Chapter 14: A Happy Break (5)
“…Do you have any guesses as to who it might be?”
Ethan hadn’t even realized they were being followed.
However, he wasn’t foolish enough to deny it when Gloria claimed there was someone tailing them.
If someone like Gloria—a top-tier apostle—said there was someone, it was practically certain.
Given her abilities, she was among the very best, and Ethan was confident that even the academy’s faculty couldn’t match her skills. Perhaps only his gym teacher could come close.
“It’s likely one of Stefania’s underlings. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for someone to carry a magic tool imbued with her distinct aura.”
Ethan recognized the name Stefania. She was the reason Gloria had come to the academy in the first place.
Stefania was considered the de facto leader of the remaining demon worshippers on the continent. The church had sent Gloria to apprehend her.
However, Stefania’s meticulous caution made it difficult for even Gloria, the first apostle, to gain a foothold.
Ethan knew that if he were in Gloria’s position, he wouldn’t have lasted long before being ensnared and erased without a trace.
“…So, you think they’ve been eavesdropping on us?”
“Probably. It’s hard to imagine someone tailing me. And no offense, but your rough appearance and status as a new student make it unlikely you’d attract a follower. Most likely, someone with one of Stefania’s magical tools happened to overhear our communication.”
The goddess may be omnipotent, but the church is not. Ethan wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for Gloria to make such remarks, but he decided not to dwell on it. After all, it was true: the church wasn’t all-powerful.
“…Regardless of the magical tool’s capabilities, the stalker seems amateurish. Their footsteps are too loud, and they’re hovering around us awkwardly. It’s probably just an ordinary noble trying to get on Stefania’s good side in hopes of earning a position.”
Ethan couldn’t sense any of the things Gloria described. He didn’t hear footsteps, nor did he feel anyone hovering around them.
Truly, she was the church’s greatest asset.
Though Ethan possessed the rare talent of sensing demonic energy, standing next to Gloria made him feel utterly inadequate.
She outclassed him not only in magic and physical strength but also in wielding divine power he couldn’t even perceive.
“We should deal with this,” Ethan suggested.
“No, Decatria, you shouldn’t. Hurting an informant gains us nothing and could lead to disciplinary action.”
Was this insight born from her own experiences? Ethan felt a strange sense of camaraderie, though Gloria quickly shattered it.
“They were being annoyingly persistent, so I slapped them once. Ended up with a three-day suspension. If you actually ‘deal with’ someone, who knows what the consequences would be.”
“…What do you suggest we do, then?”
Ethan sighed. Of course, Gloria wouldn’t dirty her hands with such matters.
She was an envoy of the Vatican, after all; she had no need to handle the grimy work. That was what people like him were for.
“They don’t seem to realize we’ve noticed them. It’s best we part ways here. If they catch on, it could harm my reputation. A nun alone with a thug in an alley… It’s enough to start rumors.”
“…I haven’t reported on Baek Hoyeon yet. Is that alright?”
“I trust you’ll handle it. As much as I’d like to assist, I’m already preoccupied with Stefania. A word of advice: the way you’ve operated won’t fly here. Keep that in mind.”
“…Understood. Then, we’ve never met here today.”
“Of course.”
With that, Gloria bid him farewell and leaped onto the building’s wall, disappearing from sight.
Ethan, who had prided himself on his agility, could only laugh bitterly at the gap in their abilities.
Climbing walls and leaping across rooftops were beyond him, so he trudged deeper into the alley, cursing the unfairness of talent.
Meanwhile, Geum Taeyang hadn’t made a move on the nun yet. Still, they kept heading deeper into the alley.
Was he thoughtful enough to at least hide himself while attempting something indecent? Outdoors but out of sight—how considerate.
I was about to reevaluate my opinion of Geum Taeyang, but in the end, he was clearly just a scumbag forcing himself on a woman.
I couldn’t hear their conversation, but he was probably explaining how he planned to take her now and in the future.
At least, that’s how it went in certain stories. Though I couldn’t hear their exact words, the situation seemed damning enough.
A nun and a delinquent walking into a secluded alley? The implications were nauseating. To think I shared a class with someone like him.
…Wait, were we even in the same class? It seemed impossible that I hadn’t noticed someone so conspicuous. Then again, we’d been in gym class together, so he must have been in my class.
The thought of spending a year taking classes alongside a potential predator made my skin crawl. I couldn’t just let this slide for my own safety. I had to confirm what they were up to.
But what would happen if someone bold enough to assault a nun caught me watching? Someone that reckless wouldn’t care whose family I belonged to.
As I hesitated, they moved further away. Normally, I would’ve left it at that, but now I was genuinely considering asking the gods for help.
I’d used mana-breathing earlier during gym class. While it wouldn’t do much damage, it could at least restrain someone.
Though I still hesitated to ask the gods for aid, what if my suspicions were right?
Hoping that this version of Geum Taeyang would be one that subverted clichés, I ran toward the last place I’d seen them.
When I arrived, there was no one there.
Had they moved elsewhere? I strained my ears but heard nothing. The lack of any lingering… questionable smells suggested nothing indecent had occurred.
…It was probably safe. I didn’t know where they’d gone, but the absence of any evidence pointed to them giving up after realizing they were being watched.
Feeling a bit deflated, I turned back. At least nothing had happened.
But as I turned, I realized I was now facing a three-way fork. Oh, great. Another one of those places. Easy to enter but a pain to exit.
In short, I was lost again. How was it possible to get lost this many times in one day? It wasn’t my fault, though. I blamed the academy for not installing basic maps.
Now, which way should I go? Whichever path I chose would probably lead back to the academy, but there was no guarantee I’d end up where I wanted to be. Then again, I hadn’t had a specific destination in mind to begin with.
Before I could make a decision, I ran into someone unexpected: Han Dogeon. Judging by his surprised expression, he hadn’t expected to see me here either.
“…Miss Hoyeon, what brings you here?”
How could I explain? That I’d run out of the library after spying on Geum Taeyang because I thought he was about to do something bad, only to find nothing? That’d be too embarrassing. No matter my intentions, I’d acted foolishly.
Better to claim I’d gotten lost while wandering. It sounded far more plausible.
“I got lost.”
“You seem to lose your way quite often.”
Dogeon’s observation stung, but I couldn’t feel too hurt since it wasn’t really my fault.
“The paths are awfully convoluted.”
“Were you headed somewhere specific?”
Somewhere specific… I wanted to go back to the library to finish my book, but unpacking my things took priority.
The longer I procrastinated, the more likely I’d leave it until the end of the semester.
“…The fourth dormitory. Do you know the way?”
“You’ve been assigned to the fourth dorm?”
“Yes.”
Even if I forgot everything else, I wouldn’t forget my dorm assignment: Room 44 in the fourth building.
It felt ominous, but the number made it easy to remember. ‘What’s my room again? Oh right, four-four-four!’
“What a coincidence. My room is in the fourth dorm as well.”
“Is that so?”
“…Shall I guide you there?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
If our conversation lacked flow, I blamed it on my father’s formal way of speaking that I’d inherited.
Thinking so, I followed Dogeon as he led the way.
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