Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 175

Chapter 175

After replying with a flushed face, the employee inside the window bustled around for about thirty minutes before someone emerged from Lamus. The tightly closed iron gate creaked open, and a kind-faced man appeared, wearing a long cloak that swept the ground. He was sweating profusely, as if he’d rushed out.

“I came as soon as I got the call from the window. I heard there are transfer applicants?”

“Assistant Uslah! These are the ones.”

At the window employee’s shout, the man called Assistant Uslah turned to us.

“Welcome to Lamus. I am Maha Uslah, an assistant in the Department of Theology in the Lamus Special Class. Which one of you is hoping to transfer?”

“M-me.”

When Alisa pointed to herself, the assistant smiled gently.

“A cute young lady. What is your name?”

“Ilias. Please call me Alisa.”

“Alright, Alisa. Please follow me. I will guide you to the Director.”

Just then, the surroundings erupted in noise. The parents of the missing people, who had been turned away at the window earlier, surged toward us.

“Hey! Wait! Let us in too……!”

“Let us inside too!”

The soldiers nearby quickly intervened, blocking their path. The parents resisted fiercely, but they were no match for the trained soldiers. Eventually, the soldiers grabbed them and pushed them back. The assistant watched the scene for a moment, then smiled at us again.

“Well then, this way. Let’s go inside.”

“Um, is it okay to just leave those people like that?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about. They’ll calm down and go back soon.”

The assistant answered my question dismissively. He seemed completely unconcerned about the commotion, which made me uneasy.

“Shouldn’t you find out what’s going on? It seems like people have gone missing.”

“Ah, well. It’s common during this time.”

“Common?”

“It’s always like this during the admission period. Because so many different people come from various regions, the lists get mixed up and cause confusion, or they encounter accidents along the way. Every year, about a dozen people disappear on their way to Lamus. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The assistant clicked his tongue, looking troubled. Hearing his words, I glanced back. The sight of the parents, blocked by the soldiers, wailing, was painfully clear. In contrast, the soldiers blocking them were indifferent. They had become accustomed to the pain of others to the point where it no longer mattered.

It was strange that the academy hadn’t taken any measures to prevent this. They called it unavoidable, but was that really the case? If it happened every year, surely some accidents could be prevented in advance. It felt like they were just avoiding responsibility.

As I was thinking this, a large hand covered my eyes. It was Sibelius.

“Don’t look at that. It’ll only make you uncomfortable.”

“Sibyl…….”

Turning hesitantly, I saw a bitter expression on his face, a smile that wasn’t really a smile. He told me not to look, but his gaze was fixed on the wailing people.

“I was a little upset that you were ignoring my feelings, but seeing that, I think I understand. It’s hard to watch someone who has lost something precious and is acting irrationally.”

“Sibyl…….”

“Sorry, let’s go.”

Before I could say anything, he offered a brief smile, then quickly turned and walked away. It was a silent signal that he didn’t want to continue the conversation.

‘No, it’s not because I can’t stand watching that…….’

The words I wanted to say caught in my throat. If the others, who had moved ahead, hadn’t stopped and urged me to hurry, I might have wiped away my tears.

I sighed and blended back into the group as if nothing had happened. I met Sibyl’s eyes and we smiled at each other, but the heavy feeling didn’t disappear.

‘I’m just scared of losing my place.’ That’s what I wanted to say. But I probably won’t have the chance to say that for a while.

* * *

While we walked to the interview location, Assistant Uslah explained many things, mostly boasting about Lamus’s excellent faculty and departments.

The inside of Lamus was largely divided into the Military Department, the Civil Department, and the Special Department. The Military Department focused on martial arts and tactics, the Civil Department dealt with administration, law, and other political fields, while the Special Department handled unique abilities such as magic or divine power, including science. Alisa, as a spiritist, would be transferring into the Special Department.

“Ah, I see. Alisa is a spiritist.”

The assistant blinked, surprised.

“It’s rare to see a Special Department applicant, this is very surprising. And a mid-level spiritist at that. A great achievement at such a young age. May I ask how old you are?”

“I’m 13 years old.”

“13 years old!”

Perhaps because she was younger than he expected, the assistant looked even more surprised. It was a rare case even on the entire continent, so it was understandable. He stared at Alisa with a probing gaze for a moment, then nodded with a satisfied smile.

“That’s really amazing. Very good. At that rate, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“What do you mean?”

“The transfer, I mean. Usually, the interview is very strict for transfers. But Alisa will pass unanimously without even having to go to the final meeting.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Our Lamus always welcomes talented students.”

Alisa’s face lit up at the assistant’s answer. She was already confident she would pass, but she seemed even more relieved to hear confirmation from someone involved. The assistant also looked pleased.

“I’m very happy to have a new member in the Special Department. We won’t be able to see each other often because our departments are different, but since this is a connection, please come to me anytime if you have any difficulties in your academy life. I will help you as much as possible.”

“Yes, thank you! Come to think of it, Assistant Uslah, you said you were in the Department of Theology, right? Then are you a priest?”

“No, I’m just an ordinary theologian. I dreamed of becoming a priest, but I couldn’t receive the insignia [a divine mark or blessing], so I approached it through academics. Usually, people who major in theology at the academy are mostly people like me who started with personal interests. If I were a priest, I would already be affiliated with a temple, so I wouldn’t be here.”

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry if that was an unpleasant question.”

“No, there are many things that I find rewarding as a theologian. In fact, the support I receive from the temple is not much different from that of a priest. I also go to affiliated temples to give lectures, and we exchange ideas quite often.”

The pride he held was evident in his determined face. Perhaps Alisa was intrigued by this, as she asked with shining eyes.

“Priests are divided into different orders depending on the god they serve, right? Is it the same for theologians?”

“Of course. Just as there are various schools of magic, theology also has different affiliations depending on the doctrines they study.”

“Then which temple are you affiliated with, Assistant?”

The assistant, who had been answering without hesitation, looked slightly troubled at Alisa’s question.

“Everyone is reluctant when I tell them… I’m majoring in the teachings of the Demon God.”

“A Demon God……?”

It wasn’t just Alisa who was taken aback. Isana and I couldn’t help but stare at him in surprise. The assistant smiled bitterly, as if he expected it.

“I knew you’d be surprised. Does Alisa also dislike the Demon God?”

“Well…… he’s a scary god after all.”

“Haha, the Demon God isn’t always such a scary being. Rather, he is quite generous and gives a lot to his children. Do you know why his creations, the demons, have become such a nuisance? It’s because the demons were too strong. That’s how much the Demon God gave them.”

“R-really?”

“That’s right. Think about it. The Demon God Temple has the longest history of any temple on the continent. It also has the most temples and followers. And what’s more? The Swalt Empire, far away, has been worshiping the Demon God as its supreme god for hundreds of years since its founding.”

Isana’s shoulders stiffened as the name of his home country suddenly came up. It was such a subtle change that I was the only one who noticed it. I tapped his shoulder lightly, and he immediately relaxed and gave a bitter smile. Even in the midst of that, the conversation between the assistant and Alisa continued.

“People aren’t stupid. The fact that so many people have been worshiping the Demon God for so long means that there must be some appeal, right?”

“Hmm, now that I hear it, that’s true. I think I’ve been misunderstanding too much.”

“Haha, as a student, it’s important to look at the world from various perspectives. I’m glad that Alisa has a flexible way of thinking.”

The assistant seemed very pleased, as if he had gotten the answer he wanted. He seemed very satisfied that he had changed someone’s mind.

Of course, I wasn’t happy with the situation at all. Studying to the point of becoming a scholar is only possible with affection. In other words, it means that he has a deep faith, and that ultimately means that the possibility of hostility towards the God of Punishment is also very high.

There must be many doctrines to study in the department, but why the Demon God out of all the gods? I pulled the end of my hood and pressed it down further. It wouldn’t be visible anyway because it was covered by the circlet [a type of headwear], but I was unnecessarily conscious of the insignia on my forehead.

‘I have to be as inconspicuous as possible.’

Fortunately, the assistant was only focused on Alisa and wasn’t paying any attention to us. Unless someone deliberately revealed it, it seemed unlikely that he would be interested in my identity. And among us, there was someone who would mention it…….

“Oh, that’s right. El here is also a priest.”

“Yes? Is that true?”

“…….”

Right, come to think of it, there was Alisa.

I had forgotten that I hadn’t told her the whole story in advance. As the assistant turned around with a delighted expression, I rubbed my forehead slightly. Isana was also completely frozen, as if he was flustered, and was just gaping.

“Oh my, you’re a priest! Which god’s priest are you?”

“Yes? Ah, well, I’m actually a Demon God priest.”

“……!”

I blurted out a lie without realizing it because I was so flustered. Not only the assistant, but even the group members were staring at me with wide eyes. In particular, the assistant looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

“No way! Did you just say you were a Demon God priest?”

‘……I can’t help it.’

I felt a sense of despair, but I decided to push through to the end, thinking that there was nothing I could do since it had already happened. Besides, now that I had done it, it seemed like a pretty good plan in its own way. After all, I wouldn’t see this person again once I left this place. Rather than revealing the truth and creating conflict, it would be better to gain even a fake liking for Alisa, who would be staying here in the future. I tried to smile naturally and nodded.

“Yes, I’m a humble servant who serves the Demon God. I’m just a low-ranking priest who can’t even show the insignia of God.”

“Haha, please don’t say that. What does the title matter in the work that God has given you? To me, you are all equally noble servants of God.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Fortunately, the assistant seemed to believe my words willingly. In fact, he couldn’t even imagine that another priest would impersonate a Demon God priest. There was also the issue of pride, but for a priest to say that the god they serve is different, even for a moment, was a kind of apostasy. Usually, it was a huge crime that could result in excommunication on the spot for deceiving God. In other words, it was a lie that I could tell because I wasn’t a real priest. Of course, impersonating a priest is a problem that would lead to a religious trial. Well, that’s only if I get caught.

Rather, the problem was Alisa’s reaction. She was looking at me with a frown. She must have remembered that I had previously denied being a Demon God priest.

“Um, wait a minute, El. But before…….”

“Alisa.”

It was Isana who stopped her. When our eyes met, he shook his head lightly. Alisa immediately closed her mouth as if she had guessed something from that look.

“Hmm? Alisa? What were you about to say just now?”

“……No, it’s nothing.”

It was an unnatural answer, but the assistant only looked puzzled for a moment and didn’t seem to think deeply about it. The look of suspicion was still nowhere to be found in his eyes as he looked at me. It was the moment when a perfect crime was established.

The assistant, completely unaware that he was being deceived, couldn’t hide the beaming smile on his face. Seeing him so purely happy made me feel a little guilty for lying.

“Anyway, I was really surprised. I thought you were all a group, but I never imagined that you were a Demon God priest. I see. So you’re here to guide her?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Haha, Lamus is a really good place. I hope Alisa’s guardians are also satisfied.”

Just because I was a Demon God priest, he seemed to be thinking of me separately from the rest of the group. From the beginning, the assumption that I was Alisa’s guardian wasn’t even implied. I wanted to correct him, but I didn’t think there was a need to emphasize that I was part of the group, so I just silently accepted his words. Who knows? Maybe there’s a rule that Demon God priests aren’t allowed to travel with ordinary people. Since it’s such an exclusive place, I had to keep that possibility in mind.

“Anyway, you should have contacted me earlier. Then I would have come out to meet you right away without you having to wait.”

“Ah, no. I couldn’t bother you that much…….”

“Haha, don’t mention it. Everyone does that.”

“Yes? Everyone……?”

“It’s cumbersome to go through the formal procedure every time you come. Priest, please feel free to contact me next time you come.”

“Ah, yes…….”

He said that he often exchanges with the temple, so it seems that there are many visits from the temple side on a regular basis. I didn’t quite understand what he meant, but I nodded for now. It would be troublesome if I tried to find out more and aroused suspicion.