“Well, he is someone about whom so little is known…….”

So the mysterious aspect was what drew him? But there was something peculiar about his tone that suggested it wasn’t quite that simple.

The faculty member asked cautiously.

“But you speak as if you know more, Professor Yujin. Have you met Professor Chris before?”

“…….”

Yujin’s answer came after a brief pause. As if the words were caught in his throat.

“Of course not.”

Yujin’s face, smiling as if to say that couldn’t possibly be true, looked somewhat wistful. The faculty member attributed it to the twilight glow seeping through the window.

* * *

Academy principals in fantasy novels generally fell into one of two categories.

First, the long-bearded old man.

Or, for magical reasons, someone extremely young or even a child.

Lily, the principal of Bedallua Academy, was naturally…….

“I know your personality, but to go an entire semester without once coming to pay your respects!”

The latter.

A young girl so short you’d have to bend deeply to meet her eye level. Her cotton-candy-like fluffy pink hair made her look adorable enough to dote on at any moment—

‘In the original story, every last one of those who committed such rudeness ended up folded in half and embedded in that wall, just like the Lion over there.’

Having been roughed up so badly his shirt was torn into an embarrassing state, the Healer could be seen applying bandages to him.

The owner of monstrous strength who showed no mercy even to her own nephew—that was Lily Bedallua.

“This useless nephew of mine is getting exactly what he deserves! Take it and go. And if you ignore even this, I’ll uproot that tree you love sitting under so much and plant it right outside my room—see if I don’t.”

To rob a cat of its sanctuary—what an atrocious act. I deliberately twitched my eyebrows ever so slightly, and the principal snorted with satisfaction.

“……Get to the point.”

So what troublesome task was she going to assign this time? I let out a sigh that clearly conveyed as much.

The principal then placed her small, adorable hands on her hips and spoke.

“You know how to dance, I assume?”

Excuse me? Not at all?

[Main Quest: Request of the Earth God 2-5]

[Principal Lily Bedallua transfers to you and X-Class an invitation to the Holy Emperor’s birthday banquet. Surely you wouldn’t simply throw your superior’s gift on the floor, would you? While you’re at it, let’s make an appearance. It won’t be a bad opportunity for Michael by any means. Complete the banquet with him without incident.]

Success Reward: Ring of Reflection

Failure: Dance with skeletons!

Time Remaining: 15 days 00:00:00]

“Well, help out with the banquet preparations while you’re at it. So, what’s your answer?”

I regarded the principal and the system window floating before her with cold eyes.

One reason this world was a trash game was that you couldn’t choose which quests to accept. Like an invitation shoved into your pocket before you’d even agreed to it.

I’d wondered why the principal had personally deigned to visit the classroom—since I showed no signs of going to her, the System had pulled strings.

‘No, let’s look on the bright side. I needed to start building trust with the Holy Emperor’s faction around this time anyway.’

Given everything I’d pulled, I needed to smooth things over with the principal at least once. The reason I hadn’t committed to a route was to walk the tightrope between the Demon Lord and the Holy Emperor.

But either way, this was a troublesome matter for ‘Chris.’ So I outwardly maintained an expression of utter reluctance and let out a low groan.

“What’s so great about a day that rolls around every year that they go to all this nonsense.”

“Hey, you. Someone who spent their time loitering in back alleys wouldn’t know, but it’s an event with quite a deep history. It’s also one of the few days a year the Grand Temple opens its doors.”

I knew, obviously. It was lore from the original story.

The Holy Emperor was the ruler of the Holy Kingdom, a small theocratic state centered around the Grand Temple. Roughly comparable to Vatican City back on Earth. Furthermore, security was so tight that civilians couldn’t even approach the Grand Temple without special occasion.

“This year’s banquet is especially significant. I’m told His Holiness the Holy Emperor will be unveiling a remarkable Holy Relic.”

“I-Is that true! I’ve heard rumors of the Five Great Holy Relics housed in the Grand Temple, but I’ve never seen one in person! To witness with my own eyes the true form of something that has existed only in rumor—!”

The Model Student, unable to contain himself any longer, finally burst out.

Truth be told, he’d been spellbound with awe ever since the principal walked in. It seemed he’d only just regained enough presence of mind to start gushing.

‘Come to think of it, he was a member of the Lily Bedallua fan club. Also deeply interested in religion. I suppose he feels like a devout pilgrim right now.’

The principal nodded with a satisfied expression.

“That’s right! I’m granting you an exceedingly precious opportunity. You should be prostrating yourselves on the floor in gratitude, and even that wouldn’t be enough.”

“Yes, thank you, Principal! I, Nika Tot, humbly pay my respects!”

This kid’s excessive enthusiasm was always an issue. I raised my arm and caught the Model Student just before he could perform a full prostration.

“Don’t take that old woman’s words at face value.”

“Huh? Pardon…?”

“Haa… What are the exact conditions?”

As I casually ruffled my hair and asked, the principal grinned.

Damn. She wasn’t just planning to assign simple busywork after all.

“It’s nothing much. Bring Student Michael and the teacher he’s so devoted to. Just to exchange pleasantries, that’s all.”

In other words, the others would do well to sit this one out.

After all, the only ones the Holy Emperor would care to see were Michael—a peculiar existence reported to him through the principal—and someone like me, with the distinction of hailing from the Demon Lord’s army.

The Lion was probably there as a watchdog.

I had no idea why she’d blurt that out in a room full of the other students. There were bound to be students who’d throw a fit demanding to come, just like the Model Student.

Maybe she just wanted to enjoy watching me suffer through babysitting… I was sighing enough to make the ground cave in.

“The compensation had better be solid.”

I said in a tone that clearly carried the unspoken addendum: ‘if you’re going to work me this hard.’

“Oh my, how frightening. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated.”

Well, maybe a salary bonus or something. Having money wouldn’t hurt, so I hoped that was the case.

The price of hardtack biscuits—my staple diet—had been rising lately, which was troubling. Inflation was a problem in this world too.

* * *

Summer had begun in earnest.

‘It’s hot.’

I understood why Bedallua Academy’s break began at this time. In this scorching weather, if you told students to study, either their brains would fry or they’d try to stew the professor in a cauldron—one of the two.

‘There had never been a day I missed air conditioning more than today.’

The faces of the Ice Princess of ice magic and Twin-braid of water magic seemed to shimmer before my eyes like heat haze.

One had been called home by the Duke, and the other had gone to the Magic Tower to research Possession Vessels, so naturally, the ones who came along on this journey were…….

“Professor. Senior Ryan wishes to undertake a vow of silence. He put the gag in himself, so please don’t concern yourself with it.”

“Mmph, mmph mmph!”

“Oh my, Senior, what an extraordinary training method you’ve discovered. How impressive.”

“Mm-hmm, hmm!”

The flame-wielding Protagonist, the fervent Lion, the warm Healer.

Every last one of them was a hothead.

‘At least the sun-like Model Student was absent. If he’d been here too, I couldn’t have handled it.’

The Model Student had burned with determination to join this ‘Holy Kingdom expedition,’ but for all his fervor, he was still a young master of a prestigious family. He had no choice but to be dragged back to the family estate per his mother Natasha’s wishes.

The image of him being loaded onto the family carriage, nearly kidnapped, was still vivid in my mind. Hadn’t he reached out toward me with tears streaming down his face, just moments before?

Naturally, I pretended not to see, silently offering thanks to Natasha inwardly.

“Ah, is that the Holy Kingdom over there? They said the entire country is enclosed in a dome, and it’s true!”

“Mmph, mmph!”

The Healer and the Lion pressed their faces against the carriage window, eyes gleaming with interest. The Protagonist, on the other hand, wore a distinctly subdued air.

‘Of course. To him, the Holy Emperor was also an object of resentment.’

When the Protagonist lost his mother to the Demon Lord, not a single one of the supposedly devout villagers had answered his cries. The original story even described it as a night when the temple doors had been locked shut.

And my own impression of the Holy Emperor wasn’t particularly favorable either.

‘I dropped the story right around the part where the Holy Emperor’s shady side was about to be revealed.’

I hadn’t known then. Of all the many novels out there, to transmigrate into this world of all things. I should’ve just spent a little more and read it to the end… Why did I attempt that pointless frugality of all times?

In any case, despite my poor first impression of the Holy Kingdom, actually entering it changed my mind.

It wasn’t just ‘not good.’

It felt like shit.

“Wow, is this the wind magic we’ve only heard about? The one where ice magic formulas are mixed in to keep it constantly cool? They say there’s a mage stationed behind each one!”

“Ooooh, just how many Magic Stones must they be using! So this abundance is the true source of holiness!”

“…To think there’d be such a comfortable environment.”

Air conditioning that blew away every last drop of sweat. Electric lamps that shone around the clock. Every passerby wore clean clothes and bore bright faces.

Literally.

“A utopia?”

No, Protagonist. This place is undoubtedly a city of corruption, steeped in luxury and hedonism.