73 – Episode 73 – Princess, Alice’s Escape 15 –
The Academy was turned upside down once more.
It was revealed that one of the prestigious professors of the Celestial Academy, and even some prominent figures, were part of the sinister cult.
However, the Academy’s image was tarnished, but that wasn’t the only problem that had arisen.
“Wow. Politicians, prime ministers, and even the king here are part of the sinister cult? The Celestial Empire is going to be in deep trouble, isn’t it?”
I was sitting in the medical room, reading about the situation in the newspaper.
Beside me was the Healing Saint.
And the head of intelligence who had come for a briefing.
“Under these circumstances, the Academy’s image might even improve, right? It was only Professor Cosmos who was the problem. Remarkably.”
“…That’s true. The Academy has no choice but to distance itself from responsibility… It was an exchange event initiated by influential figures from other countries…
Moreover, it’s not a role that can easily block officials from other nations, and His Majesty the Emperor didn’t press for accountability.”
Of course, the Academy was not without fault.
Professor Cosmos ultimately failed to prevent the kidnapping of the princess.
They were unprepared in terms of security.
Their only consolation was that they successfully managed to imprison Professor Cosmos.
“But I thought this level of security would be enough, so I just left it at that… I never expected it to become a bigger issue.”
It’s said that when the side that penetrates and the side that blocks clash, the side that penetrates wins.
In fact, China on Earth tried to impose various forms of censorship on the internet, but they were all bypassed.
But for the Healing Saint, there was an even more crucial issue.
Because of her ability as a seer who could see the future, worrying about the future was more appropriate than the present.
“Now that it’s come to this, what should the Celestial Empire do…?”
The Healing Saint spoke with a more melancholic tone.
She didn’t come here because she wanted to.
The Holy Cheong is in political disarray, and that’s why I’ve been summoned here by the Pope’s orders.
She, too, would probably want to go back and help people around her, like other saints.
It must be incredibly frustrating that she can’t do that.
“But realizing how serious their incompetence has become… must be terribly sad.”
The principal and I exchanged glances, deciding to reassure the healing saint.
Sergei interrupted hastily.
“Tell me once. Do you think the future looks dark for the Holy Cheong?”
“No, not at all. On the contrary, there’s a chance for recovery. Even if the Holy Cheong is in political turmoil right now, all the saints are perfectly fine.
The problem lies with His Holiness the Pope and the Presiding Bishops.”
“True. They’ve gained the pretext of an evil sect, and elsewhere is in political disarray as well… excluding honor, politically, it might actually be alright.”
Despite the Holy Cheong’s state of being nonchalant.
Things will be steady from now on.
I have become the saint of evil.
And because of that, I have no desire to confront the Holy Cheong.
“Since the birth of the saints, up to the subjugation of the saints, the Holy Cheong has not experienced a period of darkness… It will only get better.”
After the birth of the saints of the evil sect, the Holy Cheong goes through a long period of darkness until the end of the evil sect’s part.
This is because the Holy Cheong is no longer the sole representation of the will of the only God due to the birth of the saints of evil.
Even if the evil is not particularly favored, it is also the creator of this world.
From the perspective of the people in this world, it is an undeniable presence.
But as soon as the news spread that the evil sect had produced saints.
Those who blindly believed only in the Holy Cheong had doubts.
So, more people turned towards the evil sect, and those who already harbored dissatisfaction with the Holy Cheong’s rule and those with a rebellious disposition joined, making the evil sect a very large group.
“Of course, not all of them committed evil deeds.”
Just like during World War II, some people joined the Nazis because the uniforms looked stylish, and there were others who joined for various reasons.
There were many who joined without much thought and, in the end, they ended up betraying and aiding in the destruction of the evil sect.
It’s fortunate that such a situation never fully occurred.
“But the biggest problem remains…”
“What is it?”
The Saint of Healing said something.
The Director seemed startled upon hearing her words, as if this fact had never been discussed before.
“Like a demon’s adult… How should we handle this…?”
Her words were shocking.
However, they were words that could be sufficiently anticipated.
A demon’s adult was born.
That’s right.
Because of me.
But how did they find out?
And did they also discover its true identity?
I asked to find out more details.
“How…? No, isn’t Princess Alice perfectly fine? Weren’t they planning to offer the princess as a sacrifice to neutralize the seal of the demon?”
I pretended not to know for the time being.
If I know, I will reveal it myself.
“The Celestial Saint foresaw it because of what happened during the conflict. She said that her foresight itself was blocked.
Fortunately, she was able to roughly determine the location, so she sent people in that direction, and as a result, Lord Avelaxas and the princess were discovered.”
Fortunately, it seems that the fact that I am a saint has not been revealed.
But perhaps they still don’t know.
I could be pretending not to know on purpose.
Of course, there is nothing I can do.
All I can do is hope that if they recognize me, they will just let it be.
Time passed as we engaged in casual conversation.
Because the Saint’s divine power continued to restore my body to its original state, my physical condition continued to improve.
At an appropriate time, the Director issued a temporary order to the Saint.
“Saint… Could you please step out for a moment?”
“I see, there is something important you need to discuss.”
“Yes. Although the Saint is also close to being an outsider, you are still a member of the church.”
“I understand.”
The Director temporarily ordered the Saint to leave.
As I had been waiting to hear about the situation from the beginning.
In order to hear the details, they finally took the shape of going out.
The Holy Healer left, leaving only two people in their seats.
In such a situation, the headmaster spoke first.
“So, what happened? I heard that Professor Cosmos is the culprit.
But… now, tell your story. How did you survive, and what is the Adult Cult of Evil? You seem to know.”
As I listed the related stories,
There were truly many stories to tell.
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From being kidnapped to what happened afterward.
But I was worried.
Is this person really trustworthy?
Can I trust Sergei Darmoor, the headmaster of Jelip Academy?
Let’s do the math.
For some reason, Sergei wants to keep me at the academy.
I don’t know the reason.
It’s just speculation that it might be related to the royal family or other factions.
And will the royal family or other factions really try to restore their relationship with Hwang Cheong by excluding me?
“No.”
Even if I become the youngest Master.
I can’t beat the Sky’s Saint among the current humans.
Even if I become the strongest, I can’t beat the Sky’s Saint +@.
So I planted a seed.
“But first, I have a question… The person who’s trying to keep me at the academy, it’s not the Empress, is it?”
“It was self-consciousness. The Empress didn’t find you attractive. She probably pardoned you for saving her daughter.”
And I could clearly feel it.
The headmaster is lying.
I know the headmaster well.
If that was a lie, he wouldn’t just say it’s nonsense without presenting a reasonable alternative.
Pardoned for saving her daughter?
That’s closer to making excuses for the headmaster’s personality.
Now that we have obtained the information, it’s time to move on to the next part.
I dealt with the events that had occurred during that time.
“Well, for now… you won’t mention this, right?”
“Why should I tell anyone else?”
“Now you’re not even being polite?”
“Judging by your behavior, it feels like you’ve become an accident-prone grandson in your old age. Tsk tsk. You’re just as stubborn as family blood.”
The director grumbled, saying he didn’t have any family, but I was preoccupied with other thoughts.
‘If the emperor is indeed the mastermind… it shouldn’t be a problem to talk about the princess.
After all, with Eferento taking the emperor’s seat… it wouldn’t matter even if it was revealed.’
But I still don’t know if the emperor is an ally or an enemy.
Of course, he should be an ally.
But one should always be prepared for any possibility.
I shared all the stories with the director, except for the fact that I had become a saint of evil spirits.
In the end, they sacrificed themselves for something and it seems that an adult was born as a result.
Fortunately, it wasn’t born nearby, so I was able to survive.
Fortunately, the director didn’t seem to think it was a lie.
“I knew the power of domination was at that level, but… to be able to control it…
Truly amazing. If this matter becomes known… the first princess faction will be overturned.”
“Rather than just commanding subordinates, I can even provide real information.”
“This matter must be kept secret. I can vaguely understand why we were told not to speak of it.”
Fortunately, the director agreed to keep this fact hidden.
As everything was coming to a perfect end.
“Oh, so are you really dating Her Highness the princess?”
And at the director’s remark, my face contorted like the director’s wrinkles.
Perhaps if there had been a temporary showdown between the director and me, I would have won.
Using various non-verbal expressions to convey my displeasure, the director chuckled and continued speaking.
“While Her Highness the princess was receiving treatment, she kept asking for you in her sleep. And even as soon as she woke up, she sought you out. Her face even turned red, I heard.”
“So maybe she’s fallen for me.”
“Then are you going to date someone?”
“No. If the Crown Princess’s boyfriend continues to behave like this, wouldn’t the Emperor himself come and take his life?”
“So you are aware that your behavior is a problem?”
The director muttered like that, focusing his attention elsewhere.
But what happened to the Crown Princess?
Could she really have fallen for me?
“If she doesn’t confess, it wouldn’t be a problem… but what if she does? How should I handle it?”
The reason I have rejected confessions from women all this time is because they were not my type, and also because I couldn’t afford to hold on to any attachment until I resolved something.
I am prepared to die at any time.
If it is not a farewell, but a separation, I couldn’t predict how much it would hurt.
Because I have seen someone in Korea, who lost the person they loved through nothing but tragedy.
“Well, I’ll find out once we meet anyway.”
If the Crown Princess really intends to date me on purpose, I can’t stop her.
My status is not lowly either.
And my parents are hoping for me to quickly get a girlfriend or something, so they won’t object either.
So, I hope she’s not in love with me.
They moved on to the next topic like that.
“So who will take responsibility? In this case, at least one or two people from the Academy should be held accountable, right?”
“Don’t you know that? In a terrorist incident like this. Do you think anyone would be held responsible without anyone’s fault? Normally, the person in charge should resign… but no one wants that.”
“Wait, so the Crown Princess was kidnapped twice and they just let it go for their own benefit? Are they crazy?”
“Power inherently makes people irrational.”
The director’s words.
And words that imply the current situation.
Normally, even if it’s not the fault of the person in charge, they should be held responsible when an incident occurs.
But no aristocrat holds themselves accountable.
It’s because the aristocrats don’t have any intention of holding anyone accountable.
Or more accurately, they are afraid of getting a reason to hold someone accountable.
A reason like the revival of the Sung Hwang Province.
Although I was born on Earth, to the people here, Sung Hwang Cheong was like a law. And when that law was broken, going back seems undesirable.
During this time, the academy was running smoothly, and various mysterious occurrences did not pose a threat to the empire and other countries. The reason for this was the existence of Sung Hwang Cheong.
In the past century, the academy was attacked by external forces only three times, and none of these incidents were internal. It was my kidnapping, the attempted abduction of the princess, and the exchange war incident.
And even those wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been there.
Sung Hwang Cheong had existed for over ten thousand years, considering its duration. During this time, numerous nations rose and fell, but Sung Hwang Cheong never experienced a single downfall.
Thus, Sung Hwang Cheong became a myth, deeply embedded with the image of hope.
However, this myth shattered due to an incident in the current situation.
“If Sung Hwang Cheong were intact… there was an official setting that stated if Sung Hwang Cheong were intact, the Evil Sect and the Lion Legion wouldn’t have needed players to deal with them… I’ve said enough.”
The majority of WFS’s enemies took advantage of Sung Hwang Cheong’s weakened state and rapidly became stronger.
Until then, they had been mere puppets, continuing their existence without a clear end in sight.
But only one group raised their heads after Sung Hwang Cheong’s downfall.
They grew to the point of threatening peace.
And since nobles had no knowledge of these developments, they made a judgment.
They decided not to quickly rebuild Sung Hwang Cheong, even if sacrifices were involved.
“Some nobles even see their children as mere components… unbelievable.”
From a safety-seeking standpoint, the swift revival of Sung Hwang Cheong is the right course. However, nobles are not aligned with Sung Hwang Cheong and are neutral forces.
While the ideal situation is the normal functioning of Sung Hwang Cheong, the majority of nobles do not welcome such a scenario.
After all, there isn’t a person without a speck of dust when examined closely.
So, the academy is avoiding taking responsibility.
If the academy were held accountable, the successor would investigate the cause to prevent this incident, providing a strong justification for the normalization of Sung Hwang Cheong.
“If the Emperor were directly in charge… the Imperial Family and the Celestial Court are allies, but they also keep each other in check. The probability of that happening is low…”
Of course, the Celestial Court is a necessary evil.
If things truly spiral into chaos, the Emperor will resurrect it.
Even the adults will continue to produce offspring, so eventually, they will regain their strength without anyone’s help.
The nobles are aware of this, which is why they persist in their current state.
“Anyway, I will put a stop to it.”
Of course, I don’t think it will come to that.
To leave behind what I want to leave behind, I need to protect this world.
With that in mind, I decided to take a brief rest and gather my thoughts.
For the sake of my legacy.
—-
The medical room of the Tantalus Residence where Princess Alice Tantalus of the Helium Empire resided.
Many people were waiting to see Alice Tantalus there.
However, Alice wasn’t in a particularly good mood.
According to what she had heard from her maids, the room of Abraçasses, the man who had saved her, didn’t have many visitors.
Of course, the fact that the Chief had restricted access was a factor, but the low number of visitors remained unchanged.
All of these factors were enough to make Alice Tantalus feel irritated.
“They all seem to be trying to make a good impression on me. It’s probably because I’m at the center of this incident.”
A large number of nobles, politicians, and high-ranking officials were involved in the revelation of the Dark Cult.
That’s why the Celestial Court is investigating it as well.
The Imperial Family has also mentioned a large-scale investigation.
In this situation, the one who holds a sort of executioner’s authority is Abraçasses and Alice Tantalus.
“It’s fine if they don’t show up in my sight… but if they don’t pay attention to Abraçasses… haven’t they considered that I might not like it?”
At some point, calling him Abraçasses became too long and formal.
Alice began calling him Abraç for short.
Of course, she wouldn’t call him that without his permission.
However, Alice could understand these circumstances.
The fact that high-ranking officials were part of the Dark Cult has been revealed.
The Celestial Court has launched a large-scale investigation.
The Imperial Family has also received cooperation.
In this situation, due to the princess’s testimony, there was a possibility of an extensive investigation into the Sage Bureau and the royal family.
Many nobles were concerned about Alice’s state of mind.
Abraxas was also in a similar situation.
As he was less politically involved, many paid more attention to Alice.
“Nobody’s completely clean in this court. If they become subjects of the Sage Bureau’s investigation, it could be troublesome… That’s how it is.”
Even if there were no connections to the cult of evil spirits, it didn’t matter.
Wrong was still wrong.
Because the princess was the victim.
“For now, I’d like to be alone for a while… So please, all of you, leave.”
“All right! Understood!”
However, Alice, who would have normally sought political gain, simply issued a command.
She wanted to think about the man who had intruded into her mind without permission.
As she briefly let her imagination take flight like that, a maid came back to report after completing what she had been instructed to do.
“So… How did it go?”
“Yes. According to what I found out, it seems he has no experience in romantic relationships. A few ladies-in-waiting even confessed to him, but he rejected them all.”
Hoho.
No experience in romantic relationships. What a joy that brought to Alice Tantalotta’s smile.
But at the same time, she felt gloomy.
There was a possibility that her own feelings might be rejected as well.
Separate from that, the maid’s feelings were in disarray.
Her mistress had never shown such a reaction before.
Since she had been nurtured from the time her mistress was in her mother’s womb, she decided to ask one question.
“Your Highness… May I speak my mind about one thing?”
“Speak.”
“Your Highness… To arrange something like this for Lord Abraxas’ son… No matter how important it is for Lord Abraxas to rise to the position of the empire’s prime minister, this seems like putting the cart before the horse…”
The maid’s words were correct.
According to the information available, there was no need to pay this much attention to Abraxas.
But that wasn’t what Alice cared about.
The reason she said this was not to become Jaesang.
“Huh. Jaesang? I don’t want him because I want his position.”
“Then, can you tell me what you want?”
There was a brief silence.
Alice didn’t say anything for a moment.
The maid was bewildered.
Because she didn’t know why she was reacting like this.
At the time when the maid thought she had done something wrong.
Princess smiled briefly and said to the maid, who was like her other parents.
“I…want Jaesang’s position in order to take him away.”
The face of Alice Tantalota who said that was blushing like any other teenage girl.
It was the moment a girl was born as a woman.