Chapter 417

I was genuinely surprised to see Rize, but there was another feeling lurking in my heart.

Why on earth did the Chaos Saint decide to come to the Academy? Is there some kind of problem?

Though she had become someone whose mere presence made me smile, that didn’t change the fact that she was here. First things first, I headed into Rod’s house.

Rod seemed just as taken aback by her arrival; his eyes went wide the moment he laid eyes on her.

“Why are you here? Is there something going on?”

“If there is, I guess there is, right? Brother Sivar?”

“Yep.”

“Excuse me, could you call the others?”

“Got it.”

I gathered people as she requested, starting with Kara.

Calling Kara was easy. I just had to use the Orange Ring on my left hand’s ring finger.

I had just put it on after my visit to Tartar. Grace’s reaction to me slipping on the ring was quite sensitive.

When she glared at the ring with her pitch-black eyes, the feeling was indescribable…

*Crackle!*

“Kara. Are you there?”

[I’ve been training. What’s up?]

I heard Kara’s cheerful voice through the ring. Just as I was about to reply, I caught a strange gaze from Rize, who was staring at me intently. It was an odd expression.

I felt a bit awkward, but her curious look made me muster up the courage to speak.

“Rize is here, and she wants us to gather.”

[The Saint? For what? Got it. I’ll be there soon. Should I bring Luna and Eli with me?]

“Yeah. I’ll go get Grace.”

[Okay, I’ll hurry.]

The communication with Kara ended, and the ring lost its glow.

“Where did you get that…?”

As soon as the conversation ended, Rize asked quietly. It’s only natural for her to be curious.

I didn’t see any need to lie to Rize, so I explained everything that had happened so far.

Rize seemed a bit surprised when she heard that I was an assistant, but she soon nodded.

“I see. Is it fun?”

“A bit. It’s… kind of…”

It’s fun troubling the first-years. I almost blurted out, but quickly clamped my mouth shut.

I glanced at Rize and Rod, trying to gauge their reactions before I gingerly corrected myself.

“It’s fun teaching them.”

“Did you just try to say it’s fun to trouble them?”

“…..”

“In that case, it’s not right. Does Brother Sivar enjoy picking on those weaker than himself?”

“Not exactly…”

It’s just that it’s amusing to mess with the newbies. I couldn’t bring myself to convey it that way.

If I went down that route, I’d surely get lectured, but unexpectedly, a savior appeared.

“It’s not exactly picking on them; it’s more like playing with them, right?”

Rod came back from the kitchen with some snacks. He placed the treats on the table and continued.

“If he had truly tormented them, he would have used much crueler methods. To me, it seems like he’s just playing around with someone weaker.”

“Well… that does seem right. The Sivar I know isn’t like that.”

Fortunately, it seemed Rize bought Rod’s explanation. I sighed in relief inside.

Oh, it felt awful to get criticized by Rize of all people. It felt similar but different to Rod.

“By the way, Sivar, do you know what it means to wear a ring on your left hand’s ring finger?”

“Yeah. It means you’re engaged or in a relationship.”

“Then… does that mean you’re officially dating Kara?”

“Ah.”

Thinking about it, Kara wears her ring on her index finger, not her ring finger.

Initially, she wore it like me on her ring finger, but after visiting Tartar, she slipped it onto her index finger.

To avoid misunderstandings, I didn’t wear it in Tartar. After returning, I just slipped it back on my ring finger.

Actually, even wearing it on my ring finger was a mindless action. It was evident it would be a hassle if gossip spread around.

For now, I should give Rize a rough explanation. I did my best to dispel any misunderstandings.

“I see. So it’s a mixture of misunderstanding and miscommunication…”

“Yep. Exactly.”

“It doesn’t seem like a misunderstanding, though… Let’s leave it at that for now.”

I had many more things to say, but I held back. Rize’s expression was just like that.

It seemed like she felt there were more pressing matters at hand, signaling me to let it go quietly.

Desperate to escape the awkward atmosphere, I returned to the lodging to fetch Grace.

“Huh? The Saint?”

“Yep. She called for everyone.”

“I wonder why the Saint is visiting? Let’s go. Neoburi?”

“Keek.”

On Grace’s call, Neoburi perked up and stood erect. Smart little guy.

“If anyone comes, tell them I stepped out for a bit.”

“Keek!”

It raised one hand in response to the command. How does it even comprehend that?

I was curious, but I had more urgent matters to attend to, so I put that thought aside.

Finally, I arrived at Rod’s house with Grace, and everyone was already gathered.

“Uh… Kara?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Why are you wearing the ring on your ring finger?”

Kara was also wearing her ring on her ring finger. The moment Grace noticed it, her voice turned cold.

Last time it was treated as a mere happening, but now it’s blatant. It was like outright advertising.

Upon hearing Grace’s question, Kara glanced at her left ring finger before answering with a somewhat peculiar nuance.

“Ah~ Sorry, sorry. I just wear it there because it’s comfortable.”

“…..”

If you just listened to her tone, it didn’t sound like a mistake. But there’s no evidence.

Grace glared at Kara with a stern expression before quietly sitting down. I stole a glance and sat next to Rize.

In a situation like this, sitting next to Rize or Rod felt the safest. It was a kind of neutral ground, I guess.

‘Luna, on the other hand…’

Luna was just a bomb. As long as I don’t press any buttons, everything should be fine, but you never know when the buttons might malfunction.

Regardless, now that everyone’s gathered, Rize took a sip of the tea Rod brewed and opened up.

“Since everyone’s here, I can talk. The reason I came here is singular. It’s about a demon.”

“….”

The atmosphere instantly chilled the moment demons were mentioned by Rize.

Even a complete stranger’s warning would trigger alarm bells, but this was Rize.

She was a powerhouse who had fought with the purple demon and sent it retreating. Her words carried weight.

“Just a few days ago, traces of the demon were discovered. It could be a demon acting alone or a group that attacked the Academy.”

“Huh? Are there demons acting alone too?”

Eli asked, her voice laced with surprise. To her, demons would conjure nightmares of the attackers that raided the Academy.

Not only her, but others as well. At least Luna was calm, having shared a battle with demons before.

“Demon doesn’t exactly mean they are factionless. Moreover, the most malicious criminal acts are typically carried out by individual entities.”

“It sounds as if demons have a society.”

“Though they have lost their colors, ironically, they possess clear hues.”

There are even places where demons have formed urban regions. A sort of hidden zone.

The minimum entry requirement is to have someone of at least indigo level accompanying you. Space itself gets distorted from the entrance.

“This issue is acknowledged not just by me but also by the Gaia Church and the Gulrak Church. You all recently visited Tartar, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Something occurred in that time. A problem arose in the Eastern Empire.”

Everyone’s eyes widened as they heard about traces of demons found in the Eastern Empire.

We were scheduled to visit the Hwan Empire in the second semester for experiential learning. But now we were talking about demons, not just rebellion.

Is the smell of rot rising, or is it just my imagination? I listened intently.

“For now, they seem to only be active within the Eastern Empire… but this might serve as a signal flare.”

“A signal flare, you say…?”

“A rebellion.”

The demons might push for a rebellion behind the scenes in the Eastern Empire. That was the gist of it.

Upon hearing this, my mind wandered to the Soul World. In reality, rebellion in the Eastern Empire would likely happen regardless of the demons.

‘Not just in the East; the whole world could burn.’

Had the raid on the Academy gone smoothly, the whole world would be engulfed in flames.

For the demons, it would be easier to act if the entire world was caught in the turmoil of war. But it’s not the case right now.

Thus, they could either resort to sabotage or assassinate high-ranking officials to spark a weak flame.

“I suspect that once a rebellion occurs in the Eastern Empire, it will be unavoidable. It’s tied deeply to history.”

“And if it is the demons’ doing?”

“It won’t matter. It would be like stepping on the hands of someone barely hanging onto a cliff.”

This was a fight between people, not one involving demons. The demons were merely additives.

No matter how much Rize was hailed as a saint, she couldn’t simply intervene in conflicts between nations.

Especially since the issues in the Eastern Empire were tangled with complex histories, resolution was difficult.

Accumulating conflicts would eventually explode all at once. The only solution is war.

“If it were up to me, I’d desire to investigate the Eastern Empire directly, but unfortunately, the circumstances aren’t so forgiving.”

“Even the Saint finds it tough? Why’s that?”

“Because there are monsters lurking there.”

Rize referred to them as “monsters.” I, too, knew exactly who that monster was.

The only being among humans with a purple hue. It was a monster even Rod feared.

Rize could manage to confront it, but now wasn’t the time. If the demons made their move while we were exhausted, it would spell trouble.

“This monster shows infinite obsession towards those who spark its interest. I’m no exception.”

“Just the thought sends shivers down my spine. When we head to the East, that monster won’t take an interest in us, right?”

Luna voiced her concerns. It was more worrisome to hear Luna speak like this than anyone else.

And as the saying goes, foreboding feelings tend to be accurate; Rize looked at me with a complex expression.

‘Why me?’

I hadn’t done anything particularly worthy of mention. Sure, I got into a lot of accidents, but not enough to draw that monster’s attention.

While I was lost in these bewildering thoughts, Rize gave a wry smile and spoke up.

“For the time being, it should be fine. But there’s been a rumor circulating lately that one of the Academy’s students is using Red Lightning.”

“Ah. That… is…”

Word had already gotten out, huh? Perhaps it was a natural occurrence.

Lightning is the blessing of Gulrak, usually taking on a blue hue. When it deepens, it becomes cyan-white.

But Red Lightning is a power not even chronicled in history. It’s bound to pique interest.

“I’d advise against using Red Magic as much as possible. Since you have matched Hector in combat, it’ll probably reach his ears soon.”

“In the end, the problem is that I fought evenly with the Destruction King.”

“That’s about the gist of it.”

There was no helping it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to clear the Tartar episode smoothly.

Rize seemed to have a vague understanding of this, so she didn’t scold me.

“The conclusion is simple. Avoid getting involved in dangerous matters as much as possible. Especially if you, Sivar, head to the Eastern Empire, the chance of demons being active is extremely high.”

“Just hearing that gives me unease.”

“Will there be no priests dispatched with you?”

“There aren’t enough solid proofs yet to send any priests along.”

So we have no choice but to solve it ourselves. I’d really prefer if Erica were here during times like this.

Even if she caused trouble, her skills were top-notch. It’d be better if I could take her along.

“Ahem. I feel like I’ve only been discussing serious matters. Are there any other questions?”

Rize cleared her throat, brushing off the serious atmosphere. It seemed this was now leaning towards personal conversation.

I didn’t have anything to ask, so I stayed silent.

“I do!”

It didn’t seem like Luna shared my sentiment. Rize nodded at Luna, who raised her hand.

“Yes. What’s your question?”

“I heard Sivar might get married, what do you think about that?”

“…..”

Oh Luna, Luna.

What on earth are you talking about?

Why would I get married?

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