The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 409



409 – Special Lesson of Hell -6-

Elicia, standing in front of the students, looked at them with a kind smile.

“My teaching method will proceed with a combination of ‘theory’ and ‘practice.’”

“…”

“If there is anything difficult or something you do not understand, please feel free to ask, and I will explain it to you.”

“…”

“The study of divine power itself seems simple yet difficult.”

Yuria was scared.

Even the voice of the woman speaking kindly.

Even the holy appearance of the woman dressed in white linen felt completely out of place.

The way she had appeared that day was like a demon, and the way she treated them now, as if she were a completely different person, made it impossible to focus on the lesson. It felt like she could change her expression and turn on them at any moment.

Contrary to Yuria’s anxious heart, Elisia began to continue the lesson with a holy smile.

“…As you all know, the main purpose of divine power is to heal the wounded.”

“…”

“This is the biggest difference between magic and divine power.”

Elisia looked at Yuria and asked a question.

“Yuria.”

“Yes…!”

“What do you think is the difference between a healer and a potion?”

“…What?”

Surprised by the unexpected question, Yuria looked at Elisia with a foolish gaze. Comparing ‘potions’ and ‘healers’ was a taboo in the healing department.

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It was a kind of inferiority complex.

They didn’t want to admit that they were replaceable and wanted to take pride in the field they were studying.

“I… I think…”

“Feel free to speak. You can say you don’t see much difference, or you can talk about the side effects of potions.”

Other students, their pride pricked by the question, also looked at Elisia with cold eyes and kept silent.

Yuria closed her trembling eyes tightly and spoke in a low voice.

“I think… healers can provide more certain healing than potions, so it’s impossible to compare them. Potions are useful in emergency situations…”

“Wouldn’t it be solved by using an expensive potion? Potions costing over 100 gold not only heal wounds but also have the effect of curing basic diseases.”

“That is…”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

As awkward glances were exchanged, Elisia smiled brightly as if nothing had happened and dispelled the awkward atmosphere.

“Yuria is right.”

“…”

“The difference between a healer and a potion is that a healer can provide more certain healing.”

“…”

“More than a tasteless potion, the healer’s touch is warmer, and the more skilled the healer, the more they can heal not only serious injuries but also diseases.”

“…”

“Yes.”

Elicia emphasized to the students with an awkward smile.

“A ‘skilled healer’ is more useful than a ‘100 gold’ potion.”

At Elicia’s words, the students’ eyes began to turn cold. It was a drawback of the healing department that even the professors didn’t mention.

Elicia, as if she had expected the students’ hardened expressions, continued her explanation with a gentle smile.

“…Now, let’s talk about the theory of divine power.”

“…”

“The total amount of divine power is divided into two categories. The fixed amount from birth, like ‘Yuria student,’ and the method of slowly increasing it by praying to the gods.”

“…”

“The method of praying to the gods is first….”

The students, feeling bored, had forgotten their anger at the sight of Elicia continuing the class like a preaching pastor.

“As for the relationship between sermons and divine power….”

The basic theory was something they had heard to the point of exhaustion at the academy. For students who had heard the same words countless times over as many as three years, being told to take the same class during the vacation was like reaching the peak of boredom.

“Hey… isn’t this a bit sleepy?”

“Yeah. They say she’s a special professor, but it doesn’t seem like there’s anything different.”

“I think it would be better to have a class with the director.”

Despite the students’ poor attitudes, Elicia continued the class steadfastly.

“Hmm…”

As if waiting for a decisive moment.

“Doesn’t it sound cool just by the name? The power that only those loved by the gods can use…”

“…”

“Looking at these things, you are no different from the chosen ones. To the point where you wouldn’t envy students who use magic.”

Elicia, as if testing the limits of their drowsiness, spoke to the students with a question.

“Can I tell you an interesting fact?”

“…It doesn’t seem interesting.”

“Hey… shh…! Your voice was too loud.”

“I don’t know… I’m sleepy.”

“Do you think people who serve gods other than the ‘Goddess Church,’ the state religion of the empire, can gain divine power?”

“…Do you know?”

“No. I don’t want to know either.”

“That’s true.”

“I will give my love to the one who gets it right.”

“…Such passion.”

“Puhat… Don’t make me laugh.”

Yuria swallowed dryly as she watched the students whispering softly. Elicia had been glancing at them from time to time.

Feeling Elicia’s gaze, Yuria clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly, hoping that nothing would happen.

“Does no one know?”

Elicia quickly spat out the answer without dragging it out.

“The correct answer is ‘You can have divine power even if you don’t serve the same god.’ Isn’t it surprising? Due to personal circumstances, I became unable to use divine power…”

“…Haaam.”

As Elicia’s passionate speech continued, a student couldn’t hold back a yawn.

Laughter is heard.

Giggling laughter.

“What are you doing…!”

“I don’t know. I’m sleepy.”

“How can you embarrass the teacher like that…”

“You said it would be interesting, but what is this?”

‘Please…’

Yuria’s hands began to grow cold. The moment the yawn was heard, Elicia’s expression began to turn cold. Although it was a fleeting moment, Yuria, who saw Elicia’s changed expression, looked at the student next to her with trembling eyes to scold them.

“…Are you sleepy?”

The kind smile on Elicia’s face had disappeared.

The white linen began to flutter.

With the sound of her descending from the pulpit, it began to scatter beautifully.

“It seems the class wasn’t interesting.”

A mad smile blooms.

A mad smile blooming on a beautiful face. The moment Yuria, startled by the expression she had seen before, turned around and shouted.

“…Everyone, be careful!”

The space had already changed.

“Where am I…?”

In the darkness where nothing could be seen, Elicia’s voice began to echo.

Sticky.

In a space where breathing was stifling.

“Everyone.”

Elicia spoke in the darkness.

“What is the most efficient way to increase the total amount of divine power, aside from prayer?”

“…”

“It’s simple.”

In the suddenly transformed space, the voices of frightened students began to be heard. And as if to dismiss them, Elicia’s voice began to spread coldly.

“The more you heal, the more it increases.”

-Thump.

-Thump.

-Thump.

As the torches above lit up, strange things began to appear. Familiar monsters with white bodies.

“…No way.”

Elicia spoke in an emotionless voice.

“It’s a skeleton army.”

“…”

“Ten hours.”

“What did you say?”

“Endure for ten hours against an army of ten thousand skeletons.”

Yuria spoke in her mind.

‘Sigh…’

She thought she had made a mistake.

*

Inside the mountain lodge deep in the forest where night had fallen.

“Am I right?”

I smiled at those sitting with haggard appearances. Today, we were supposed to come back the earliest.

“I’m telling you in the nicest way.”

“…”

“So, you must study hard.”

The students’ faces looked like they wanted to sleep at any moment. Malik’s expression was the same, and so was Hannah’s face. Mikhail was no exception either.

“…Ha. I feel like I’m going to die.”

“You shouldn’t say you feel like dying already, Hannah.”

“But… Butler!”

Hannah shuddered as she recalled what had happened throughout the day.

-Get up.

-Huff… Huff…

-What will you do if you faint in front of the Apostle?

-I’ve never fainted in front of the Apostle before…

-That’s because the Apostle didn’t show his true power.

-…No, it’s not.

I grabbed Hannah’s shoulder and showed a gentle smile.

“All you did was faint all day, what’s so hard about that?”

“…I feel like my mind is breaking.”

“Haha! From tomorrow, we’ll start using our bodies in earnest. So don’t be too disappointed.”

“That’s even scarier…”

Hannah’s eyes began to tremble greatly.

I walked around the empty lodge and spoke to the students. They could share rooms with people they liked.

-I’ll stay with the butler…!

-Sorry, I have to go home.

-…

‘Lady Elisha said she would make accommodations for us… I didn’t expect it to be this big.’

I thought it wasn’t for nothing that it was called a moving fortress. Elisha’s ability to transform a mountain was one of the abilities I envied no matter how many times I saw it.

‘Anyway…’

[20:21]

‘You’re coming in late.’

I thought I came in quite late, but seeing the empty lodge, it seemed the other students were still rolling around. I intended to take it easy on the first day, but if everyone was going to give it their all, I should have tried harder too.

‘From tomorrow, I think I’ll be coming in late too.’

Putting aside my complicated thoughts for a moment, I ran towards the students with a light smile.

“What would you like to eat? I’ll get you some food… Oh?”

I smiled at the male student sitting in the chair with a haggard expression. I had thought he looked strange earlier, but now he seemed completely broken.

“Rohan.”

“…Stop…”

“Rohan.”

“Huh…!”

Rohan flinched and looked at me with trembling eyes as I called out to him, tapping his shoulder. The aggressive demeanor he had shown in the morning was gone, replaced by the look of a cat with its ears folded back, which made me smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Didn’t you say you could win against everyone? Even the Imperial Knight Commander and me.”

“This is sorcery… A spell to make me faint.”

Understanding my intention, Rohan whispered softly with a small smile.

“That’s right.”

“…What?”

“It’s difficult to make someone faint just with killing intent. It’s even more impossible with a large number of people.”

“b*stard…”

“Haha… It was only possible because there were a few of us. You’ll realize later that it was a really helpful lesson.”

“You’re saying there was a better way.”

“No. This was the most refined method.”

I placed my finger on Rohan’s forehead and said,

“This kind of method leaves trauma.”

“What…”

“Death.”

“Death… What do you mean.”

At the moment Rohan’s words continued,

-aaah!!!!

A loud man’s scream began to echo in my ears. The scream of a soldier crossing the line of life and death.

“How do you feel?”

I smiled at Rohan, who had screamed, and asked. It must have felt like his skull was being crushed.

“The feeling of experiencing death.”

“…”

“I just exuded killing intent. About half of what a real apostle would emit.”

“…”

“Can you not be scared?”

I smiled as I patted the pale Rohan on the shoulder.

“Fainting would be better, right?”

Rohan nodded silently.

“Yes…”

With a stretch that made a cracking sound, I looked at the students again and asked what they wanted to eat.

It seemed like it would be a while before the other students returned. I asked to prepare the meal in advance.

“I want fried chicken.”

“Me too…”

“I want rice.”

“I’m fine with anything.”

“I want to cook.”

After eating the meal Malik prepared. About an hour passed.

“They’re here.”

I smiled brightly as I watched the pale-faced people coming in through the window.

“Oh…”

It’s not easy.