Chapter 61

Chapter 61

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

Just thinking about that made the black mana fluctuate violently.

Suddenly, the memory of possessing Demona’s body during the test to obtain the Prophet’s Eye came to mind.

Roan glared at Demona, feeling a burning anger.

“Really…… the Angel has so many eyes, so they could have given us some— Heek! Ro, Roan, what’s wrong?”

Demona, who had been expressing dissatisfaction with Eucherim’s stinginess, was startled.

Roan’s burning gaze was indeed nothing short of terrifying!

But she soon smiled as if she understood, patting Roan on the shoulder.

“Aha~ hearing this, you also thought the Angel was being a bit too much, right?”

The friends who watched this scene were appalled by Demona’s behavior.

‘‘‘Has this kid really lost all sense of fear?’’’

No matter how brave a holy knight was, it seemed they would not be able to act so casually after seeing Roan’s face right now.

Meanwhile, Roan glared at Demona for a moment longer before turning his head away.

“Nonsense…… Ah, I misspoke.”

“……What were you trying to say?”

Demona asked with suspicious eyes.

“It’s better that you don’t know.”

“You’re so mean…….”

***

Although things were delayed a bit because of Demona, Anne proceeded with her work in an orderly manner.

“Students who manipulate fire will be in classroom 219 of St. Luria Hall. The priest serving Belund will guide you well.”

Belund was the god of fire and hearth.

“Students who manipulate water will be in classroom 301 of St. Hetrona Hall. An instructor from the Church of Luquia will be there.”

Luquia was the god of storms and waves.

‘If you go into that class, you will have a hard time.’

Roan thought it was a relief that none of his friends had the water attribute.

Students who came out of the water-specialized class ended up looking like soaked rats, and they even got covered in seaweed of unknown origin.

In any case, specialized attribute classes like these were conducted by instructors specially invited from the relevant churches.

Under those instructors, the students would learn how to utilize their attributes practically.

“There are two students who manipulate light in this academic year. Student Zion Beatrice and…… well, yes.”

“Me!”

“Yes, Student Demona Wychronon.”

Anne nodded with a faint smile, but—

─ I think she just hesitated.

─ She definitely hesitated.

The students sensitively noticed even that subtle gap.

“The two students may come to Lecture Room 23 on the third floor of the Great Temple. ……I will conduct the class myself.”

This time, the hesitation was even more pronounced.

Demona’s presence, which made even the kindest avatar in the world think twice!

─ Oh!

─ Directly from the Avatar!

At any rate, the students envied Zion and Demona greatly.

Weren’t they receiving an attribute lecture directly from the avatar, whom most people would struggle to see even once in their lifetime?

─ Assistant, shall I accompany you?

Meanwhile, a priest whispered secretly to Anne.

“……Please do.”

Anne also nodded slightly.

It was easy to guess what that meant.

With that, the categorization of the students was all fin……ished, or so it seemed.

Swish─

“Assistant. I have not been guided to a classroom yet.”

─ Oh, it’s the dark attribute.

─ Lucky bastard…….

For some reason, the students’ gazes had changed slightly after it was revealed(?) that Roan had the dark attribute.

‘These guys should really go into the mountains to learn black magic, why did they enter Akerandir…….’

Although Roan hated how a strangely friendly atmosphere was formed whenever stories about black magic or darkness came up.

He let it go, considering they were in the middle of their adolescence.

“Could it be that there is no suitable professor?”

Roan said with a slightly hopeful expression.

‘They might just tell me to self-study the dark attribute.’

If so, that would be great!

Currently, there was not a single student in Akerandir who used the dark attribute.

Naturally, a dark attribute professor did not exist in the settings either.

Looking at the current situation, it was clear that he would end up doing one-on-one lessons with a professor.

He had to avoid that kind of situation at all costs.

No matter how strong the individualistic tendencies of black knights or monks who mastered the dark attribute were, there was no exception for a black mage.

“Ah, I am sorry. Student Darc is…….”

Only then did Anne turn her head toward Roan, as if she had forgotten.

‘Please self-study, please self-study!’

Although it was only Monday afternoon, even that half-day was extremely precious to Roan.

After all, he was in a position where he had to secretly practice black magic as the only one in Akerandir!

However, Anne smiled slightly and informed Roan of the place he had to go.

“Since it is a very rare dark attribute, I do not know the instructor either…… I only just heard the location from the principal. Please go to Room 101 of the St. Macgodal Wing. I hope you find a good connection.”

Macgodal Wing.

Hearing that name, the students buzzed.

─ Macgodal Wing? Was there such a place?

─ First time hearing of it. Besides, it’s a wing, not a hall, right?

The names of the other buildings were familiar, or at least places they had heard of.

But not only had no student ever been to the Macgodal Wing, none had even heard of it.

Even.

─ Priest, do you know where it is?

─ Well…….

─ Isn’t it there? You know, in the southeastern corner…….

─ Ah, that……?

Even the priests who had worked at this school for a long time conversed in a doubtful tone.

A mysterious building that no one knew, the St. Macgodal Wing!

Of course, Roan knew roughly about it.

‘Can that place…… be used?’

Macgodal, as was well known, was a self-made figure who rose to the position of a saint despite being a black mage through the authority of resurrection.

For this reason, a building in Akerandir could be named after him, but because of his background, it was the only one designated as a wing rather than a hall.

As far as Roan knew, the Macgodal Wing had been abandoned for decades without any clear purpose.

By now, it was even tightly closed off for safety reasons.

When he played the game, even if Roan swept through it once, it was clean of any gimmicks except for a few pieces of junk.

‘The only time it was temporarily used was as the club room for the black magic club where Akerandir’s heretics gathered…….’

Naturally, those heretics were all caught, and the black magic club was disbanded in just a week.

In any case, it was clear that this choice of location also reflected Harden’s bad taste.

However, this time, Roan did not have much to complain about.

First of all, thanks to Harden, he had passed the desperate crisis where his identity was almost discovered by Eucherim.

‘To think the Macgodal Wing had this purpose!’

The Macgodal Wing, which he had thought was just for filling space without any purpose or event.

Whatever the reason, he had finally learned its hidden meaning!

***

After the basic attribute training class of Eucherim and Anne ended.

─ Fire attributes, let’s have lunch together!

─ The water attribute can’t lose either!

The freshmen energetically began to gather groups with attributes similar to their own.

Attributes felt similar to majors in universities on Earth, and since future career paths were decided similarly, it was good for building bonds.

“I, I will have lunch over there today then.”

Hector joined the group of fire attribute freshmen with a voice that was somehow very excited and thrilled.

“Then I’ll make new friends too!”

Needless to say, Lafia naturally loved making friends.

─ Excuse me, Lady Riel! Eat lunch with us!

─ Please!

“What……?”

Riel was practically dragged away to the ice attribute group by female students who flocked from somewhere.

‘It is about time for Riel to start taking the “older sister position.”’

The other friends were surprised, but Roan was calm.

Riel, who was tall and had a cold image, was very popular among female students, just as similar characters usually were in school-life stories.

Starting slowly now, she would become even more famous when juniors began to enter in earnest starting next year.

The remaining ones were the three of them: Roan, Zion, and Demona.

Looking at the two’s faces for a moment, Roan spoke.

“Hmm…… It’s quite far to the Macgodal Wing for me too, so I should eat separately.”

“Yes?”

“What?”

The two looked at each other with startled expressions.

‘‘Me…… eating lunch with this person?’’

Just from their eyes, the look of disbelief was clear.

However, Roan had not left the two behind without any thought.

First of all, they both handled the same light attribute.

For Zion, who had no background in the Empire and thus had a weak standing, getting close to the Wychronon family would be a great help.

And although he did not know why, if Zion hung out with Demona, who had built up a sort of ‘class representative’ image among classmates, he would not suffer any potential disregard or bullying.

‘……Not that I am in any position to worry about someone else.’

Although the jealousy and envy toward Zion had almost disappeared due to Roan’s appearance, it was still better to be careful.

After all, no one dared to openly harm Roan.

Of course, he also had a desire to wander around alone in peace, but in any case, it was a choice for Zion.

“The light attribute becomes more splendid the more you refine it. Especially you, Demona. Make an effort.”

“I would have done so too if I were dark…… Ah, no. I’ll work hard.”

Demona was about to grumble, but immediately nodded upon seeing Roan’s sharp gaze.

“Then, Zion, let’s meet in front of the Great Temple later. Since today is club time.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll wait!”

Roan turned around and headed toward the entrance of the waiting room.

No, he was about to head out but paused to turn his head back slightly and spoke.

“As I said this morning…… make sure you two stick close together.”

“Y, Yes?!”

“What? Ugh.”

Zion blushed, while Demona gagged.

They seemed to have misunderstood Roan’s words.

Zion glared fiercely at Demona.

‘Even so, shouldn’t I be the one who feels more disgusted?’

I should have gagged right away too!

He felt like he had been preempted somehow.

At any rate, Roan frowned at their unpleasant misunderstanding and muttered a word.

“If you didn’t understand, just stay right here.”

“???”

Roan immediately led the two to a corner of the prayer room, a spot that was not very conspicuous.

Shooo─

Then he used the disguise black magic, ‘Shadow Disguise.’

Shadow Disguise was a magic that blurred outlines so that the inside could not be properly perceived from the outside.

A phenomenon where the vision blurred slightly also occurred from the inside.

Recognizing it, Demona tilted her head.

“Isn’t this the magic you used when avoiding the holy knights last time?”

“You recognize it.”

Roan nodded.

“I knew it.”

The two conversed calmly, but Zion was surprised beside them.

‘……Why avoid holy knights?’

It was safe to say that a normal student would have no reason to avoid holy knights while attending school.

“But why are you using this?”

“Just wait a moment.”

When Demona asked, Roan quieted her down and glared at the entrance of the waiting room.

─ Well, then shall we go to the Forest of the Holy Spirit?

─ Sounds good!

The fire attribute students tried to go out first.

Roan smiled faintly upon seeing that.

Flinch─

A wicked smile that would make Zion or Demona, who did not know the circumstances, think he was indeed a mastermind behind the scenes!

“It’s starting now.”

“……?”

However, Roan spoke like this, unconcerned.

At the same time.

Boom───!