The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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Cecilia threw everything she could possibly use into the mix. She couldn’t see the magic, but instinctively knew that being next to Hoyeon was a devil.

She knew from hearing old tales a few times. Devils are such powerful beings that they even dare to call themselves gods, and because of that, they had almost brought humanity to its knees.

During the first invasion thousands of years ago, the goddess personally intervened, but during the second invasion, it was said that the survival of the continent was truly at stake.

Records had mostly been lost, so the details weren’t precise, but it was more than enough for Cecilia to understand how dangerous devils could be.

“Anima… please!”

Yet, she was still thinking that there might be a chance of winning. The devil’s main body was sealed, and even if it somehow made its way to the surface, its power was diminished to almost a third.

Thus, she was all in for this one shot. Her physical state wasn’t fully stable yet, and they had the initiative on their side.

She unleashed every spell she knew until her mana ran out.

She didn’t even have any expectations of defeating it. Sure, she was somewhat superior in talent, but how could an ordinary elf who was neither a hero nor a great mage stand up against a devil?

“Ethan! Hurry up!”

She intended to buy time. No matter how much of a devil it was, there was no way it could take on all of them at once.

Though it didn’t sit well with her to see Hoyeon handling her spirits so roughly, she couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself.

“…Hoyeon! Get back!”

And she also had to interrogate what the devil’s relationship with Hoyeon was.

Ethan had already jumped out before she even finished casting her spell, so all she had to do was divert attention for a moment.

“Oh, so this was the method that Byeolbi’s disciple claimed. How interesting…”

But her expectations shattered in an instant with a mere gesture from the devil.

“…Disappointing.”

At that moment, Cecilia couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. Where had her magic gone? Had she fallen into an illusion?

“Nothing has changed since 500 years ago. Surely, the results are too paltry for what humans claimed they would achieve, oh goddess.”

But already, her hazy vision clearly indicated that she had used up all her mana.

If it had been blocked, there should have at least been a loud noise or some trace left behind.

The dismantling of a spell was impossible unless done by its caster. However, there wasn’t a single scorched mark on the leaves covering the ground.

Cecilia was aghast as she tried to piece together the situation, while the devil clearly wore an expression of disappointment.

“There’s a method for adjusting power to fit humans. Yet you must have known it’s far too late and inefficient… Hah. Why did the head of the Academy make such a choice?”

The devil, who showed no interest in Cecilia, observed her closely and soon reacted.

“…Hmm? Hah. Are you really using even your fellow kind like this? No matter how scarce resources are, that’s just too much, Ganiyan.”

Why did the devil know the name of the goddess from her human days? Ethan had no way of knowing. He only thought about getting Hoyeon out of there immediately.

It was mere speculation, but Ethan was convinced that she had some direct connection with the devil, so he squeezed out every last bit of strength to rush to Hoyeon.

Even though Cecilia’s support had literally evaporated, Ethan was desperate.

Simply having seen the devil would be enough for him to gain recognition, but he was already blind to the results.

“Graaaaaah!”

However, he too was subdued with a single gesture, just like Cecilia.

Like a person drowning, he found himself buried up to his chest in the ground, and soon he could no longer move an inch.

“What the…?!”

He twisted his body desperately, trying to escape, even digging into the ground, but at that moment, he let out a low groan from the pain.

“Hmm. It would be better not to dig. If you wish to hasten your death by butchering yourself, go ahead.”

Realizing he had not been buried but merged with the earth, Ethan fell into despair. It wasn’t that his life was in immediate danger.

He was simply regretting the opportunity he had lost to get closer to the goddess.

If only he had taken a few more steps.

At least if he had managed to capture Hoyeon, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

“…Hmm. Let’s put the meddlesome ones to rest. Now, shall we continue our discussion?”

– – – –

“…Well, that’s the story. If I had been treated as an equal trade partner instead of a servant, I could have preserved my sanity. What a foolish girl she was.”

“…So, you inhabited Stephanie’s body…”

He never would have guessed that the identity of that Contractor was Stephanie. He had sensed something was off, but never thought she was controlling a god.

“Speaking of which, being called a god forever is a bit awkward. Would you call me by name instead?”

“…Huh?”

No, that felt a bit off. Even if it was a request from the god, it felt like an awkward senior asking for casual language, which made him uncomfortable.

“Oh, come now. My name is Shikari. It’s just been a while since anyone called me that.”

“…Yes, Shikari.”

Ah, sounds much better. The god seemed pleased as she said that.

He quietly listened to what the god was explaining. The state of the continent and how she was disappointed in the goddess. But it was hard for him to concentrate on that due to other pressing matters at hand.

“Tsk. The freedom of choice and all that. You won’t achieve anything by nitpicking those matters. Obsessing over an old human species too. The head of the Academy is quite the sight… but it seems you’re thinking differently. Are those meddling fools bothering you?”

Ah, caught me. Well, how could I hide it? My gaze was already on the church folks over there.

“…Yes. What will you do with them?”

Though they annoyed him by stalking so persistently, he didn’t want them to just be killed.

He just wanted to tell them to back off a little. He wasn’t that heartless.

…Or maybe he was.

“There’s no need to keep them alive.”

“…There’s no particular reason to kill them. They’re my friends, so if you could just give them one chance…”

Friends are friends after all. Golden Sun was not someone he particularly liked, but somehow he felt that if he died, Cecilia would be sad.

Still, the god had said there was no reason to let them live… Huh. So he cautiously suggested.

“Are they your friends? Not just nuisances? I knew you had a hard time dealing with people, but is that really what you mean?”

…Thinking it over again, it actually wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t exist. But no, it would be lonely without them in class.

“Yes.”

“Hmph. There’s no need to deliberately kill them… I shall grant your wish. My first believer.”

“…Thank you!”

Fortunately, the god showed mercy on them. Approaching Ethan, who had become one with the ground, and the trembling Cecilia by his side, she plucked him out like pulling weeds.

Perhaps they didn’t expect the one they attacked would save them, as they looked at him and the god with puzzled expressions.

“…Be glad that the boy’s heart is kind. Now, ‘Let today be nothing at all.’ Understand?”

And she cast a spell on them.

“…Yeeess.”

Like people who had fallen under brainwashing, they stared blankly for a moment, and at Shikari’s words, they staggered off into the distance.

“…What a weak-minded bunch. They truly should be punished severely.”

If he had no ties to them, he would have done just that, but since he knew who they were, he couldn’t.

“…We could say it’s just an unfortunate incident, so isn’t it fair to give them one opportunity?”

“Hmph. I suppose you could think that way. So… how are things going with that girl? If you want her now, just say the word. I’ll dominate her right away.”

Oh no. The god seemed to have an interest in his love life.

– – – –

“…I don’t understand why you’re next to such a woman. Such a cultured person…”

He had managed to gain Iris’s favor while talking with her, but for some reason, she didn’t seem to like Hoyeon very much.

“Are you talking about Hoyeon?”

“Yes, that’s true, but it doesn’t mean she’s uneducated or uncultured. It’s just… well, yes. Maybe it’s scary.”

Scary, huh? Well, she did tend to come off a bit prickly to strangers initially. Plus, she probably unintentionally exuded an intimidating air, so for the previously timid Iris, she must have seemed frightening.

“So you feel that way. But Hoyeon isn’t all that scary.”

“That might be true for you… Oh? Isn’t that Ethan and Cecilia over there?”

It was a bit sudden, but just as she said, there were Ethan and Cecilia.

But their condition seemed a bit strange.