TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 145
A spinning Chandelier.
A faint Vibration felt from the floor.
An ominous sign that only those with sensitive senses could perceive began to emerge in the Banquet Hall.
I lifted my head and looked at the Ceiling.
‘Is it starting now?’
-Spinning.
The Chandelier was subtly swaying.
As the Shadow of the Chandelier moved in a circle as if there had been an Earthquake, I swallowed dryly and sank into thought.
‘What should I prioritize?’
The growth of the Protagonists?
Or ensuring Yuria’s absolute safety?
Whichever I chose, the conclusion was tied to the Success of the Quest. I would fight to protect Yuria, and the Protagonists would also fight while keeping Yuria’s safety in mind.
What I had to decide was whether to actively intervene and participate in eradicating the Heretics or to focus on observing with a passive stance.
If I wanted to ensure a thorough conclusion, stepping in myself was the Best Effort, but if I wished for the growth of the Protagonists, silently watching was the Correct Answer.
‘This is troublesome.’
I just want to play with the Young Lady already.
A Raid means an attack launched suddenly at an unanticipated time. That was the Ultimate Goal and reason behind the method of a Raid.
This invasion by the Heretics was of that type.
Two Archbishops.
20 Inquisitors.
A Task Force composed of 30 Fanatics was organized with the sole purpose of abducting Yuria at high speed.
They all had more experience than the Academy Students and, above all, had a resolve that defied Death.
Stealth and Strike.
Speed and Precision.
Rather than explosive force, the Heretics’ greatest weapon was their Conviction, which focused on speed.
The fanatical Devotees, willing to gladly sacrifice their lives for their cause, were opponents that the Academy Students, raised in a sheltered environment, could not handle.
Each of their individual combat powers was on par with or slightly below that of the Academy Students, but their Conviction alone gave them overwhelming superiority.
Especially the existence of the Archbishops, whose gap in capability compared to the Academy Students was incomparable. I was the only one who could face them; for now, Mikhail and Ruin would struggle even to hold their ground.
If they suddenly struck during a moment of calm, panic would prevent the full use of one’s strength.
The elite group of Heretics, formed solely to abduct Yuria, resembled a swarm of locusts.
The User of the Eyes of Divinity was desperately needed even by the Heretics.
Due to the nature of the Ball, the number of people allowed to carry weapons was limited. Unless you were part of the Disciplinary Committee or the Student Council Guards, carrying weapons was prohibited.
I was also subject to this rule.
Tirbing was not in my hands right now. To be precise, it was accurate to say I didn’t have it with me at the moment. I had wanted to bring it into the Banquet Hall, but taking the Risk of being expelled wasn’t a good choice.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since attending the Ball meant adhering to the Academy’s rules, I hid Tirbing in a corner of the Banquet Hall and attended the Ball.
I hid it in a place where I could retrieve it immediately if necessary.
The sword Tirbing had the drawback of captivating others, so entrusting it to the Guards wasn’t an option, and I didn’t want to cause unnecessary Controversy.
Lost in thought, I let out a Deep Sigh as I gazed at the Chandelier in frustration.
‘This is frustrating.’
I had two weapons with me.
One was a sword, and the other was the Newly Acquired Thunderbolt, a Unique Magic I had recently obtained.
-Snap.
I flicked my fingers, generating a small amount of Static Electricity in my hand.
A Red Electric Discharge sparked and consumed Mana. I was starting to get a feel for how to use it.
A magic that activated instantly without constructing a Spell Formula. The Thunderbolt, which didn’t require complex calculations to construct, consumed a lot of Mana but seemed to lack formal Restrictions.
‘Should I consider it fortunate?’
Thinking about its application, moving as naturally as my body and overlaying it on the sword, I gathered my Mana.
‘I’ll know once I try it.’
Better to have something than nothing.
While I was lost in complicated thoughts about the application of the magic.
“Butler…!”
A Girl waving her hand enthusiastically from one corner of the Banquet Hall caught my eye.
A Girl with Brown Hair fluttering her Yellow Dress as she waved energetically.
Histania Hanna was waving her hand warmly and greeting me. Seeing Hanna on tiptoes, trying hard to catch a glimpse of my face, a Small Smile naturally formed on my lips.
‘She seems to be doing well.’
Hanna, hopping energetically, looked healthy.
I didn’t know what she had been up to during the vacation, but I immediately noticed that the energy emanating from Hanna was different from before.
The previously erratic flow of Mana had become steady, and her movements now carried confidence, much like the Head of Histania, Rowen.
I had read on the Status Window that she possessed talent comparable to Rowen, but to think it would be to this extent.
Concealing my sense of pride, I waved back at Hanna.
“It’s been a while, Miss Hanna.”
“Yes! Just a moment…!”
Hanna was weaving through the crowd, running toward me.
‘I was planning to find her, so this works out well.’
This was my first time seeing Hanna since the Histania Estate.
She had disappeared for a while, and I had wondered where she had gone. Seeing her lively appearance put me at ease.
If not for Hanna, I wouldn’t have been able to enter the Ball.
-Hey.
-Yes, Proprietress.
-Not Proprietress, Malik.
-Yes, Brother.
-…Sigh. Do you have any free time three days from now?
-If Brother asks me to free my schedule, I can do so immediately.
-That won’t be necessary. Haa… I received a Ball Invitation from Hanna, but I have something scheduled at that time.
-Ah…
-If your schedule allows, could you attend in my place? I’ll make sure to compensate you for the extra time.
-It would be an honor.
-Could you stop with the overly flattering remarks?
-Are you asking me to stop breathing?
-Sigh…
As soon as I arrived at the Ball, I had intended to find Hanna, but because of Yuria’s sudden situation, I couldn’t. I was grateful that Hanna appeared before me in this way.
She wasn’t included in the Quest, but Hanna also needed to be protected.
Hanna, who had approached right in front of me before I realized it, bowed her head to Yuria in greeting and looked up at me with Bright, Shining Eyes.
“Butler! It’s been a while.”
“Yes, have you been well?”
“Yes…! Um… I saw it earlier.”
“What did you see?”
Scratching my chin awkwardly, I gave an uneasy smile. I felt embarrassed, thinking I might have shown an unflattering side.
Unaware of my thoughts, Hanna continued speaking with a wistful expression.
“You cursing at that Green-haired Head. It was so cool! Someday, I also want to…!”
Hanna, saying it was a relief that I came instead of Older Brother and that I seemed even more handsome, made me blush with her flattering Praise.
Smiling slightly, I patted Hanna on the head.
“I’m glad to see you’re healthy.”
“Thanks to you, Butler, I’ve been doing well.”
“No, I didn’t do anything.”
I was relieved.
Having everyone I needed to protect gathered in one place eased my burden. If they had been scattered, I would have had to find each one. Smiling with satisfaction, I chatted with Hanna.
Although an awkward tension lingered between Yuria and Hanna, the conversation flowed naturally.
Just as the topic of the Young Lady’s recent activities was about to come up.
-Booming Sound.
Silence began to flow.
The urgent muttering of Student Council President Chartia started to echo in the Banquet Hall.
“Guards…! Why aren’t they responding…!”
Chartia’s ominous muttering foreshadowed the misfortune that was about to unfold.
Hanna, with trembling eyes, looked at the Ceiling of the Banquet Hall. Then she turned to me and murmured, asking if I had felt it.
As her Master, I felt incredibly proud of Hanna’s growth.
Because the foolish Mikhail and Ruin were too busy enjoying the banquet to notice anything.
Smiling faintly, I spoke to Hanna.
“It seems we have Guests.”
“…”
“Hmm… What shall we do?”
-Booming Sound.
Hanna, staring at the violently shaking Chandelier as if it might fall, gathered Aura in her hands, while I also began to emit a faint Aura and waited.
-Crackle…
The Ceiling of the Banquet Hall, now cracked, didn’t allow much time for waiting as countless fragments began to fall to the floor.
Amid the collapsing Ceiling, the bright Moonlight started to reveal itself.
The Chandelier fell to the center.
Among the debris of countless building fragments pouring down from the Banquet Hall Ceiling.
Silhouettes wearing Black Hoods began kneeling swiftly in the center of the Banquet Hall one by one.
In their midst, a figure clad in a White Cleric Robe descended gracefully.
The Cleric spread both arms and smiled.
Though their face was hidden by the Hood, the Mana emanating from them clearly indicated they were an Archbishop.
“Good evening, everyone.”
The Antagonist from the Novel, ‘Archbishop of Blasphemy Mirvael,’ who didn’t hold much weight in the Story, was smiling as they looked at the sky. Then, one of the Heretics began walking toward the Archbishop.
A Young Nobleman with an unremarkable face roughly swept back his hair as he walked toward the group of Heretics.
As the space distorted and his face transformed, Ruin’s expression began to twist.
“Hans…!”
“It’s been a while, Archbishop of Greed.”
“It’s been a while, Archbishop of Blasphemy.”
The main Story had officially begun.
And.
Hans, with an awkward smile, spoke to the Archbishop of Blasphemy.
“Let’s retreat.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The plan has failed. That Monster…”
-Flash…!
In an instant, Falling Red Lightning began to strike above Hans’s head.
-Boom!!!
Amid the relentless onslaught of Falling Red Lightning, I pierced through the rising Black Smoke with a Small Smile.
“That won’t do.”
I couldn’t let them leave before it even began.
*
A considerable amount of Time passed.
Ricardo, as if mad, began relentlessly unleashing Lightning, subtly obstructing the retreat of the Heretics.
It was peculiar.
Mikhail was feeling strange Emotions as he observed the Lightning avoiding the Archbishops yet falling during Dangerous Moments for the Academy Students.
The question of ‘Why’ began to arise.
While he was already astonished by Ricardo using Magic, what shocked Mikhail even more was the fact that Ricardo was helping others.
Watching the Lightning strike during moments when he was in Danger, Mikhail gritted his teeth, and in the sudden situation created by not finishing off the Heretics, the Lightning falling only complicated Mikhail’s thoughts further.
As the question of ‘Why’ enveloped Mikhail’s hand once more.
-Whoosh…!
The sword of a Cleric wearing White Cleric Robes grazed Mikhail’s cheek.
With trembling eyes, Mikhail stared at the Cleric.
“Hehehe… What is this?”
“…”
“I’ve never heard of such a Monster existing.”
A strength unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Gripping his sword tightly in the face of intense Killing Intent, Mikhail steadied himself.
-Crackle!
Once again, Falling Red Lightning descended, aiding Mikhail.