Chapter 108

It was an implicit question that left out all the important details.

Well, let’s say being a black mage was one thing, and let’s say a black mage having authorities was another.

But with this kind of skill, why on earth did he enroll in Akerandir?

At this level, even if he just settled down in some local region and lived there, the Empire wouldn’t be able to touch him easily.

‘Because I had to come here the moment I opened my eyes.’

…The fragment was completely unaware that Roan also absolutely did not want to do this.

In any case, Roan also left out all the important details and answered implicitly.

“You flatter me.”

Roan momentarily wondered if the fragment of the Holy Spirit was turning red.

It looked terribly angry because things didn’t go as planned.

And no wonder, since he had single-handedly and ruthlessly broken through a trial designed for four people to cooperate back-to-back.

But for the sake of the Holy Spirit’s dignity, it couldn’t force the issue.

“Tsk. Fine, you pass this time, so just get lost.”

The fragment waved its hand as if to say whatever, and checked on the state of the dolls.

Then it twitched an eyebrow again.

Not only were many dolls finely scratched by Blood Fragments, but a few even had large cracks in their chests.

‘Broken?’

Even if it was just a joke, these were dolls crafted directly by the main body using branches of the Divine Tree as material.

It was extremely difficult for them to be damaged by a mere student.

That meant not only the quantity of magic but also the power loaded into each and every one was the real deal…

The fragment stared toward Roan with suspicious eyes.

‘Why did the real main body let a kid like that enroll?’

For the first time in 1,245 years, the fragment became curious about the outside world.

Meanwhile, Roan returned to his team members after finishing everything.

“As expected of Roan! I knew you could do it all~”

Demona gave Roan a thumbs-up with an expression full of trust.

It was obvious she didn’t even know what magic Roan had used since she was lying flat on the floor, but her speech was incredibly smooth.

Roan let out a deep sigh and said to Joy and Riel.

“Now that the second trial is over, let’s proceed to the third. The next one is probably the last… What is wrong?”

Then, noticing that the complexions of the two were unusual, he cocked his head.

Could they have been hit by his magic or the dolls?

‘There’s no way, though?’

However, the two were filled with fear, as if they had indeed been struck hard by something.

“No… well.”

When Roan wore an expression showing he truly didn’t know the reason, Joy was instead flustered.

Did he mean to say he felt absolutely nothing strange even after single-handedly knocking down dozens of Divine Tree dolls created directly by Harden?

When Roan first stepped forward, Joy had thought she should step in and save him if it got really dangerous.

But save him? Nonsense.

Even if Joy had stepped in herself, she wouldn’t have cleared the dolls faster than Roan.

Meanwhile, Riel was trembling in her limbs in her own way.

Although it was hard to notice since the trembling was, in game terms, only a pixel-level movement.

By Riel’s standards, this level of trembling meant she was right on the verge of collapsing as the strength left her legs.

‘Rafia…’

Riel recalled Roan’s heroic exploits that Rafia had chattered about excitedly in the dorm room after the incident at the Epirim Basin.

Who index-finger thought it was 90% exaggeration.

Still, she had inwardly thought Roan was amazing just for driving away six black mages.

“Reality…?”

To think all of that was actually true!

It was at a level where she wondered if Rafia had forgotten to mention some parts because she had been too terrified.

“Huh? Riel, what is true?”

“Nothing…”

Riel shook her head while using polite speech to Roan.

But while doing so, she secretly peeked at Roan with sparkling eyes.

‘Somehow cool…’

A powerful warrior destroying dozens of Divine Tree dolls while scattering grey and black holy power.

Roan had targeted Riel’s taste without even realizing it.

In any case, Roan also roughly knew why these two were so frozen.

But he had realized something from his experiences so far.

‘I can’t hide my strength forever anyway; it’s better to just act shamelessly.’

As long as it wasn’t causing a scene in front of the entire school, he could easily silence people by creating an atmosphere of fear.

Why bother warily watching them?

He had to use force boldly when necessary.

…Although this time, the aspect of wanting to relieve stress was strong.

“Everyone seems to have been startled by the Divine Tree dolls. Demona, let’s head out first.”

“Eh? Why would anyone be startled by something like this? Roan will handle it all anyway.”

This was Demona speaking shamelessly, despite having been the very first to lie flat on the floor and tremble.

‘By the way, does this kid really have no thoughts?’

Isn’t she far too nonchalant?

Roan was slightly doubtful, but soon let it go.

If even one person didn’t think it was strange, he should be thankful.

The luxury to harbor doubt was a waste of time.

Like that, Roan and Demona passed through the second room.

Hesitantly—

Keeping a significant distance from the two, or more precisely from Roan, Joy and Riel followed behind.

‘Actually, the last room can’t even be called a trial.’

Roan thought, recalling the last trial of the Friendship Experience Hall.

In the empty room was a holy power panel similar to the one where the questions appeared in the first room.

And one Divine Tree doll was holding something like a small box.

The box held by the doll was, in Earth terms, an instant camera.

—

Welcome to the Third Trial, ‘Our Friendship Forever!’ Each pair, please stand in front of the doll and take the sample pose that appears on this holy power panel. We will give you an instant portrait that will remain as a memory forever.

—

Roan’s face scowled slightly as he read the instructions on the holy power panel.

He knew about it, but confirming it again made him feel even worse.

“……!”

“Forgive us…!”

Joy and Riel, who entered behind him and saw Roan’s distorted expression, were frightened beforehand.

Could he be trying to use the attack holy spell he unleashed on the Divine Tree dolls earlier on them?

…A concern that was truly absurd in Roan’s opinion.

“Wow! Roan, they say they’ll draw us a portrait! Let’s do it quickly!”

‘Should I destroy the ruins even now?’

Meanwhile, Demona, having read the guide, dragged Roan in front of the doll by the arm, simply looking happy.

Roan looked at the divine beast egg on his belt, wondering if it would help with his patience.

Although it was inside the simple incubator, he could feel it had grown rapidly before he knew it.

To hatch the divine beast today, he had to endure.

‘I even fed it a Lightning Apple, so what’s a single portrait…’

Roan took steps that didn’t want to move at all and stood in front of the doll with Demona.

Soon, a sample picture appeared on the holy power panel.

Two people putting their arms around each other’s shoulders and leaning their heads together, smiling brightly like soulmates.

Roan felt an instinctive aversion the moment he saw the picture.

‘Divine beast or not, I have to do that with Demona?’

It made no sense.

Just then, writing that was clearly the work of Harden’s fragment was newly written on the holy power panel.

—

If you don’t copy the expression exactly, there is no reward! If you harbor any cheeky thoughts, I’ll tell the main body too!

—

It was a truly petty and idle threat for a fragment of the Holy Spirit, but he couldn’t ignore it either.

“……Let’s finish it as quickly as possible.”

“Yeah, let’s do it quickly!”

Saying so, Roan glanced at the face of Demona standing next to him.

Demona was smiling brightly, simply happy to be the model for the portrait with Roan.

Roan resolved never to look in Demona’s direction at all.

Tremble—

Why did his arm, which hadn’t trembled even in front of Harden and Kaina, shake so much right before placing it on Demona’s shoulder?

“You said let’s do it quickly!”

Grab—!

Demona grabbed Roan’s hesitating arm and draped it over her shoulder.

Roan clenched his teeth.

First, the action was complete.

Now, if he just smiled happily, it was finished.

However, Roan’s mouth, which normally only smiled in faint grins, had no intention of moving easily.

‘It’s just moving the muscles, moving the facial muscles…’

Channeling auto-suggestion in that way, he tried to raise the corners of his mouth somehow!

Grr… in…

Somehow, Roan succeeded in pulling both corners of his mouth into something resembling a smile.

“……!!!!!”

“Oh, Hiloa and the Holy Spirit…”

…Watching this, Riel and Joy fell into shock and offered their respective prayers.

How in the world could a smiling expression be so bizarre?

And a first-year freshman who should be in the bloom of youth at that.

In any case, the pose and expression were set.

The doll raised the camera it was holding to eye level.

Click—

Roan saw it clearly the moment the flash burst.

Harden’s fragment, who had appeared behind Joy and Riel at some point, silently doubling over and laughing!

‘That damn fragment…’

Roan figured he should raid Harden’s secret vault sometime soon.

Although it wasn’t the doing of the real Harden, creating such a fragment 1,245 years ago was a sin if there ever was one.

“…Achoo! Hmm, is someone daring to target my warehouse? My mood is terrible.”

At that moment, Harden, who was working in the principal’s office without knowing anything, sneezed from a strange discomfort.

In any case, the photoshoot was successfully concluded.

The doll took two portraits out of the box and handed them to Roan and Demona.

“Wow! A portrait with Roan!”

Demona ran around jumping with excitement, and Roan glanced sideways at the portrait.

“……Something is wrong with the portrait.”

Demona was drawn reasonably accurately, but only Roan was drawn with a horrific expression like a newborn demon that had just risen from hell.

A wicked and gloomy smile that would easily cause a faint-hearted person to lose consciousness if seen at night!

Did Harden’s fragment play tricks with this too?

…Or so Roan blamed an innocent person.

“……?”

Meanwhile, hearing those words, Joy and Riel cocked their heads as they looked at the portrait of the two.

‘It’s identical, though?’

No matter how they looked at it, Roan’s expression from earlier was perfectly reproduced.

Next was Joy and Riel’s turn.

The pose the two had to strike was extremely ordinary.

Standing close together like an ordinary graduation photo, with just a faint smile.

Riel was even given a bouquet carved from holy power as a prop.

Roan glared at Harden’s fragment, feeling highly aggrieved.

‘Are you really going to be this cowardly?’

Why did one person have to put their arm around the other’s shoulder and smile wide enough to show their gums, while.

While the other got to stand still normally and take it?

However, Harden’s fragment only shrugged shamelessly as if to say, ‘What did I do?’

Riel took a picture with Joy while holding the bouquet with a happy expression.

Of course, ‘happy expression’ was strictly by Roan’s standards.

‘Was he upset because I answered the quiz too well earlier?’

Joy looked at Riel’s expression, which was like an ice statue, and inwardly worried she might cause a needless misunderstanding.

“Riel looks like she would challenge someone to a duel even with a bouquet…”

Demona said this and awkwardly backed away behind Roan.

Click—!

In any case, they passed the third trial with this.

Harden’s fragment clapped its hands and gathered the four together.

“Good job. You had a hard time coming in here even though you didn’t fight.”

With that, it distributed four white rings to each of them.

“This is a token of friendship from me. Just once, you can summon one person who is present here.”

The item name was ‘Harden’s Friendship Ring’.

The effect was exactly as the fragment said.

Roan put the ring on his finger immediately upon receiving it.

‘I’m glad I entered with Joy.’