Chapter 71 : Chapter 71

Chapter 71 : Offering a Prayer

A gentle breeze brushed against my neck.

The scent of flowers tickled my nose.

The warmth contained within it announced that spring had fully arrived.

“A month from now is the mid-term evaluation.”

Muttering to myself, I walked through the cathedral’s garden.

Last night, after that incident, I collapsed as is.

I only came this morning.

When I opened my eyes, Professor Ilai was looking down at me.

“Are you awake, Gerard?”

“Oh, Professor Ilai.”

“How’s your body?”

“Refreshed.”

I stretched my arms wide.

My body felt as light as if I’d woken from a pleasant dream.

Seeing this, Professor Ilai chuckled softly.

“That’s a relief. Not only Karina, but your body was in rough shape too, Gerard, after bringing her here.”

“Oh, right. What about Karina? How is she?”

I asked hurriedly.

“She’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

A calm smile formed on Professor Ilai’s lips.

Only then did I feel relieved.

“Thank goodness.”

“Thanks to you, Gerard. If you had been even a little late, it could’ve been…”

Professor Ilai swallowed the rest of her words without finishing.

“The curse has been completely purified. Her strength is gradually returning, so she’ll likely regain consciousness within the day.”

“Thank you.”

“Give your thanks to the Lord, Gerard. I’m merely a conduit for His miracles in this world.”

With nothing particular to say, I did just that.

“Thank you, Max Obje.”

“Hehe. Good. Now that I’ve confirmed you’re awake, I’ll be going.”

“Huh? Where to?”

“To work?”

Oh. The Academy!

Only then did I check the time and throw off the blanket covering me.

I was late.

“Wait a moment, Gerard.”

“What? I have a first-period lecture, so I need to hurry…”

“Take the day off. I’ll inform the Student Affairs Office.”

“For real?”

“Would I lie?”

I lay back down on the bed.

‘Fine. Let’s take this chance to rest!’

I looked at Professor Ilai and asked,“Is this something I should thank the Lord for too?”

Professor Ilai smiled beautifully and closed the door.

Back to the present, in the cathedral’s garden.

I stopped walking and looked up at the massive statue standing in the center.

The Lord, Max Obje.

The deity who created this world and the one who brought me here (presumably).

He had the form of a human, but no face.

“Hey. Why did you bring me here?”

There was no answer.

Well, of course. He had no mouth.

If anything, I was the weird one for asking a question to an inanimate statue.

“Still, thanks, I guess. For Karina’s situation, and for not having to go to the Academy today. Professor Ilai told me to thank you, so I’m doing it.”

Other than that, I had nothing to be grateful for.

After all, everything I’d been through so far was nothing but shitty bad luck.

“I don’t know why you brought me to this world. But if you’re going to drag me here, at least make it worth my while, okay? Or just leave me alone.”

Still no answer.

“Silence means agreement. I’ll take it as you understand.”

It was then.

Suddenly, I felt a warmth spreading in my chest.

“Oh?”

It wasn’t my imagination.

A genuine warm sensation was spreading through my chest.

Could this be Max Obje’s response to me?

‘If so, this must be divine power.’

Nodding to myself, I looked down at my chest.

Sunlight was shining on it.

Divine power, my ass—it was just ordinary sunlight reflecting off the statue.

“…A placebo, huh. Ahem.”

Feeling oddly embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and entered the cathedral.

I was about to head to my room when I recalled something Professor Ilai had said and changed direction.

Knock! Knock!

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

“Who’s ‘me’?”

“Don’t play around.”

A soft giggle came from inside.

“I’m coming in.”

I opened the door.

Karina, lying on the bed, lifted her head and glared at me.

“You’re still as mannerless as ever. Barging into a lady’s bedroom without permission.”

“You did the same thing.”

Karina’s mouth shut into a straight line.

“Nothing to say, huh?”

Grinning, I pulled a chair next to Karina’s bed and sat down.

“Are you crazy? Saying something like that so casually. What if someone passing by heard you?”

Karina whispered quickly.

“No one’s around and what, did I say anything wrong? You came into my room. We even shared a blanket, so what’s the problem?”

Karina’s face turned bright red.

It looked like it might burst if pricked with a needle.

“Pfft!”

I held my stomach and laughed.

“Stop laughing. My head hurts.”

I complied with her request.

Teasing Karina was fun, but if you overdid it, it got old fast.

Better to do it sparingly and enjoy it for a long time.

Perhaps annoyed by my attitude, Karina got straight to the point.

“Why are you here? If you have something to say, say it and leave. Did you come to hear a thank you for saving me?”

I answered honestly.

“Yeah. That was the plan.”

“You think I’d do that?”

“Nope. Didn’t expect you to.”

“Good call. You were supposed to save me, so why should I thank you?”

Yeah, expecting common sense from her was my mistake.

Still, her sassiness meant her head was fine.

“You know what? The coolest people in the world are those who admit their mistakes.”

“What’s that nonsense? Cool, my ass—that’s just asking to be a pushover. And I’m a noble, you know? Nobles don’t bow their heads lightly. Know your place.”

Grumbling Karina.

I raised both hands and feet in surrender to her nobility.

“Fine, I give up. But at least thank the Lord.”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Waving my hand dismissively, I changed the topic.

This was the real reason I came to see Karina.

“The Vice-Dean and others will probably come by later to ask questions. What are you going to say about why we were together in the Blue Dragon Hall?”

Why, and how, did the two of us end up in the Blue Dragon Hall together?

I was curious about Karina’s thoughts on this.

“What’s there to say? I’ll tell the truth.”

Karina answered without hesitation.

“The truth?”

“Yes. That I suspected you of being a thief from Shadow and that’s how we ended up there together.”

I shot up from the chair.

Startled, Karina asked,“What? What’s wrong? Why’d you stand up? Is someone outside?”

“No. I’m going to see Professor Ilai.”

“Suddenly? Why?”

“Your head’s messed up. The curse hasn’t been fully purified, I’m sure of it.”

Karina looked at me like I was insane.

“Hey. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Really? For real?”

“Ugh. You’re the one who said you’d report it with the Echo Stone first!”

I sat back down.

“Oh, right.”

“I really want to punch you hard right now.”

It wasn’t a joke—between the sudden hostage situation and the curse, with everything happening so fast, I’d forgotten.

Still, it was surprising.

“But didn’t you try to stop me from leaving the lecture hall when I said I’d report it?”

“I did.”

“So why the change of heart?”

Karina looked at me.

Then, suddenly, she turned her head away and muttered softly.

“…Because I’m sorry.”

“What? Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

“I said I’m sorry!”

Why was she suddenly yelling?

I frowned and asked,“Sorry? To whom?”

“Ugh. Seriously. Do you have to pry like that to feel satisfied?”

Karina glared at me with narrowed eyes.

“Of course. To you.”

“You’re sorry to me? You, Karina?”

“…Yes. Ugh, your reaction is so annoying.”

But despite her words, the expression on Karina’s face was far from annoying.

She looked embarrassed and awkward, fidgeting with the blanket for no reason, her gaze fixed somewhere far off.

Regardless, I kept staring at her with disbelief.

Karina.

Saying she was sorry to me.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

The next words out of her mouth were even more shocking, enough to stun the entire world.

“And thank you. For saving me.”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t respond for a moment.

When no answer came from me, Karina looked up.

Then, with one eyebrow raised, she asked,“…What’s that? What’s with that pose?”

At that moment, my right arm was bent in an ‘L’ shape, and my left arm was bent in a reverse ‘L’.

“It’s the pose you strike when you hear something unimaginable.”

“What kind of pose is that?”

It’s a thing.

Anyway.

I straightened my arms and said seriously,“I’m sorry to say this, Karina, but I think the curse has already eaten away at your brain. Damn it. I should’ve come sooner… Ugh.”

“Are you seriously crazy?”

Being called crazy by a crazy person felt oddly satisfying.

“Ahem. If you’re really grateful, don’t just say it—give me something.”

“I was planning to anyway.”

“Huh? For real?”

“Ha! Don’t you know me? I’m Karina Zain. Did you think I’d just brush it off with words?”

Exactly.

That’s why I was excited.

‘This is insane.’

Karina Zain, the empire’s ultimate diva.

Obsessed with high-end luxury, her eyes practically spin at the sight of limited-edition items.

“What are you going to give me?”

“I’ll take care of that, so just wait quietly.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Karina.

I hoped she’d give it to me before my thief identity got exposed.

She wouldn’t forget, right?

“Hey. I’m going to give you something nice, so stop looking at me like that. I might just cancel it.”

Since that was a real possibility, I quickly fixed my expression.

* * *

The cathedral’s recovery room, where Karina was, was filled with heavy air.

This was because of the bombshell statement that had just come out of Karina’s mouth.

So, Gerard didn’t strike the pose he’d used earlier for hearing something unimaginable.

He just quietly observed the situation.

In front of Gerard and Karina stood three people.

The Vice-Dean and two department heads from the Academy.

They were all mulling over Karina’s statement with complicated expressions.

‘I suspected Senior Gerard of being a thief from Shadow. So I’d been stalking him for a while, and this incident happened because of that. I went to the Blue Dragon Hall to confront him.’

The Zain heiress’s suspicions and stalking and the reappearance of Shadow, which was the root of it all.

Though she omitted the part about the dorm intrusion, in the current situation, that detail didn’t even register.

At the top of the Academy was the Dean, Bell Toro.

But in reality, the ones running the Academy were these three people.

Shadow’s appearance.

The news that they were targeting the Academy was not something to laugh off lightly.

“But couldn’t Karina have been mistaken? Shadow, really? Haha. That’s too out of the blue.”

At that moment, Allen broke the silence.

“No. Actually, I’ve heard something similar.”

“What?”

“Three days ago, the Obelisk Control Room was bombed.”

“Oh, that incident…”

“Yes. According to the guards, the bomber’s appearance matches what Karina just described.”

A skull mask and a staff with a raven’s head.

“It’s certain. Those two things are the Shadow Master’s trademarks. I read about it in my family’s archives, so it’s accurate.”

Karina nodded, backing him up.

“Oh no.”

Allen’s face crumpled.

“Why are you only saying this now, Karina!”

“I told you, I wanted to catch him myself.”

“So? Did you catch him!? Did you!?”

“No, but I’m telling you now, so isn’t that enough?”

Allen grabbed the back of his neck at Karina’s shamelessness.

His personality would’ve had him cursing her out, but unfortunately, Karina Zain had the massive backing of the Zain Ducal Family.

And Allen Desico was a man with ambitions for political advancement.

With the Zain family’s next heir still undecided, crossing Karina would be like making an enemy of his own accord.

‘Serves him right.’

Gerard smirked, watching the scene unfold.

“Still, mistaking this guy for Shadow’s Master is a bit much.”

“What, am I supposed to be a genius every day and always perfect? I’m human too, I can make mistakes.”

“Ha. Do you even know what kind of person Shadow’s Master is?”

“Of course. The thief among thieves, a world-class public enemy.”

“You know well. And yet you suspected this nobody of being Shadow’s Master? Huh? Are you in your right mind!!!”

Allen suddenly shouted.

His anger gauge had filled up from Karina’s backtalk, finally snapping his rationality.

It was something like a gradient rage, wasn’t it?

But Karina wasn’t one to back down either.

“Hey, why are you yelling all of a sudden!?”

“What? You little—! Do I look like I can stay calm right now!? Huh!? I’m already getting a headache thinking about what to tell your father!!!”

“Then don’t think about it!”

“What? You…”

Allen’s hands trembled.

His expression screamed, ‘What do I do with this little brat?’ His mustache was quivering from the sheer anger.

And that anger spilled over to Gerard, who had been quiet.

“Hey, you. What kind of behavior do you usually show for a kid with no suspicions to think like that? Huh?”

Gerard ignored him, not deeming it worth a response.

Just as Allen was about to explode, the Vice-Dean stepped in.

“Enough. What fault does Gerard have? If you think about it, he’s the one who’s been wronged. Suspected by a junior, chased by a villain. He must’ve gone through a lot.”

“But, Vice-Dean!”

“And lower your voice, Allen. Have you forgotten where we are?”

This was the cathedral dedicated to Lord Max Obje.

Reluctantly, Allen rubbed his face with his hands, trying hard to suppress his anger.

“Anyway, you both went through a lot, so rest well. Let’s stop disturbing them and let the kids rest.”

Saying this, the Vice-Dean left first, looking somewhat hurried.

Department Head Pirion didn’t say anything, but he had been serious ever since the word “Shadow” came out of Karina’s mouth.

Shadow, thought to have disappeared ten years ago, had reappeared.

And they were showing hostility toward the Academy.

The professors, who knew well the terror Shadow once wielded, understood the gravity of the situation.

A grand meeting needed to be convened immediately.

* * *

The next day.

Gerard left the cathedral early in the morning.

One day of rest was enough.

Honestly, it didn’t even feel like rest.

Chased by death flags, cult requests, money, guilds, and various situations, Gerard couldn’t possibly rest easy.

‘And in the middle of all that, the professors came and made a fuss. How am I supposed to rest?’

The professors had likely called a grand meeting as soon as they returned to the Academy.

Gerard was curious about the outcome.

‘Normally, I’d have eavesdropped through Peter, who’s nested in the meeting hall.’

But the distance between the Academy and the cathedral was too great for eavesdropping.

“Why are you here?”

“To tell you I’m leaving.”

“Already? Wouldn’t it be better to stay one more day and go with me?”

Gerard tilted his head.

“What’s good about that?”

He was genuinely curious.

“Are you an idiot? You’d be with me. Isn’t that an honor in itself?”

“Honor, my ass. What’s so honorable about that?”

“…Fine. Just get lost.”

Karina was scheduled to stay at the cathedral for one more day for further examination.

After exchanging what barely qualified as a farewell, Gerard left the cathedral.

It was then.

“Huh? Is that Gerard?”

An unfamiliar voice called out to him.

There, a middle-aged man with an unusually shiny head was looking at him.

Recognizing his face, Gerard bowed.

“Oh. Greetings.”

The man approached.

“It is you, haha. But how do you know who I am?”

“Marquis Wagner, right?”

“Hahaha! That’s right. I’m Malion Wagner!”

The head of the Summoning School, Marquis Malion Wagner, slapped Gerard’s shoulder and laughed heartily.

“I read about you in the Royal Dream’s newsletter, so I remembered.”

His shoulder felt like it might dislocate, but Gerard smiled back.

There was no harm in making a good impression on him.

Yet, inwardly, Gerard was puzzled.

‘Why is Marquis Wagner here? Wait, did he come to see me?’

It was a strong possibility.

Gerard had performed remarkably during the hostage situation.

His greatest feat was saving the hostages, including Max Wagner.

Max Wagner was the heir to lead the Summoning School after Marquis Wagner.

‘So he came to thank me.’

Gerard smiled faintly.

Marquis Wagner was a great noble, bold and generous.

He wouldn’t just offer thanks empty-handed.

‘He’ll give me something, right?’

Gerard looked at Marquis Wagner with expectant eyes.

“I was planning to meet you after hearing you saved my son, but I didn’t expect to run into you here!”

“…Huh?”

Gerard’s expression turned confused.

Something was off.

He didn’t expect to meet here?

‘…He didn’t come to see me?’

Then why was he at the cathedral…

“Anyway, Academy rumors are unreliable, aren’t they, Your Excellency?”

Gerard’s body froze at that moment.

A detail about Marquis Wagner surfaced in his mind.

Marquis Wagner was the head of the Summoning School.

But he was also the fervent right-hand man of one individual.

And he had just addressed someone behind Gerard as “Your Excellency.”

There was only one person in the empire who could be called that.

“…”

With a stiff face, Gerard slowly turned around.

There, under the statue of Max Obje, he stood.

The master of the Magic Tower, the pillar upholding the empire, the continent’s strongest mage.

At the same time, the living embodiment of fire, who had vanquished the most evil at humanity’s forefront.

And thus, the man Gerard had clearly designated as his “enemy” in his mind.

The man he wanted to avoid most in the world stood there.

Duke Zain, who had been gazing at the statue of the Lord, slowly lowered his eyes.

“Gerard.”

A low call.

But to Gerard, it sounded like a divine verdict.

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