Academy, a place where all sorts of incidents and accidents never ceased, but recently, it had gotten even worse. To be precise, one could predict that it would get worse.
After looking through the incident logbook that recorded all the various incidents at the academy, Yuri became certain.
‘Up until last year, there were quite a few big and small accidents recorded…’
Whether by coincidence or divine intervention, not a single major accident had been recorded this year. How lacking in entries must it have been to include something like an art student tripping while walking and breaking their arm?
And that absurd lack of records was precisely the evidence supporting Yuri’s hypothesis. Evidence that the academy was hiding something.
‘There’s no reason for there to be so absurdly few entries just this year. Perhaps this is…’
“Ah, Yuri!”
As Yuri was scanning the archives, someone called her name and quickly ran over. Without surprise, she naturally placed the book she was reading back into the shelf and turned her head toward the voice.
“…Sera.”
“What are you doing here?”
“And you?”
“Me? I’m here doing something the principal asked me to do.”
“—The principal asked you?”
Upon hearing her words, Yuri’s eyes sparkled. Who was Sera? A genius magician trusted by the principal. Though not as skilled as herself, still no slouch as the second-ranked mage.
That she was sent directly by the principal to handle a task?
‘Suspicious…’
Something fishy was definitely in the air. Approaching Sera, Yuri showed interest in the document envelope Sera was holding.
“What’s that?”
“Heh heh, it’s a secret!”
“There’s no such thing as secrets between us.”
“Eh, eeh? Since when did we become such close friends…?”
Sera’s bewilderment wasn’t because she didn’t think of Yuri as a friend—it was simply that Yuri had never acted so familiar with her before.
Ignoring Sera’s confusion, Yuri smoothly snatched the document from her hand as if it originally belonged to her.
“Ahh, no, stop!”
Belatedly snapping out of it, Sera tried to retrieve the document from Yuri’s grasp, but her sluggish movements couldn’t keep up with Yuri’s nimble reflexes.
With the added inertia boost from her large chest, Yuri easily evaded Sera’s attempts to reclaim the document.
“Hmm…”
At first glance, the document handed by the principal seemed completely normal. Even if Sera were to secretly open it out of curiosity, she wouldn’t find anything suspicious about it.
However, knowing the full context, Yuri could roughly understand what this document meant.
‘The academy’s backyard, destruction caused by magical experiments…?’
That couldn’t be right. As the top mage, she knew well that no magical experiments had taken place recently. There were no mages conducting research without classes either.
It was preposterous to imagine the busy principal performing any magical experiments himself. This document was clearly fake, a complete mess.
“What do you think you’re doing! Give it back!”
Taking advantage of Yuri’s momentary distraction while reading, Sera managed to snatch the document back. With nothing left to do, Yuri carefully observed Sera, deep in thought.
Come to think of it, there was something strange about this girl. Having secrets wasn’t unusual, but the extent of it was concerning.
Even finding hidden spots within the academy that not even the ‘principal’ knew about, then claiming she found them from him?
“Sera.”
“…No matter how much you look at me like that, I’m not showing you. This is something the principal asked me to do.”
“Do you know about Ariah?”
“Ariah? Yeah, I know her.”
“How much do you know?”
“How much? That’s a weird question. I know most things about her. Why?”
Of course. It was clear that Sera didn’t have many points of contact with Ariah, yet she spoke as if they were close friends.
So—perhaps she also knew this? Yuri cautiously continued.
“—Do you know what kind of abilities she has?”
“That’s obvious—she doesn’t have any special abilities.”
Tilting her head in confusion at the odd question, Sera responded, and Yuri shook her head knowingly before leaving the library.
Watching Yuri walk away, Sera frowned, thinking she’d encountered some strange person.
‘…Huh?’
And in the next moment, Sera realized something was off.
Ariah didn’t have any abilities.
Then why on earth did she remember her?
Lost in thought for a moment, Sera soon brushed it off, thinking it was probably for some trivial reason.
‘Well, she’s pretty, so maybe that’s why I remember her～.’
At this time, Diaros Academy being a game targeted towards women, and the fact that Sera, as a female character, had no real reason to remember another female character named Ariah, was unconsciously ignored.
* * *
“Oh, ohh—Saintess-sama…!”
“It’s been a while. Are you all praying diligently, apprentice believers?”
The Saintess descended upon the academy. Though the believers had been informed beforehand of her arrival, the impact was no less shocking.
Not a bishop or cardinal, but the Saintess herself visiting? And at an academy that only sent apprentice believers for education?
It was unheard of, and it was impossible to fathom why the church would allow such a thing.
“Yes, yes! I prayed for three hours just this morning…!”
“The amount of time isn’t important. Just pray enough so you don’t feel ashamed.”
“Ah, sorry… I didn’t realize…”
But clerics were believers of phenomena and beings beyond comprehension. Whether God existed or not, they blindly believed, and thus rejoiced in the mere presence of the Saintess.
Seeing the pure joy of the clerics welcoming her, the Saintess shared in their happiness.
“There’s something only you all can help me with.”
“Really!? Saintess-sama!?”
“Yes, I need your assistance.”
As the apprentice believers’ eyes sparkled, the Saintess held up a wanted poster she had created.
“Is there anyone like this at the academy?”
“One moment… Hmm.”
The believers took the picture and began scrutinizing it closely. Short hair, big eyes, a sharp nose, and glossy lips.
It was the face of a typical handsome man. One might even wonder if someone so good-looking actually existed at the academy.
“Who is this person…?”
“This person is the chosen hero foretold by prophecy. Please find them for the sake of humanity.”
“Ahh! Understood!”
Chosen hero. At those words, the believers erupted in excitement. It felt as though they had become prophets delivering God’s message.
Leaving behind the rapidly departing believers eager to become prophets, the Saintess, Lagraisha, slowly began walking through the academy grounds.
Not a single person in the academy turned their gaze toward her during class. For someone who had always been under constant scrutiny, this was a rare taste of freedom.
‘Heheh～.’
Freedom felt good. Perhaps because she had lived a life of self-restraint every day, even this brief moment of liberation felt like a massive escape.
Enjoying her moment of rebellion, the Saintess spotted Kail swinging his sword against another cadet far off on the field, and her eyes widened.
She had found him on her own, without needing to ask the apprentice believers. If she had known this would happen, she should have looked around a bit more before asking for help…
‘I made them work unnecessarily.’
Thinking this, the Saintess gazed at Kail from atop the hill. The graceful arc of his swordsmanship—she, as a saintess who had undergone training herself, could tell. On the surface, it didn’t seem particularly impressive, but the intent behind his sword was immense and majestic.
If she were to stand before him, she doubted she could even land a single blow. Of course, battles weren’t decided solely by swordsmanship skills, so the story might change if they actually fought…but still.
‘Oh my.’
As she watched the sparring match, the Saintess observed Kail facing off against a female cadet. Whether his opponent was male or female didn’t seem to matter; Kail’s swordplay showed no signs of weakening.
Watching Kail swiftly defeat the female cadet, she thought it was exactly the kind of behavior expected of the hero she had chosen. A true hero should uphold his chastity. Those moments when he touched her chest must have been wise judgments to test her character─.
‘…Huh?’
That’s what she had thought, at least for a moment.
Next, Kail pointed his sword at a delicate-faced blond man.
Unlike when fighting the female cadet, Kail gently subdued the blond with kindness, smiling brightly as he extended his hand.
The blond, defeated after only a few exchanges, blushed as he took Kail’s hand and stood up.
The sight unmistakably evoked thoughts of homosexuality.
‘Could it be, Hero-sama…?’
This scene inevitably cast doubt on his sexual orientation.
