Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Aaaah, Your Holiness!”

The priest who had been speaking solemnly soon rushed toward Vicius in horror.

For a real soul was escaping from Vicius’s body.

The same went for the other priests and paladins.

In an instant, the Small Prayer Room became a scene of pandemonium because of them.

‘It would have been a disaster if it were just a bit later.’

Meanwhile, Roan nodded.

Fortunately, he seemed likely to survive this time.

It was a relief, because if the professor changed due to Vicius’s death event, the prayer class would become quite tight.

“Demona, thank you.”

“Huh? For what?”

Demona tilted his head at Roan’s rare compliment.

— Your Holiness Pope, please regain consciousness!

— Holy water, where is the emergency holy water!

After pouring all kinds of high-level holy spells and expensive consumable items on him for a long time, Vicius’s soul returned to his body.

Vicius’s soul, which was prone to escaping immediately if one let their guard down for a moment!

“Hmm…? Ah, did I almost go again?”

“Your Holiness, are you alright?”

“I am fine… fine. I have just been to see the Holy Spirit.”

Those words were highly likely to be the truth.

Since Harden was a Holy Spirit in a state of permanent manifestation, a figure straddling halfway between the real world and the spiritual realm.

At the mention of having seen Harden, not only the priests but also the students buzzed.

— He saw the Holy Spirit!

— It must have been really dangerous!

Meanwhile, Demona.

“…The Headmaster is in the school, isn’t he? Did he drop by for a bit?”

Asked Roan with a somewhat puzzled look.

Roan nodded.

“He is indeed.”

Demona was, surprisingly, a guy who knew how to grasp the core point that others didn’t pay attention to.

‘Well, that’s why he is interested in black magic!’

Although he had some crazy corners, it was extremely Wycrnon-like if one considered it Wycrnon-like.

“Prepare to record at once! What did the Holy Spirit say?”

Meanwhile, the clerics quickly pulled out notebooks and awaited Vicius’s words.

The words of the Holy Spirit were worth recording character by character.

Vicius pondered for a moment and spoke like this.

“Hmm… He asked where a young punk dared to climb up already…”

“Write it down quickly! We don’t know what kind of teachings he might have instilled!”

“Perhaps ‘young’ refers to the Bolidu flower symbolizing youth, and ‘dared’ to the upcoming October, so a warning about the future ecosystem…”

Hearing the priests’ fuss, Roan was dumbfounded.

‘It seems like words said without any particular meaning, though.’

Harden, at least 5,400 years old.

Vicius, a mere 146 years old.

Wasn’t it entirely reasonable for him to hear such words?

“No! It matches ‘The young one’s life has already reached the brink, how is this not regrettable, I shall personally breathe life into it…’ from Ancient Records Volume 3!”

“Ohhh!”

‘That was also just words said without any particular meaning.’

The miracle of extending the life of a 90-year-old man suffering from a terminal illness by ten years because Harden was in a good mood.

Did he say that since a person was born, they should at least live for a hundred years?

Since Harden would have been around 1,400 years old at that time, that old man was indeed a young kid.

In any case, after a noisy round of happenstance passed.

Vicius was finally able to begin the class.

“Yes… nice to meet you. I would be grateful if you could pray together so that I… can finish my lectures safely this semester too…”

— …

The students straightened their postures in silence for no reason.

Since even such a person said he would teach, sitting and just listening with all limbs intact somehow began to make them feel highly uncomfortable.

The World of Prayer.

In truth, most of this class consisted of praying together for the health—or life extension—of Vicius, the professor.

***

Of course, the students’ determination to listen to the class properly did not last very long.

The prayer class consisted entirely of sitting still with closed eyes and clasped hands, listening to holy songs and Vicius’s prayers.

Under these circumstances, it was extremely difficult for young students to fight off sleep and win.

Roan secretly thought as he watched students collapsing here and there.

‘The Holy Empire probably needs to visit a church in South Korea.’

Especially a military training camp church would be even better.

Because if they sang hymns without rest and listened to the mind-boggling stories of a pastor, time was bound to fly.

Nod—

The students, unable to endure the sleepiness, nodded their heads.

Every time that happened, the priests standing between the rows in the prayer room quietly woke the students.

— Student.

— Hmm… Yes?

Up to this point, it could be called a relatively peaceful class, but.

— That is a 50-talent fine.

— Heek!

The sight of a priest wearing a benevolent smile slapping a fine was no different from a scene in a horror movie to the freshmen.

The prayer class was, surprisingly, a class overflowing with tension in that aspect.

Roan watched that scene with half-closed eyes.

‘Foolish bastards.’

Even if it was a prayer class, sleeping so openly like that, how could they not charge a fine—

“Snore!”

“…”

Just then, an ominous snoring sound was heard from the seat next to Roan.

When Roan turned to look to his side with a bewildered expression, sure enough, Demona was sprawled out with his head tilted completely back.

The priest, who had just heard Demona ask if Vicius was a lich, approached with a quick pace, wearing a beastly face.

“Student…!”

“Mmm… Whoa! A black mage!”

Demona, waking up with a start, yelled while half-asleep upon seeing the priest’s distorted expression.

Naturally, the priest’s anger surged even higher.

“…Student, that is a 150-talent fine.”

The priest imposed the fine, grinding his teeth.

‘To enter Vicius’s class, he must have accumulated quite some training.’

Roan shook his head.

Demona definitely possessed a talent.

A talent for turning every incident into the worst case.

Roan closed his eyes quietly once more.

In “God & Devil” gameplay, one was able to choose between two options.

Either endure it while bearing the extreme increase in fatigue.

Or sleep by clearing a fairly difficult rhythm game.

Of course, Roan was the latter.

He fell asleep just like that, resting his forehead on his clasped hands like a devout believer.

‘Keeping one ear open is the key.’

A thread of his consciousness was left in reality so that he could respond to a crisis at any moment.

“…Hmm.”

A priest who happened to pass by Roan nodded and made a satisfied sound.

A motionless body, quiet and stable breathing.

Roan put on a performance of an excellent prayer, clearly distinguished from sleeping openly.

Who could sleep well without getting caught by the priest.

That was actually the essence of the prayer class!

***

“Freshmen who prayed for me… today, thank you… May you have a week… living while upholding Hiloa’s teachings with a reverent heart.”

Professor Vicius concluded the class like this in a voice that seemed on the verge of fading out but never did.

— Uuugggh…

The students stood up from their seats, each staggering like a zombie.

‘To make undead in the Holy Academy is also a skill.’

The sight of students turning into zombies after listening to a lecture by a professor resembling a lich was quite meaningful.

On the other hand, Roan had an even livelier complexion than before the prayer class.

“…Roan, you are truly devout.”

Lafia, whose dark circles had descended heavily, shook her head while looking at Roan.

If he could endure this prayer class so well, it was certain that he could sufficiently overcome any trial of God.

Roan shook his head.

“What are you talking about. I am no different from a heretic.”

“…?”

The friends who heard those words each wore a bewildered expression.

Just that they couldn’t say anything because they hadn’t fully woken up from their sleep yet.

‘It’s the truth, though.’

Of course, Roan was not lying.

Since he was a real heretical black mage.

The shameless tactic he had learned from Demona was surprisingly effective.

“Anyway, what is everyone going to do now? Going to the dormitory?”

Roan asked as he looked around at his friends.

Since their states were a mess, it was understandable even if they returned straight to the dormitory.

In the first place, the prayer class being scheduled in the afternoon was also consideration from the school.

However, his friends’ answers were slightly unexpected.

“I’m going to do some training after a long time… I need to wake up a bit.”

Lafia spoke like this, yawning.

Riel also stepped a bit closer to her and nodded.

Roan nodded, feeling inwardly proud.

‘As expected, those two need no guidance!’

Hector also forced his eyes wide open and quickly packed his things.

“I intend to go to the mountain behind the academy.”

“…Why?”

Although he felt he knew the reason without asking, Roan asked out of politeness.

“Because I have to obtain an egg to use in the Holy War.”

Of course.

It seemed Hector was doomed to fail at becoming an inquisitor in this playthrough.

Hector added, swallowing his anger.

“Since that heretic bastard has already obtained the speedster, I cannot fall behind.”

It’s not the speedster, it’s just the Fanatic Rabbit King, though.

Roan did not bother to point that out.

“Why? You get one in next week’s class anyway.”

When Lafia, who was listening, asked.

“There is no limit to the spiritual beasts and divine beasts one can raise if they have the capability. And the egg we receive next week is only one, is it not.”

Hector replied with a determined expression.

“Y-Yes.”

Lafia nodded blankly.

Just what on earth is the Holy War…?

“Demona, what about you?”

Roan finally questioned Demona.

However, his appearance was unusual.

Would Zhuge Liang submitting his memorial on the northern expedition look like that?

Demona spoke to Roan with a grand expression, as if all the energy of Wycrnon had gathered into him.

“I realized, Roan.”

“…What?”

Roan was already looking forward to what kind of nonsense Demona would spout.

“This world is utterly futile and absurd. Family and background are not needed. The only being who can save me is myself.”

However, he slightly opened his mouth at the answer that far surpassed even his expectations.

Could it be that Wycrnon’s talent, known as the family of sages, had manifested while praying?

‘No, if the class had been that effective, I would have listened to it diligently too.’

There was no way.

In a class merely wishing for the longevity of a 146-year-old Pope, what could…

In the first place, Demona didn’t even pray and slept sprawled out.

Demona spoke, solemnly slinging the bag containing only the Fanatic Rabbit King’s egg over his shoulder.

“From now on, I am going to beg Professor Belec for talents.”

“…”

Not only Roan, but all the surrounding friends stared at Demona in shock.

He was talking about being alone and whatnot, so why begging?

Even to a professor?

“And then, throwing that money at the priest from earlier and saying: ‘This is the price of my pride!'”

“He was just the usual Demona after all.”

“He was the usual Demona.”

By the time Demona mumbled something like ‘and black magic in passing…’, the friends listening to the talk all ignored him naturally.

“Roan, what about you?”

Roan answered Lafia’s question immediately.

There was a place he had thought of while sleeping.

“I plan to go to the library.”

“Huh? The library?”

Lafia tilted her head.

As if asking why he would go to such a place.

A more naked reaction came from other students passing by.

— Did you hear? Darc is going to the library.

— Was there a library in our school?

— Why is he trying to study and study again even now?

Although he had expected it, Roan couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

‘Just why on earth did these bastards come to school?’

Setting aside that they didn’t study, but to instead frame someone who does study as strange!

The future of the Holy Empire was extremely dark.

Honestly, it was a welcoming thing for Roan.

‘Rather, I would have been more anxious if they all studied diligently.’

Hector spoke with a slightly worried expression.

“But class just ended. You could rest a bit.”

“By definition, a student is someone who studies.”

Roan shook his head.

Since they also intended to engage in activities like training or the back mountain, he felt a bit wronged that they treated only him as a strange person.

At that moment, Demona, whose eyes met Roan’s, gasped in fright.

“Heek! If we get caught by Roan, we have to go to the library and study!”

Scurry.

He then ran away without looking back.

‘I didn’t even have the intention to catch you in the first place…?’

Why on earth would Roan go to the library with Demona to see some unsightly scene.

Rather, being alone was comfortable and good.

‘No, more than that, that fellow said he felt my preciousness before class!’

But not long after, anger surged.

As expected, the closer you keep Demona, the more extreme the loss!

Feeling Roan’s unusual energy, the friends hurriedly bid farewell and disappeared.

“T-Then study hard!”

“H-Have a good trip, and see you tomorrow, Roan!”