Chapter 159

Chapter 159

—Look over there. It-It’s Darc.

—The Saintess is with him too…

The students who saw Roan, Sion, and Yusina appearing in the commercial district buzzed with chatter.

‘This is why it’s bad to hang out with Saintesses.’

Roan walked confidently, but inwardly he was wondering if it was alright to leave Yusina, who kept getting involved with him, alone like this.

Honestly, when playing other characters, he used to keep a certain distance from Sion as well.

There was no particular benefit in becoming close with Sion, who was hated by everyone for no reason.

Much less now when he was hiding his identity as a black mage.

On the other hand, Yusina, who had no way of knowing Roan’s thoughts, was completely at ease.

“Heheh, it’s going to be fun this weekend, right?”

“Yes, it feels like it’s been a really long time since I went outside.”

Sion, who was awkward around Yusina at first, now seemed to follow her quite a bit, perhaps because she had seen her fairly often.

Yusina smiled and asked Roan and Sion,

“Do you guys have afternoon classes?”

“It’s Professor Gulba’s class.”

“Wow, that sounds fun! I like Professor Gulba’s class!”

“…?”

Sion tilted her head at the unexpected response.

Professor Gulba’s class was fun?

Of course, there were people who enjoyed it, like Demona.

However, Roan and Sion could never say that.

“I almost died last week, though.”

A chill fell over the air—

Just as Roan said, he had indeed escaped a life-threatening crisis last week.

Yusina laughed awkwardly to patch up the chilled atmosphere.

“Ha, haha. No way. Professor Gulba isn’t someone who would kill a student. He’s kind.”

Then Sion answered hesitantly.

“Well… Darc really did almost die. When Professor Gulba swung his axe at Darc, space cracked, black energy came out, and all sorts of things…”

“????”

At Sion’s explanation, this time it was Yusina who wore a look of not understanding.

“B-By any chance, did Roan attack Professor Gulba first?”

Otherwise, there was no way to explain it.

Yusina had seen Gulba fighting a few times since she enrolled.

According to Sion’s words, it seemed he had swung with quite a bit of sincerity.

Roan said with a cold expression,

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t feel so aggrieved. It was just a defense demonstration.”

“…A demonstration?”

Yusina felt like her mind was falling further and further into a maze.

The class she had taken with Professor Gulba when she was a freshman was just a time to gather on the playground, swing weapons lightly, and enjoy it like a picnic.

“I-I see. Then it wouldn’t be fun…”

Yusina thought that perhaps the Darc family had a bad history with Gulba’s islands in the past.

‘Well, people from the Darc family might have been part of the island subjugation force…’

The subjugation of the islands occurred before the destruction of the Darc family.

She didn’t think Gulba was the type to hold a grudge, but one could never know.

‘But then again, wouldn’t the same apply to other noble families?’

Although it wasn’t a very clear answer.

Of course, if Roan had heard Yusina’s thoughts, he would have given the same answer as before.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t feel so aggrieved.

Far from a bad relationship, he had swung his axe so mercilessly while calling him a friend!

At any rate, after a brief misunderstanding passed.

Yusina clasped her hands behind her head cheerfully again and said,

“Ah, since Roan is treating, what should we eat? Actually, since I’ve only been at school for four years, I think I’ve been to most of the restaurants~”

Indeed, by the time they reached their fourth year, everyone had the same worries as Yusina.

This was also the reason why it was harder to see them in the restaurant district as they reached higher grades.

Many students, tired of the same restaurants, naturally developed an interest in cooking for themselves in the dormitories.

“If it’s Roan, I’m sure he knows a restaurant even I don’t know about~ Ah, is there anywhere I haven’t been~?”

Twitch—

At her tone, which was clearly intended to tease him, a vein popped on Roan’s forehead.

“Uh, Saintess, Darc…!”

Sion was in a flurry, caught between the two and not knowing what to do.

“I am also a freshman, so how would I know such a place?”

Roan tried his best to suppress his anger.

“That’s right. Although Darc does know a lot, the Saintess is a fourth-year.”

Sion also supported Roan.

Yusina looked at the two of them with interest, then leaned her face slightly toward Roan and asked,

“Do you really not know~?”

Leaning closer—

When a face like Yusina’s approached closely, a person would instinctively take a step back.

Instead, Roan tilted his upper body back just a tiny bit.

‘How does she know that I know?’

A cold sweat trickled down his spine.

If it were another character, he would have assumed she was just testing him, but as everyone knew, Yusina’s face had the power to make a lie seem like the truth just through her features.

Roan also unconsciously thought, ‘Does she really know something?’

“Do you really not know?”

Her voice, which was pitched lower than usual, heightened that suspicion even further.

‘There is one place where a goody-two-shoes like Yusina wouldn’t have frequented.’

Roan hesitated slightly before speaking.

“…You might not like it very much, though.”

“??? You know one?”

At that, Sion was startled.

The same was true for Yusina.

“Uh? You really know?”

‘I fell for it!’

He should have just insisted he didn’t know.

Roan slightly avoided their gazes and said,

“There is a place called ‘Selinder’s Garden of Taste’ run by Professor Selinder…”

And then he offered a moderately obscure restaurant instead.

“Puhahaha! Sion, Roan really can’t lie. Right?”

Yusina clutched her stomach and laughed.

“It’s not a lie…”

Roan was about to flare up but stopped when he saw Sion beside Yusina.

Sion was trying hard not to look at Roan, her face slightly red as if holding back laughter.

This was because what her appearance showed was obvious.

“Well… Darc, don’t feel bad about it… I just…”

Just like during the Wailing Wall incident last time, it was surprisingly obvious whenever Roan lied.

Roan clicked his tongue loudly looking at the two of them.

‘Tsk, as long as I can lie about not being a black mage, it’s fine!’

If Yusina and Sion knew what Roan was hiding, they would be absolutely shocked by how good he was at lying.

…And he couldn’t even tell them out of frustration.

At any rate, lying about not knowing something when he knew the setting did not suit Roan’s aptitude at all.

After laughing for a long time, Yusina said,

“I’ve been to Professor Selinder’s place too, and it was really tasteless. Ah, keep what I said a secret! I told the professor it was delicious.”

“It’s already too late.”

Roan dismissed it with a cold expression.

The moment he met Professor Selinder, he would report it immediately.

“Ah~ why~ Roan, I can’t get fined any more~”

Yusina grabbed Roan’s sleeve and pleaded.

Meanwhile, Sion asked.

Sion had now grown quite accustomed to Yusina teasing Roan or clinging to him.

“But where is the restaurant you have in mind?”

“Like I said, Professor Selinder’s Garden of Taste—”

“Really?”

“…”

Sion asked again, wearing a face that was somehow extremely similar to Yusina’s.

‘She learned something bad.’

Roan decided that he should make sure Sion and Yusina stopped meeting as soon as possible.

“…Follow me.”

Roan spoke as if growling, then began walking ahead.

“Uh, wait up, Roan! You won’t tell Professor Selinder, right?”

“Wait for me, Darc!”

Yusina and Sion also hurriedly chased after him.

Roan decided to look on the bright side as he listened to their voices.

‘Since I was planning to eat in a quiet place today anyway.’

The gathering of Inquisitor aspirants, which Hector was also participating in.

Those who usually didn’t stand out much were catching Roan’s eye here and there today.

How did he know?

Of course, they were familiar faces to Roan, but also.

—Wow! It’s the Saintess!

—The Saintess candidate is over there too!

—Saintess, I’m a fan!

When rugged-looking people like Hector were shouting things like that at Yusina and Sion, it was hard to pretend not to notice even if he wanted to.

Since Inquisitors, who were in a harsh profession, had absolutely no connection with the opposite sex.

—Him! That guy is Roan Darc!

—Oh my, to be destroyed by black mages, I’m even more interested!

…Among them, there were also female Inquisitor aspirants who showed a suspicious interest (?) in Roan.

Because of this, Roan had to go to a place where he wouldn’t stand out as much as possible.

***

“Hmm… there’s a restaurant in a place like this?”

Roan began to head deeper and deeper into a dark alley of the commercial district.

When an alleyway where sunlight didn’t even shine properly, covered in graffiti and overgrown with weeds, appeared, even Yusina grew suspicious.

Sion was also clinging closely to Yusina’s side before she knew it.

Roan asked with an absurd expression,

“Isn’t the Sanctuary’s clubroom in a place like this too?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

“It is?”

Then the two of them nodded, instantly convinced.

The clubroom was in a place that, if anything, was even darker than this.

Only then did Yusina, relaxing her tension, say with a chuckle,

“Really, Roan~ How can you bring me to a place like this when Sion is here too~”

“S-Saintess!”

At that, Sion was startled and scolded Yusina, blushing.

It was certainly not something a Saintess should say.

‘Anyway, from top to bottom, there isn’t a single normal corner in the Empire.’

Roan contemplated using stealth magic and escaping by himself, but decided to just ignore it.

Even if he hid, Yusina would find him in no time if she activated Locke the Moonlight Watcher and her own search holy magic.

Since the places one could go from the alleyway were limited.

…Besides, she was a Saintess in name; he couldn’t exactly rain curse magic or attack magic down on her.

‘I wondered why the black mages attacking the Holy Emperor’s Palace did such crazy things…’

For some reason, Roan felt like he understood the reason a little bit.

If he lived in Akerandir for a few more years like this, he would surely contemplate it seriously.

Going in a bit further, they saw a student leaning against a wall in the alleyway.

The third-year uniform with green accents was extremely dirty, stained with dirt and grime in places, and a tin can used for begging was placed beside him.

“Oh my?”

Yusina and Sion widened their eyes upon seeing the student.

It was hard to even imagine how someone could end up looking like a beggar in Akerandir.

It might be understandable if it were the midterm exam period, but it was strictly the beginning of the semester right now.

“Excuse me, are you alright? Do you need help?”

Yusina walked briskly to the student, held his hand, and asked.

Although she always teased Roan, seeing her act in this situation proved she was truly like a Saintess.

The student, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes at the sudden call.

“Heek—! Saintess!”

He then made a fuss upon suddenly seeing Yusina.

Thud—!

“Ouch…”

Only after hitting the back of his head hard against the wall in surprise did he calm down a bit.

“I’m fine… this isn’t because I’m actually poor… Ouch, that hurts…”

The student seemed to want to explain something to Yusina and Sion, but he couldn’t speak properly due to the pain.

Slide—

Just then, Roan approached them and dropped dalants into the student’s tin can.

“For three people.”

“Ah, ah… I see, wait a moment…”

The student reached into his clothes while rubbing the back of his head, which was still stinging.