Episode 40
After tracking the distribution route and securing evidence, we entered the Athene Temple. The Saint had mentioned that she would visit the school through the temple.
There was another reason too. Since we had identified the group distributing the Transformational Stones, we wanted to entrust their investigation to the temple.
When we informed Cardinal Johan about the group with a symbol of two snakes wrapping around a sword on their hands, he responded with a serious expression.
-It’s the Sadokryeon. They’re a covert assassination group, but I had no idea they were involved in the distribution of Transformational Stones.
Cardinal Johan confidently declared that he would use the captured individuals to initiate an international investigation into the Sadokryeon.
For a moment, I worried if it was dangerous since they were an assassination group, but then I remembered the Saint’s strength and dismissed the thought.
Being a cardinal means he’s a skilled priest, so even if he’s not as strong as the Saint, he should be powerful enough.
“Now all that’s left is for Chloe to go to school.”
“That’s right. Chloe, how are you feeling?”
At the Saint’s question, I also looked at Chloe. Honestly, I was curious. The Royal Magic Academy must hold various meanings for Chloe.
It was a place where nobles tormented her, but also a place where she could achieve her dreams.
“…Honestly, it doesn’t feel real. I never thought I’d be able to return so soon… It’s all thanks to the Hero and the Saint. I don’t know how to repay this kindness.”
“Don’t think like that. We helped because we wanted to.”
“Wow, the little Hero is being all mature~♡”
…You’re the little one. You’re way shorter than me.
“…Anyway, Chloe. Don’t think you have to repay us or anything. Just accept people’s goodwill as it is.”
“……Okay.”
Chloe smiled faintly as she spoke.
“Thank you, everyone.”
“…No need to mention it.”
#
The visit was quickly decided. It must be the power of the Solaria Church/Order. When the temple requested the visit, the school immediately granted permission.
They said it was fine to come as early as tomorrow.
“It’s officially a field trip, though.”
“A field trip? Then Chloe…”
“We’ll take her in first. And then, boom! We’ll reveal everything.”
“…Reveal what?”
The Saint gave her characteristic sly smile as she spoke.
“Look at this fool asking the obvious~♡”
…It’s possible not to know.
“We’ll reveal the facts we’ve uncovered. What else would it be?”
“…Is it okay to just drop it like that?”
Wouldn’t they think we’re crazy? But the Saint said it was fine.
“Just trust and follow me~♡”
“…Okay.”
Then I guess I’ll just stand there like a totem. I’m confident about standing like a totem. Totem Hero, deploying.
“Is there anything we need to prepare before going?”
“Hmm… Let’s tidy up your hair.”
“Huh?”
“Your hair, Hero. It’s gotten so long, you look like a total slob~♡ Like a shut-in nerd living in their room♡”
…Has it really gotten that long? But do they even have hair salons in this era? Where do I get my hair cut?
“Where should I get it cut?”
“You could cut it yourself… Or should I do it for you~?”
“Uh, would you do that for me?”
I’ve never cut my own hair before. If I did it, I’d probably end up with a bowl cut.
…Just imagining it makes me cringe.
“Hehe♡ Alright. I’ll take care of it for you~.”
“Thank you.”
Then someone poked me from the side. It was the pretty girl with purple hair, Chloe.
“Chloe?”
“I can cut your hair nicely too.”
…Uh… Okay.
But I already asked the Saint, so what can I do, Chloe.
“So how about the Saint cuts half, and I cut the other half.”
…What, do you think this is chicken? What kind of nonsense is this…
“I already entrusted the Hero to me! Don’t try to steal him!”
“That’s unfair! I want to touch the Hero’s hair too!”
“Get lost, you alley cat!”
“I-I want to touch it too!!”
…Stop fighting over something so weird, you crazy girls.
“…I’ll just cut it myself.”
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
Both of them were flustered at the same time. Then stop fighting.
“Should I cut it? Or will you stop fighting?”
“…So let’s just split it half and half…”
“What kind of haircut is half and half?”
Chloe pouted her lips. Hmph, acting cute won’t change my mind.
The Saint smiled contentedly and approached me with scissors.
“Alright, I’ll cut it for you~♡”
“Okay.”
The Saint’s hair is always neatly styled, so her hairdressing skills were trustworthy.
The Saint’s slender fingers began to touch my hair. The soft fingers brushing against my scalp felt oddly pleasant.
…Not bad.
The snip, snip sound of the scissors tickled my ears. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sound, waiting for the haircut to finish.
“All done~♡”
“Really?”
It definitely feels shorter. I asked Chloe.
“Does it look okay?”
“…I don’t want to admit it, but the Saint is pretty good at this.”
Oh, really? It’s a shame there’s no mirror in this room.
“Saint, do you have a mirror?”
I figured there must be at least one mirror in the temple, so I asked. And sure enough, the Saint said there was, adding,
“There is, but… you might be disappointed when you see your goblin-like face~♡”
…Still with that.
“Saint.”
“Yes~ Why are you calling me, you lame Hero♡”
“…I know I’m handsome.”
“…What?”
The Saint looked bewildered.
I checked my face not long ago, you brat! Judging by her expression, she seems really surprised. This is fun. Is this how it feels when the Saint teases me?
“So give me the mirror.”
“…Uh, since when did you know?”
You brat, you really thought I didn’t know and kept teasing me. You’re truly evil.
“Not long ago. I went to the fountain with Chloe and accidentally…”
“…What?”
Uh.
“…Where did you go with Chloe?”
“…Uh… that.”
Fuck, I’m screwed.
Chloe was also looking at me with a shocked expression.
…Sorry, I’m an idiot.
The Saint’s eyes curved, but her lips didn’t rise. She wore a scary expression, smiling with her eyes but not her mouth, as she spoke.
“So you went to the temple alone to have fun, huh~? Ah, you must’ve had a great time~. While someone was working, you two were out there having a *blast* together, huh~?”
“…N-no, that’s not it. Chloe just came back to the capital after a long time, so I thought we’d look around together….”
“Hmm, I see~. Must’ve been nice, huh, you lolicon hero♡? You got to go on a full-blown date with Chloe~!”
…Well, there’s no helping it. If she’s going to sulk like that, I’ll just have to be fair about it.
“…Uh, next time I’ll go with the Saintess, okay?”
The Saintess was startled. Why’s she so surprised?
“…Uh, do you think that’ll make me less upset? I was just feeling down because you two were out having fun while I was working!”
Even though she said that, the Saintess’s expression had already softened. The corners of her mouth were twitching upward.
…This girl, she’s surprisingly easy to calm down.
Now it’s time to wrap this up. I changed my expression completely and spoke.
“I’m sorry, Saintess.”
“Y-you don’t have to apologize like that. I was just feeling a little down….”
“So you forgive me?”
I drove the nail in. The Saintess flinched, looked at me for a moment, and then let out a sigh.
“…Next time, don’t go off secretly. Just tell me before you go.”
“Okay.”
…She’s surprisingly soft-hearted, huh? Glad I managed to smooth things over.
“So, where’s the mirror?”
“I’ll get it for you!”
Chloe quickly brought over a hand mirror. Hand mirrors in this era are supposed to be exclusive to nobles, but here we are.
When I looked into the mirror, I was honestly shocked.
Because I’m so handsome.
…Just kidding. It’s not that. I was surprised because the hairstyle the Saintess fixed for me looked really good. I’d believe it if someone said she was a professional stylist.
“Your hair looks really nice.”
“I told you I’d do a good job~. Did you not trust me, you amateur hero~?”
“It’s not that, I just didn’t expect you to do *this* good.”
This should be enough. I won’t look weird in front of the students tomorrow.
#
The Royal Magic Academy of Athene in the Minerva Kingdom.
This place is so prestigious that not only people from the Minerva Kingdom but also those from neighboring countries line up to enroll.
Most of the students are nobles and mages, and since many come here to seriously learn, the atmosphere is relatively quieter compared to other schools.
It’s usually like that, but not today. Today, the news spread like wildfire that the hero of the Mars Empire and the Saintess of the Solaria Church would be visiting the school.
The students were especially interested in the Saintess, as the Solaria Church has the largest following on the continent. Many of the academy’s students are followers of the Solaria Church.
“I’m so happy I could die knowing the Saintess is coming!”
“Y-you should maintain your dignity as a noble, Lady Aiden. It’s great that the Saintess is coming, but you shouldn’t act too recklessly!”
“You seem really excited too….”
The students were all in high spirits, eagerly waiting for the two to arrive. Finally, the tightly shut gates opened, and a white-haired man and a black-haired woman entered. The students immediately recognized who they were.
“Wow… is that the hero of the Mars Empire?”
“He’s so handsome….”
“It’s the Saintess! Seeing the Saintess in person is truly a blessing from the Solaria Goddess!”
The students reacted with excitement. But when they saw the purple-haired girl following behind the hero and the Saintess, some of them froze.
The rest of the students were puzzled.
“Huh, that girl….”
“Isn’t that Chloe from the first year? Didn’t she drop out?”
“Wasn’t she suspended?”
The one who appeared with the hero and the Saintess was Chloe, a former student of the academy who was once called a “Commoner Wizard,” a derogatory term for a mage of common birth.
“Where’d she go and why is she back now?”
“And why is she with the hero and the Saintess?”
“No idea.”
All eyes were on them. It wasn’t just because the hero and the Saintess had arrived, but also because Chloe, who had disappeared at some point, had returned with them.
The Saintess, Estelle, stepped forward slightly and looked around at the students with a gentle smile.
“Hello, students of the Royal Magic Academy of Athene. I am Estelle, a humble servant of the Solaria Goddess. This is Abel, the hero of the Mars Empire.”
The students, especially the followers of the Solaria Church, cheered and applauded enthusiastically. Estelle spoke to them in a soft, pleasant voice.
“By the way, is there a student here named Anais Cesar?”
“I know where she is, Saintess! Should I call her?”
“Please do, kind student.”
As Estelle smiled, the student nodded vigorously and went to fetch Anais Cesar. Abel whispered to Estelle.
“Saintess, what are you planning to do here? Shouldn’t we go inside first and….”
“No? We’re doing it here.”
“Huh?”
“Just wait and see~♡”
The student who went to fetch Anais returned with a brown-haired female student.
“Ah, what’s going on….”
“Hurry up. The Saintess is looking for you.”
“The Saintess?…Oh.”
The brown-haired student’s eyes widened when she saw Abel. It was as if she was saying, “Why are you here?” Seeing her reaction, Abel gave a bitter smile.
‘Judging by her reaction, she’s definitely my childhood friend, Anais.’
As expected, Anais stepped forward and acted familiar with Abel.
“Abel! What’s going on!? You became a hero!?”
Estelle suddenly stepped in front of Anais, who was happily greeting Abel.
“…Are you the Saintess? Ah, sorry. You must’ve been surprised. I’m just happy because Abel and I are childhood friends.”
“Anais Cesar, correct?”
“Yes? That’s me. Why do you ask?”
Estelle smiled sweetly and spoke in a voice loud enough for the surrounding students to hear.
“Student Anais Cesar, you are under arrest for the purchase and use of a Transformational Stone~!”
