Chapter 343

Chapter 343

Wooong—

[The focus of your anger seems a bit strange.]

The false divinity left a word, but Roan did not pay much attention to it.

In any case, since she had been doing such an insolent thing (?), Roan’s gaze toward Soldera could not be very gentle.

In fact, the same was true for Soldera.

The gazes of the two clashed tensely.

“…”

Goooo—

Moreover, as it was a battle of nerves between those who had already surpassed the level of freshmen, the surrounding atmosphere boiled ominously in an instant.

“W-what? Don’t tell me, at first sight, the two of them—”

“S-Stupid Demona! How does that make sense?!”

Demona, attempting to speak nonsense as always, was hastily restrained by Sion.

“Ah~ Well, it’s not the first time they’ve met, so I guess it’s not at first sight?”

“I told you that’s not the point!”

But even Sion did not dare to intervene between the two.

‘S-Soldera, what on earth is that girl to be doing this…!’

She knew very well that Roan was strong, but she never imagined that Soldera, who looked like a fragile girl on the outside, would possess the strength to dare oppose him!

[M-Master, hold back! You’re going to kill someone!]

Bel, sensing Roan’s anger, hastily held him back.

‘She won’t die from just this.’

Roan clicked his tongue inwardly.

If one knew what kind of power Soldera hid within that fragile appearance, they wouldn’t be able to make such leisurely remarks.

[Ah, she is sturdier than expected?]

At these words from Bel, he couldn’t help but lose a bit of tension.

Roan, who had been glaring at Soldera like that, spoke first.

“Is it my turn to receive a greeting now?”

“Do you need one?”

“No way.”

“Then that’s that.”

Phew—

The tension dissipated in an instant after just a couple of exchanges.

Since both of them had guilty consciences (?), they knew very well that there was nothing to gain from fighting in the middle of Acherandir.

‘Indeed, if a black mage and a heretic got caught fighting here, it would be an event recorded in the history of the Empire.’

Although Roan had far surpassed Soldera’s current level since mastering the void, there was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.

Thump—

[My goodness, why does a girl like that like someone who is my descendant?]

‘My thoughts exactly.’

Ludiac also recognized Soldera’s talent and spoke.

‘But aren’t you the same?’

It was a bit strange for Ludiac, who was a carbon copy of Demona, to undervalue Demona.

No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that Demona was a carbon copy of Ludiac.

In any case, Roan asked Soldera, who glared at him as if she didn’t even want to bother with him.

“Why did you come all the way here?”

“Hmph, I didn’t come to see you, so don’t worry.”

Soldera replied bluntly and hurried back to Demona.

‘But why does that girl hate me so much?’

He was so used to receiving envy and jealousy that he hadn’t thought it strange, but

Thinking about it, there was no reason for Soldera to hate him.

It was clear she liked Demona, but if so, shouldn’t she feel jealous of the female students hanging around him instead?

Thump—

[That’s obviously because she instinctively felt that the Master is the biggest obstacle, isn’t it?]

‘What in the…’

Roan quietly placed his hand on his chest.

Sion, seeing his sudden action, asked.

“Why, Roan?”

“Ah, there’s something I need to extract.”

“…”

Sion’s eyes grew troubled, never imagining it would be such a brutal reason.

Extracting from the chest?

What?

‘Could it be the heart… Heek!’

Sion thought, ‘Surely it’s not that.’

But she did not know.

That Roan was truly filled with that intention.

Thump—!

[C-Cancel! Cancel! What obstacle, if your descendant says she’s getting married, you’d even prepare a palanquin and a bridal home for her, telling her to hurry up and go, wouldn’t you?]

‘…I won’t go that far.’

Why would he spend a fortune to prepare such things for anyone?

The Wicronon family would gladly set her up in a separate household.

While the future Roan might have handed over the Feistal Amulet of Eternity, the current Roan had absolutely no intention of doing so.

In any case, thanks to the quick action befitting a sage of the Empire, Ludiac was able to extend his life (?) slightly.

Meanwhile, Soldera, returning in front of Demona, called out to her with a much more serious expression.

“More importantly, Brother Demona.”

“Yeah, what?”

“…Since a while ago, darkness has been trailing you, Brother Demona.”

“!!!!!!!!!”

“…Why is Roan surprised?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“Aha, since the topic of darkness came up in Acherandir, it’s natural to be surprised.”

“Indeed. That is precisely the reason.”

Roan agreed with Sion’s kind misunderstanding without even batting an eye.

‘To suddenly show up and try to accuse me. Truly, heretics are a crowd that one should not associate with.’

Wooong—

[…As I’ve told you repeatedly, you are also included among the heretics.]

‘Comparing me, who conforms to the Empire, with a heretic like that?’

[If it’s about conforming, the Aurel Sol side also…]

The false divinity, who only spoke the truth, as expected of an authority!

In any case, Roan, who had been startled by Soldera’s bombshell remark, decided to listen to more of the story for now.

Because if she really had intended to accuse him, she wouldn’t have come alone like that, but would have dragged paladins along by the squad.

At Soldera’s remark, Demona unexpectedly wore a serious expression and asked:

“How did you know?”

“?!”

Soldera and Sion were surprised at the same time.

”‘He (Brother) knew something?’”

It was because the fact that Demona knew something was extremely surprising.

Soldera, who liked Demona and had wanted to warn her of danger, also hadn’t expected anything at all.

But their surprise:

“!!?!!?!!!”

Wooong—!!!!?!?!! Thump—!?!?!?!!!

[Heeeeeek—!!!!]

Ki-ri-rik—?

Could not dare compare to the shock of one black mage, two authorities, and two divine beasts.

‘So he really knew? Indeed, otherwise, there was no way it could be (?) like that.’

It was surprising that Demona knew his identity, but on the other hand, it was rather common sense.

How could a person be so stupid unless they were acting on purpose?

Thump—

[As expected of my descendant~ One must have at least that much quick-wittedness.]

Ludiac bragged about his descendant in tiny detail.

Leaving everyone’s surprise behind, Demona spoke seriously once again.

“Indeed, being born with transcendent black magic talent is a tiring thing.”

Thump—

[Hmm, it seems the blood has been heavily diluted over 5,000 years.]

Wooong—

[He’s exactly the same as you.]

Ludiac immediately withdrew his support for Demona.

“…Yes?”

Meanwhile, Soldera asked with an expression that said, ‘What kind of nonsense is that?’

It was not easy for a girl in love to make such an expression toward her beloved.

“By the way, did you only realize just now that I have black magic talent? Soldera, you have less talent than you look.”

“…Sigh, what an idiot Demona is.”

Sion, not wanting to hear any more, shook her head while placing a hand on her forehead.

Soldera, realizing that talking to Demona any further would lead nowhere, also walked away.

“Huh? That wasn’t what you meant? Then what kind of darkness is trailing me?”

Without answering his question, Soldera approached Roan with a deeply dissatisfied expression.

“Roan, you have any idea what I’m talking about?”

‘I do have an idea, but…’

Roan was temporarily unsure of how to answer.

But he couldn’t very well reveal that he was a black mage just like that.

Just then, Soldera’s gaze glanced toward another direction.

And there…

‘…Aha. That’s what she meant.’

Someone whom Roan knew very well, and who was so natural by now that he hadn’t paid much attention, was hiding.

It was Lucia, who had been diligently tailing Roan since not long ago.

“Yeah, roughly.”

“Yes, of course, if even I could notice it, the school must know as well…”

However, the reason he had misunderstood Soldera’s words at first was because Lucia had absolutely zero interest in Demona and was only doing that because of him.

But from Soldera’s perspective, she had no choice but to be worried.

Soldera swallowed hard and spoke with a completely stiff face.

“It must be a wicked black mage seeking to covet Brother Demona’s beauty.”

“…”

‘Even so, I didn’t want her to worry that much.’

Both Roan’s and Sion’s faces turned as stiff as if they had been hit by a petrification spell.

But Soldera, perhaps interpreting their expressions as the same worry as hers, nodded and continued:

“Brother Demona appears dignified and cannot hide his class on the surface, but he is fragile and innocent inside. I cannot expose him to danger so carelessly.”

Dignified? Class?

“Um, Soldera? Still, that is a bit…”

Sion tried to stop Soldera in a tone that sounded as if she was about to throw up.

Where on earth did Demona look like that?

Had she perhaps hypnotized herself just to fall in love?

…But both the cause-and-effect relationship and the subject seemed wrong.

And Roan spoke a bit more directly.

“Soldera, in all seriousness, I advise you to go get treated.”

It was a firm conviction that there had to be a problem in at least one place, whether it was her eyes or her head!

At that moment.

Flash—!

Lucia’s presence, which had been trailing Roan’s group, vanished in an instant.

Feeling that, Soldera spoke with a more confident expression.

“Look at that. The moment I saw through the intention, it disappeared immediately.”

“…”

If love was blind, this level was beyond severe; it was terminal.

Why did Lucia vanish, to the point of giving up tailing Roan?

“Phew… Urgh… Cough! Ah, the cough… Phew…”

At that moment, Lucia had been stepping away while gagging, having received such a shockingly offensive misunderstanding.

The cough, which had briefly stopped after receiving treatment from Hiti, was starting up again!

Anyway, returning back to the original place.

Roan spoke with an awkward expression.

“I don’t think it is targeting Demona, though.”

“Then who else would it be?”

Soldera asked as if inviting him to name another candidate.

‘Well, it would be a bit awkward to say with my own mouth that she is trailing me. It might cause unnecessary misunderstanding (?).’

Roan pointed at Sion and answered.

“Wouldn’t it be more convincing to say she is following the saintess candidate?”

Indeed, strictly speaking, the saintess candidate was a far more important figure than Demona.

“Hmm… that…”

Soldera turned to look at Demona with a temporarily pondering face.

“Heh…”

Demona, looking as if she had no idea what the three were talking about, was looking around while keeping her mouth open and scratching her belly.

It was a situation where, no matter how blind she was, she couldn’t defend her at all!

Soldera let out a small sigh and spoke:

“Sigh… anyway, since I cannot always protect Brother Demona due to my circumstances, I came to ask you to keep an eye on him. Darc, you…”

Then, she looked at Roan with a highly complex gaze.

Honestly, from the standpoint of a competitor—though Roan felt like jumping up and down, begging her to take her away—even if making such a request hurt her pride, Roan was superior to her in terms of pure skill.

Furthermore, since he also knew her identity, he was trustworthy.

“Well, I understand for now.”

Roan nodded readily.

In any case, even if he tried not to watch her, she stuck to his side like glue, and it would be a problem in its own right if the Wicronon successor got attacked near him.

‘Seeing her speak like that, she must not have noticed my identity at all.’

Roan and Soldera were able to feel relieved at the same time.

“Thank you. Well then…”

“Are you planning to go back now?”

“Yes? Ah, since my business is finished.”

“Hmm.”

Roan, thinking of something for a moment, readily suggested.

“Let’s have dinner together.”

“Yes?”

Soldera and Sion both asked in surprise.

[Uh, Master, didn’t you have a bad relationship with her?]

Even Bel asked this, so it was indeed an unexpected proposal.

‘That is true, but…’

Roan smiled slightly.

“Heek! Roan, no matter how coldly Soldera behaved, poisoning her is too much!”

“…What?”

When Roan asked with a cold expression again, Sion blushed.

“Ah, a-apologies if that wasn’t it…”

But honestly, Sion thought it was a reasonable suspicion.