Joint Combat Practice 2 (2)
“Hello, Saint Clarice. “I am Belle Maia, the head maid who will help you with your grooming today.”
It is extremely rare for Belle Maia to personally step into the field.
Although her practical skills have been proven since her time as a senior maid, she began spending a lot of time on administrative tasks after taking the position of head maid.
There are not many people whose status is so valuable that Belle Maia, who has become quite expensive, personally serves her. No matter how full the Ofilis Hall is with VIPs, the head maid only has one body.
Normally, even if she were a saint, she would only be served by a senior maid whose skills were proven. The head maid does not go out in person.
However, today was a very unusual day, so Belle had to step forward herself.
“It’s already about that time.”
“Let me help you with your hair.”
Clarice, the saint who occupies a private room on the top floor of the Ofilis Building, is a fake.
As a result of having to prepare for possible conspiracies and accepting the wishes of the saint herself who wanted to go to school more freely, a stand-in was appointed filled with all kinds of magic.
But today is the day when the Holy Emperor visits.
Holy Emperor Eldain and his closest associate Archbishop Verdio.
It was the top of the Telos Church that Saint Clarice truly respected.
I couldn’t send out a double until the day those two visited. This is because Saint Clarice herself needs to go out to greet the two.
Of course, it is unlikely that Eldain and Verdio were unaware of the fact about the double, but it was not polite to send out a double when two such noble people came, no matter the circumstances.
So, it is time for Kylie Ekne, a small noble from a small border country, to disappear from the world for a while.
It is time to send the substitute out of sight and become Saint Clarice.
“thank you.”
A girl with a wide smile sat in front of a fancy dressing table to groom herself.
The only people who know that she is attending the school as a second class, with a double, are Principal Obel, the third dean, and Bel Maia, who actually manages her living environment.
Today is the day when a real maid, not a double, comes, so if you leave the work to a senior maid like usual, you might notice something unnatural.
Therefore, Bel Maia, who was well aware of the saint’s status, came out to help her with her grooming.
However, Belle felt that her worries were in vain.
Kylie Acne, a cute girl with brown hair who seemed somewhat childish, was curious about everything, and showed interest in even the smallest of things, is gone… .
In front of the mirror sits a red-eyed saint with cold white hair.
From her gentle smile and elegant hand gestures, I felt a level of nobility that was completely different from that of the girl who was acting as her. It was only after feeling the temperature difference so stark that I wondered if this was actually the same person, and then I realized it again.
Saint Clarice is a girl who grew up under a religious order all her life and received the respect of believers.
Kylie, who seemed childish as the burden was lifted from her shoulders, is once again enveloped in a befitting elegance when she sits on the saint’s throne.
When Belle remembered Kylie clapping and her eyes shining whenever she got the chance, it was amazing that Clarice felt like a different person.
“Mr. Bell.”
“yes. “Saint.”
Belle answered carefully, brushing aside her clean, shiny white hair.
“Today was definitely the day of joint combat training.”
“yes. “Coincidentally, it coincided with the visit of the Holy Emperor, so it was difficult for the saint to participate.”
“… … .”
Clarice lowered her eyes for a moment, showing an expression of disappointment.
Lately, I haven’t had time to interact with my seniors because I’ve been having a hard time just taking the required courses.
Actually, I’m not that interested in interactions between grades, but I still really wanted to meet second-year student Adele Seris.
I thought this joint combat practice was a golden opportunity, but the timing was not right, so Clarice had to miss the practice class.
However, as a saint, it was impossible not to go to the site of the emperor’s visit, so it was unavoidable.
In fact, joint combat practice is not important.
It had many implications for such a noble and busy Pope and Archbishop to visit in person at this time.
Clarisse actually regarded this as a special inspection. As these two people were very interested in the saint’s every move, they clearly had the intention of checking everything to see if she was doing well in school, if the environment was okay, and if anything dangerous had happened.
To be honest, I am not confident.
What is the school environment like? It is said that he made a fuss several times before and after Clarisse entered school.
Last year, a student took over the student center and tried to summon the highest-ranking dark spirit, and a professor was caught trying to run away with an important treasure of the university.
After Clarice entered the school, the entire class attacked and destroyed the dormitory, and one of the fallen nobles even got caught up in a murder case… It was really messy.
Still, Clarice herself wasn’t caught up, so it wasn’t very dangerous, but there was a lot of gossip, so it wasn’t any good.
In addition, Clarisse had made a promise to Archbishop Verdio when she left the Holy Capital.
While going to school as Kylie Ekne, if there comes a moment when her identity is discovered by someone or revealed to the public, she has to give up her bachelor’s life.
Admission to Sylvania was also the result of half-extortion, so I had to accept those conditions.
“… … .”
The past few months of bachelor life were a time of dream-like freedom for Clarice.
Although it was difficult and scary at times, it was clearly different from the time when I lived a life of only praying at the top of the Holy Emperor’s Tower.
Clarice didn’t want to go back to the Holy City just yet. In order to do that… There was a need to pass this successful visit period cleanly.
So now is the time to lie down quietly rather than show off for no reason. I have a burning desire to participate in joint combat training, but I hold back. The opportunity to meet Adele will come again someday.
“I think you can relax. “Saint Clarice.”
“Oh my, do you look very nervous?”
Belle saw the tips of her long eyelashes trembling and quietly calmed them down.
“I am glad to see the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop after such a long time. I really want to make a good impression and prove that I’m doing well. “I guess that’s why I get nervous like never before.”
“It seems you like your bachelor life.”
“yes. I want to stay in Sylvania until the day I graduate. Because that’s what I think… “I’m actually nervous.”
From Bell’s perspective, there was no way to relieve the tension. It would be foolish to argue any further than this, so I can only hope that Clarice can get her mind back on track.
Belle closed her mouth as she brushed her pretty hair with a comb. When you feel extremely nervous, everyone has different ways to relieve that tension.
Clarice also noticed Belle’s expression and quietly surrendered herself to his touch.
Dressing up like that, Clarice hoped that there would be no major surprises.
It was obvious that other than internal and external events, there would be no significant variables. In the first place, there is a huge difference between her appearance as Kylie and her appearance as Clarisse. It would be difficult for anyone to notice her… .
“… … .”
Suddenly, a person appeared in Clarice’s mind.
Maybe the only variable in this bachelor. The only student who knows the identity of Saint Clarice.
It was Ed, a senior two years older who was living alone in a cabin in the forest.
Actually, it’s not that big of a variable. Even at first glance, he had a heavy mouth.
He seemed to have discovered the identity of the saint before anyone else, but did not reveal that fact to anyone. If a rumor spreads about the identity of a saint, it is certain that it will quickly spread throughout the academy.
however… Clarisse began to feel uneasy.
Her mentor, Archbishop Verdio, is a master mind reader. I don’t know what she did, but she was often able to see right through the thoughts and fantasies I had kept to myself.
However, it didn’t work for Clarice… I can only guess that it is a type of holy magic. This is because all holy magic techniques do not exert their power on saints.
Although that is unlikely to happen, it would be a big deal if Edgar were to encounter Archbishop Vertius. She might find out that there is someone who already knows the saint’s identity.
‘I can’t believe I’m remembering this now… !’
Of course, there is no way that Ed, who lives a life in the forest, and Verdio, the archbishop of the Holy City, will encounter each other in person. This is a very small possibility. So there are some things I couldn’t pay more attention to.
However, after paying attention to it, it becomes somewhat ominous. During my visit, I would have conversations with students, have a baptism ceremony, and give speeches… . In the process, anxiety arises as to whether it is really possible to avoid encountering Ed even once.
After her thoughts reached that point, Clarisse’s fingertips began to tremble slightly. Should I do anything to write it down in advance? If you can at least say something in advance, it will put your mind at ease.
It would be a relief right now if I could let Ed know about the current situation and ask him to move as far away from the church event as possible.
Until then, I didn’t think I could feel at ease. She was a little nervous and her eyelids were fluttering. If everything is revealed because of that small gap, this enjoyable bachelor life will have to come to an end.
“… … .”
Belmaia sighed after seeing that.
It looks like you’re more nervous than you think. She imagined that by the time she became a saint, she would have met saints and archbishops on a daily basis, but she felt like that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Of course, Bell’s thinking was wrong. The reason Clarice had to be nervous was a little deeper.
“then… “I’ll make you a cup of tea to help you relax.”
“No, it’s okay…” . but… I have a favor to ask. “Please get ready to go out.”
Clarisse sighed heavily and spoke to Belle with a flushed face.
“Ed. Ed Rosstaylor. I think I’ll calm down a bit when I meet him… .”
“… yes?”
What is the name here?
Belle swallowed a momentary sigh.
In an instant, a picture of human relationships unfolds in Belle’s mind. There aren’t many places to squeeze in anymore. There doesn’t seem to be any good in becoming more complicated.
“Him… I want to meet you right now… . As soon as possible… .”
“But… There’s plenty of time… .”
“The Holy Emperor’s visit is in the afternoon, right? There’s still a lot of morning left, so I guess I have plenty of time… .”
Belle didn’t know why, but she didn’t want Ed to meet the saint. Of course, that didn’t mean Bell had any way to stop it.
“Is that so… .”
However, he only answered in a cold sweat, which was uncharacteristic of Bell.
* * *
Residents of Chengdu described it as a palace on wheels. It was said about the royal carriage.
The royal carriage, always accompanied by a magnificent escort, had five rooms. It was as if quite a few houses were moving.
If the magicians of the city hadn’t stayed up all night to give it a lightweight magic, it wouldn’t have been able to be pulled even with dozens of horses.
It was so magnificent that even when crossing the Mexes Bridge, which serves as Elte’s logistics transport route, the width of the bridge had to be calculated. Combined with the troops riding back and forth on horseback and escorting them, it really feels like an army is moving.
Inside that magnificent carriage, there were two men sitting side by side facing each other on the top seat.
One was the old Holy Emperor Eldein, wearing a magnificent robe, with sharp and intelligent eyes shining, and the other was Archbishop Verdio, neatly dressed in a tight-fitting robe and carrying a lot of documents.
Both of them were devout believers who had devoted their lives to the Church of Telos, and were like great elders who were respected by all the clergy of the Holy Capital.
Because just moving consumes an enormous amount of manpower and resources, these people do not carelessly travel long distances and spend most of their time in Seonghwangdo.
“It’s a lot further away than I thought. “If there had been no schedule at Count Berce’s estate, it would have been realistically difficult to come this far away to see the saint’s situation.”
“I see. “I’m so glad that the route is correct.”
The Holy Emperor responded lightly to Archbishop Verdio’s words. He saw the scenery of the plains outside the window and the bridge stretching out over the sea at the end of his field of vision. If you move quickly, you can reach it in an hour or two.
“Anyway, I’m glad that the collaboration with Count Berce ended well. “With this expedition, we have sufficiently established his authority, so we will be able to raise funds until the next rebuilding date of the Holy Emperor Capital.”
“is it… .”
The reason why the heavy-hearted Seonghwang bothered to travel to the land of another local lord… Ultimately, it is for business purposes.
He is a prosperous person who has lived his entire life in devotion to the noble will of the Telos Church. He has always lived his life guessing the will of God in the sky, but even he is ultimately a human crawling on the ground.
If you want to live on this earth, you cannot escape from interests. The same goes for maintaining the capital.
As he looked at the scenery of the plains outside the window, Eldain fell into contemplation.
Suddenly, I remembered the time when I was cultivating my faith alone in a noble monastery in the Rameln Mountains. Although he was always hungry, it was the time when he closest listened to the voice of God.
Since when has faith been used as collateral for business? If you go out with that heavy body and establish someone’s authority, they will never wash their mouth for free.
No matter how noble a person of faith is, he or she cannot live without paying attention, and in the end, he or she has no choice but to be bound by the logic of money and power. This was the same even if it was a holy emperor who reigned supreme over the capital city. You can’t live without compromise.
There was once a time when the Emperor only shook hands with the imperial family, but as the generations passed, the size of the Emperor grew larger and the scope of compromise broadened… At some point, not only the central powers, but eventually, if their influence was so great, even the territory of the margrave who guarded the border became a frequent entity.
The Margrave of Berce was a man who gave more donations than most members of the royal family, so he cannot be easily ignored. In a way, he is such a devout believer that he doesn’t need to feel moral guilt… Still, he cannot hide his bitter feelings.
“Mr. Seonghwang. From what I heard, today is the joint combat training day.”
“I know, Verdio. “I just saw it and confirmed it in the documents.”
Archbishop Verdio, who is holding his head, must also have been a devout believer.
He listened to the voice of God but did not abandon reality, and was a much more compromising and realistic believer than the saintly Eldain.
He must have been able to rise to the position of archbishop because he maintained his focus well.
Faith is like wings made of wax. If you fly too high, you will melt and disappear in the sunlight.
As one’s status rises and one sees the real face of faith up close, the faith one harbored in one’s heart gradually wears away.
He is an Eldain who prays every day and maintains his faith in Telos, but sometimes when he sees Verdio, he is struck by his rational side.
Is this a man who can even sell the Holy Emperor if necessary?
He is a man whose temperament is closer to that of a merchant rather than a priest.
As a priest, you cannot easily control or subdue him. In the end, if you want to get your hands on him and deal with him, you will first have to master the logic of money and power.
He is a strange man. Nevertheless, Eldain did not say anything else.
Even if he is accused of being an accomplice, he has no choice but to accept it.
In any case, the Holy Emperor’s Capital owes a lot to Verdio’s resourcefulness.
The Maxeth Bridge was getting closer in the distance.
* * *
“I have no challenger… .”
Yenika sat at the wooden table in the student center and sighed. She replied that I knew that, as I was sitting across from her and sipping her drink.
Some time has passed before we know it, and it is the day of joint combat practice.
It is an annual practice event in which first-year students spar with second-year students and third-year students spar with fourth-year students, and the results are even reflected in their grades. However, the rules change slightly every year depending on the professor in charge.
Last year, it was held in a match format, but this year it is a challenge format where you challenge the opponent you want to spar with.
Since there are currently no first-year Class A members, the competition to be promoted to Class A first is intensifying. Therefore, everyone wants to have a match as strong as possible, and to reflect that opinion, this year’s sparring will be held in a challenge format.
However, there were two problems.
Although this is true for 1st and 2nd graders, 3rd and 4th graders are not particularly competitive.
A student who is too strong has no opponent to spar with. In the end, you end up sparring with surplus students who are not challenging anyone, but from the perspective of a strong person who is not being challenged by anyone, they are all too boring opponents.
A clear example of this was Jenica Palover, a third-year senior.
“You don’t even know who your opponent is until it’s time to spar… ”
“Is there anyone you would like to personally challenge?”
“hmm… What should I say about that, doesn’t it look a little arrogant…? ?”
He appears to be embarrassed to challenge someone. If it’s like Yenika, it’s like Yenika.
The student center was crowded with students who came to check the match. Jenica and I moved away from the center and sat at a wooden table nearby, waiting for people to leave.
At first glance, it seems like I didn’t really have any challengers. Surprisingly, even among third graders, it seems to be recognized as being quite strong.
Well, there really isn’t any talent in the third year. Doesn’t the main character generation, the generation just below them, all have the reputation of being among the top students? Compared to that, it is a very miserable generation.
Even in last year’s joint combat practice… Except for Jenica, no one has been able to secure victory from the protagonist’s generation. There was no sign of any disassembly among the students. It felt natural.
Being of this generation, it wouldn’t be strange to say that I had already joined the ranks of strong third-year students. The training I had done over the past few hours while conserving my sleeping time was steadily paying off.
“Ed… I’m reading the book Lucy gave me again… .”
Suddenly, Yenika puffed out her cheeks and looked at the book in my hand. I didn’t want anyone to know the identity of this book, so I covered the cover with a cover.
In my spare time, I was constantly reading the Aspect Magic Book, trying to use my magic again, and repeating the training to get used to the flow.
Knowing how to use aspect magic is a truly huge advantage. Even quite a few professors have trouble with aspect magic. If you have this privilege, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
However, even if it is a commentary written by a master of aspect magic, there are many difficult parts, so it seems that more training is still needed.
“Because it’s a pretty important book. “I think I’ll just read this for the time being.”
In any case, we had to wait here until the other students confirmed their opponents and the academic staff organized them and announced the sparring time.
That time was a waste, so I was reading a book, and Yenika was so upset that she just stared at me with her face on the table. After talking like that for a few minutes, he took a deep breath and spoke.
“What should I eat for dinner tonight? I forgot to check the food supplies in the camp storage… Do you remember, Ed?”
“hmm… I think the amount itself was enough… I bought some leftover meat from the Lorail restaurant and put it in there. Should I just salt it and grill it? .”
“Oh, then I guess I’ll have to ask Clara for some of the leftover herbs. “They say that if you add it when grilling, it becomes fragrant and soft.”
“oh… Definitely worth a try… .”
Even though we are so ordinary and not a big deal… We exchanged comments that, if strangers heard them, might have frowned and asked if they were living together.
It dawned on me that Yenika was now living right next to the camp, so I took a deep breath while reading the book.
Even if the bachelor’s class ends like this, we will pack our bags and go back to the northern forest together, prepare a meal and eat together, chat around the campfire until night and do our own things, and then when it is time to sleep, we will go to our respective cabins. See you tomorrow and say good night.
“however… Lucy… .”
“Lucy?”
“huh… You often go to camp… .”
Yenika was lying face down on the wooden table, wiggling her feet. She rested her chin on her hand and grunted as she spoke.
“I don’t really care about Ed… ?”
“If it bothers you, what else will you do? Is it possible to stop him from coming in and out by force? “It’s easier to think of it as a natural disaster or something.”
“that… but… Lucy belongs to the Ofilis building. “If you keep going to camp like this, won’t you get scolded by the maids?”
“It’s something he can handle. “Definitely, as you said, maids are busy these days.”
Aren’t the maids at Ofilis Hall the only personnel on campus who can control Lucy? Only then can the sound of elites be heard.
As Yenika continued to grumble and wave her feet in the air, a murmur was suddenly heard from the center of the student center.
And just like that, the crowd split up, and the murmur quickly died down.
– ‘Make a way!’
― ‘The saint is coming! Make a way!’
Sylvania Academy is extremely reluctant to allow outside escorts to enter the academy.
Since there are so many children of noble status or influential people, the internal facilities of the university will not function properly if permission is given to all of them. Therefore, personal escorts cannot be hired within the university unless there is a special reason.
However, there are only two beings within the academy who transcend even those rules. One is the princess Fenia Elias Cloel, who leads the guards in the royal residence, and the other is the saint Clarice, who occupies the largest room on the top floor of the Ofilis Pavilion.
“wow… .”
It seemed like Jenica was seeing Saint Clarisse for the first time. Well, the school year is different… There isn’t much contact.
A dignity that seems to naturally overwhelm the crowd. White hair flowing neatly down the body. Creepy red eyes.
This is a girl who always appears in front of the public wearing only a lace-covered uniform with sacred protection. The sight of him wearing a school uniform is almost mysterious.
Since she is also a member of the academy, is she here to check the lineup for joint combat training? Under the gaze of the public, she walked across the vacant lot in front of the student center.
I sat quietly at the wooden table in the corner and just watched her pass by. The distance is quite far, so it looks like a rat’s tail from here.
There is a huge difference between her dignified and confident appearance compared to when she was Kylie.
“… … .”
I plan to watch everything that happens in this joint combat exercise as closely as possible.
I wanted to clearly check how far things would proceed as I knew, and where they would move in a different direction from the future I knew. Only by checking the extent to which the scenario has gone wrong will you be able to cope with what happens next.
First of all, something different from what I expected was already happening.
As far as I know, Saint Clarice cannot participate in joint combat practice. Because it coincided with the visit of the Holy Emperor, she had to go out to greet him.
However, coming to check the lineup for joint combat practice… Does this mean that the saint will also participate in the training?
So, does this mean that the Emperor’s visit has been postponed? If there was such a variable, what would it be?
It was a time when I was adjusting my mind to the current situation in that way.
“uh… Ugh… .”
Suddenly, Yenika raised her head from the table, making a confused sound.
Clarisse, who was receiving everyone’s attention, did not head towards the main entrance of the student center.
He rolled his eyes back and forth, then looked in my direction and confidently walked towards me. The gazes of the students around me were stinging.
Saint Clarice did not carelessly interact with anyone during her bachelor life. Because she is of noble status, she is always exposed to all kinds of dangers.
That person confidently came over to me and sat down across the table. The dignified appearance remains in every action.
“Hello, Senior Ed.”
A voice like a jade bead settled among the audience. Everyone looked confused as to why I was greeting the saint as if we knew each other.
Unfortunately, I am equally confused. First of all, given the timing, I was able to infer that what was in front of me right now was not a fake, but the real Clarice… I couldn’t figure out why he was greeting me here.
“Originally, I was going to send a letter, but I wanted to meet him quickly, so I just came in person. ”
He naturally made an explosive statement, but I couldn’t respond by asking him what he was talking about. Only silent cries spread among the crowd.
Meanwhile, Clarice smiled brightly and elegantly.
“Shall we talk?”
“… … .”
While controlling my facial expression as best as I could, I closed the book and put it down on the table.
