Chapter 28

“Pope?”

“…”

Asclyna opened her eyes.

As soon as she opened her eyes, the other parties around her looked at her with concern and cautiously called her name.

“I am fine. Let’s focus on prayer for now.”

Asclyna wore a solemn expression.

‘In the end… it has begun.’

In a world where beings created by the goddess live, there exist three provisions granted to ensure that peace can continue without being invaded by the entities from the Demon World that seek to consume this realm.

One of those provisions, known as the Guardian Dragon of Light,

was none other than herself.

“…”

The Pope, or rather Asclyna, looked down at her hands.

As the head of the Guardian Dragons, she held a blessing that could be granted to anyone.

Indeed, it was the blessing of protection.

A blessing of light given to protect and safeguard someone.

Asclyna had secretly granted a blessing to Aria.

Although the blessing she bestowed could not compare to the direct blessing of the goddess, a kind of authority, since she was merely a Guardian Dragon, it was not a significant issue because she only aimed for one specific outcome.

That one thing was to ascertain Aria’s condition.

While it could not provide detailed information nor locate her precisely, it merely indicated roughly where she was. It might seem useless, but as the name “blessing of protection” suggests, the blessing granted by her as a Guardian Dragon possessed a special function.

It could check the life activities and physical status of the target in real-time.

And should a life-threatening crisis arise, she could move to that location as well.

While it was almost impossible for Aria, a Saint, to face a life-threatening crisis, leading to her immediate relocation, Asclyna’s intention was not that.

The ability to check life activities or physical conditions.

To be precise, she could confirm the existence of harmful entities.

And today, for the first time, she could feel it.

Magi.

The source of the power of demons and the dark force that drags the world into endless darkness.

‘If I can feel Magi…’

It was akin to the presence of a demon.

Moreover, Aria had undoubtedly fought that demon.

It was evident from the fact that the Magi attempted to spread throughout her body and that she sustained injuries that would be strange for an ordinary person to survive.

But it was strange.

‘That shouldn’t be the case…’

The Argen Academy is an academy protected by that magician.

It was illogical for them to be attacked, especially given that centuries ago, following the hero’s dying wish, an academy was built, and a grand magician, a member of the “Savior” hero’s party, presided there to avoid repeating past mistakes.

‘Was it attacked even with that child protecting it…’

If so, it meant that someone had devised a way to break through the barrier she had laid.

Indeed.

It implied that there was effectively an insider.

‘I need to investigate.’

Asclyna murmured, her long-ripped pupils glimmering behind the Pope’s facade.

The era of peace… was now waning.

—

‘This is uncomfortable.’

Lying in a hospital room inside the academy, I sighed over the complicated feelings about what to do next.

My intention to exclude the two was based on the judgment that meeting a tutorial boss of sorts early in the story would cause no significant problems if I bypassed them.

I might have overindulged a bit, but fundamentally, I had gone to face it alone to check how much strength I possessed.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know my strength to some degree, but there was a lack of data for objective assessment, which was the issue.

Thus, I aimed to prepare a basis for that judgment by trying to face a high-level demon alone.

However…

Stella and Evan, who should have been continuing with the opening ceremony, unexpectedly arrived at the training grounds.

This was strange.

‘Having been suspended, they shouldn’t be at the training grounds, and I was supposed to prevent my own suspension to avoid fighting demons.’

Evan wasn’t the kind of problem child to skip the opening ceremony for the training grounds.

In other words, if everything had progressed as I had thought, there should have been no reason for Evan to come to the training grounds.

That left only Stella as the variable…

‘Still, I had taught Stella not to get lost and had woken her up early to avoid being late.’

I had indeed blocked Stella’s variable as well.

Yet, hadn’t Stella come too?

Moreover, while in the original story, they met a demon by chance, this time they had met outside and headed to the training grounds together.

‘If this is mere coincidence, then I’ll be relieved…’

If it weren’t a coincidence, it would considerably complicate matters.

This situation was practically proof that the game’s story was being followed too closely.

‘Moreover, I’m already quite exhausted.’

I had shown the two something they shouldn’t have seen.

Initially, I wondered why they were so shocked, but then I realized that there’s a significant difference in reaction between those who have frequently seen people die in the Demon World and children who had never experienced a bloody battle.

I had acted like I usually would in the Demon World, throwing my body into harm’s way.

‘At least Evan, who had traveled, quickly regained his composure and moved as I instructed…’

Stella, however, lost her fighting spirit right there on the spot, trembling like a child.

My appearance at that moment was at a level that could hardly be described as anything but terrible.

There were signs of a broken neck, traces of a pierced heart, and the student uniform, soaked in blood and torn apart—it would be hard to find a body in such condition standing right in front of them, especially considering the huge hole in the abdomen that would essentially mean certain death for an average person.

If one thought that this was someone they knew sacrificing themselves to save them, it wasn’t surprising to have such a reaction.

I focused my senses towards the bed next to me.

Stella still didn’t seem to be in good condition.

Compared to that time when her mind had completely broken, she appeared to have recovered significantly, but every time she looked at me, she flinched, clearly having flashbacks to that moment.

‘Hah… I can’t just leave it like this.’

After all, we needed to embark on a journey to defeat the Demon King together.

I couldn’t allow everything to fall apart before we even got properly started.

Above all, I felt sorry for both of them.

Although I had previously prevented them from encountering that demon to gather information about the extent and strength of my divine power, I was certainly not without concerns about their safety.

‘I won’t die.’

Unless the Demon King directly attacks, I won’t die.

Even the Demon King capable of killing me must either completely corrupt my body with Magi or curse me to the extent necessary to achieve that.

That’s why I was willing to put my body through such trials.

Even if I put myself in danger, I still wouldn’t die.

As all the enemies in the game are known to me, I can expect and prepare for how to escape if caught, so I can continue moving forward.

The physical pain I feel along the way is merely a pleasure for me.

‘Whether this world becomes peaceful or not is none of my concern.’

My current goal is to comfortably defeat the Demon King as the revered and admired Saint, and then return to my original world.

That alone is my objective.

Yes, that is my goal.

Nothing else matters.

To achieve that, I must not care about the means and methods.

I must not waver.

I rose from my place.

As I concentrated my senses toward the bed, I felt Stella flinch once more at my sudden movement.

It’s ironic that I was the one who put her under such mental strain while also trying to help her, but I could not stand by and watch someone become a wreck because of me.

Moreover, if we are to defeat the Demon King, they will see this side of me often enough, which is an undeniable truth.

To heal someone, it was still necessary for me to suffer injuries myself.

‘… I’m sorry.’

While I felt sorry for Stella, I would never reveal my true nature.

If she were to discover my true intentions, she might tremble in betrayal and attempt to kill me.

However, I couldn’t help it.

For now… all I could do was help Stella stand up again.

I positioned myself on Stella’s bed and sat down.

Now was the beginning.