Chapter 186

“…That is roughly my idea.”

When Roan briefly explained the plan he had envisioned,

“Yeah, not bad.”

“It will also help improve our skills.”

Yusina and Espard nodded in agreement.

It was certainly a method that could be chosen under the current circumstances.

“It would be better if the opponent weren’t heretics, but for now, those guys seem to have at least a minimum level of trustworthiness.”

While everyone managed to accept it, only one person was visibly bewildered.

“U-Uh… so you mean the Saintess, Darc, and I are going to have a three-on-three duel?”

It was Sion.

“You understood correctly.”

Roan nodded.

The method Roan proposed was that the side to win two out of three duels first would take everything.

Since it was clear that the Jelsroin cult was also hesitating, unable to do one thing or another, they were highly likely to accept this proposal.

For now, whether recognized or heretical, those who served a deity generally accepted a duel as a sacred judgment of God.

Moreover, in a duel witnessed by Tirmy, Espard, and Fidellto, the probability of anyone sustaining an irreversible injury was very low.

Reflecting this, Sion was scared beforehand by the fact that she had to participate in that duel.

Roan spoke to Sion with cold eyes.

“Sion, this is strictly a caravan escort mission. If there is a need to fight, we are the ones who must fight first.”

“Young Master Darc…”

At Roan’s words, Gordon looked deeply moved, his eyes teary in a way that didn’t suit him.

Of course, formally speaking Roan was right, but that was strictly just a formality.

Usually, if a caravan was attacked during an escort, it was natural for the caravan members to go out and fight instead of the precious Akerandir students.

However, since the last descendant of the Darc family personally stepped forward and proposed a duel, the emotion was extraordinary.

‘As expected, even if you suffered the destruction of your family when you were just born, the blood cannot be denied!’

Was the bloodline of the prestigious dueling family, Darc, indeed still continuing today?

Sion also learned deeply from Roan’s serious words.

‘Yes, I can’t just stand still because I’m a Saintess Candidate. No, rather, I must fulfill my responsibility!’

If I run away even from a common mission like a caravan escort, how will I face the responsibility of a Saintess, and furthermore, a Holy Emperor in the future!

Sion clenched her trembling hands into fists and spoke resolutely.

“Okay. I won’t avoid it either.”

“Oh, Sion is brave~”

Yusina stroked Sion’s head as if she was proud of her for overcoming her fear and taking a step forward.

Roan also nodded and assisted.

“Yes. Don’t worry, the Saintess and I are behind you. And, you are stronger than you think.”

“Darc…”

Sion was touched by Roan’s rare encouragement.

“What’s this, what’s this~ What’s between you two~”

Yusina tried to pry between the two, laughing gloomily, but

“Then, let’s go, Professor Tirmy.”

“Okay.”

Roan did not give her the chance.

Roan and Tirmy walked toward the Jelsroin cult.

Fidellto welcomed the two with complex eyes.

“How did your discussion go?”

“Duel. Best of three.”

As Tirmy spoke briefly, Fidellto’s gaze became even more complex.

The murmuring of the Jelsroin cult seemed to represent his feelings.

“B-But that is too disadvantageous for us. A duel is sacred. The strong shouldn’t bully the weak, should they? Also, I’m worried it might bring dishonor to the reputations of the Professor and the Saint…”

Fidellto stammered in protest.

His words were indeed the orthodoxy, but in practice they didn’t really hold currency.

If this side insisted, ‘I don’t know, we’re deciding it by duel,’ they had to accept it with tears in their eyes.

Of course, if rumors spread that they had first proposed a duel with a guaranteed outcome, it would deal a major blow to their reputation and honor.

‘Well, it’s dealing with heretics, so it’s not a particular problem, but…’

Even so, to prepare for any eventuality, Roan had boldly excluded Tirmy and Espard from the lineup.

Considering the level of intimacy so far, one of the Saint or Saintess here ascending to Holy Emperor would greatly help Roan’s survival activities.

Tirmy passed the detailed explanation to Roan to pursue efficiency.

“Naturally, Professor Tirmy and Saint Espard will only oversee it and will not step forward.”

“Then…?”

“Three escort students, including myself, will step forward. Of course, I believe the Jelsroin cult will also put forth opponents worthy of the Goddess’s honor.”

“O-Of course!”

Honestly, Fidellto thought this was an unexpected windfall.

If only three Akerandir students excluding Tirmy and Espard were entering the duel, it was well worth trying to settle the score.

‘We also specifically brought three gems among our novice priests, so there’s no problem.’

Fidellto gave a look to three young-looking followers among those in the back.

They responded to his expectations by nodding reliably.

“From the Jelsroin cult, Priest Fidellto will oversee the duel. No one must be hurt.”

“That… honestly speaking, is also what we desire the most. We will be careful.”

To Jelsroin, which suffered from chronic manpower shortages, anyone’s injury was a huge loss.

“Although it won’t happen, if we lose, we will hand over the emblem. But if Jelsroin loses…”

Lastly, the most important negotiation of terms.

“We will detain the chest originally proposed as compensation, and five people, including Priest Fidellto.”

— Priest!

— That is!

The Jelsroin followers tried to object immediately.

It was too high a price for a single emblem.

Since if they, who were heretics, were captured, they wouldn’t easily get out.

Hold—

“Enough.”

However, Fidellto had actually already resolved to accept whatever terms came out.

A duel was the sacred judgment of God.

Thereafter, it was only God’s will.

Fidellto replied in a heavy voice.

“I will accept all of it.”

“Then select the three who will participate in the duel.”

Fidellto called forward the three novice priests he had looked at earlier.

Then a question suddenly occurred to him.

‘Is that student perhaps Professor Tirmy’s chief disciple?’

The yellow accent was definitely a freshman’s uniform.

However, the way he prepared for the duel looked so experienced.

It didn’t just mean the procedure.

Proposing conditions the opponent had no choice but to accept and concluding the duel was an important quality of an experienced duelist.

A duelist had to have dueling skills, but negotiation skills were also an important quality.

That was also why Tirmy tried to avoid duels as much as possible.

‘But how does that freshman seem to know all of our circumstances…’

Reaching that point in his thoughts, Fidellto felt an instinctive anxiety.

An experienced duelist balances things, but a great duelist hides imbalance within the balance.

This famous saying of the dueling world came to mind.

‘Well, even so, we have no choice but to accept… Tirmy probably taught him.’

Fidellto also knew that it could not be undone now.

Since it had come to this, they had no choice but to clash with all their might.

Step— step— step—

The three novice priests took their positions in the empty space between the Jelsroin cult and the Paladin Merchant Guild.

Fidellto introduced them.

“From the left, Els, Duga, and Pan. They are all Jelsroin’s novice priests. I believe they can be opponents worthy of the Goddess’s honor for the students.”

Tirmy inspected them with sharp eyes.

Despite Tirmy’s intimidating gaze, the novice priests maintained their postures resolutely.

Surely, as heretics who had lived rough lives, they didn’t seem to care about this much.

The Paladin Merchant Guild members whispered with slightly overwhelmed faces.

— Are, are those guys really around the same age as the students?

— Those heretics, didn’t they sneakily send guys who are much older?

Of course, since they were called novice priests in this case, it meant they were minors, so they would be in the students’ age group.

However, their iron-clad expressions and unusual atmosphere gave them the feel of real fanatics rather than fake fanatics like Hector.

Tirmy nodded.

“Good.”

Next was the Akerandir students’ turn.

Sion, who was clearly tensed up, Yusina, who stepped out leisurely without any of that, and Roan standing next to her.

Tirmy introduced Sion first.

“Sion, Saintess Candidate.”

— C-Cough!

— A S-Saintess Candidate?!

— I did hear that she enrolled this year!

Right from the first one, screams of lamentation erupted from the Jelsroin followers.

Although she was still a freshman, a Saintess Candidate had to possess qualities that transcended such thin classifications.

Meaning, no matter how rough a life the novice priests had lived, the basics were different.

— B-But since she is a freshman…

— Yes, if it is Els, it might be worth a shot.

Even so, the Jelsroin cult managed to accept up to this point.

“Yusina, Saintess.”

— S-Saintessssss!!!!!!

— Why is the Saintess Yusina, a fourth-year senior, majoring in Administration and Blessing Holy Magic, and the master of the Moonlight Watchdog Roque, out on this off-campus volunteering!!!

But when Yusina’s turn came next, they simply flipped out in shock.

‘They know suspiciously much about Yusina?’

Roan glared disapprovingly at those Jelsroin followers.

No matter what, wasn’t it a bit strange to memorize even her major subject?

Of course, although he himself memorized Yusina’s hometown, her parents’ names, her favorite food, her close childhood friend, and even her childhood dog’s name.

‘That is because I’m a player.’

Studying for a walkthrough and heretics studying with suspicious intentions felt different from the start, after all.

As expected, a good heretic is…

‘Sigh, but I can’t become like Kaina.’

Roan shook his head.

Lastly, it was naturally Roan’s turn.

“Roan, Darc.”

Roan expected that they would make a huge fuss over him as well, looking at the previous two, and prepared himself mentally.

— Darc?

— Darc?

However, the Jelsroin followers wore puzzled expressions.

As if asking, ‘Why are you the last in order, skipping the Saintess Candidate and the Saintess?’

‘These bastards…’

He really hated a fuss, but being ignored like that made Roan feel even worse.

Flutter, flutter—

Bel, who flew out of the carriage, sat on Roan’s shoulder and spoke.

Snorting as if those who ignored his master were highly unpleasant.

[Should I blow them all away?]

‘…I’d like to, but I shouldn’t.’

Divine beasts and spirit beasts could not participate in a duel.

It was then.

— Th-That is an Abyss Dragon!!!!

— No way! The actual last descendant of the Darc family, Roan Darc, is here?

— The one who fought a battle with the Holy Spirit right after chasing away Pierveaux and the six ruffians, was recognized as a warrior of the archipelago by Professor Gulba, and became the master of the Abyss Dragon?!

— The dark attribute Roan Darc, who is counted as a prominent next owner of Dragon Street, really came out of the school?!

— I heard he even received the Bell of Eternity this time!

— Goddess Jelsroin! Are you truly abandoning us!

The Jelsroin followers began to go wild.

Someone even scratched his shaved head with his fingernails until a bloody incident occurred.

Not just a regular fuss, but a delayed fuss!

“…”

[Master, hold back! Hold back! If those things were going to ignore you, they should have ignored you to the end!]

Roan’s mood was heading toward the absolute worst in real time.