Chapter 227

A so-called belongings inspection!

Roan recalled the memory of turning his bags inside out every time he returned during his military service on Earth.

There was nothing in particular that would get him caught, but being inspected made him hesitate first anyway.

…Come to think of it, there were many things that could get him caught, but in any case, it meant Harden already knew about them.

‘Since he’s probably caught on to roughly what’s inside anyway, let’s just take everything out.’

Roan began rummaging through his lucky pouch to display the harvest (?) of his off-campus service.

Rummage—

“Mm.”

Rummage—

“Hmm.”

Rummage— rummage—

“???”

However, the harvest was more diverse than expected.

Harden, who had nodded and let one or two pass, was slightly dumbfounded by the increasingly diverse and bizarre items.

“Darc.”

“Yes.”

“…You didn’t rob the Paladin Merchant Group, did you? It was a escort mission, after all.”

“What do you take me for!”

Roan jumped at the absurd misunderstanding.

No matter how much of a black mage he was, he wasn’t monstrous enough to do such a thing.

Even crazy black mages would avoid doing something like that.

‘Well, enrolling in Acherandir in the first place is something even properly crazy black mages wouldn’t do.’

Still, the past was the past.

Roan spoke, wearing a truly wronged expression.

“As you know, I am trying my best to live peacefully and quietly somehow!”

“…Uh, I didn’t know that at all?”

“…”

The headmaster and the disciple fell silent.

Harden thought, ‘Indeed, no matter what, he’s not a kid who would rob the merchant group,’ and.

Roan thought, ‘Indeed, I haven’t lived peacefully and quietly.’

The two spent a moment in self-reflection.

Roan spoke first awkwardly.

“…May I keep taking things out?”

“…Go ahead.”

Rummage, rummage—

Fortunately, there weren’t many more after that.

The main items were Jelsroin’s dagger, the circuit ring, the Corrupted Holy Mark, and the Balance of Light and Dark.

‘Looking at it like this, I did sweep in a massive haul.’

Even Roan, who was used to all kinds of hidden pieces in “God & Devil,” couldn’t help but admire when he saw the four items placed on the table.

For a two-day off-campus service, it was extremely fruitful!

Since Roan was at this level, Harden was dumbfounded.

He had asked him to empty everything because the energy felt from the lucky pouch was unusual, but to think it was to this extent.

‘I told this guy to go escort a merchant group, and he came back with a fat chunk of loot?’

True to Acherandir, which was full of talented students, there were many cases of obtaining this and that precious item during off-campus service.

…But this kind of case was, without a doubt, the first.

Although the fact that Roan honestly took everything out was promising.

Harden, looking around at the items, pointed at the Corrupted Holy Mark with a glance and asked.

“Where did you go rip off that ominous holy mark from?”

“I didn’t rip it off, but legally bought it from the Yorus Order in Gilsburg.”

“…Yorus Order?”

“Yes.”

Roan nodded without blinking an eye.

“What did you pay to buy it there? It wouldn’t have been cheap.”

“When I gave them my name, they handed it over.”

“…”

Harden fell silent for a moment, then spoke while frowning.

“Selling your personal information carelessly will turn into poison later.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Personal information is precious, not only on Earth but also in this world!

“What about that ring? Did that Espard fellow just stay still even after seeing it?”

“Actually, I said I would purify it.”

“What an absurd fellow…”

Harden opened his mouth as if to ask something more, but soon changed his mind.

“Tsk, there will be no end to asking more, so write a report and submit it. It’s homework. Submit it within this week.”

“That’s…!”

Roan gaped.

Since he was also a student, this unexpected homework was not welcome.

“It will be convenient for you to write it down anyway. It’s a divine descent, of all things.”

“Ah, indeed that is true.”

“…Do you understand what I mean?”

Harden wore a suspicious expression.

It referred to someone being dispatched from the Holy Emperor’s Palace for investigation, but honestly, it was a bit hard for a freshman to understand immediately just by hearing those words.

However, Roan lied without even wetting his lips.

“Yes, didn’t I live in the Holy Emperor’s Palace?”

“Well, that’s true too.”

Harden also nodded loosely.

There were other items besides that.

Most of them were holy relics and dark magic tools packed in various bundles, plundered from Oslo’s hideout.

Roan stared at the table for a moment, then.

Slide—

Pushed the rest toward Harden, excluding the four items: the dagger, the ring, the mark, and the scale.

“????”

Harden watched the display with a dumbfounded expression.

Circumstantially, it meant he wanted him to take them.

And in this situation, it was not that surprising or unusual either.

However,

‘This kid is presenting these things like offering a bribe…’

The stealthy yet definite movement carried a highly fishy scent.

Crucially, Roan grinned after pushing the items like that, and.

Wink—

Even cast a wink at Harden.

Flash—!

“…Try that one more time, and know that I will hand you over to the Inquisition.”

Harden, despite being a Holy Spirit, couldn’t resist the feeling of goosebumps rising all over his body.

Kyaooo—!

Kirrr—!

Bell and Charlotte, who suddenly received holy power twice, shed tears in streams.

[Waaah, I can see clearly, but it hurts!]

Unlike Charlotte, who merely shed tears, Bell felt a more practical threat, but.

‘Even when I give it to him…!’

In any case, Roan felt quite wronged.

Although the value was less compared to the four he kept for himself, he had still made a big decision to give them!

Strictly speaking, it could also be called an offering to the Holy Spirit.

…Of course, the miscellaneous holy relics were of ambiguous levels to use with the Balance of Light and Dark, and holding onto dark magic tools was only dangerous with no use, so it was close to disposing of them.

But Harden could use them proudly without having to keep a low profile like him!

Roan sent a complex gaze containing such thoughts to Harden.

“Your mindset is completely wrong, you brat. When offering tribute, you must offer it purely.”

“That’s why I gave it when there were no other eyes watching…”

“Is the meaning of ‘pure’ that you know the exact opposite? Does it make sense to offer tribute like presenting a bribe?”

“Aha.”

Harden was flabbergasted, looking at Roan who admired him as if he truly hadn’t known.

Showing his colors as a black mage!

Of course, from Roan’s perspective, it was interpreted slightly differently.

‘To become natural, I must discard player-like thinking, but I keep forgetting.’

An experienced player like Roan would never act without intent.

In any case.

“Since I’ve received the offering, I will make good use of it.”

Whoosh—

Harden untied the bundle Roan gave him, selected only the holy relics, and moved them to one place.

They would likely be deployed in the right places or go into one of Harden’s warehouses.

And the remaining dark magic tools were also useful.

“I should tell Professor Kaina and Professor Beleck to share them among themselves.”

Roan was startled at those words.

“Why are you doing that?”

“No… are you planning to change the basic holy magic professor?”

The kind Beleck wouldn’t have offended Harden to that extent, would he?

Harden was highly displeased that he almost laughed upon seeing Roan asking in all seriousness.

“Naturally, they must share them in front of my eyes.”

“Aha, indeed wisdom worthy of the headmaster.”

Deciding to stop listening to the lip service there.

Harden also felt this conversation was getting annoying, so he intended to end it.

“Right, is there anything else to say? Something ambiguous yet important that cannot go into the report.”

It was just a formal question.

“Well…”

However, like a fine and passionate student, Roan always had a question.

Harden gestured for him to speak, resolving that it had better not be useless talk.

“My mother appeared in my dream. This is the second time.”

“Hmm.”

It was certainly not related to the service enough to go into the report.

“Yes, what a deeply filial black mage. I acknowledge it.”

He didn’t know yet if it was more important than Harden’s annoyance.

Roan flared up for a moment but controlled himself with effort.

“It’s not that, but every time my mother appears, she tells me I am in danger.”

“Hmm?”

Only then did Harden react.

Surely, though he looked like that, he genuinely cared for his student…

“Had you thought you were safe until now? Ah, so that’s why you acted so rashly?”

“…”

Roan looked at Harden with an indescribable expression.

Only then did Harden chuckle, placing his hand on Roan’s forehead.

“Yes, well, let’s take a look.”

In this world of gods, holy spells, devils, and magic, dreams were unusual omens.

Since every phenomenon was bound to leave traces, Harden intended to find the traces of that dream in Roan.

Harden infused holy power into Roan.

Thud—

To be precise, he failed while trying to do so.

Harden spoke in bewilderment.

“To find the traces of the dream, you must trust me.”

Roan replied calmly.

“I always sincerely trust the headmaster.”

“…If you trust me, why can’t the holy power enter?”

“Well, since I might die if the headmaster’s holy power enters me, instinctively…”

“Normal people look at that and say they don’t trust.”

“Oho. I see.”

Roan nodded as if he truly hadn’t known.

And he tried to recall Harden’s aspects as an absolute being seen in “God & Devil,” namely the most beautifully directed scenes.

Sss—

After much effort, Harden’s holy power was able to enter Roan’s head.

‘Even so, does it make sense that my holy power can’t enter at all?’

Even with just that, Harden was slightly dumbfounded.

Even if the person didn’t trust, if the opponent was of Harden’s level of existence, he could enter to some extent by ignoring it.

Cases where he couldn’t even set foot like this were truly rare.

Although it entered now, he could feel Roan’s dark mana heavily guarding to prevent any funny business.

In any case, since Harden had no other purpose than finding the traces of the dream, he finished his business quickly.

…There was truly no other purpose.

“Done.”

“How is it?”

“It was real?”

Harden answered a question with a question.

“Then why would I lie.”

“Well, given your usual behavior…”

“…”

Roan felt guilty inside and couldn’t refute it.

Hadn’t he had a track record of resolving situations by bringing up his family and parents as if breathing.

Of course, from a certain point, other people voluntarily interpreted it that way.

“Hmm, there is certainly danger, but I don’t know the reason. Didn’t the late Lady Darc say so as well?”

“She certainly did, but isn’t there one more besides that?”

“Hmm? What?”

“There should be a danger related to the abyss.”

Roan asked with a serious expression.

He wasn’t scared of a danger with an unknown reason at all.

Such things were natural and common enough that Roan could list a hundred of them right now.

However, the wrath of the late Darc could not be easily ignored.

Harden tilted his head as if wondering what that meant.

“There is no such thing?”

“That cannot be.”

“It’s true. Just searching the traces reveals the rough content of the dream. But there was no bad omen related to the abyss.”

Roan was about to ask, ‘Did you not see it wrong?’ but held it back with effort.