Chapter 60

First, Eukerim spoke as if intrigued.

[“I, Eukerim, say: a strong light is always followed by a dark shadow. Though it is the same pitch-black, it is a darkness different from the filthy demonic. If there is no one who moves behind the scenes of the world that everyone shuns, how can order be maintained?”]

Summarized, it meant he was of the rare dark attribute.

In fact, there was a slight difference between the color of dark mana and the dark attribute.

If the dark attribute was a complete black, ordinary dark mana was black with a slight mixture of deep purple.

Although dark mana also varied slightly depending on the system, like the abyss, at least it was possible to distinguish to some extent by color if one looked closely.

Soon, the surrounding priests also realized the situation and were amazed.

— Oh, the dark attribute! How surprising!

— Just how many years has it been…

The dark attribute was so scarce that there were never more than five people coexisting in a single era.

However, almost all officially recognized priests of the dark attribute had left significant footprints in their time.

It was that rare and powerful of an attribute.

Meanwhile,

The black holy power that had been spewing out in streams was absorbed back into Roan’s body.

Thud—

Roan, his legs losing their strength, ended up slumping down on the spot.

‘I feel like I might have seen the face of a predecessor of Darc whose name and face I didn’t even know…’

During this brief ten-odd seconds of time,

Roan felt as if he had literally dipped his neck into the river of no return and come back.

“Hahaha. What is it, Darc? It is the precious dark attribute. Are you not pleased?”

‘Hahaha, my foot…!’

Roan was on the verge of tears for the first time since possessing this body.

Even if he was a Holy Spirit, did it make sense to intervene in an authority and play such a prank!

Meanwhile, Harden laughed heartily and spoke through the Gospel like this.

[“I have modified the authority a bit. Now you should be able to use the dark attribute to your heart’s content. Well? Aren’t you grateful?”]

He was truly grateful.

How very kind.

Presumably, just as he had materialized Gulba’s authority, he had modified the False Divinity as well.

‘If such a thing was possible, he should have just changed it to a normal attribute…!’

A black mage who uses the dark attribute.

At this rate, isn’t he just a black mage!

Roan gritted his teeth and replied to Harden’s question.

“…I thought I had awakened as a terrible black mage or something.”

‘The best lie is the truth!’

“Muhahaha——!”

Harden laughed while leaning all the way back.

The students, who had been watching for a moment, also burst into laughter following Harden.

— That Darc kid, he seems to have been quite surprised!

— Foolish guy! I knew it the moment I saw him, how could anyone fail to recognize the dark attribute?

— Surely no heretic was foolish enough to think it was actually dark mana, right?

The students of Acherandir mocking Roan like street thugs!

…Of course, none of them had recognized Roan’s attribute until Eukerim spoke.

Some were even on the verge of running quickly to find Professor Kaina.

“Right, anyway, do well in the individual attribute classes too. In the ‘Dark Attribute’ class, that is! Mwahaha!”

Harden held his stomach and laughed until the moment his figure vanished.

Roan returned to his seat, trying hard not to show that his legs were shaking amidst the students’ mockery.

This time, he didn’t particularly feel angry no matter what others said.

‘For now, as long as I survived, that’s enough…’

It was a desperate crisis, but if he survived anyway, he could continue to the next.

“Che, he scolded me like that, but he was of the dark attribute himself?”

However, seeing Demona in the next seat pouting her lips and saying this brought back his forgotten sense of reality.

“…Are you envious?”

“Of course I am!”

Thwack—!

“Ack!”

With a light hitting sound, Demona fell forward.

‘Then take it from me!’

Without realizing it, Roan had struck harder than usual.

‘And you, let’s talk later.’

Hummmm—

As Roan called it in resentment, the False Divinity vibrated as if it was wronged.

‘Anyway, all’s well that ends well, and the Holy Spirit cared for you in his own way. Why are you so sensitive?’

Vein snap—

‘…You aren’t someone from the Wicronon family either, right?’

Hummmmmmmmmmmm——!!

The False Divinity reacted explosively, as if it had received the worst insult in its life as an authority.

***

After classifying all the students’ attributes,

[“I, Eukerim, say: the only path to reach Hiloa is devotion…”]

Eukerim returned to the heavenly realm, leaving behind words telling them to study hard.

Normally, identifying the attribute suited for each individual through continuous training and research testing various attributes was the standard, but the students bypassed that process at once through the power of Direct Stare.

In fact, just with the baptism of the entrance ceremony and Eukerim’s attribute classification, Acherandir’s students were advancing years ahead of those outside.

Anyway, Eukerim had already fulfilled his oath’s duty with this much, and maintaining the angel’s descent any longer was a significant burden to the priests as well.

— Heuuu…

One could tell by looking at the priests staggering as they let out deflating sounds as soon as Eukerim vanished.

— Is the class over now?

— There’s still quite a bit of time left though…

The students buzzed.

Whether it was Timothy or Woolly, there were plenty of professors in Acherandir who left their seats for personal business even when class time was not over.

Therefore, seeing that Eukerim’s descent had ended and saying that class was over was, in a way, a natural reaction.

“What do you think, Roan?”

Rafia asked Roan.

Let’s even ask Roan before crossing a stone bridge!

Roan shook his head.

“It’s not over yet.”

Even if some professors acted poorly, Harden and Eukerim were beings obligated to lead the believers.

Teaching students was also a part of that, so there was no way they wouldn’t observe the designated class time.

Eukerim had returned, but his will continued to conduct the Attribute Foundation Training class.

Sure enough, just as Roan knew, a priest spoke to the students.

— The class is not over yet. From now on, this class will be conducted by the assistant who has been delegated authority by the Angel of Direct Stare, unless there is a special circumstance.

He then added a word with a growl.

— Just in case, rude remarks to the assistant who will arrive soon are strictly prohibited.

Naturally, that fierce gaze was directed at Demona.

“Huh?”

Demona tilted her head, unable to understand why he was looking at her.

If she were a person on whom such a warning would work in the first place, she wouldn’t have done rude things either.

Demona soon withdrew her attention from the priest and chattered to Roan.

“The assistant is coming. Surely she won’t just conduct class like Assistant Joy, right?”

Demona shuddered as if she still remembered the history class.

And Roan replied as if it was absurd.

“Originally, class time is meant for conducting class.”

“You study monster!”

Demona grumbled.

As some time passed, the door of the Great Prayer Hall clattered open, and the assistant the priest mentioned revealed herself.

— Ah…

The students turned around with curious minds, but soon lost their words and only let out a small gasp.

A woman wearing a white ceremonial robe and crown walked in, her golden curly hair falling gently past her waist.

A golden mandala floating behind her.

‘The mark of an incarnation.’

It indicated that she was an incarnation spiritually connected to Eukerim.

An incarnation connected to apostles or angels might seem to rise to a grand position within the Empire at first glance, but that was not the case.

‘Because the moment they connect with the heavenly realm, they must leave the secular world…’

Incarnations were instead unable to even establish a monastery, living only in remote areas untouched by anyone’s footsteps.

Although they occasionally received revelations to deliver the will of the gods to the world.

“I am Ann Cayley. The incarnation of the Angel of Direct Stare.”

Then how was Ann able to hold the assistant position at Acherandir while being an incarnation?

It was simple.

‘Since Eukerim’s oath included a clause to keep his incarnation as an assistant.’

Along with Eukerim, his incarnations had been handed over as a package deal across generations.

Anyway, if there was her greatest characteristic, it was the white cloth wrapped in several layers around her eyes.

Ann Cayley was a person who had lost her physical sight from birth but instead awakened her mind’s eye.

Therefore, she could become the incarnation of the Angel of Direct Stare, Eukerim.

“Usually, I will conduct the Attribute Foundation Training class on Monday mornings from now on. Since quite a bit of time has today, we will conclude by guiding you to the classrooms for each attribute class in the afternoon.”

Ann guided them in a calm voice.

Her tone flowed softly into the students like that of a transcendent being contemplating the world.

Flash—

And sure enough, Demona raised her hand.

“Yes, Student Wicronon.”

“Gasp!”

Ann responded to Demona without even turning her head.

Demona was startled.

She then whispered to Roan.

“S-She seems to see me… and she even knows who I am!”

“…Of course.”

Roan considered explaining about the mind’s eye, but decided to just keep his mouth shut.

If he explained it, she would surely interpret it in her own way and make a fuss.

— It might be better not to take Student Wicronon’s questions…

Meanwhile, the priests advised Ann with worried expressions.

Because it was obvious even without looking since Demona was a girl who threw unimaginable questions even at Eukerim’s main body.

But Ann shook her head, maintaining her expressionless face.

“They say curiosity is the greatest blessing Hiloa gave to humans. I also saw everything through Lord Eukerim’s eyes. There was not the slightest malice in that student.”

Her words were accurate.

Demona’s questions came from pure curiosity, and there was no malice at all.

…Though it was a very difficult thing for the person receiving the question to think that way.

— She is a truly good person…

— Ah, as expected of the incarnation.

The priests and students all nodded and let out gasps of admiration as if deeply moved.

It was a very brief event, but that alone was enough to catch a glimpse of Ann’s excellent character and self-discipline.

“Then, Student Wicronon, you may ask what you are curious about.”

Ann spoke kindly, but Demona seemed somewhat intimidated for some reason.

She seemed a bit scared of the woman who saw everything despite her eyes being covered.

‘Or maybe she thinks it’s a bit of a rude question herself.’

Of course, Roan did not think Demona was such an easygoing person.

After hesitating for a moment, Demona asked.

“Um… did the angel by any chance take the incarnation’s eyes earlier?”

“…”

And Ann fell silent.

In fact, for her, who had always stared straight ahead expressionlessly,

turning her head toward Demona with her mouth slightly open was surprising enough.

— Such insolence…!

Naturally, the priests, regaining their senses, were about to fly into a rage, but Ann stopped them.

“It’s fine. Admitting what you don’t know is great courage, and asking honestly about what you don’t know is beautiful humility.”

She then replied to Demona with a slight smile.

“No. I was originally born without physical eyes. Instead, I can gracefully see the world through my mind’s eye.”

“Ah… I see.”

Demona nodded with a somewhat dark expression.

Since she was a girl who treated Eukerim like someone in need of help, saying he had many eyes and no mouth, she was surely thinking similarly this time.

For that matter, given how she readily handed gold coins to the seniors performing strength shows in the commercial district before,

Demona seemed to have a good character in strange aspects.

While thinking so, Roan also felt relieved inwardly.

‘Phew. I thought she would ask if she knew how many fingers she was holding up. Glad she didn’t.’

If she had done so, she would have been expelled without question, no matter how great a family she came from.

But Roan suddenly felt goosebumps.

‘…Was I just thinking even more like Demona than Demona herself?’