Surviving as a Villain at the Academy - Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 152

152 – Back to the Academy. (3)

Angelus III sighed.

It was good to eradicate the corruption of the Holy Kingdom and solidify the position of the Saint, but the next step was the problem.

The Holy War.

He couldn’t muster the courage to open the Holy War. It felt like the administrative vacuum caused by the oxidation of the Tribunal members was just starting to be filled.

But there was no specific deadline. There was only the command to burn the evil-doers in the holy flames. So… it was right to take some time to prepare.

He had to instruct the intelligence agents to search for evil-doers, and among them, he had to find out if there were any devil’s contract holders. Also, there must be someone who had suffered because of the devil’s contract holder.

Or perhaps, some wicked organization was lurking.

Without such elements, he couldn’t simply call for the Holy War.

Now that the internal issues of the Holy Kingdom had been resolved and order was not yet fully restored, how many people would agree to engage in the Holy War without proper preparation?

The forces had already weakened significantly. To utter the words “Holy War,” the power within the Holy Kingdom had to be strengthened accordingly. The evil entrenched in the world was countless.

So, it was premature to wage the Holy War now.

“Sanctuary, sanctuary….”

Because of that, the dilemma could only deepen.

Precisely because of the existence of Prax Rancel.

His existence was a contradiction in itself. He was a contractor of demons, yet his essence was unmatched in goodness. To the extent of being chosen by the candle.

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…And he was also the person the saint loved.

Should Angelus tell the saint that Prax is a demon’s contractor?

Angelus’s dilemma could only deepen. But if he did so, the saint herself might crumble. Above all, didn’t Micael personally not do so during the last excommunication judgment?

Every action the saint took ultimately ended in righteousness.

What did that really mean? Was it because the saint’s love for Prax was ultimately the right thing? Perhaps there was something unknown that he was not aware of that was related.

“…In the end, is there no point in worrying about all this now?”

He sighed and shuffled through the documents. The sanctuary is the sanctuary… For now, it was better to deal with the documents that had come before him.

After all, the time would come if he waited. By then, he would be able to understand everything.

Adrian felt unusually good today. It was because he could finally meet Prax.

Since returning from the Holy Empire to the Empire, she had never been able to find time to meet Prax.

There was just too much to do. Meeting with the priests within the Empire, explaining what had happened this time, sincerely answering if she loved Prax….

In addition to the many other tasks remaining, she simply had no time to meet Prax.

But now, all that suffering was over.

In anticipation of the day the Academy reopened, she quickly completed all her tasks.

There was no one to stop the determined saint. She searched busily for Prax, and found him talking with Aris.

And she overheard. Aris had arranged to meet Prax separately on a holiday.

“…As expected. Senior Aris.”

Adrian mumbled slightly. There was no time to let her guard down. Apart from Asti, who was almost officially with Prax, there were many women vying for him.

Even Aris seemed to be trying to win Prax over. However, Adrian had no right to say anything to her. She was no different from a woman flirting with a man who already had a partner.

But did she really need the right? Originally, it was right to put a stop to this.

The saint had never coveted anything. People, objects, honors.

But Prax was an exception. He was the only one she had ever desired in her life. She couldn’t easily give him up.

Adrian walked over to Aris and Prax.

“Hello, senior!”

With a cheerful voice, she smiled brightly.

“Hello, Saint. It’s been a while.”

“Ahahahaha. Yes, I’ve been so busy… But, what are you talking about?”

“I have something to discuss briefly. But what’s the matter?”

At Prax’s words, Adrian made a slightly displeased expression.

“Ah. Do we have to have a reason to meet? And I’ve asked you to stop calling me that since last time, right? Besides, even though I’m a saint within the Academy, I’m just a student, so please feel free to call me Ari like last time.”

Then, she took a step closer to Prax. As Aris watched her, his eyes began to waver.

The fact that the saint had a liking for Prax seemed plausible, but he hadn’t expected her to be so proactive.

She even used a nickname.

“Senior. Last time we went to a dessert cafe, how about trying some different places this time?”

A dessert cafe?

In an instant, Aris recalled the words Frach had just said.

“You’re also into dessert cafes?”

Ah. She had already been there. And with the saint. In the Holy Kingdom.

At that moment, Aris realized clearly that Adrienne should be wary of her. Her actions were much bolder than Aris had imagined.

Look. Casually linking arms with Frach like that.

Watching that scene, Aris remembered what she had promised herself last time.

There’s no need to be ashamed. Why should liking someone, or it becoming gossip to someone, be embarrassing?

Just look at the saint. She was someone for whom liking anyone in itself was a sin. Yet, she boldly confessed her love to Frach, breaking through all the malice directed towards her.

She said something. Liking someone is not a sin. And acting to win over the one you like is not a sin either.

Even the saint was making efforts like that to approach the person she had in her heart, so what was she to herself.

Aris decided to steel herself.

“Frach agreed to talk to me first. I’m sorry, but how about you, Saint, make an appointment separately later?”

The sword made of words skillfully aimed at Adrienne. Adrienne just smiled faintly, whether to agree or disagree.

“Oh, didn’t you finish your business already, Aris-senpai?”

“No. My business is not done yet, so, kohai.”

Aris glanced at the saint who was smiling faintly and linked her arm with Frach’s remaining one.

“I have something to talk about with my long-time childhood friend, so I want to go somewhere else for a moment. Will you let go of Frach?”

And in the meantime, Frach felt a headache coming on.

* * *

Why are they like this again? Just split me in half and be done with it.

Seeing them pulling towards me, my head started pounding for no reason.

“Hey, why don’t you both stop? My arm is starting to hurt.”

“Oh. S-sorry.”

“Sorry….”

“Um, well, I’m talking with Aris as Aris said…. I’m sorry, Arin, let’s talk next time.”

“Okay….”

Adrienne bowed deeply, feeling regretful at my words.

“Don’t be too hard on Aris either.”

“Okay.”

But on the contrary, Aris looked delighted.

…I just said I had business with Aris, that’s why I said that. Yet, I felt sorry. In the end, as long as both of them have a crush on me, I will keep seeing such a scene.

These girls… things were unfolding just as Asti had mentioned. Did I do something rational to attract them? It didn’t seem so.

I tickled them, took care of them a bit, but that was it, and yet Aris was almost at the point of thinking I was going to assault her. Normally, after experiencing such an incident, wouldn’t it be difficult for a woman to like that man?

Was I such a significant presence to her that such an incident would weigh heavily on her?

I don’t know. But… eventually, as Asti had said, I had to go to the end of the conversation with these guys.

In that case, I need to mediate appropriately.

“Well, Arin, let’s catch up next time.”

“Okay….”

With a defeated voice, Adrienne started walking away slowly.

On the other hand, Aris overflowed with vitality in her expression.

“So, Aris.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Oh, nothing. I just… wanted to chat about this and that after a long time. Is that okay…?”

“There’s no reason why it wouldn’t be. What do you want to talk about?”

“Just, stories about the academy and classes. I also want to vent a bit… like old times. Is that alright?”

“That’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

I don’t believe that I can handle Aris and Adrian, who claim to like me, without any problems.

But, I had to handle it. They are people who care about me… I can’t just ignore them. Well, I guess it’s fortunate that this world is not entirely an autocracy.

The original Ruslan must have had these struggles. I don’t know how I ended up in this situation.

I sighed.

I missed Asti for no reason. She’s the only one who truly understands my situation.

Perhaps, by now, he’s looking at me with great interest.