Chapter 112

For a moment, my breath hitched. It felt like my lungs had paused their activity for an instant. My heart thumped quietly.

This is a face I’ve never seen before. But there’s no mistaking who she is. The air of authority, the tone of her voice, and the noble aura emanating from her white hair and eyes are unmistakable.

There’s only one person in this world with such a combination: her. She glanced at me with cautious eyes.

“Ah, is it not okay? Hmm…”

However, she looks much younger than when I last saw her. Of course, that makes sense. When I met her in Babel Tower, she was 28 years old, but now she’s just an 18-year-old girl.

I was startled, but I managed a smile. Honestly, I wanted to get closer to young Maria anyway, so this fateful coincidence couldn’t have come at a better time.

I moved the straw bag that was occupying the seat next to me, and the pale-as-snow complexion of the girl brightened up.

“Of course, please sit here.”

“…! Thank you so much.”

Before my hesitation could even show, the girl immediately sat down beside me as soon as I gave her permission.

And right then, I finally understood why Kelt, the warden of Tartarus, used to go on endlessly about how beautiful Maria’s eyes were.

It’s like looking at a brilliantly glowing diamond or crystal. They’re deep and clear, impossible to see the bottom of.

Human emotions are read through the eyes. In my past life, Maria’s eyes were something I couldn’t see, but now, finally seeing the famous eyes of Maria…

“Beautiful.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a compliment. Just saying.”

“G, thank you…”

Definitely different from the 28-year-old Saintess and the 18-year-old Maria. The former was unreadable, rarely flustered, and if I may say, a bit cunning.

But this 18-year-old Maria? Pure and innocent. Even after exchanging just a few words, it was obvious she didn’t know how to handle my compliment about her eyes while still trying not to seem too pleased.

On the other hand, what hasn’t changed since then? Her clothing, of course.

“You’re a disciple of the Holy Order, right? You’re wearing a nun’s habit.”

Indeed, stubbornly modest black habits. Normally, the Saintess wears a white sacred robe unlike other nuns, but Maria has always worn the same nun’s habit, whether in Babel Tower or now.

“Yes, by any chance, are you also one of Lord’s apostles?”

“Apostle? Yes, that’s true. And very devout, too.”

“I see. It must be the Lord’s guidance that brought me to sit here today. To meet another apostle of the Lord in such a place…”

“Eh, but I’m not exactly an apostle of ‘your’ Lord. I believe in someone else.”

“R-really? Did I make a fool of myself just now? Then… who do you worship?”

The answer is you.

If I blurted that out to an 18-year-old Maria, I’d probably be called crazy.

So I filtered my words carefully before speaking.

“A person. Not a god. Some beautiful woman.”

“Oh… So you harbor love in your heart. That’s admirable.”

“Does the Holy Order really allow you, wearing a nun’s habit, to talk about romantic relationships?”

“The ban on interaction between apostles is meant to prevent corruption. On the contrary, our church blesses love among its followers.”

Of course, that’s logical; if people don’t fall in love, low birth rates would collapse the nation.

Young Maria smiled shyly and treated me kindly. I was worried she might hold animosity because we don’t worship the same deity, but indeed, saints remain saints, regardless of the era difference. Her broad-mindedness is timeless.

“Can we speak casually? We’re both first-year students, right?”

“Ah, yes, of course. Though as a nun devoted to respecting all beings, I cannot be too casual, but feel free to speak to me however you like.”

“Ah, thanks. For someone my age, this feels more comfortable. Why can’t you drop formalities, though?”

“I am a nun who respects all creation. Even if we’re around the same age, I can’t be too informal, can I?”

“Great values you’ve got.”

Actually, I’m over 500 years old, but human Evans Grant is 18.

“So, when is the Saintess coming? I saw the princess and the hero arrive earlier, but where’s the Saintess?”

“Yeah, I’d love to catch even a distant glimpse of the esteemed Saintess. There’s no sign of her yet.”

“Don’t worry. When the Saintess comes to the academy, she’ll definitely bring along a long delegation from the church. It’ll be impossible not to notice the commotion. Just wait patiently, and you’ll see her.”

Chatter among the students waiting for the Saintess fills the air. Idiots, the Saintess is already here, quietly entering the academy alone.

Maria’s beauty is unforgettable once seen, but that’s only when she’s visible. With her covered in a plain nun’s habit, the academy students couldn’t recognize her.

“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. May I introduce myself? My name is Maria.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m Evans. Evans Grant.”

“And the one sitting next to you?”

Maria pointed to Aru, who was sitting next to me. Worried that Aru might say something inappropriate, I decided to cut in first.

“This is Aru. A dog beastkin.”

“Woof?”

“I heard beastkins can freely enter Eden Academy, but meeting one in person is quite surprising. Nice to meet you, I’m Maria.”

Maria bowed politely to the dog beastkin Aru, who seemed delighted by such treatment and grinned widely.

“Woof! Nice to meet you too! Woof woof!”

I reminded Aru that in Eden Academy, unlike in Demon Forest, we shouldn’t eat or slaughter others. Given her nature, it was probably best she didn’t reveal her wild side.

But judging by her current behavior, it seems unnecessary.

“Hey, Aru. Aren’t you being unusually nice? You’re always barking at me.”

“Woof woof! Gentle demeanor! Unlike young Ma… no, Evans!”

“What’s going on?”

Her ears perked up, and her tail wagged back and forth like a real puppy. I was worried Aru might react aggressively towards Maria, but either due to Maria’s great tolerance or Aru’s innate friendliness, her response was surprisingly positive.

Come to think of it, even back in Demon Forest, Aru seemed aware of Maria’s existence. After receiving divine healing from Maria, she never growled again.

Clap.

Right now, Maria and I are slightly touching thighs—right thigh against left thigh—because we’re sitting close together on the connected seats.

Though there’s fabric from our uniforms and her habit separating us, I didn’t pull away because I secretly enjoy the contact.

“Hmm…”

But it seems young Maria feels uncomfortable. She fidgeted like someone with an itch and quickly pulled her legs away, creating distance.

“Sorry, did I make you uncomfortable without realizing?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just not used to physical proximity with others.”

“Did you grow up in a privileged household?”

“…”

We used to lie intertwined like one body and spend nights together in my past life, but this is the gap between young Maria and me now.

It’s refreshingly pure. The only flaw is my tongue twitching with greed inside my mouth, but as long as I don’t show it, it should be fine.

“Have you ever heard the name Maria?”

Perhaps she found it strange that I remained calm upon hearing the Saintess’ name. She asked curiously.

No need to ponder whether to pretend ignorance or knowledge. I’ve already implied unfamiliarity by mentioning “privileged upbringing,” so pretending ignorance works.

Besides, it could be fun to slowly get to know each other despite knowing everything about her.

With a cheerful smile, I replied:

“Maria? Never heard of her until you mentioned it. Is she famous? Should I know her?”

“Umm… No, it’s possible you wouldn’t know. Perhaps I was presumptuous.”

“Wow, Maria seems pretty famous. You’re not just a regular nun, are you?”

“Ah, no. I’m merely a humble servant of the Lord, just like everyone else…”

Despite her modest words, disappointment and surprise leaked into her voice. Did she assume I would naturally recognize her?

Not surprising. That’s normal. After all, anyone who hasn’t heard of the Saintess Maria must have lived a life similar to Langwang.

Still, future Maria, who endured countless trials, would have skillfully concealed her feelings with a gentle smile. Clearly, she’s still young.

“Princess! The Third Princess has arrived!”

Just as an awkward atmosphere started forming between Maria and me, a loud shout rang out. Both of us turned our heads simultaneously.

A crowd encircled in gold. These weren’t academy insiders but outsiders. The academy staff who kindly guided me and Aru earlier were sweating profusely as they welcomed the group respectfully.

Unfortunately, seated as I was, I couldn’t see the central figure amidst the crowd. But given the extraordinary presence, I stood up to improve my view.

Among the excessive guards stood a girl adorned head-to-toe in dazzling gold. Not just her clothes, but her entire appearance radiated brilliance—golden hair, golden eyes. She proudly displayed the royal family’s authenticity through her golden locks and irises.

“That’s Princess Albrecht.”

Maria murmured without looking, and I nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, Albrecht.”

“Mr. Evans doesn’t seem surprised to recognize Princess Albrecht.”

“Maria seems the same way.”

“Hehe, Mr. Evans is an interesting person.”

“I often hear I have a way with words.”

True, I wasn’t surprised to see Princess Albrecht because I knew she was coming. But I was genuinely excited.

Princess Albrecht.

One of the four geniuses who appear once every thousand years.

Saintess Maria of Faith.

Grand Magician Merlin of Magic.

Mighty Heavenly Hero.

And… Emperor Albrecht of Intellect.

Currently, Albrecht is just one of the empire’s princesses, but in the future, she eliminates all competitors to become the empire’s emperor. With unparalleled decisiveness, bold execution, and innovative thinking, she brings sweeping changes to the continent—things like creating new gods.

Had Aru not assassinated Albrecht by breaking through a thousand layers of defensive barriers, the empire wouldn’t have fallen so easily. If the Demon King hadn’t stepped forward, it might not have collapsed at all.

Albrecht is such a formidable presence. Though not physically strong, she’s the final barrier and ultimate trump card of the empire.

Arū earned legendary fame as a master assassin simply by assassinating Albrecht, clearly showing her stature.

Peering closely, I could vividly see Albrecht’s face inside the carriage. Dark circles under her eyes contrast sharply with her faded blonde hair. Her gaze was fixed on the blue sky, her thoughts unreadable to me.

While I was analyzing Albrecht from afar, a commotion erupted nearby. Turning my head, I saw another blonde girl waving to the cheering crowd and entering.

Unfortunately, I have little interest in her. Losing enthusiasm, I sat back down.

Frey Dr. Siegfried, the unyielding yet cowardly hero. Unlike previous heroes, he lacks nobility, great talent, or exceptional perseverance.

In short, a completely ambiguous failure. I don’t like people like that.

Although his betrayal later, which put Maria in a difficult position, was somewhat appealing, I now love Maria. Therefore, I dislike him even more. How dare he torment the one I love?

“Mr. Evans, I’ll step out for a moment. If anyone else arrives while I’m gone, please tell them to feel free to sit without worrying about me.”

Maria stands up from her seat. I just sat down.

“Maria?”

“My introduction was late. Let me formally introduce myself.”

Whispering to me, Maria smiled gently.

“Maria, the Saintess of the Holy Order. That’s my identity and vocation. I grew up within the Order.”

Proudly puffing her chest as if boasting to me.

What should I do? Should I act surprised? I can’t stop laughter from bubbling up.

“Haha-”

Young Maria seemed quite proud of her status. However, who am I? I’m a demon who boasts of being unmatched in acting skills.

I effortlessly suppressed my laughter and pretended to be shocked.

“What, what? Maria, you’re the Saintess? The Saintess of the Order?”

“Uh… There’s no need to overly praise me. Whether a saint or not, we’re all children of the Lord.”

Though her words were humble, Maria couldn’t hide her rising corners of her mouth. At this time, she was smugly delighted internally. This pure-hearted, easily flattered Saintess makes me want to lick my lips.

“Anyway… I’ll be back shortly. Since the hero is here, I need to greet him as a future member of the hero party.”

“Yeah, I understand. Go ahead. By the way, Maria being the Saintess… you’re so beautiful that I guessed you weren’t ordinary, but you’re way above average. Is it okay for someone like me to even talk to you?”

“No, not at all. Please don’t overthink it… I want to be friends with Mr. Evans.”

“Really? Even though we just met?”

“Even brief conversations can reveal someone’s character. Mr. Evans is a good person.”

A smirk escaped me. Maria’s pure words were mocked by this sneer—a mix of ridicule and derision. Before she noticed, I patted her back and nudged her forward.

“Hurry back.”

Maria’s clicking footsteps. Initially, the students surrounding Frey refused to give her space, but one by one, they recognized her and erupted in cheers.

“It’s the Saintess! Saintess Maria!”

“Really, the Saintess has arrived… But why didn’t we see her come?”

“Everyone, clear the way! The Saintess is approaching the hero!”

At someone quick-witted’s shout, the crowd parted like Moses’ miracle. Of course, that “quick-witted person” was me. Now Maria can comfortably reach the hero.

Thud.

Finally, Maria faced the hero.

“Noble and great servant of the Lord, Maria greets the chosen sword of the Lord.”

“Indeed, the most blessed daughter of the Lord. I am Frey Dr. Siegfried. Looking forward to working with you.”

Maria initiated a respectful greeting, and the hero responded with adequate courtesy.

Seeing these two—one who will betray and the other who forgives—even as a time traveler, I couldn’t help but find it amusing.

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