TN: Thank Nepper for the chapter.
TL/PR: Ruminas; ED: novicelily
Word spread throughout the academy about the recently transferred Saint’s peculiar transformation.
Though Iria’s constant presence had kept things quiet lately, Saint Clana’s impact remained significant.
Her long, flowing silver hair exuded elegance, and her saintly presence radiated sanctity.
Her innocent face, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns, naturally drew student attention. Her reputation as the Central Church’s jewel only enhanced this effect.
Though the notorious Iria’s constant presence deterred most students from approaching.
The reverence commanded by the title “saint” couldn’t be ignored.
And then a day passed.
It was the day after Iria’s last bout of bullying.
“Wh, where are you looking while walking? D, do I look easy to you too?”
“Are you grateful? Th, then pay me money! Th, there’s nothing free in this world!”
“D, do I look easy to you too! If it’s a duel request, I’ll accept it!”
Clana’s personality had warped.
Had Iria’s back-alley etiquette education worked too well?
She seemed to mimic the first behaviors she’d witnessed after emerging into the outside world.
If that were all, the academy might not have descended into such chaos. It could have passed as the charming quirk of a beautiful saint.
The real reason Clana’s antics caused such uproar was—
-Kwaaaang!!
“D, don’t block my way!!”
Though she remained unaware, the Saint possessed far greater strength than anyone had imagined.
The transformed Saint began demolishing anything that obstructed her path.
“Hehe, hmmhehe…! In this world, you have to be careful of wh, white things!”
Clana declared, her snow-white hair—so like Iria’s—flowing behind her.
***
Clana was a saint blessed by the stars.
Her overflowing blessing and holy power blessed her path and bestowed miracles upon those around her.
This occurred regardless of her personality. Her mere presence exerted considerable influence on her surroundings.
This was the jewel the Central Church had so carefully nurtured.
Clana possessed holy power equivalent to hundreds of ordinary monks.
And just as she spread blessings and miracles to others, the blessings bestowed upon Clana herself exceeded imagination.
The starlight surrounding her protected her body and enhanced her natural abilities.
To what extent? She could shatter the academy’s inner walls with a simple body slam.
If someone tried to stab her, their sword would break instead.
So, even without proper combat experience, she could disrupt the academy’s order. Her raw strength sufficed.
Though her primary role was that of a miracle-working healer, her individual combat potential remained formidable.
So what of Iria, the architect of these events?
“…”
She observed the situation without intervention.
‘I hadn’t expected her to take my teachings quite this far.’
She scratched her cheek, the outcome clearly differing from her expectations.
Yet she felt no regret. Learning always began this way. Even Iria had started similarly.
One certainty remained: Clana would adapt to the outside world faster than if left alone.
Iria had merely catalyzed the process, accelerating its natural progression.
Though things appeared chaotic now, the end result wasn’t necessarily negative.
This, too, would contribute to Clana’s growth.
Though screams echoed throughout the academy, Iria chose to ignore them.
Watching chaos unfold from a distance always proved most entertaining.
Other students’ suffering didn’t concern her.
“Hmm.”
More importantly, Sera should be making her move soon.
Clana wasn’t the only one Iria had prodded to match the twisted original timeline.
She’d definitely encouraged the despairing Sera.
Since then, Sera hadn’t emerged from the magic training ground for days, so Iria decided to investigate.
The magic training ground lay opposite the swordsmanship training ground.
Usually empty during lunch hours like now, Iria sensed Sera would be there.
Just as Ariel had done.
Iria knew with certainty that Sera, so similar to Ariel, would follow the same pattern.
Sure enough, Sera remained in the training ground despite the lunch hour.
The interior blazed with flames and ice.
In the vast space, a blue-haired woman and Sera faced each other.
A biting chill brushed the skin. Iria frowned at the howling snowstorm.
Blue and red lights clashed and flashed. A battle raged here.
However, “battle” seemed too generous a term for such a one-sided affair.
“You waste mana needlessly. True, you possess enough to compensate, but such strategy only works at the student level.”
“…”
“You said you would follow the hero to the battlefield? Then correct this flaw. For a mage, mana is life itself.”
The encounter ended in Sera’s complete defeat, too lopsided to truly call a battle.
Well, her opponent ranked among the empire’s strongest.
Just as Freya mentored Ariel, Reina guided Sera.
Even Sera proved no match for the empire’s third general. During the monster attack, this mage had single-handedly hunted down the Seed of the Demon King.
Natural enough, though Sera clearly disliked the outcome.
While Ariel had earned Freya’s acknowledgment, Sera had yet to gain Reina’s approval.
Objectively, Sera’s skill exceeded expectations for her age, but her rival was the Saint.
Sera slumped down with a soft sigh.
Despite the complete defeat, her uninjured state testified to her opponent’s supreme skill.
Iria remained motionless in the distance until Reina fully departed the training ground.
‘Was she with Albert during the attack?’
Fortunately, she seemed not to remember Iria. The magical energy saturating that moment, combined with its brevity—
She’d glimpsed Reina’s exhausted state then, nothing particularly memorable, but seeing her now revealed her considerable power.
Not quite at Freya or Albert’s level, but close enough to rank just below them.
With Sertia gone, she might now be the empire’s third strongest.
‘General Reina.’
Iria committed the name to memory, suspecting it might prove relevant later.
After noting the name, she returned her attention to Sera.
Defeated by magic after so long, she appeared more discouraged than usual.
“What are you doing there?”
“Ah, it’s you, Iria. Just received some guidance from the professor. She’s strong. I thought I’d improved significantly, but I still can’t match the professors.”
Sera offered an awkward smile. Though her opponent had been far more than an ordinary professor.
The academy’s professors, being human, varied greatly in skill, but Reina stood above them all.
She far exceeded any standard when compared with mere students.
But Sera had always been thus. She looked upward, never down.
She constantly measured herself against her betters.
Rather than finding satisfaction in looking down, gazing upward and feeling that pressure drove her improvement.
She charged forward, determined to someday surpass Reina, who had just defeated her.
Was this the struggle of one born without starlight or stellar blessing to stand as an equal?
Perhaps it was a race to stand beside one who had already advanced so far ahead.
“Is your preparation for the duel progressing?”
Iria recalled her previous conversation with Sera.
Though she seemed to be steering toward a battle between Clana and Sera, originally, students bonded through school-day conflicts.
Indeed, the duel had initiated Iria’s friendship with Sera.
“Duel? Ah, right. That?”
Sera’s discouraged expression lifted at the mention of the duel.
She returned to her typical self.
“Of course, I’m perfectly prepared. Just need to set a date.”
And Iria,
“I know how you can duel with the rumored saint.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Extort money from her.”
“…Huh?”
Sera sensed something had changed in Iria.