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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 102: A Surprise Kiss
The scent of dawn tickled my nose.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the dark surroundings still cloaked in shadow.
'What time is it?'
When I tried to sit up, I felt something constricting me.
As expected, Iris was hugging me tightly.
She was fast asleep, snoring softly.
On the opposite bed lay Hania, sleeping.
She wore a neat silk sleeping cap and rested in a perfectly straight posture—
The epitome of peaceful slumber.
Watching my girlfriend sleep like that, I couldn't help but think:
'Come to think of it...'
The contract relationship with Hania seems to be nearing its end, doesn't it?
With that thought, I carefully twisted my body.
Having been hugged by Iris in my sleep multiple times,
I'd developed a technique to escape her grasp.
Successfully freeing myself from Iris, I quietly left the room.
Stretching my stiff body, which had been held in place, I realized we were in the dorms.
'I've been out cold for a while.'
It seemed my fatigue had piled up without me noticing.
Before arriving here, I had been training almost daily.
Clearly, my body had taken the chance to completely rest.
'More importantly, where is my actual room supposed to be?'
Since Iris had dragged me off without asking, I had no idea.
'Forget it.'
With dawn approaching, it didn’t really matter.
The sun would rise soon anyway.
In fact, this was perfect.
At this hour, it was about time to check on that person.
'Lucky my body woke up out of habit.'
Deciding to make it part of my morning training, I headed out for a jog.
The crisp autumn air greeted me as I stepped outside.
Thanks to that, my spirits were high.
I felt like I could tackle the day with energy.
Maintaining a steady pace, I began running.
At the sanctuary of the great hero Wolfram, there was a cathedral dedicated to him and the divine.
As I approached the cathedral, I noticed some early-rising theology students.
In addition to students from Zerion Academy, there were many from other academies as well.
They didn’t pay me any particular attention.
After all, morning prayers weren’t uncommon even among regular students.
But today’s prayer session was different from usual.
Two individuals, escorted by guards, began approaching the cathedral.
The students gathered around gasped in admiration, clasping their hands in prayer.
The two figures were regarded as symbols of the Holy Church.
The noble saintess,
Saint Narea of Acrede.
And the holy man,
Siriel of Eden.
Both symbols of the Holy Church had arrived at the cathedral together.
My gaze landed on one of them: the saintess, Narea of Acrede.
Her platinum-white hair shimmered like sunlight.
Her eyes sparkled with an almost transparent clarity.
She was slightly shorter than average, and her face bore a gentle smile.
Seeing her, I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
'No matter how many times I see it, she hides it so well.'
Her concealment skills were always astonishing.
Beneath that pure white dress, surely, her true self must be screaming.
But she had no choice.
As a saintess, nobility was essential.
Yet what she embodied was far from nobility—
It was the symbol of unbridled desire.
She had no option but to hide it.
She feared the faithful would look at her instead of the divine.
At that moment, my eyes met Siriel’s.
As always, he gave me a benevolent smile before entering the cathedral.
I followed him inside, watching the crowd of students.
The small cathedral was bustling with people eager to catch a glimpse of the saint and the holy man.
The two stood before the statues of Wolfram and the goddess bestowing her blessings, offering their prayers.
Under their prayer,
The cathedral filled instantly with a sacred aura of blessings.
Yet my eyes quietly scanned the place.
Earlier, during the international tournament, I had hinted at a death.
Act 4, Scene 2’s main storyline was pivotal,
An event that would make Lucas’ heroics known worldwide.
Shaken by the act of killing Nikita with his own hands,
This would be the incident where Lucas finds the strength to rise again.
[Act 4, Scene 3: The Saintess’ Assassination]
Preventing the saintess’ assassination was the key objective of this episode.
And the person targeting her life was here.
My gaze fixed on someone in the back.
The figure standing there was a cardinal.
After observing him for a moment, I turned away.
The time wasn’t right yet.
The saintess’ assassination would occur immediately after the preliminary rounds concluded.
'While Zerion Academy has diverged significantly from the original story, the others have remained on track.'
Due to Lucas’ absence, Zerion Academy’s timeline had drastically shifted.
But for the other academies, events had unfolded as expected.
Thus, the saintess’ assassination was unlikely to be rescheduled.
After the failed assassination attempt, the Holy Church would be turned upside down.
This was a necessary event for what was to come.
It was the stepping stone to exposing Duke Robliage, who had struck a pact with Demon Sovereign.
The assassination attempt was essential to bring him into the narrative spotlight.
'Having confirmed the event will proceed as planned, that's enough for now.'
As I left the cathedral, I encountered someone I seemed to cross paths with far too often.
"…Hannon Irey."
Calling my name softly was none other than Eve, the Unyielding Azure Flame.
We’d just met yesterday, and here she was again.
"Eve, good morning. Did you come for morning prayers?"
I smiled, but she glanced toward the cathedral.
"Something like that."
Suspicion gleamed in Eve’s eyes as she looked at me.
Did I look like someone incapable of attending morning prayers?
Well, she wasn’t wrong.
Religion and I didn’t mix.
The irony was, Eve wasn’t exactly religious either.
She believed in herself, not the divine.
The fact that she was here meant she sensed something ominous.
'The Unyielding Azure Flame carries the power to vanquish evil, after all.'
Unconsciously, she must have sensed the sinister aura lingering around the saintess.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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"I see."
For some reason, Eve’s gaze was piercing.
Just as I was about to excuse myself, she called out abruptly.
"Wait."
Stopping in my tracks and turning toward her, I saw her furrow her brows slightly.
"Are you somehow connected to the Holy Church?"
"No, not at all."
I had no relation to them whatsoever.
Despite my truthful answer, Eve only furrowed her brows without saying much.
She doesn't believe me, does she?
"Then, I'll be going now. I need to prepare breakfast."
Even though I could feel her gaze lingering on my back, I left her behind without hesitation.
* * *
Back in my original room at the dormitory,
I changed into the Zerion Academy uniform.
The Zerion Academy uniform wasn’t just made of high-quality material; it also had restorative magic cast on it.
It wasn't bad as combat attire either.
Outside, things were already bustling.
It was only natural since dignitaries from all over the world had gathered to watch the International Individual Tournament.
By now, the results of the preliminary rounds must have been announced worldwide.
The news of the first prince, Ergo Parazon, being eliminated would have caused quite the uproar.
Of course, his elimination was purely because he broke the rules.
There was no disparaging of Ergo's skills.
"Are they planning to reveal Parazon's Sword after the tournament?"
Announcing it now would just be overshadowed by the prestige of the tournament.
It seemed they decided to return quietly to their homeland.
Hoping that he properly apologized to Seron, I opened the door.
"Aagh!"
The moment I opened it, someone standing in front of the door got hit on the head.
Caught off guard, I quickly checked who it was.
It was a familiar face.
Seron Parmia.
She was there, clutching her slightly swollen forehead.
"Seron?"
Since when did she memorize my room?
When I called her name, Seron slowly rubbed her forehead.
"Sheesh, you should check if someone's outside before opening the door."
"Maybe you're just too short to be seen."
"Says the guy who's barely taller than me."
Hearing that, I grinned.
At my reaction, Seron flinched and bit her lip.
She knew very well how much taller I actually was.
But soon, she stopped biting her lip.
Instead, she glanced around.
Most people were still busy preparing for the morning.
And early risers had gone to morning prayers.
The dormitory halls were quiet, with all the doors shut.
After confirming this, Seron exhaled softly.
When I looked at her quizzically, she wiggled her finger.
"Hey, Prince Sweet Potato, lean down."
"What is it?"
"Something to tell you about Prince Ergo."
So she went to apologize.
At least he's someone who keeps promises.
‘Is she going to scold me for causing this mess?’
Knowing Seron, it was possible, so I obediently leaned down.
And then, I felt a warm sensation on my cheek.
It was such a novel feeling that my brain couldn’t immediately process what was happening.
When I slowly turned my head, I saw Seron pulling her lips away from my cheek.
Her face was flushed bright red, and she clutched her collar tightly, trembling all over.
She looked ready to die of embarrassment.
I stared at her in disbelief.
Seron, biting her quivering lips, finally managed to speak.
"I-I-I told you I'd plant a kiss on you one day!"
"You..."
Seron was trembling like a leaf.
If she was going to get this embarrassed, why did she even do it?
Watching her made me feel embarrassed.
"N-Next time, I'll do even more! So keep trying to tempt me!"
With that shriek, Seron darted off, her short legs moving in a waddling gait reminiscent of a penguin.
I touched my cheek, a faint chuckle escaping my lips.
I had no idea what that laugh meant.
* * *
And Hannon had no way of knowing.
The moment Seron impulsively kissed him on the cheek—
"Oh, uh."
"..."
Two women had witnessed the scene.
Sharin Sazaris.
And Isabel Luna.
Sharin's gaze slowly drifted to Isabel.
She was silently staring at Hannon with an unreadable expression.
Even Sharin couldn’t grasp Isabel's emotions this time.
No, come to think of it, Isabel's emotions had been increasingly hard to read lately.
Especially when it came to Hannon, Isabel seemed unnervingly obsessed.
What started as the worst possible relationship had somehow spiraled into a complicated dynamic no one could untangle.
One thing was certain: Isabel relied on Hannon for emotional support far more than anyone imagined.
Sharin knew this reliance had surged since the boycott incident.
"Rin."
"Yes, Belle?"
"I'm going to win this tournament."
With those words, Isabel turned and left.
Sharin watched her retreating figure and sighed.
Then, scratching her head with a complicated expression, she muttered to herself.
Isabel was one thing, but...
For some reason, Seron's impulsive action left Sharin feeling uneasy, too.
It was an unpleasant sensation.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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