I Became a Murderer in the Academy.-Chapter 114

Just a moment ago, Clana had seemed quite cheerful, but now she was bowing her head.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, the head nun spoke again.

“There’s nothing for you to feel responsible for. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Serthia had been cursed by the Demon Lord. In all of history, no human had ever survived the Demon Lord’s curse.

From the moment she was cursed, her days were numbered. Not even the saintess could do more than slightly delay the inevitable.

It was going to happen, regardless of the timing. It was just a little sooner than expected.

The Empire seemed intent on concealing her death, so there wasn’t much more to learn.

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The name of the new principal was said to be Albert. The head nun had an uneasy feeling about him.

“…I know that.”

Clana’s voice was subdued, tinged with the slightest hint of tears.

Knowing it would happen and feeling sadness are two different things. Although she had somewhat prepared herself, Clana was still a young woman barely into adulthood.

She wasn’t at an age where it was easy to accept the death of someone close.

The head nun sighed again. Announcing Serthia’s death had merely been an introduction to their conversation.

She slowly steered the conversation towards the main point.

“In any case, the Empire is in quite a state of disarray. After the monster attack, they’ve now lost a significant pillar.”

“Yes…”

“I heard that the Empire intends to deploy this generation’s hero into field missions soon.”

Clana looked up from the ground.

She turned to face the head nun.

“But isn’t this generation’s hero still a student? Are they ready for field missions already?”

“I heard he awakened the power of the stars during the monster attack. The professors can no longer teach him anything.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s also why you need to go to the Academy.”

Clana tilted her head.

She pointed at herself with a look of innocent confusion.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Well, heroes of the past have always had companions on their journeys. There aren’t many students capable of being a companion for the hero.”

In other words,

“A hero’s companion must possess both talent and aptitude.”

Throughout history, saintesses have been optimized as companions for heroes.

They purify demonic energy, heal the wounded, and possess considerable combat abilities.

A saintess, by title alone, is already overflowing with talent and potential, leaving no room for doubt.

A saintess is, to some extent, a proven candidate for a hero’s companion.

“If this generation’s hero is to form a party and embark on a journey, you are a strong candidate to be his companion.”

“Oh…”

Clana scratched her cheek as if she didn’t fully understand.

She realized that enrolling in the Academy was just the beginning, but she hadn’t yet heard the full details.

“So… what am I supposed to do?”

“You don’t need to do anything specific. Just… get to know the hero.”

“And then what?”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to break the ice, right? He might be your future companion.”

“Hmm… I guess so.”

“I’ve already arranged your transfer, so you can start attending classes tomorrow. Here’s your uniform.”

The head nun handed Clana a uniform with a blue ribbon.

“Oh… thank you.”

“It’s late, so head back for now.”

“Yes.”

As Clana departed, the head nun was left alone.

“Haa…”

She let out a deep sigh.

“Albert, what are you thinking?”

Though Clana was now an adult, she was still a student.

The fact that they now had to rely on students due to a shortage of personnel seemed like a cruel joke.

Was he truly planning to send them to the battlefield?

Nothing was certain yet, but the thought of sending the gentle-hearted Clana into a blood-soaked battleground was troubling.

If she were to come back harmed, she would never forgive Albert.

“…”

But she soon resigned herself.

Just as Serthia’s death was inevitable, so too was this. It was impossible to defy fate. As a saintess, Clana was bound to leave eventually.

She couldn’t stay under the head nun’s protection forever.

“Maybe I’m being too overprotective.”

Realizing this, the head nun decided to let Clana go.

Clana was an adult now; she needed to live her own life beyond the church’s control.

The church grew silent in her absence.

A day passed, and the news of a new transfer student among the second years spread throughout the Academy.

It might seem like an overreaction for just one student, but this was no ordinary transfer student—this was the famous saintess.

The story of how the church produced another saintess after Karen’s death was already well-known.

Saintess Clana.

Born under the blessing of the stars, she had been naturally gifted from a young age.

Many at the Academy recognized her face and name. She had contributed greatly to the Academy’s reconstruction after the monster attack.

Many remembered her long, silver hair and eyes as blue as precious stones.

“…”

And Iria knew her as well.

It wasn’t just from meeting her before; it was something else. Clana, like Ariel and Sera, bore a familiar name.

It felt like a name she had known for a long time.

‘Is she also a main character in this story?’

It seemed highly likely.

And,

‘This must be another part of the original story.’

Serthia’s death must have been the trigger, leading the plot to unfold as written.

Iria had no concrete evidence, but somehow she understood.

A deep sense of déjà vu from forgotten memories told her as much. It was as if she’d seen this plot and character introduction before.

Iria had seen a scene like this somewhere before.

So it was better not to interfere with the events unfolding as they should.

Today, Iria decided not to approach Ariel. Instead, she figured it would be fine to watch the two of them meet.

The important thing was always information gathering.

Iria hid in the bushes and waited.

She observed the sword training grounds where Ariel frequently practiced.

As expected, Ariel appeared. Not long after, the woman with silver hair showed up.

“Uh, hello…?”

She seemed nervous, as if the encounter was awkward for her.

It was as Iria had expected—Clana’s holy power made reading her thoughts difficult. However, unlike with Ariel, Iria thought she could read them if she used demonic energy.

“So, you’re the saintess of this generation. What brings you here?”

“My head nun told me to meet the hero of this generation…”

“Is that so?”

Their conversation was less insightful than Iria had hoped. It almost made her wonder why they’d even bothered to meet.

As Iria watched the scene in a daze, she felt a presence beside her.

“What are they talking about over there?”

“…”

Iria turned her head.

Beside her was Sera, with leaves and twigs sticking out of her hair. Why was she here? This was the bushes.

The two exchanged a slightly awkward look, perfectly camouflaged in their surroundings.

“What are you doing here?”

“What about you?”

“I was watching Ariel.”

“What a coincidence. So was I.”

“Why?”

“Does it matter?”

Iria blinked in confusion.

Sera, out of place, seemed oddly nervous.

Iria decided not to worry about why Sera was here.

“Doesn’t seem all that important.”

“Shall we watch together?”

“Alright.”

The two of them lay side by side, watching Ariel. If anyone passed by, they would likely have called a professor, claiming there were suspicious people.

Unconcerned, Sera watched Ariel and the saintess from afar and spoke.

“Ugh… They’re too far away. I can’t hear anything. Iria, can you hear them?”

Iria nodded.

Her senses were more developed than an average person’s. Sounds beyond human hearing were clear to her.

Sera asked,

“Really? What are they talking about?”

Iria listened to their conversation for a moment.

It didn’t seem particularly important.

“The head nun told me to get along well with Ariel…!”

“The Central Church has a long-standing connection with the hero. I’m not entirely disconnected from the church either.”

“Oh, really?”

“Something like that. I’m the child of a saintess too.”

“So, do you think we could get along well?”

“Probably. Before being a hero and a saintess, we’re both just students. I believe everyone at this Academy is the same.”

After listening to their general conversation, Iria turned back toward Sera.

Just like earlier, it didn’t seem like anything particularly significant had been said.

“Why? What? What did they say?”

“…”

But Sera’s eyes were filled with anticipation, almost too much so. Iria scratched her cheek, a bit embarrassed.

She wasn’t particularly skilled with words, so she wondered how to explain what she’d heard.

How should she put it?

After a brief moment of thought, Iria decided to summarize their conversation in one sentence.

“They said they’re going to establish a relationship today.”

And then,

“…Huh?”

Sera’s expression changed upon hearing that.