Chapter 29 – 8. Divine Academy Pantheon (2)
I had goosebumps on my back.
He is obviously smiling brightly with his mouth, but his eyes are not smiling at all. Those cold eyes were the same as the Chloe she knew through the demon slaughter.
‘Chloe. Like an alchemist, he has the personality to get whatever he wants.’
At first glance, wizards and alchemists in Demon King’s Death are similar classes, but the details are different.
Magic is to create a phenomenon out of nothing through mana. Alchemy, on the other hand, is to create changes in metaphor through mana.
In other words, alchemy always required a basic substance or object.
Perhaps for that reason, Chloe, like a very skilled alchemist, saw everything as nothing but objects.
‘Actually, I don’t know if it’s because he’s an alchemist, or if his personality is just crazy.’
Of course, the family of the Marquis of Aitern had also run a huge trading house for generations. Even the family wind was even more like that.
According to Chloe’s standards, people are just one of the objects.
She was a dangerous woman who might have done it without hesitation if her murder had not been strictly forbidden by the rules of the Lord Jedin.
Well, I may be prejudiced because I’ve seen bad endings because of Chloe. Anyway, no matter how pretty that woman is, I hate it.
“Young master?”
Eirin said as I stood there blankly without answering. I was dizzy at Chloe’s emotionless gaze, but decided to answer first.
I said through the window.
“An insignificant year. Where are you recklessly stopping the chariot of this noble body?”
“… Yeah? Count Julian, what did you just say?”
“I said it was a bad year. Do I have to give up my precious time for an unassuming bitch like you? If you don’t have anything important to do, get out of here.”
“Hmm. Okay. Okay. Count Julian. Excuse me.”
Chloe swiped her fan over her face and she turned around and got into her carriage.
I let out a sigh of relief inside. To be honest, even making eye contact was scary, but I even pretended to be strong so as not to be involved again.
‘I’m glad you covered her face with her fan. He must be wearing a very creepy, scary expression.’
It wasn’t like I was just saying stupid things to a crazy woman like that. Anyway, Julian is an asshole.
Then, like before, it would have been more like usual to reply with harsh words.
‘Because even the princess was an idiot who said what a cow was and what a cheeky bitch was. Even more so for Chloe.’
Chloe wouldn’t pay any attention to me if she knew I was an unchanging asshole. Especially since that woman likes to take away her valuables.
If you knew that the fiancé of the prestigious Princess Lilia had changed from a madman. Chloe didn’t know if she would rather show interest in me. She used her own brain to prevent that in advance.
Eirin looked at me curiously.
“Today, Bocchan, you are different from usual.”
“It is different. What do you mean?”
“Didn’t the lady of the Marquis of Aitern not even make eye contact because she said her eyes were scary… No, she didn’t like them?”
Hmmm. I mean it was As expected, Julian looked cowardly.
“I just didn’t want to talk to a cocky bitch like that.”
“I see. But I also agree that the Marquis of Aitern is a scary person. If possible, it would be best not to get involved with that young lady. Anything at all…”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t like that either.”
Eirin must have known Chloe’s personality. So, somehow, it was a nuance that she shouldn’t have said such a stupid thing like she did just now.
‘Still, my identity is my identity. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying something stupid, right?’
Because Julian is a noble status that even the imperial family couldn’t carelessly. Even if he is the Marquis of Aitern, who can fly and fly, he is several ranks below the Grand Duke Marquis in the imperial political hierarchy.
Besides, from the first day of school, he made sure that I was an idiot again. Rather, I would have lost interest. It had to be.
“Then Hans. Start the wagon again.”
“Yes! Young master!”
The carriage left the place again.
***
Chloe couldn’t easily explain how she felt now.
‘It’s a bad year. And I said it was a bitch.’
I’ve never heard such harsh words from anyone in my life, so it sounded very awkward.
What kind of family is the Marquis of Aitern?
A renowned alchemist with a long history in the middle of the continent. In addition, he was a writer after that prestigious company that even owned Aitern Corporation, which is said to be one of the three largest corporations on the continent.
And Chloe de Aitern. She was the second daughter of Marquis Olivier, the current head of Aitern.
So, it was impossible for anyone in the Pantheon to throw such harsh words at Chloe.
‘Even for professors and instructors, this would be impossible.’
However, in terms of status, there were two possible people.
The first of these is Lilia Ramir Ashterik, the Third Princess of the Holy Empire.
However, the princess, whose head is always full of flower gardens, would never throw such harsh words at herself.
Also, no matter how noble the princess was, it would hurt her own dignity to speak ill of her to a high-ranking noble lady like her marquis.
And the second is Julian von Reinhardt. He was the same person who had just spoken out against Chloe.
The only margrave family in the Holy Empire to receive the title of grand duke. Also, while Chloe was only a marquess daughter who did not receive a separate title, Julian was a count of Harsen.
So, in the pantheon, the second noble status. He was also the only son of Saint Agnes, who had great influence even after his death.
Due to its symbolism, she was once ranked higher in the Pantheon than her third princess, Lilia.
However, since she had such a high status, it was just as out of common sense for her to throw harsh words at herself for the same reasons as the princess.
‘Even so, Count Julian is an asshole. So even if it’s not impossible.’
Around the time I became an adult and entered Pantheon for the first time last year.
Chloe was actually very interested in Julian. As he mentioned, the terribly exalted status of. And his engagement to Princess Lilia.
If it was the noble fiancé of that carefree princess. Rather, he wanted to take it away himself.
The only heir to the Marquis Command. And the symbolism of being the son of Saint Agnes. He didn’t want to hand over that valuable asset to Princess Lilia, who didn’t seem ambitious.
But that interest faded surprisingly quickly. It was because Julian was more insane than he could have imagined.
Although there are often many idiots among noble families. Julian was so severe.
Every single action was such an asshole that it was hard to guess why. In particular, the unexpected behavior under the guise of art was completely unpredictable within Chloe’s thinking.
If he’s someone who’s just that uncontrollable. Even if he became her own husband, it was clear that his usefulness would decrease.
‘And I was very disappointed in that man.’
More than anything else, the reason that made me lose interest in myself. Count Julian was afraid of himself as a woman. To the point where she couldn’t even make eye contact with Chloe.
He is confident that he will not be inferior to Princess Lilia in terms of her looks. That’s why he seduced Count Julian with a bright smile that could easily be passed over by any man.
Even so, that stupid Count ran away in a fright when he saw himself. He was an ugly figure that could not be imagined of being a man of Essenmund who was said to be very brave.
‘But… What was it like before?’
Insignificant year. And what a pitiful year.
That, too, was a completely different look from the previously unknown messy appearance. If it wasn’t for the luxurious carriage exclusively for Count Julian, it had changed to an outstanding appearance that could be mistaken for someone else’s.
Although the man’s appearance was not of interest to him.
Most surprising of all was that the man met his red eyes head-on. Unlike before, his eyes were full of confidence without the slightest fear.
He looked down at himself with those confident eyes, throwing his last words. With that arrogant but confident attitude.
‘What happened to the count? I need to find out.’
He was a man I hadn’t even looked at since my interest had cooled. If the traffic lines of the wagons hadn’t overlapped today, he would have ignored them.
However, in Chloe, interest in the lost count was reviving. I thought I would keep an eye on him in the future.
What if the valuation changes? He will surely take the count from the princess.
‘By the way. An insignificant year, an insignificant year. It was something I couldn’t have imagined.’
Having heard such shocking words… Why did her ‘there’ flinch, even Chloe herself did not know.
***
I was thinking about the future schedule in my head for a while.
The first important schedule after school starts is an open confrontation between the sophomore religious leaders.
‘The Chloe from a moment ago was also the second-year representative of the alchemy sect that served Istia, the goddess of alchemy.’
The best students from each school will compete in the Colosseum prepared by the Pantheon.
As befits a showdown between talented cadets, the eye candy is just right. So I heard a lot of stories about the Dalian even when I came here.
The place where I am now is Hesos Hall, a building of the Pantheon. It was a building dedicated to Hesos, the god of art, and was mainly used by art cadets.
Even in that building, I went into a spacious room that Yulian used as his private atelier.
Inside, all sorts of objects that Yulian had been working on were piled up. It’s the same as the bizarrely designed clothes in the closet of the margrave’s mansion.
I didn’t feel an aesthetic sense at all, even though I don’t know much about art. Even if you take good care of it, it was just recycling trash.
I looked around the atelier again through the system.
—————–
「Check possible quests」
* Crafting objects that will be recognized as art in the very distant future: consumes 10 GP
* Clean up the atelier full of garbage: consumes 10 GP
* Proof of faith through art activities: consumes 10000 GP
…
—————–
As expected, the quests made in the atelier were miscellaneous.
The opening of school like this meant that in the future, a large number of quests would occur in the system.
Demon King’s Death is a game with infinite degrees of freedom. So the number of quests was infinite. But that was just hype from the developer.
‘I’m afraid it’s not a mess. The quest was carried out with Jung-gu Heating without a main quest.’
The notification from the system earlier was an example of that. Rather than having such a high degree of freedom, it was a messy game.
However, after playing for 1000 hours, my own important quests were organized in my head.
For example, the 10000 GP ‘Proof of Faith through Art Activities’ shown in the notification window right now.
Before explaining the Proof of Faith, I had to briefly mention the Order of the Pantheon.
The main 6 sects under Jedin, the main deity located in the Pantheon. The gods worshiped by each sect were the gods of art, war, magic, medicine, technology, and alchemy, respectively.
Proof of faith was an act of practicing what each god represented. In other words, doing art, honing combat skills, or being obsessed with magic.
Cadets usually chose one of them, awakened mana after training, and completed their ordination as a holy priest within a year at the latest.
But as Yulian knows, mana awakening is very late. He was not ordained in either of them.
At that time, Eirin said to me who was looking around the atelier.
“Since Yulian-sama also succeeded in awakening mana this time, he can be ordained a holy priest. As you always said, do you intend to be ordained a priest by Lord Hesos?”
It was as Erin said. In his first year, Julian set out to become a priest of Hessos, the god of art.
‘However, proving faith through art consumes 10000 GP. It means that Julian has absolutely no talent for art, especially art.’
That’s why I couldn’t complete the Mana Awakening that others finish in the first semester of the first year at the latest, until I was possessed.
No matter how strong the clash of bloodlines was, if you properly proved your faith for a long time, you would have awakened at least mana.
The blood of Saint Agnes and Reinhardt. And since he had the devil’s blood, if he had come seriously, the god of war or the god of magic would have bestowed even a small blessing on him.
‘To sharpen one’s swordsmanship. Obsessed with magic. All of that was an activity to prove faith that each god was pleased with.’
However, the crazy Yulian couldn’t make either of them strong. What he really fell into was the meaningless art activities like now.
If it was the same art, it might have been better to go to music. The blood of the demon lord Lucifer had the same meaning as the blood of the genius minstrel Riel.
I heard from Eirin that Julian hated music again.
‘You were born to do useless things like a fool. The original owner of my body is.’
Anyway, what I have to do now is to point to any god and be ordained as a holy priest.
It didn’t matter when I was in the first year running around. Things were different now.
In the second year, he is transferred to the reserve platoon of the Imperial Guard and undergoes actual combat training to hunt demons. A person who has not been ordained a holy priest may not enter any reserve platoon.
‘Then I’ll have to study theory or hold meaningless worship all the way until graduation.’
I have no intention of doing so. I, too, had to hurry up and become a holy priest. The formation of a reserve platoon was sooner or later.
I answered Eirin.
“Yes. Eirin. I should hurry up and be ordained a priest. If you don’t join the reserve platoon of the Royal Guard. There is no reason to be at the academy.”
“However, it seems that time is running out to receive Hesos’s blessing. Or do you intend to receive the blessing of Goddess Roia, because you showed good swordsmanship during the military parade?”
“No. Neither. And no sect.”
I had no intention of doing anything like a normal Pantheon cadet. Choosing only one religion is like rotting the potential of my blood.
‘Also, if you do that, the contact with the main characters of Demon King’s Slaughter will be significantly reduced.’
So I was thinking of not choosing any of the 6 types.
“Still, if you don’t choose any religious order, you won’t be able to be ordained a priest, right?”
“Not necessarily. There is a way.”
In particular, I was thinking of clearing a hidden quest in the student representative Dalian today. After that, you will be able to become a priest of ‘that god’ who has never been a student of the Pantheon.
While I was talking with Ei-Lin about her, someone entered the atelier.
She was a red-haired cadet wearing a wide-brimmed witch hat. She knows this cadet’s name well, as she seems shorter than Eirin.
‘It’s Rosette Rosemary.’
The student representative of the 2nd year magic sect. And she was the main one to face off against Chloe in an upcoming public sparring.
