Chapter 156

Chapter 156

Holy relics could naturally only be created by holy power users, which was why the labor cost was even higher.

In other words, even if Roan had wanted to make one before his admission, he could not have.

The parts that other students worked on had very simple structures, and anyone sensitive to holy power could grasp Uli’s actions at once.

However, the holy power clock was not at that level.

In truth, Uli had only thrown the kit to Roan to let him get a taste of the structure of a proper holy relic.

…Indeed, he had that intention, even if it was only by a tiny fraction.

Uli asked Roan with sparkling eyes,

“Is this really your first time making it?”

Roan felt uneasy at the look that was unlike Uli, but he nodded.

“Yes.”

Of course, Roan had a rough idea of why he could assemble it so easily.

By the nature of the power, mana was much easier to control precisely than holy power.

One could call it the difference between a spray bottle and a needle.

While holy power had the property of spreading out in all directions from a single point, mana was relatively easy to move according to the user’s will.

For that reason, mana was far more advantageous in crafting tasks that required such precise control.

Although holy relics made with holy power had a longer lifespan or more stable properties compared to magic tools made with mana, precisely because they were harder to make.

‘Since I have False Divinity, I can capture both advantages.’

This was an unexpected effect that Roan also instinctively understood while making the holy power clock this time.

In any case, Uli glared at Roan with sharp eyes.

‘This could really make some money.’

To Uli, Roan now looked like a massive pile of gold coins.

Clack— Click— Clatter— Click—

Completely unaware of Uli’s ulterior motives, Roan had finished one holy power clock before he knew it.

‘Earning 1,000 dalants is easy!’

An ordinary student would have to go through all kinds of hardships to earn 1,000 dalants.

Even managing the Divine Tree, which was said to be the worst volunteer work, paid only 500 dalants.

No matter how he thought about it, if he were playing a game, there would be no cheat character like this.

…Except that living this life in reality was just too terrifying.

Roan opened the next box after confirming that the clock he made operated normally.

Uli suddenly asked Roan,

“Do you have any thoughts of working under me?”

“Absolutely not.”

Roan answered immediately without even looking at Uli.

“I’ll make sure you earn a lot of money.”

“I dislike money.”

Even if he were offered billions, he had absolutely no intention of becoming something like Uli’s assistant.

It would be better to go to Kaina and confess, ‘Actually, I’m a black mage.’

…Ah, maybe not that?

At any rate, it meant he disliked it that much.

“What?! You dislike money?! Why???”

Uli was startled as if he had seen an alien.

“Me! I want to do it!”

And Demona raised her hand high at the mention of earning a lot of money.

Uli retorted coldly,

“Apply if you can make that clock.”

“Then I won’t do it…”

Demona replied in a dejected voice, then rummaged through the pile of simple parts stacked in front of her.

***

After Professor Uli’s class ended.

“Everyone, bring out what you made. I’ll settle the payments.”

—Oh!

—He’s really paying us?

“If you don’t pay the money you owe, you’re trash, not a professor.”

Uli looked around with a contemptuous gaze at the students’ surprised reactions.

Surely, a person who did not pay what they owed was indeed trash.

”’But a professor who makes students work is also not far behind…”’

The students all had the same thought, but they decided to just hold it in, thinking that speaking up would only make a bigger deal out of it.

In any case, after Uli, who was greedy but accurate in his calculations, distributed the payments, the students gathered their things and cleaned up their spots.

“Those who didn’t finish can take them and do them on their own.”

Uli spoke in a tone that suggested he was not entirely satisfied, though he had not expected much in the first place.

—…Is this homework?

—Isn’t this overtime rather than homework?

The students looked doubtful.

Even so, students who needed dalants packed the parts, while those who did not left the classroom as they were.

“Roan! Lend me your bag!”

“…You’re working hard.”

At Demona’s urgent voice, Roan handed her the bag.

Since it would be easier for Roan if Demona carried it anyway, it was a win-win.

“Indeed, do you know the joy of earning money with your own hands? Roan is still a child~”

Demona shrugged, shook her head, and began pouring the parts on the desk into the bag with a clatter.

Roan looked at Demona with a pathetic look.

The parts Demona had struggled to make for three hours totaled 300 pieces, worth 600 dalants.

On the other hand, the number of holy power clocks Roan had leisurely made was ten.

“I earned 10,000 dalants, though.”

Actually, the reason Uli let the students go so quietly (?) was because the share he took from Roan was so large.

When Roan said this, Demona flared up.

“What a bourgeois guy! You don’t know the first thing about the lives of commoners!”

‘Who is the bourgeois and who is the commoner…’

Roan compared his situation with Demona’s.

Demona, currently a child of the Three Great Families, had brought a bundle of gold coins—though she didn’t need them—when she enrolled.

Roan, who was from one of the Four Major Families, but since it was destroyed right after he was born, had entered empty-handed from the Holy Emperor’s Palace.

If one had to distinguish, Demona was the ultimate bourgeois of the Empire.

…Although even a Wicronon was like a commoner compared to the Richmond family.

‘In any case, seeing that even someone like her can learn the joy of earning money with her own hands, it might be a pretty effective curriculum.’

Roan confirmed the educational effect of Akerandir in an odd place.

Although commoners could also enroll, the vast majority of the students were from the noble class of the Empire or kingdoms.

Akerandir doubled as character education for the nobles, who would surely run wild if left alone.

Even comparing it to the entrance ceremony, the students who had thought they were the best now knew how to show respect, at least to the professors.

…And to Roan.

Not mocking or swearing in his face was already a huge step forward.

‘That aside, I should start applying for external volunteer service soon.’

Roan turned his gaze outside the classroom.

By now, the external volunteer requests for this weekend would have been organized and posted.

And for that, there was a problem he had to deal with in advance.

“…What is everyone doing for lunch?”

Roan asked as he looked at his friends who had not left yet.

Hector, who for some reason was watching Roan’s reaction, shouted as if he had been waiting.

“I have a gathering!”

“Oh.”

Hector and a gathering?

Roan let out a small exclamation at the extremely mismatched combination.

“A-A gathering?!”

“Hector, you have a gathering?”

“A gathering?!”

Hector deflated slightly at the reactions of his friends.

“It is rude to be that surprised…”

“Ah, sorry. I was just so happy for you.”

“Y-Yes…”

But he soon bragged, even snorting.

“Huhuhu, they said there is a gathering of the Inquisition in Akerandir. There are also a few seniors from my family, so I plan to go there. Roan, if it is you, everyone will welcome you. Do you have any thoughts of coming?”

“…”

Roan was left speechless.

Asking a black mage to go to an Inquisition gathering together now?

Of course, they wouldn’t be able to recognize Roan’s identity, but instead of going to a place like that, it seemed better to go to Professor Kaina’s laboratory.

…Ah, maybe not that?

It was merely a metaphorical expression of how much he did not want to go.

In any case, Roan asked casually.

“Where is the gathering?”

“The commercial district, Kespadil’s Inquisition Cafe.”

Kespadil’s Inquisition Cafe was an Inquisition-themed cafe, filled inside with numerous torture devices and ominous holy relics used to find heretics.

As a side note, there was a custom of verifying one’s presence by offering a drop of blood when entering.

Although it was practically a formality, it was absolutely not a mere formality if the target was Roan.

‘They really gather in a place just like themselves.’

Roan shook his head inwardly and said,

“…I am fine. Have a good time.”

“Hahaha! Thank you!”

Hector laughed heartily and was the first to slip out of the classroom.

The female students chatted a bit while looking at his retreating back.

“I’m really surprised Hector has a gathering.”

“Yeah, but Hector has always been hanging out with us, right? When did he get contacted?”

Roan said nonchalantly,

“Inquisitors communicate through blood circular letters. They probably contacted Hector directly.”

The blood circular letter was a communication item restricted to the Inquisitor class.

When writing on the circular letter with blood, it would appear identically on the circular letters held by Inquisitors within a certain range.

‘Who on earth is the black mage here?’

Compared to that, black mages who wrote letters normally or utilized summons and spirit beasts seemed much more wholesome.

Meanwhile, Demona, who had packed all her things, shuddered with the heavy bag on her back.

“Then doesn’t that mean it’s filled with guys like Hector? Ugh, I hate it.”

“That is also true…”

“Ahem.”

The female students cleared their throats after inadvertently agreeing with Demona’s words.

Demona said to Roan with a bright smile,

“Roan, ask me what I’m going to do too!”

“…What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to have lunch with Roan~”

“…”

Roan nodded as if he had not expected much.

‘What is Soldera doing not taking Demona away?’

Well, since it was not yet time for her to make a full appearance, the previous time had to be seen as an anomaly.

“I am sorry. I do not think we can eat together.”

“Huh? Why! Aren’t you neglecting me too much lately?”

“Oh boy…”

Roan was about to say some harsh words before stopping himself.

They were not in any kind of relationship in the first place, so what was there to complain about being neglected or not?

And actually, the reason they couldn’t have lunch together lay with Demona herself.

Tap, tap—

“Huh?”

Feeling someone tugging at her sleeve, Demona looked back.

It was Uli.

“Class President, where do you think you’re going when you have to clean up after class?”

“Yes? Me? Why?”

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been speechless for a moment, but Uli was not easy to deal with either.

Uli did not pay the slightest attention to Demona’s question and only said what he wanted to say.

“Put all the remaining parts back in the warehouse.”

“Heeeeeek—!!! Not the warehouse!”

Demona was so startled that the bag she was carrying almost bounced up.

The nightmare of entering Uli’s warehouse yesterday was still engraved all over her body.

“Ro-Roan! Save me! Not the warehouse!”

Demona clung to Roan as if she were about to grab the cuffs of his trousers.

Roan shook his head and replied,

“Go.”

Although it was a bit pitiful, since Roan also had to shake Demona off today of all days, there was nothing he could do.

Roan decided to do something rare and help Uli.

“You mean bourg— Hur-gh-u-ugh!”

Hit by Roan’s paralysis spell, Demona made a strange noise and collapsed on the spot.

Still, since it was simple paralysis rather than mixed with pain like the one he cast on Hector, it wouldn’t be too bad.

“Take her away.”

“Alright.”

As Uli lightly raised his holy power,

Wooooong—

A large iron plate from somewhere in the classroom floated over, loaded Demona and all the parts onto itself, and left the classroom.

“E-Excuse me, Roan.”

“What is it?”

Rafia called out to Roan in a voice slightly tired from the sudden situation.

“If there is a holy relic like that, isn’t there no need for students to clean the warehouse?”

“…”

Roan was left speechless by the extremely valid, reasonable, and rational question.

But this was Akerandir.

“That is true… but why ask that now?”

“Mhm…”

In turn, Roan left Rafia speechless.