Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Putting a spoonful of watery steak into the mouth, it solidified so that the texture of well-cooked meat was felt inside the mouth.

A proper charcoal scent tickled the nose, and the grease that seeped out with every chew enveloped the tongue.

Clearly, no special ingredients were visible in the steak, yet the taste of garnishes like garlic and asparagus was felt just when it was about to be forgotten.

Slurp— slurp—

It was a bit suspicious for the sound of eating steak, but it was still a relief that they ate it deliciously.

At least, by the time the dessert, a cake—or rather, cotton candy claiming to be one—came out, Yusina and Sion had regained their composure to some extent.

“Haa… I’m so full. I think I’ll come here often.”

“Indeed…”

The two of them had never imagined that such a place would exist in the back alleys of Akerandir.

What did it matter if the food was made using holy power and mana?

‘As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters!’

According to what they had briefly heard from Roan’s explanation, it was only good for the body, not bad.

However, Roan, who had recommended this place, shook his head instead.

“It is not good to come too often.”

“Why?”

Yusina, who was patting her stuffed belly, asked.

“You might catch Professor Kaina’s eye.”

Roan frowned.

No matter how much mystical food was not officially heresy, the forbidden pit was one of Professor Kaina’s places of concern.

One or two times would not be a problem, but if they went in and out frequently, they might have a rather unpleasant experience.

Especially Roan.

“So why is that?”

“Indeed?”

“…?”

Yet Yusina and Sion tilted their heads as if asking what the problem was.

‘This is why I shouldn’t have associated with saintesses!’

Roan felt a profound sense of betrayal.

Could it be that among the students of Akerandir, he was truly the only one who worried about his head being shattered by Kaina’s Hammer of Non-killing?

‘…Well, I suppose that makes sense.’

It was natural.

Roan stood up, holding the cotton candy—no, the cake.

“Let’s go if you are done eating.”

“Wait, I-I’m not finished yet!”

“Me too!”

Yusina and Sion hurriedly called out to Roan, but he had already left the restaurant.

***

The southern training ground where Gulba’s Foundations of Physical Combat class was conducted.

Since lunch was almost over, many students had already arrived.

Roan, who had left Bel and Charlotte at the nearby Spirit Beast Shelter, asked Sion, who was following about half a step behind him.

“Are you still not done eating?”

Sion, who was savoring the cotton candy-like cake served for dessert, flinched.

Even though the distance from the commercial district to the training ground was quite far, she had been too absorbed in savoring each and every bite.

In fact, what Sion was eating now was Roan’s cake.

‘I only gave it to her because she finished hers in an instant and looked so disappointed.’

He thought it was a good thing he hadn’t taken a single bite.

There was also an anecdote where Yusina cried and begged for it when she saw that.

…She did not exactly bawl, but she did shed a tiny tear.

“It’s… because it’s delicious.”

Sion replied, her face blushing slightly.

What if he thought a saintess candidate was too obsessed with food?

Roan paused for a moment to stare at Sion, then resumed walking and said,

“If you have time later, try visiting the ‘Bakery’ with your friends. I think you’ll like it.”

“A bakery?”

Sion asked, wondering what that meant.

Naturally, there were dozens of bakeries in the commercial district.

“It’s just ‘Bakery’. Without any other name.”

“Hmm…”

Sion pondered, looking like she both understood and didn’t understand.

“It is a place run for generations by the Etlise family, who used to work at the Holy Emperor’s Palace.”

“Ah!”

Sion gasped at Roan’s subsequent explanation.

If it was the Etlise family, Sion had also heard of them briefly.

It was said that they left the Holy Emperor’s Palace at some point, and that point was…

“I heard they stopped cooking 180 years ago.”

“Yes, at the Holy Emperor’s Palace. Instead, they moved to Akerandir.”

“I see…”

Sion vowed that even if she had to use her entire lunch hour, she would definitely find it one day.

Of course, unless she went with Roan, she would have a hard time finding it alone.

It was so shabby and squeezed between large shops that it was hard to see properly.

Furthermore, because its name was simply ‘Bakery’, it was even less noticeable.

“By the way, Dark, how do you know that the Etlise family came here?”

Sion asked a question she was now tired of asking directly.

But wasn’t it strange?

For a secret intelligence network to say, ‘Actually, the place called Bakery is run by the Etlise family.’

Or for deceased parents to appear in a dream and say, ‘Son, that Bakery is actually run by the Etlise family.’

As those thoughts arose, Sion’s expression became even more complex.

Meanwhile, Roan recalled the efforts he had poured into uncovering the secret behind the shabby bakery.

Solving five consecutive linked quests, searching the Holy Palace’s secret archives, infiltrating Akerandir’s records office, gathering circumstantial evidence to deduce…

If he briefly summarized that process, it was as follows:

“I went through some trouble in the Holy Emperor’s Palace.”

“Ah.”

Sion was easily convinced.

Indeed, it wasn’t as if they were expelled for committing a crime, so their records wouldn’t have been expunged, meaning there would have been plenty of materials left in the Holy Emperor’s Palace.

‘It must have been a fun adventure when he was a child!’

Sion smiled slightly, imagining a young Roan running around among the piles of books in the Holy Emperor’s Palace.

She probably couldn’t even imagine that Roan had embarked on a grand adventure of disarming numerous traps, protective holy spells, and locks.

“Oh, Roan and Sion, were you together?”

“Just happened to be.”

“Must have been fun~”

“S-Saintess Yusina had lunch with us as well.”

“Heh—! Even the Saintess?!”

Hektor, Rafia, and Riel had already arrived at the training ground.

“How was the heresy inquiry meeting?”

Roan asked Hektor, in the spirit of a spy gathering enemy movements.

“Hahaha! As expected, they were all devout servants of Hiloa! I learned a lot.”

Hektor said, proudly puffing out his chest.

It seemed he had recharged a lot of confidence after meeting with folks of his own kind.

‘I shouldn’t let him actually become a heresy inquisitor.’

Hektor, who was annoying to keep close and might become a heresy inquisitor if kept at a distance.

Particularly because in the future he had experienced when acquiring the Eye of the Prophet, Hektor was called something like ‘Demon Destroyer,’ he needed to be even more careful.

“Right, but since you entered Akerandir, you must not neglect your education outside of heresy inquiry, Hektor.”

As Roan gave roundabout advice, Hektor was deeply moved.

“Roan… I didn’t know you thought of me that way!”

‘It’s really hard to live as a black mage.’

Even back on Earth, Roan was far from someone who spoke sweet words.

Furthermore, seeing how Roan’s body instinctively rejected it, the original Roan seemed to be similar.

But for the sake of survival, it couldn’t be helped.

“I… always think of you guys sincerely.”

“I thought you found me annoying because you shot punishment holy spells at me every day…!”

Actually, he wanted to shoot one at him right now.

When Roan exercised superhuman patience and stopped at a glare, Hektor flinched.

However, he soon laughed heartily, as if he understood Roan’s mind completely, and said,

“Yes! I will devote myself even more to the Holy War in the future! We must meet at the top, Roan!”

“…Sure, though I have no interest in the Holy War.”

“You, Roan? Puhahahahaha—— cough, wheeze!!”

“Know your limits.”

Ultimately, unable to endure any longer, Roan knocked Hektor down.

The other friends also looked down at the fallen Hektor with disdain.

“Even though Roan thinks of him like that…”

“Seriously…”

To their eyes as well, Hektor had behaved in a way that deserved being hit by a punishment holy spell.

…Hanging out with Roan, the friends were gradually becoming desensitized to punishment holy spells.

Anyway.

“But where is Demona? Has she not arrived yet?”

Roan said, looking around.

She was someone who would have already clung to him and caused a fuss by now.

Rafia also seemed to have no idea.

“I don’t know? Maybe she hasn’t returned from Professor Uli’s warehouse yet?”

“She will be fined if she is late.”

Demona, who absolutely loathed fines, would not be late on purpose.

At that moment, something entered through the entrance of the training ground.

—Eh? What is that?

—Why is an iron plate floating around?

The students buzzed at the unfamiliar sight, but no one stepped forward willingly.

They had learned the lesson that one should not touch unfamiliar things carelessly.

The iron plate floated on its own and crossed the training ground.

As it drew closer, Roan and his friends recognized the identity of the iron plate.

“Isn’t that from Professor Uli’s classroom?”

“It is.”

If so, what was on top of it was naturally…

“De-Demona!”

Demona was sprawled unconscious on the wide iron plate.

Rafia, Riel, and Sion rushed over in surprise.

“Heresy! What happened! Is it an attack by a black mage?!”

Even Hektor was so startled that he was inspecting Demona.

‘When did he get up again…’

Hektor, who now regarded the paralysis spell as something like a taser!

…No, even a taser would last longer than that.

It seemed his recovery had become faster since Silsil was born.

Anyway, a piece of paper was neatly folded on top of Demona.

Roan clicked his tongue after reading the note and put it in his pocket.

“W-What does it say?”

“Isn’t it a threatening letter from the black mages?!”

The friends asked urgently, quite curious about the content.

“Why would anyone get attacked by a black mage in Akerandir?”

“I-Is that so?”

Hadn’t he been attacked himself?

Well, rather than being attacked, it felt like he had driven them out, so was that why he said there was no chance of being attacked?

Anyway.

“Professor Uli says that the warehouse organization isn’t finished yet, so she wants us to send her back after all classes are over today.”

When Roan shared the content of the note, the reaction of the friends and other students was quite a sight.

—Hieeeek!!!

—That’s more cruel than a black mage!

Because Demona and Hektor had made such a fuss, the students had guessed to some extent what kind of place Uli’s warehouse was.

‘It was only because it was their first time, but organizing the warehouse was actually a decent job.’

Roan wondered if it was really something to make such a fuss about.

To someone familiar, Uli’s warehouse was practically a treasure trove.

Since there were so many items, she wouldn’t even notice if one slipped away.

Of course, if caught, one would have to pay it back several times over.

Sion carefully called Roan.

“Excuse me, Dark.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Does… Demona pay gold coins and get punished like that then?”

“…”

Roan could not answer.

Although the class president received some compensation, it certainly looked that way to the students who remembered the first class.

Just then, the iron plate carrying Demona suddenly flipped over.

Splat—

It had dumped the passenger on its own since she showed no intention of getting off even after arriving at the destination.

“Ugh!”

Demona shrieked in surprise, and the iron plate left the training ground leisurely, just as it had entered.

“Are you okay?”

Roan asked.

Demona recognized Roan with eyes she couldn’t even fully open yet.

“Roan… I must be dead…”

‘This jerk.’

Of all the misunderstandings, she had to make such an unlucky one?

It was a huge insult to Roan, who truly did not know when he might die.

“You are not dead. This is Professor Gulba’s training ground.”

“…Then I will die soon anyway.”

That could be true.

Anyway, Demona, who had been talking nonsense for a moment, soon brushed herself off and stood up.

Then, seeing the scarecrow in the distance, she gasped in horror.

“Argh! A scarecrow!”

“W-What’s wrong with the scarecrow?”

“The crazy scarecrow beats me up!”

Demona said as she hid tightly behind Roan’s back.

—Just what is Professor Uli’s warehouse like…

—I’m glad I didn’t become class president.

—To make a Wicronon freeze in fear like that.

The students clicked their tongues as they watched Demona’s frantic appearance.

‘…Demona is usually like this anyway.’

Roan and his friends did not particularly think so.