Chapter 125

Roan had definitely pierced the wall.

Boom—

No, as if that weren’t enough, he had even blasted a large cave into the mountain behind it, just as he had worried.

Zorve, who had witnessed this absurd scene from the very beginning, was completely lost for words.

‘What did I just see?’

Even Zorve, who was in his graduating class, couldn’t even begin to guess the identity of the holy magic Roan had just used.

At that level, he wouldn’t be pushed back even if he clashed with most current students.

Rather, the fact that he had broken the Wailing Wall was proof in itself that he had already surpassed their level.

And he had planned to comfort Roan if he failed?

Zorve experienced the very foreign sensation of his plans collapsing from their very foundation.

“Mmh.”

Rustle—

Zorve, who had been crouching behind the boulder, nodded and stood up as if having made up his mind.

Gurrr—

The yellow iron-scaled bird looked up at him.

‘Are we going to approach that human now?’

But Zorve muttered to himself.

“Come to think of it, that fellow Wigren didn’t hand over today’s prayer card. I must go collect it.”

With that, he flew up using his Golden Wings.

On Dragon Street, they used to receive prayer cards instead of Talents from students in the name of protection fees.

…In truth, it wasn’t an important enough matter to go collect at a time like this.

Gurrr—?

The yellow iron-scaled bird followed its master in flight for now, but it seemed curious about the sudden change of plans.

“I can go to Roan anytime. He doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood today, so I must look for the next opportunity. Sometimes it is best to enjoy the afterglow of success alone.”

Zorve babbled on with excuses for no reason.

And Zorve’s hands were trembling quite visibly as he spoke.

Zorve cast a sideways glance at the yellow iron-scaled bird and quietly added one more thing.

“……I am absolutely not backing down out of fear.”

Gurrr—!

The yellow iron-scaled bird cried out.

‘Who said you were?’

The place they arrived at was the Sanctuary’s clubroom.

Unable to calm his pounding heart, Zorve entered through the normal entrance instead of breaking through the dome.

Kururuk— Kuruk—

Beside him, the yellow iron-scaled bird was making noises.

It meant: ‘You clearly said we were going to get prayer cards, so why did we come here?’

“Be quiet, Goldy.”

Zorve avoided answering.

There was a matter more important than collecting prayer cards.

“Oh~ Zorve! What brings you here?”

Yusina, who happened to be inside, expressed her welcome.

However, regardless of her welcoming expression, she hurriedly moved away from the shelf she had been rummaged through.

Zorve did not usually show his face in the clubroom.

…In fact, that was true for almost all the members of the Sanctuary.

“Yusina, I’m glad you’re here. I was going to leave a letter if you weren’t.”

“Hehe, well… I happened to have some business here.”

Yusina avoided Zorve’s gaze awkwardly and glossed it over.

Zorve looked at Yusina with complex emotions.

Roan was definitely brought in by Yusina.

“The Wailing Wall was broken.”

“What?”

Yusina wore a bewildered expression at Zorve’s words.

“Did Professor Gulba happen to run into it while passing by? Well, I figured that would happen someday. Even the Wailing Wall is no match for Professor Gulba.”

Zorve’s expression became a sight to behold.

If it were Gulba, it felt like that could actually be possible.

“No. It wasn’t Professor Gulba.”

But he soon shook his head.

Harden was extremely interested in the Wailing Wall.

─ This wall belongs to the students. Faculty members, do not touch it out of curiosity for no reason.

…If it was truly made by Harden as some rumors suggested, his acting skills would have earned him an academy award.

Especially he had warned Gulba that breaking it would result in the death penalty.

─ Professor Gulba! You in particular! Do not approach within 10 meters of this place at all! Do you understand me! Otherwise, I will personally introduce you to the Deep Roots or whatever it is!

─ Ah, understood! Gulba will listen to the Principal! Won’t go near the wall!

No matter how rash Gulba was, he would naturally be careful if Harden spoke to that extent.

Regardless, Gulba was still pointed out as the prime suspect among students if the Wailing Wall were ever to be broken.

Hearing that the culprit wasn’t Gulba, Yusina pondered again.

“Then why did it break? Is there anyone among the students who can break it? Our members don’t even care. Has the Lance Knight Erommel already grown that strong?”

Erommel was a third-year student, a skilled warrior who handled a giant lance twice his height.

Yusina happened to have heard a rumor recently that Erommel was honing an independent technique.

Did he do it while testing that technique?

“No. It’s one of our members.”

“Eh? Really? Who was that bored?”

“Before that, let me ask one thing.”

As Zorve assumed a serious expression, Yusina tilted her head, not knowing why he was acting this way.

The Moonlight Watcher on her shoulder tilted its head accordingly.

“If it were you, could you break the Wailing Wall?”

“Well. I haven’t tried, so I don’t know. Now that it’s broken, I’ll never know. I’m probably not specialized in offense, so maybe not? So who is it~”

Yusina grew impatient as Zorve hesitated for a long time.

She couldn’t think of anyone among the Sanctuary members who could possibly break the wall.

“Roan Darc.”

“?”

However, upon hearing the name, Yusina’s expression stiffened slightly.

‘Of course.’

Zorve nodded.

Because it would indeed be hard to believe that a freshman broke the wall.

“Zorve. Why did you break it yourself and try to pin it on Roan?”

“W-What?”

However, Yusina’s reaction exceeded Zorve’s expectations.

‘It’s not like I broke a window, why on earth would I…!’

If he had pierced the wall, he would be bragging about it all over town; why would he drag an innocent freshman into it?

Zorve immediately denied Yusina’s absurd logic.

“No, that’s not it. I’m telling you Roan broke it.”

“That. Is. Why. Why are you pinning it on Roan when you’re the one who broke it~”

Yusina chattered away rapidly, giving Zorve no time to be flustered.

As she did, she kept casting sidelong glances at the yellow iron-scaled bird.

Zorve finally realized the reason behind Yusina’s strange behavior.

Yusina spoke with a sly smile.

“Fufufu, if you give me Goldy’s feather, I won’t spread the rumors in particular.”

It did not deviate even an inch from Zorve’s expectations.

“……Did you get fined somewhere?”

“Well, listen~ The new professor who arrived from the Holy Emperor’s Palace this time slapped me with a whopping 300 Talents, telling me to maintain the dignity of a Saintess!”

Yusina stomped her feet in frustration and complained.

What on earth did Yusina do?

‘…Even if I think about it, it will only give me a headache.’

More than five possible reasons immediately came to mind.

“Pay off the fine yourself. Don’t steal and sell club items. Now that I’ve delivered the news, I’m leaving.”

“What? The feather! Ah, just one swallow bellflower…!”

“I know the exact inventory count.”

“You’re too much!”

Whoosh—

Yusina hurriedly tried to catch Zorve, but he had already flown far away long ago.

Yusina, who was staring at his departing figure in bewilderment, belatedly came to her senses.

In truth, the fine didn’t really matter.

She only had to endure a few days until the weekend, then she could pay it off through volunteer work.

More interesting news was the focus of her attention.

“So Roan broke the Wailing Wall~ Is it true?”

Knowing Roan’s personality, he would have broken it secretly so as not to attract others’ attention, and wouldn’t tell anyone.

If he found out that she knew, what kind of reaction would he show?

Well, there was no way it was actually Roan, but even just saying ‘You broke it, didn’t you!’ would throw Roan into a flurry of confusion.

“Lululu~”

Yusina was in high spirits.

“Zorve, what can you do even if you keep track of the inventory~ Huhaha!”

With that, she sneakily pocketed one of the swallow bellflowers she had been eyeing.

***

Meanwhile, at Paneroa Hall’s McGodal Room.

As Roan entered the room while looking around suspiciously, Demona welcomed him.

“Roan! Where did you go? Did you do something fun all by yourself?!”

‘It was fun, in a way.’

Breaking the Wailing Wall was indeed that grand of an achievement.

“Just a walk. Where is everyone else?”

“Dunno. There was no one here when I arrived.”

Demona shrugged, and Roan checked the clock.

It was about time for the freshmen whose classes had been delayed to finish and return.

And since Beanin, a current student, hadn’t returned yet…

Roan muttered.

“They must have started the pop quiz early.”

“Huh? Pop quiz? What does that have to do with returning late?”

Demona asked, tilting her head.

The word ‘quiz’ naturally made students anxious.

Especially for Demona, it was a terror.

“You’ll find out next week anyway.”

Roan’s vague words made Demona frown.

When Roan said ‘you will find out later,’ it mostly involved suffering, headaches, or fines.

…Demona firmly believed that it wasn’t due to her own mistakes, but because Roan sought out troublesome things.

“I’m not taking it.”

Roan asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Do you think you can just choose not to take a pop quiz?”

“Then what?”

“Unexcused absence results in a fine of 200 Talents, a forced makeup quiz, and detention.”

“Th-Then I guess I have to take it…”

Demona immediately changed her mind.

“By the way, it seems Professor Diar’s class ended quite early.”

“He just told us to leave?”

“What?”

“Ah, that is…”

Just as Demona was about to explain the reason.

Slam—

“Heretic! Where is the heretic?!”

Hector, who had finished his Sacred Strategy class, kicked the door open and entered energetically.

Demona didn’t even pretend to hear Hector’s noisy call.

She simply ignored him, staring straight ahead.

“Heretic! You were here! Why don’t you answer?”

Hector called Demona again triumphantly, but she persisted in her silence.

She merely stared blankly up at Hector’s face.

Only then did Hector realize why Demona was silent, and spoke hesitantly.

“H-Heretic boss?”

Demona instantly smiled brightly and replied.

“Oh, little brother Hector~ Did your class go well?”

Twitch—

Hector clenched his fists involuntarily.

To think a proud Pavilto had to endure such humiliation!

However, the one digging the well was always the thirsty one.

“Holy War! Let’s do a Holy War!”

For the sake of the Holy War, he could call her boss a hundred times over.

“Eh? Who with whom? Are you fighting Roan again?”

Hector glided a glance over to Roan.

When Roan countered with a cold glare, he stealthily turned his head away again.

No matter how full of confidence he was, he was reluctant to clash with Roan’s Abyss Dragon again.

“Naturally, it’s Crybaby and Sparky!”

“Hmph, I don’t fight forbidden divine beasts. And you are too bad at it.”

‘Look who’s talking…’

Twitch—

Hector was enraged by Demona’s obnoxious refusal, but forced a smile.

“Don’t be like that, I took strategy class today so it’s different from before. Right, Crybaby?”

Sniffle—

The Purgatory Penitence Beast nodded while shedding tears of blood.

Demona wore an expression of sheer disgust.

“Ugh… I don’t want to show Sparky anything creepy. Right, Sparky?”

The Adamant Beetle fluttered its outer wings in agreement.

Ultimately, Hector pulled out his trump card.

“……I’ll give you 50 Talents.”

“50?”

“……100.”

“Hmm. Sparky, what do you think?”

“125! I can’t go any higher than that!”

Only then did Demona smile broadly.

“Sparky~ Since our little brother is asking for a Holy War, shall we teach him a lesson?”

A dramatically settled transaction.

‘…If one could even call such a thing a transaction, that is.’