103 – Gateway
In the south of the continent, in the canyon leading to the Great Forest, there is a huge gateway.
The Church’s followers called it the Sacred Gate, and the conspiracy theorists touted it as the entrance to a storehouse where the Church’s dark secrets were hidden.
But to the paladins guarding this place, it didn’t matter what was going on in the Great Forest.
Like the seniors who sacrificed their lives to protect the gate for hundreds of years and couldn’t even leave their names behind. They themselves were only fulfilling their lifelong duties here.
A place where a day without change continues like every day. Someone suddenly appeared.
A soldier spotted a man walking towards the gate with a steady gait, exuding a lofty dignity, and shouted loudly from the top of the castle wall.
“Stop! If you come any closer, I will shoot an arrow.”
Despite the soldier’s cry, the man’s steps were unstoppable.
The soldier, confirming again that no one was permitted to pass through the gate today, signaled directly to the archer, and arrows rained down on the man.
However, dozens of arrows lost their power in the air and fell to the floor, as if they were being bounced off something invisible.
The soldier who felt something was wrong immediately shook the handle of the bell installed on the wall. The soldiers and paladins who were taking a break at the gateway ran to the walls at the sound of the bell.
Among them is the lord of this sacred gateway. There was Ian, who had obtained the “Title” Of a crimson paladin. As Ian climbed up the wall, an adjutant approached him.
“It has never been hidden.”
From nob le mt l dot com
Not even a single blade of grass grew near the gate so that the enemy had nowhere to hide.
A flat land with nothing on it.
The man who was walking towards the gate looked at Ian on the wall.
The moment I met the man’s gaze, Ian, who felt uneasy for some reason, warned his adjutant.
“Prepare for battle.”
At Ian’s words, the adjutant didn’t ask back and immediately shouted at the soldiers.
“Prepare for battle!!!”
At the adjutant’s cry, a soldier at the top of the gate blew a huge horn.
The remaining knights and priests in the building each raised their weapons and climbed up the wall.
Receiving countless stares on the top of the castle wall, the man stopped his steps and raised his head.
“Is there a saint beyond here?”
It was a mumbling voice.
But none of the people on the wall did not hear the voice.
With no intonation or pitch, a dry voice that makes listeners feel anxious.
“Who are you?”
Ian, who picked up his weapon, the Red Hammer, put magic in his voice and asked as if threatening.
“Answering a question with a question is a bad habit.”
“Shut up. This is a sacred gateway. Anyone who has not received permission from the church cannot pass through this place even in death.”
At Ian’s words, the soldiers on the wall raised and waved flags with the church’s symbol on them.
“To believe in a false god in this false world. How pitiful.”
The man said Ian was an enemy of the church. He realized that it was Chaos Cult.
“Are you a follower of Chaos? I heard it’s a place for crazy people, but he didn’t think there would be an idiot who would come here alone to commit suicide. “
At Ian’s words, I heard the laughter of the soldiers mocking the man on the wall.
There was no change in the man’s expression despite the ridicule.
“Your guesses are all wrong.”
As if a haze shimmered around the man who had spat out dry words, the space began to distort.
“I am neither a follower nor a suicidal person. Above all, you are not alone.”
Wooddudduddude—!
An earthquake that started from under the man’s feet shakes the walls and floor of the gate. A soldier who had been pulling the bowstring at the huge vibration lost his balance and let go of the string.
The man who caught the flying arrow with his hand announced himself to everyone in a low voice.
“My name is Cassis. The number 2 of Confsion, and the leader’s corps.”
A huge book appeared in front of Cassis. Black light emanated from the book, which opened its pages by itself, and a skeleton knight in armor came out of the book.
As if pouring from that, all sorts of evil things started pouring out of the book.
The number of them filling the plains was literally legions.
“And I am your death.”
As soon as the arrogant Cassis’s words were finished, the Legion of Death began to move toward the gateway.
***
The day after the duel, which was a festival in the capital.
Even though it’s Monday, a break has come to the academy.
Some of the items from the temporary store that were installed in the classroom were still there, and it was a break from the tidying up of the festival.
However, the students who did not participate in the duel gathered in the morning and cleaned every nook and cranny of the academy together. Thanks to that, I was able to skip breakfast and sleep in until a bit late.
I had lunch with the members who returned from cleaning. Since it was free time from lunch, I felt a pleasant uproar from the restaurant.
After finishing the meal, I went straight to Professor Leora with Arya. I thought it would be good in many ways to tell the person concerned before using the right to wish.
“Ugh, am I not the only one shivering?”
Aria pursed her lips, as if she was uneasy about meeting Professor Leora.
“Wouldn’t it be better to adapt quickly? From now on, you will have to meet the professor alone without me.”
“Don’t worry. Because I am more like an animal than a person. You will adapt more easily!”
I deeply sympathized with Aria’s words and opened the door to the teachers’ room. It’s quiet because there are no people because it’s a break.
“Professor. I have come to ask you something.”
She froze and spoke her words on behalf of Aria, who kept her mouth shut.
Leora looked over at Arya with a stern gaze and asked.
“Which is it?”
“I want to use the wish ticket I received for Professor Leora. Here, I came because I wanted to ask you to accept Arya as her disciple.”
I sneakily hit Arya with her elbow. Arya, who twitched her body as if a button had been pressed, opened her mouth at my signal.
“No, hello! I’m Arya Baldwin! A freshman in the Ministry of Magic, and mainly uses fire and lightning elemental magic! He placed 4th in the Ranked Test and reached the quarterfinals in Duels. I become a student of Professor Leora, who has a high reputation at the academy….”
The corners of her mouth twitched at Aria’s words, which seemed to have been memorized by anyone. Professor Leora isn’t bad enough to make me nervous.
When Aria finished her well-prepared words, Professor Leora said with the same firm voice as always, without a change of expression.
“Aria, could you please leave your seat for a while?”
“… Yes? Ah yes!”
Professor Leora asked as she shook her head at the sight of Aria leaving her classroom in a hurry as if she was running away.
“I wanted to talk alone just in case. Was there any threat or coercion to transfer the right to wish?”
I was taken aback by the sudden question, but I immediately shook my head in denial.
“No. It never happens. Arya and I are friends. I have never had a separate transaction with the right to wish.”
“Then why are you using the Right of Wish for someone else?”
“Because I’m going to use one wish ticket, and I decided to use the remaining wish ticket for Aria, a member of the Messiah Club. I thought it would be nice if the members could grow more than they do now.”
After hearing my answer, Professor Leora nodded and murmured.
“The growth of members…. I’m sure Ross would have felt that it was lacking a lot. Understand.”
Yes… ? Something seems to have interpreted my good intentions in a different way. I wanted to ask a question, but Professor Leora spoke faster than I did.
“We have to have a separate interview with Arya, so Ross can leave.”
At the hard voice, I immediately bowed my head and went out of the classroom.
“What, what are you saying… ? Did you allow Aren’t you just mad?”
I smiled mischievously at Aria, who clung to me with her uneasy eyes.
“Professor Leora wants to have a private interview?”
“Whoops!”
Aria’s mouth fell open. Her shocked eyes widened more than usual.
With a trembling voice, Arya asked as if pleading.
“I, will you stay with me?”
I shook my head slowly with a mischievous smile as I hurriedly crossed my arms in case I ran away.
“I’m sorry, but it’s a separate interview. I can’t be with you.”
When I snapped the back of Arya’s hand that was holding her arm inside her, Arya licked her lips and gave a sad look as if she had been betrayed.
“Come on, Professor, wait for me. Go ahead.”
“Sleep, prepare your mind for a moment… ! Stop, stop!”
When I forcibly pushed Arya into the classroom, I giggled at the way she looked at me with her wide, disgruntled eyes and thick lips that could be grabbed if she stretched out her hand, and I closed the classroom door.
Although she didn’t have a flashy beauty like Ellie’s, Aria was definitely a beauty with a pretty appearance.
But I’ve never felt Arya as her opposite s*x until now.
It would be safe to say that it is a partner that is unfamiliar to me, and the word female friend suits it.
A friend of the opposite s*x who is fun and interesting when together.
Actually, rather than being her friend, I felt more like an immature younger sister who had to take care of her.
A distracted, curious little sister.
If you talk to Kane like this, she will immediately reply, ‘Isn’t that an aria?’
Unlike usual, I thought of Aria who would be embarrassed in front of Professor Leora, and I moved her steps into the club room with her smile.
yep that’s what she is kek