasn’t it because I defeated a demon that might have killed tens of thousands?”
“Many kill demons. The Holy Kingdom’s Paladins are exceptionally skilled demon hunters. But we don’t call all of them heroes.”
Upon reflection, that was true. If Kail was called a hero simply for hunting demons, then shouldn’t all the Holy Kingdom’s Paladins, who hunt countless demons, be called the same?
But they were merely referred to as demon hunters, not heroes.
“The reason is simple. Hero-sama, it is because such a fate has been reserved for you.”
“…What kind of fate is that?”
“It means a destiny filled with severe hardships and trials.”
In other words, the reason the Virgin Saintess called Kail a hero wasn’t due to any accomplishments he’d already achieved. It was because he was destined to achieve something great in the future.
Realizing this, Kail looked at the Virgin Saintess with an unpleasant expression.
“So… you’re calling me that because I’m destined to suffer in the future?”
“That’s not incorrect.”
“What if I refuse?”
“I apologize, Hero-sama, but fate is not something one can reject just because they don’t want it.”
As she spoke, the Virgin Saintess began stroking the area where Kail had been wounded. Feeling her gentle touch glide over his clothes, Kail shivered and looked at her.
Watching him, the Virgin Saintess began to giggle.
“Like when you got injured today.”
“…Had there only been three, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“But even if you knew there were three, you still would have gone, right?”
Struck by her words, Kail tightly closed his mouth.
That was true. Even if he had known there were three Masters, Kail would have gone to face them.
He would have confronted the fight head-on instead of avoiding it.
Of course, knowing beforehand that there were three opponents versus unknowingly facing them made a significant difference; he wouldn’t have ended up in such an absurd situation as today.
Conversely, they might have been oblivious and toyed with from afar, eventually dying unilaterally.
“Because it is your destiny, Hero-sama.”
Kail couldn’t deny the Virgin Saintess’ words.
* * *
An underground laboratory existed within the Academy.
It served as a communal space for the Academy’s Sorcerers, and among these, there were laboratories only the Headmaster could access.
Often used by the Headmaster as an interrogation room, it was akin to a Sorcerer’s workshop. Since no one else ever ventured there, it allowed for illicit methods to be used without hesitation.
Inside the laboratory, the Headmaster listened to the murmurs of a brainwashed cultist and let out a low groan.
“The organization’s name is… its goal is… “
Madmen who worshipped dragons, believed to have disappeared hundreds of years ago. Forgotten cultists. Realizing the identity, size, and objectives of the sect, the Headmaster fell deep into thought.
‘This isn’t something I can judge and move past.’
Discovering madmen hiding in the shadows of the Empire plotting its overthrow was not something the Headmaster could handle alone.
It was necessary to formally report the issue to the Empire and mobilize its inspectors or knights.
If the Emperor learned of a religious group wanting to give everything under his land to oversized lizards, he would readily lend military support. The Emperor was a man obsessed with self-preservation.
“That’s enough, Ariah. Stop.”
“Ah, shall I stop?”
Upon hearing the Headmaster’s words, Ariah stopped brainwashing the man and put him to sleep. Watching the man lose consciousness and collapse instantly, the Headmaster once again felt glad he had spared Ariah.
Immediately after the incident, he had wanted to kill her at all costs, but restraining his impulses and thinking rationally had paid off.
An ability to brainwash beings below the level of Master at will? Where else in the world could one find an existence with such an absurd ability?
If the Emperor discovered her abilities, he might overlook the forgotten cultists and reptile fanatics and prioritize eliminating her first. She was that dangerous of an ability user.
“Having you around makes things easier, Ariah.”
“Hehe, then can you loosen this a bit?”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
Pointing to the bomb necklace around her neck, Ariah was scolded by the Headmaster, who told her not to dream of it.
“You are a criminal, a dangerous element. Don’t forget the only reason you’re alive is because of that necklace.”
“Yes, yes—understood…”
Bowing her head, Ariah realized there were a few things she hadn’t mentioned. Like how these cultists pulled some fruit-like object from their robes and ate it, then used Aura Blades.
How Kail fought not these cultists but a six-armed monster and a Master who appeared from somewhere, resulting in his injury.
‘…Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Her job wasn’t to provide the Headmaster with various pieces of information. She only did what the Headmaster ordered. That was sufficient.
To the Headmaster, she was nothing more than a puppet. If treated as a puppet, acting like one wouldn’t cause many problems.
