Chapter 3: The Scroll
The sun broke through the dawn.
The scorching sun pierced through the gray clouds and morning mist, shining on the eastern side of the towering towers of the Royal Academy.
In the tower by Lake Ceylon, a girl named Sarah propped her face on her desk, staring blankly out the window at the swirling clouds in the sky, lost in thought.
After a moment, she glanced at the venison pies that had been sitting there for days, muttering to herself, “It’s been three days, Peylo hasn’t come… Is everything really okay…”
“Relax! Fatso… The matron said she had important business and took leave. She’ll be back soon, right?” Sophia said casually as she combed her long hair in front of the dressing table, “The other day, Principal Bertha gathered us all together, and she clearly said there were no casualties that night at the Royal Academy. Peylo must be fine too. I don’t understand what you’re worried about…”
“But…”
“What? Compared to Peylo, you were the one who ran out that night… What were you doing? Trying to scare us to death? Don’t you value your life?!”
Sarah frowned.
She couldn’t argue with Sophia. Escaping back to the academy that night was already quite a feat, and she had been living in constant fear ever since. If not for…
Sarah remembered the petite figure fighting monsters until drenched in blood on the dim streets.
She had been having severe insomnia these past few nights, only managing to fall asleep near midnight. Because every time she closed her eyes, that figure would appear in her mind, impossible to shake off.
Sarah remembered how she shouted, the flowing cape of a Papal Knight, and the figure stepping on icebergs, charging forward against the monsters amidst the frost… These memories would never fade from Sarah’s mind.
She always felt a strange sense of closeness. That seemingly delicate yet heroic figure seemed almost within reach.
That night, Sarah held onto this thought until dawn. After waking up, she had a premonition that Peylo wouldn’t show up today.
As expected, Peylo didn’t appear.
Nor did she the next day.
And the day after that.
Sarah grew increasingly worried, barely able to smile anymore. Daisy and Sophia attributed her anxiety to the scare she had that night, considering they narrowly escaped death… They had been trying various ways to comfort her over the past three days.
Sarah understood their good intentions. Everyone in Room 1504 was a nice person, so Sarah tried to act like everything was fine, not wanting to worry them. But her true feelings… Sarah couldn’t share with her roommates, because even if she did, they would surely think she was foolish.
No one would believe such a ridiculous, almost jest-like guess, not even Sarah herself.
She just couldn’t help but wonder: Why hasn’t Peylo come… Could it be… She was injured in that battle with the monster… Or worse… severely injured…
The more Sarah thought about it, the more afraid she became. She didn’t want to think about it, but couldn’t stop.
She noticed Sophia, who had tied her hair up, stand up suddenly and take a deep sniff, her expression turning grim.
“Sarah, quickly throw away those meat pies. They’re starting to stink! It’s disgusting…”
“…”
The meat pies indeed smelled bad.
Sarah pinched the oil-soaked paper bag, picked up the pie, and tossed it into the trash bin in the corner.
What a waste… she thought.
“Don’t throw it here, throw it outside…” Sophia covered her face immediately.
“I already threw it…”
“Oh my God!”
Daisy, who hadn’t spoken for a while, suddenly exclaimed.
Sarah turned her head toward the sound and saw her sitting on the bed with her hair down, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide open, tightly focused on the scroll in her hands. Her trembling pupils filled with disbelief.
“What happened? What happened?!”
Sarah hurried to sit beside her, leaning in to see what she was looking at.
He stretched his hand out.
“This…”
Daisy reached out and pointed at the report.
Sarah followed her finger and saw the eye-catching headline.
[The gods have never abandoned Order City; great miracles will be with the heroes.]
Below was a lengthy report.
As Sarah read, she couldn’t help but read aloud: “…The terrifying abyss monsters attacked the city under the cover of night, destroying the divine relic ‘Boswell,’ which had protected the city for centuries. They cruelly slaughtered countless of our fellow citizens. This night was pitch black, filled with sorrow. But even in the darkest night, the light cannot be completely buried. The gods will always cherish us, granting us heroes to protect us.”
“The heroes fought fiercely in the night. Her Majesty Queen Iseumbel, Lady Elizabeth, the Papal Knight, and Miss Silviga, the youngest Papal Knight in history…”
Reading this, Sarah instinctively paused.
Miss Silviga…
Suddenly, she remembered that on the first night of school, the four girls of room 1504 met for the first time. That eager excitement kept them up all night.
They had talked about the hero Silviga, who had single-handedly battled the abyss in the distant Silgaya.
…Youngest, girl, powerful Frost Order.
In an instant, Sarah understood. The small figure she had seen that night could only be Silviga.
No one else.
Sarah certainly remembered, Silviga was a girl younger than her, younger than Daisy and Sophia… She was the same age as Peyalo.
“What’s wrong? Keep reading!”
Sophia, who was tidying the bed, impatiently urged when she saw Sarah stop.
Sarah gave her a glance, “Can’t you come and see yourself?”
But she continued, “And our beloved Sister Theresa… Three human heroes, under the guidance of the great god, cut down the powerful abyss outside the city, thoroughly ending the terrible disaster at its inception. They fearlessly rushed into the baptism of blood and fire, risking their lives to save countless lives of their compatriots. The Holy Church will forever remember them, and we should also remember them, singing beautiful odes for their deeds.”
She cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to the next line.
“This night, we lost Sister Theresa forever…”
Sarah froze.
“What…”
She rubbed her eyes hard, unable to believe what she saw.
Instinctively, she continued, “Our beloved Sister Theresa, exhausted in this fierce battle… We must accept this painful fact… Pray for her, may our beloved sister return to the arms of the gods…”
She could no longer continue.
Her eyes began to mist over.
“Joking…”
Sophia had somehow appeared beside her.
“Give it to me!”
She snatched the report and quickly scanned it, her face gradually turning pale.
“Teacher Theresa… Impossible… I just spoke with her… How can this be…”
“A good person like her… Why…”
Her shoulders slumped, her face showing a lost expression.
“Teacher Theresa… Wailing…”
Daisy was already sobbing uncontrollably, “How could this happen…”
Knock knock knock—
Rapid knocking came from the door, and the administrator’s voice sounded from behind the door, “Are you all up?”
After a momentary exchange, Sophia finally responded, “Yes.”
“Pack your things and gather at the church.”
“What’s going on…”
Sarah’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
She actually had a vague idea of what was happening.
“Teacher Theresa… has returned to the arms of the gods. The entire school staff and students will go together…”
The grandmother paused.
“To pray for her.”
Her tone was oddly strange.
