The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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Although it wasn’t visible to the eye, I could feel that something was around me. It was probably a blade created by divine power.

In the original work, I later became recognized as a hero and was able to manage divine power, but right now, I wasn’t even a candidate for a hero; I was just an academy student.

Perhaps it was thanks to embracing similar magical energy that I was able to sense something at all. After all, Hoyeon had been anxiously glancing at Gloria.

“Before we discuss, just a moment.”

Not wanting to act recklessly and end up as a mystery casualty, I sought Gloria’s permission in advance.

As soon as I received her approval, I scattered mana all around and searched for anything unusual.

Even for Stefania, she didn’t have the guts to set up a surveillance spell inside the church, so nothing odd was caught.

“…No, it seems there are no listening ears. By any chance, do you know if there is a… hidden storage that’s unused within the academy?”

“No, that’s the first I’m hearing of it. At least, we haven’t received such information from our informants.”

Naturally, that’s to be expected. After all, the path there is predetermined. It was a place surrounded by barriers that required jumping and stepping on flowers at intervals just to enter.

Thanks to that, Hoyeon had looked at me like I was insane back then.

“That would be the case. Since it’s a place surrounded by barriers she laid herself. Besides, it was built with her own funds after the academy was established, so it makes sense that no one would know about it.”

“…Then where did you obtain such information?”

I pressed my finger to my lips.

“While I can’t share anything else, I can at least disclose that. It’s my only bargaining chip.”

“Very well. I won’t pry further then. So please continue with your earlier discussion.”

As the first Apostle of the Church, she was quite wise. You could tell that by how she wouldn’t harm the goose that lays the golden eggs.

“Yes. There are hundreds of such schemes sleeping within that place. Perhaps even more dangerous ones. The reason I came here today is to inform you of its location.”

“…Really? Were you purely here to share this information?”

Not at all. Originally, I intended to hand her the document just before the final exams to catch Stefania and win Gloria’s favor.

But after experiencing the midterms, my thoughts changed. What if she doesn’t act as the original story suggests?

Suddenly, that thought came to mind. What if when I hand over the plan, she acts completely differently?

If that happens, I wouldn’t have the confidence to manage the situation. So I decided to fully disclose everything to her now.

I couldn’t stop Stefania’s plans, but I could use the Church to inflict as much damage on her as possible. For a while, I planned to keep her so occupied with healing those wounds that she wouldn’t be able to hatch any schemes.

That was the best plan I could think of. It was also aimed at winning Gloria’s favor.

By gradually spilling out information about Stefania, I planned to talk about other things as well.

Before I knew it, the feeling of a blade pointed at me disappeared. She looked doubtful, but for now, it seemed she chose to believe me.

“Of course. After all, there’s a grudge against her.”

In truth, there was none at all. That was merely a seasoning to add credibility. It would indeed be strange for someone without any grudges to pass on information that could ruin someone.

“I see. I won’t ask about what happened. I simply… thank you for providing valuable information during a difficult time.”

Half successful, I thought. But soon I encountered an unexpected hurdle.

My drawing skills were unimaginably terrible.

“…Um. I’m sorry, but could you draw it again? It’s better than before, but… yes. It’s still hard to recognize. It might be better if you described it in words…”

“Ugh. Just a moment…”

I stated that I would draw instead of explaining in words, but ironically, that became a problem.

It would have been better to let a child attending an art academy handle this; I was wasting paper and graphite horrifically.

“Can’t you just draw it with magic… What are you fooling around for, my friend?”

Ah. Until Hoyeon pointed that out, I had felt quite foolish for gripping onto the paper. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

I directly inscribed the mana onto the paper and handed it to Gloria, along with the location of the secret base filled with such schemes.

With this, no matter how much Stefania plotted, she’d have to lay low for a while. Apparently, she still didn’t realize we had entered.

“…Indeed. It seems even Decatria wouldn’t be able to find it. A paranoid person wouldn’t hide it more thoroughly than this. Thank you once again.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you. I had no clue what to do, and I just happened to meet someone capable.”

“…I take it your business is finished? Then let’s go.”

I’d been wondering when Hoyeon would say we should go, but it seemed she had held out pretty well. It could have gotten a bit tricky if she’d jumped in midway, so I was relieved.

“Just a moment, are you… Hoyeon?”

Gloria called out to Hoyeon, who was about to turn and leave, stopping her. Something didn’t feel right…

“That’s true. Why do you ask?”

Since Hoyeon was also from the church side, she showed a bit more of a sharp reaction.

“…No, it’s nothing. Then, mysterious accomplice. You must be Han Dogon.”

Ah, so I’ve been found out. I knew the rumors had spread, but I thought Gloria, who showed little interest in the secular world, wouldn’t know.

It seemed that wasn’t the case. Or perhaps the rumors had spread widely enough for her to know.

“Yes. I wasn’t really trying to hide it, but I preferred not to make it widely known. Did you hear it through rumors?”

There was no benefit to having my name out there. If Stefania found out, that would be the end.

“Just as you think. There’s a rumor that a princess from the East is treating a poor male student named Han Dogon as a pet. It seems the rumor has gotten a bit twisted.”

“A pet…!”

It was simply that Hoyeon followed me around, so I couldn’t really argue. But that’s how rumors are.

If there’s even a slight misunderstanding, it turns into something entirely different. But I thought we were dating or something; making her out to be a pet…

That may have been too far. I thought to myself.

“No, it just… had no particular meaning. I was just curious about the name of my benefactor. Then, I bid you farewell.”

“Hmph. Let’s go.”

A pet, how ridiculous. I comforted Hoyeon, who was grumbling, and left a parting remark for Gloria.

“Today, we’ve never met here.”

“Of course. ‘Accomplice’.”

“Geez, why are you talking so much!”

In the end, as I was dragged out by Hoyeon, I began to understand why the rumor of her being a pet spread.

– – – –

Gloria was organizing her thoughts. A princess from the continent of the East, known to wield magic believed to be real evil, and the one beside her delivering information about Stefania, seemingly also of Eastern origin but still an unidentified student.

Although Decatria had been keeping an eye on them, no substantial results had emerged, so Gloria had pushed their priority further down the list.

She had to approach with caution, especially since the immediate threat was Stefania, the greatest obstacle to the Church.

However, due to recent events, the importance of Hoyeon and Dogon had risen to the same level as Stefania in her mind.

She took out a pendant and contacted someone.

“Decatria? It’s Ena. Alongside the White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter, please look into Han Dogon as well. His parents, background; anything is fine, so please find out.”

“I will comply.”

Gloria assumed there would be no reason for someone eager for results to refuse. He seemed to choose to follow rather than ask.

Indeed, this 13th candidate would soon change.

As Gloria thought this, she gazed at her combat uniform and great sword stored in the corner of her room.

The virtues cherished by the Church are a spirit of inquiry and a questioning attitude. But the 13th exhibited none of that.

The Goddess had explicitly warned against mindless following. Yet he blindly followed the Goddess without question.

But that was not a concern for Gloria. There were countless 13th candidates.

Today, she would finally put an end to that ghastly, venomous woman.

Gloria grasped her great sword.

And then, she headed straight to the location drawn in the picture. Stepping over the red wildflowers, tossing stones into tree holes, and retracing the path she had come.

After undergoing a complex series of processes reminiscent of a paranoid person, she finally reached the hidden storage mentioned by Dogon.

Without hesitation, she swung her great sword infused with divine power at the door.

The layers of protective spells posed no issue as her sword cleaved through the door like tearing a piece of paper.

Simultaneously, an ear-splitting alarm rang out. Gloria paid it no mind, reciting incantations and waiting for her prey to arrive.

Before long, the space tore open, and she revealed herself.

“It’s you, the one who reached here last time… Wait a moment. You…!”

Gloria swung her great sword.