“You weakling.”
Aileen rebuked Ivelon sternly, unmoved by his heartfelt words.
“As royalty, at least show some dignity and courage, little brother.”
“It’s just how I am. Even if I try to force it, it doesn’t work.”
“Well, still—you did well. I doubt they ever imagined you’d be pulling a trick like this.”
Aileen gave a faint smirk, crossing her arms.
Seeing her expression, Ivelon asked curiously,
“Sister, you seem to be in quite a good mood for some reason.”
“Do I? Even though I can’t do anything at the moment?”
“Well, if I’m wrong, I apologize.”
“No—you saw right. I’m feeling very good.”
Ivelon looked slightly taken aback.
“Why is that?”
“Because that man was wrong.”
“That man... you mean...”
“There’s someone who once warned me—to be careful, that you were hiding something.”
“Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong, was he? I was hiding something.”
“He might have seemed like he could see through everything, but even he didn’t know you were a double agent. That’s enough for me.”
The fact that Ludger had ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) been mistaken brought Aileen an inexplicable sense of joy.
She had always thought of him as someone flawless—someone who stirred both admiration and envy, the kind of man who made her feel both desire and competition.
But he, too, was capable of error.
He was human—just like her.
And somehow, that realization felt wonderful.
“And the other reason I’m in such a good mood is that I’ve faced far worse crises than this. Compared to that time, this doesn’t even count as one.”
“Sister...”
“Of course, back then he was by my side—and now he’s not.”
Aileen turned her gaze toward Ivelon, her eyes filled with burning determination.
“But now, I have you.”
“......But I can’t disobey Salesin’s orders. If I act suspiciously, he’ll turn me into a puppet as well.”
“That would be even better. If you stay close to Salesin and keep his attention on you, I’ll only be grateful.”
“Do you really think that’s possible in front of the power of his mind-control?”
“Why do you think that ability belongs to them alone?”
Aileen tilted her chin toward the scripture resting on the table before them.
“We have one too, don’t we?”
Though it was far weaker than the divine authority Salesin wielded, it was still a key that could turn the situation around.
“Compared to what they have, ours looks pitiful.”
“Of course. They have a cannon; we have little more than a dagger.”
At that moment, Ivelon couldn’t help but be startled by Aileen’s eyes.
They were not the eyes of someone who had given up.
“That’s enough. Even a single dagger is enough to slit a throat.”
* * *
Seorn was in chaos.
It had only been a short while since Ludger Cherish, missing for some time, had returned to the academy—
And now, Ludger Cherish had been arrested by the Empire’s Security Bureau.
Leaving behind one shocking revelation:
His true identity was Heathcliff von Bretus.
And who was Heathcliff von Bretus?
The illegitimate son of the former Holy Sovereign, Benedict von Bretus—
and the so-called Heretic King who opposed the Church of Lumenis.
“What the hell is going on? Professor Ludger was the Holy Sovereign’s son?”
“That’s impossible!”
“Idiot! He was taken away by the Security Bureau—how could it be false? We were fooled all along! It’s all over the newspapers! They’re calling him the Heretic King!”
“Then all those things that happened in Seorn—the demon appearance—were all his doing, weren’t they?”
“Hey! Professor Ludger fought to protect us that day! How can you say that?”
“You don’t know. Maybe he pretended to save us to keep his cover.”
Some teachers who had always held grudges against Ludger, and students who couldn’t process what was happening, began condemning him.
But not everyone was ready to believe that.
“Wait, are we even sure that man was really Ludger Cherish?”
“What do you mean?”
“He disappeared for a long time, didn’t he? Maybe the real Professor Ludger was captured somewhere, and this Heathcliff impersonated him and infiltrated Seorn before being caught.”
The theory was surprisingly convincing.
If Ludger had truly deceived them all from the beginning, his entire record at Seorn made no sense—his passion for teaching, his generosity in sharing precious research materials, his sincerity toward students.
Could someone called a Heretic King, a man who commanded demons, really teach like that?
It didn’t add up.
“Honestly, if he were really a heretic, he wouldn’t have cared about classes. He might’ve used us as sacrifices instead.”
“Exactly! Think about it—remember when he distributed those Source Codes? And all the useful things we learned in his lectures?”
“What if that was just to win our trust?”
“Come on. Nobody trying to win favor gives away that much of their knowledge. And what would he even gain by staying at Seorn?”
Of course, there were also those fanning the rumors.
One of them was none other than Elisa Willow, the headmaster of Seorn.
“Haa... really now. Who would’ve imagined one man could shake the world like this?”
Headmaster Elisa gazed down at the still-panicked academy with a sigh.
“It’s fine,” came a calm voice.
The one setting down his teacup with a quiet clink was Vierno Dentis.
Beside him sat Sedina Roshen, fidgeting nervously.
And there were others gathered in the headmaster’s office as well.
“The first thing is to put out the immediate fire,” Vierno said.
“Um, but... are the rumors really true?”
It was Selina who asked cautiously.
From the moment she’d been summoned here to the shocking claim about Ludger Cherish’s identity—everything had happened too fast to comprehend.
“Hmph. Whether the rumors are true or not isn’t what matters.”
The one who scoffed at that was Chris Benimore.
“What matters is why the Headmaster called us here—and why that student, his assistant, is also present.”
Under Chris’s sharp gaze, Sedina shrank back, as if she had done something wrong.
Vierno stepped forward to defend her.
“Professor Chris Benimore, please watch your words.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
“The one here is not student Sedina Roshen. She is Sedina Plante—someone who alone can commune with the World Tree of our Elf Kingdom.”
As Vierno revealed her true identity, the room fell into stunned silence.
“W-wait a second! What do you mean by that?”
Merilda, standing beside Selina, cried out in surprise.
Sedina, who had always worked diligently as Ludger’s assistant, turned out to be a far more important figure than anyone had imagined.
“She’s here as an envoy of the Elf Kingdom. And I, too, am not here as a Seorn instructor, but as an elder representing the Elf Kingdom. I hope you understand.”
“Headmaster, is that true?”
“Well, it was written that way in the contract from the start, so it’s not wrong. I had no authority to object to Elder Vierno's terms.”
Elisa smiled faintly.
“But that’s not what’s important right now. We’ve received an official decree.”
“A decree...?”
“Yes. It states that the continental criminal Heathcliff von Bretus has overthrown the Bretus Theocracy and seized the capital fortress. And now, the Holy Sovereign has declared a holy war.”
“And why would we receive such a decree...? Don’t tell me—”
Chris voiced the possibility he didn’t want to believe.
“Did they demand Seorn’s participation as well?”
“That’s right.”
“That makes no sense!”
Merilda reacted sharply.
“The very idea of making such a demand to Seorn is absurd! Seorn exists solely as a place of learning—to educate mages! A holy war?!”
“Professor Merilda, please calm down for a moment.”
It was Wilford, Elisa’s aide, who soothed the fuming Merilda.
The tension subsided for a moment.
Elisa continued speaking.
“You’re right. Seorn may be within the Empire, but it retains autonomy and doesn’t necessarily follow the Empire’s will. Even if they start a war on their own and demand we participate, we could normally ignore it. But the problem is—it’s a holy war.”
“A holy war...”
“With the recent chaos in the capital and the demon incidents, even Isla Machia has been nearly destroyed. The situation is in total disarray. People’s fear has reached its peak. Declaring a holy war at such a moment gives it a kind of authority that transcends all logic.”
“Is that even possible? It’s their own affair.”
“Honestly, I find it strange as well. No matter how you look at it, to unilaterally proclaim a holy war like this... it should have been handled solely by the Theocracy.”
The real problem came next.
“The nations of the world are actively responding to the holy war.”
“What do you mean...”
“As if they’d all arranged it beforehand—as though they’d been waiting for the signal—they’ve all announced their intent to participate. Even small and mid-sized countries, the kind that would normally hesitate and gauge the situation, are doing the same.”
Except for the Elven Kingdom, the Beastkin Tribes, the Dwarven Villages, and the southern Fatima Dynasty—
The entire continent’s nations had united as one.
So many irrational events were unfolding in succession that it felt like common sense itself was beginning to crumble.
“With the atmosphere like this, even Seorn can’t openly refuse such an excessive demand.”
“But still...”
Selina started to speak with a trembling voice but closed her mouth again.
She knew better than anyone that the most troubled person here was Headmaster Elisa herself.
“Now that the holy war has been declared, even stalling for time is meaningless. I had no choice but to make a decision.”
“You intend to fight?”
“I set conditions. The students will be left out. Only those I personally select will take part.”
“And they agreed to that?”
At Chris Bennimore’s question, Elisa let out a dry laugh.
“And if they hadn’t?”
Her golden eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.
“I offered to participate myself. Who would dare to object to that?”
Arrogant words.
But considering Elisa’s power, they were words she could rightfully say.
“So that’s why you called us.”
“I’ve already spoken with the other instructors. The entire fourth-year faculty will take part. However, only under the condition that we act independently. We’ll participate in the holy war, but we have no intention of moving according to their will.”
Just then, someone knocked roughly on the door from outside.
Thump, thump—the sound made Elisa’s eyes narrow.
“I told them not to disturb us during a meeting.”
Elisa thought for a moment. In such cases, there were usually two possibilities.
First, the servant was simply foolish and tactless.
Or second—
Something urgent had happened that couldn’t wait another moment.
“Come in.”
Elisa assumed it was the latter.
The door opened, and a sweating servant burst in.
“H-headmaster! T-there’s trouble!”
“What kind of trouble?”
“O-outside! Someone’s come!”
At the servant’s next words, everyone gathered in the headmaster’s office widened their eyes.
“The Saintess has arrived!”
* * *
Rine lay on her dormitory bed, blankly staring at the ceiling.
‘What should I do...’
It had been several days since Ludger was captured by the Church.
And all the news that came afterward was grim and unsettling.
‘A holy war...’
The word “war” felt unbearably heavy to Rine.
‘Why... I’ve never even experienced war, but somehow I can feel how dreadful it must be. It’s something that must never happen.’
Her eyes began to sting painfully.
It hurt so much that tears welled up before she even realized it.
For a brief moment, an image flickered through her mind.
‘What was that just now?’
It had been too fast to see clearly, but she caught a glimpse of a ruined city under a dark night sky—
—and a colossal something floating in the air beneath the moonlight.
‘I feel sick...’
Rine took deep breaths as she lay there.
From the incidents in the capital to Dreamland and Isla Machia—
She had been through so much, constantly facing death, and yet she had always struggled to stay calm.
But the unease she felt now was entirely different.
So this was what they meant by “the calm before the storm.”
This quiet tension pressing down on her chest felt like a warning of something unimaginably dreadful to come.
‘The wind...’
Rine got up from her bed and left the dormitory.
Her steps carried her to the secret garden—the one with the flowerbeds Freuden had tended.
Seeing the quiet, empty garden, Rine leaned against a tree and closed her eyes.
The outside seemed noisy.
It wasn’t because of the holy war. Someone must have arrived.
Rine thought it had nothing to do with her and decided to wait until the uneasy feeling passed.
Rustle.
In the stillness, the sound of grass being stepped on tickled her ears.
Only three people knew of this secret garden—Erendir, Freuden, and Henry.
But the approaching footsteps sounded too light to be a man’s. She thought it might be Erendir and turned toward the sound.
The first thing she saw was golden hair shining dazzlingly in the sunlight and skin as pale as snow.
The light was so bright that the person’s face blurred, and Rine squinted to see more clearly.
Throb!
The pain in her eyes returned, though she didn’t frown or tear up this time.
“Huh?”
It wasn’t Erendir.
The blonde hair had confused her, but up close, this was a completely different person—
Older, more mature, and radiating an aura of holiness.
Yet that aura felt strangely familiar to Rine.
As Rine looked at the woman, the woman also gazed quietly at her.
Rine thought her eyes were as beautiful as the sky itself.
“Who are you?” Rine asked innocently.
The woman replied in a calm voice.
“Catherine.”