Chapter : 102

Although he had cleared himself of the heresy charges, Theo ended up staying with the Church.

It was because he had become entangled as a crucial witness in the Pope’s verification process.

Even though he had intentionally gotten himself involved.

But of all things!

“Final exams right after the verification is over.”

Just kill me. This can’t be real.

Theo sang a song with a strange tune.

“I’ll send you all the notes related to the exams.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Theo, with tears welling in his eyes, placed a hand on Lucian’s shoulder.

The Cardinal in charge of seeing them off smiled silently at the sight of the close friends.

He’s such good friends with the Hero chosen by God, there’s no way he could be a heretic.

There must have been some kind of serious misunderstanding between friends.

“Hello, I’m from the Academy.”

A voice was heard from a distance. At the familiar voice, Theo whipped his head around.

“Lerwon-sunbae!!”

Seeing his senior’s face for the first time in a long while, Theo happily approached him and looked him over.

“Sunbae, what about the watch?”

Theo asked about the thing that was currently on his mind the most.

As if he already knew Theo would react this way, Lerwon showed him the watch, which was so crumbled that not even a trace of the inscription could be found.

According to what Albedo had told me, he would finally return to being human when all the inscriptions on the watch had crumbled.

That means…

“Finally!”

Lerwon had completely returned to being human.

It meant he no longer had to worry about transforming into an Ouroboros.

Theo didn’t hide his joy and showed it fully.

So many things he had done to turn Lerwon back into a human came flooding back to him, almost bringing him to tears.

“This is enough.”

Knowing what Theo’s words meant, Lucian and Zephyros, who were in the same place, also raised the corners of their mouths.

At this rate, they had gained everything without losing a single thing.

“I heard you got caught up in something dangerous again.”

“Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

It was just a matter of screwing over the Pope. He was just lightly adding a spoon to an already set table, but the gains were many, so it was a profit in many ways.

“Let’s not talk about it.”

Theo looked at Lerwon with warm eyes. It was an unfamiliar gaze, but since he had suffered because of him, he decided to remain silent.

“I’m reluctant to leave just you behind.”

The head professor of the Academy couldn’t be away from his post forever. Moreover, Evan was also the acting headmaster in his absence.

So, the one who came in Evan’s place was Lerwon.

“And of all people, a student, not a professor.”

Evan’s displeased gaze turned to Lerwon.

It would have been best if a faculty member had come, but the vacuum created by the absence of Academy professors made it necessary to receive support from students.

As soon as he confirmed this, Lerwon volunteered without hesitation.

His last memory was of a dying Theo, and when he finally came to his senses, he heard the news that Theo had been accused of heresy by Zephyros.

“Actually, Lerwon-sunbae is the perfect choice.”

Theo gave his father a thumbs-up.

Seeing Lerwon, who had completely returned to being human, would finally put Fel at ease, so it was killing two birds with one stone, ensuring safety and providing proof at the same time.

“I will protect him with my life.”

“There’s no need to risk your life, you are a student too.”

Evan reached out and placed a necklace around Lerwon’s and Theo’s necks.

A question mark popped up above both their heads at the sudden red crystal necklace around their necks.

“I wasn’t just sitting on my hands either.”

What is he talking about?

Theo’s eyes, which had been examining the necklace, widened.

“If things get dicey, break the necklace.”

“N-no!”

Theo, with trembling hands, barely managed to secure the crystal on the necklace around his neck.

“Are you sure you can give me something this incredible?

“Then did you think I, a professor, would leave you in enemy territory without taking any measures?”

At Evan’s question, Theo barely swallowed his shout.

Even so, ‘an artifact with time magic cast on it’ is too much overprotection!!

* * *

I must have an incredible person for a father. I fiddled with the cool-feeling necklace and said to Lerwon.

“Sunbae, is it possible to engrave magic that interferes with time into a crystal?”

“I thought it was impossible, but I guess it’s possible?”

Sunbae, too, seemed hesitant, fiddling with his necklace several times for no reason.

The magic cast on the crystal was simple if you thought about it simply.

The moment it breaks, you go back in time by 5 minutes.

Time magic was classified as the most difficult and un-attemptable among all magic, and usually, even approaching it was not allowed, let alone using it.

But to engrave something like that into a crystal so that anyone could use it, it was nothing short of insane.

“I guess that’s how much he cares for you.”

“The scale of his caring is world-class.”

This is an artifact where you can name your price.

Though I would never sell it, as it’s like having an extra life.

I carefully hid the crystal inside my clothes and glanced at sunbae’s.

“Why? Do you want it?”

“You’ll give it to me?”

“If you want it.”

What, why is he being so compliant? I looked at Lerwon with suspicious eyes.

I have no doubt that Lerwon is a good person, but when he’s this compliant, it’s suspicious. What did I do wrong to him— ah.

“Sunbae, how long has it been since you woke up?”

“About three days?”

“The Academy works someone like that?”

“I volunteered.”

“Professor Artemia recommended it, didn’t she?”

At my question, sunbae, as if I had hit the nail on the head, flinched and averted his gaze.

Wow, even without trying hard, I can see Lerwon’s emotions so clearly. Lerwon’s intuition has gone dull.

It’s much better than putting on an inhuman smile under Iris… but let’s just think of it as a positive change.

“Anyway, you must have looked for me as soon as you woke up, and I looked for you too.

The quick-witted professor must have judged that it would be better for your mental health to send you.”

My words weren’t wrong, as sunbae still remained silent.

“Is your neck okay?”

“Is there any reason for it not to be?”

I asked sunbae back, as if I didn’t understand.

“It was just being choked once.”

“To say it was just⋯.”

It was eerie.

I understood why God had shunned the snake that bit its own tail so much.

To cast a world-level curse just by existing, I thought it was too petty, but I should have said it was generous instead.

The feeling of pressure you get when you face it, and the sensation of every single cell screaming ‘that’s dangerous’ was not pleasant.

As much as I’ve changed the future, I hoped I wouldn’t have to face the Ouroboros again.

“What’s important is guts and grit, so would I be scared by something like that?

It’s been almost a week since that happened to me, so it doesn’t even feel new anymore.”

I shrugged lightly and blabbered on. A possessor was originally good at talking.

“I guess it’s better for you to have this after all.”

Sunbae suddenly handed me the necklace he had.

“I’m fine with just this one.”

“No, I think even three lives won’t be enough for you.”

I think he was indirectly saying that I keep sticking my neck out in dangerous places… but it must be my imagination, right?

* * *

“So everyone except Theo Lisitoel has returned?”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

During the verification period, the Pope had to step down from his position.

The Pope’s verification was a process of ‘verification’ to see if it was okay to keep the Pope as the head of the church, as he had committed a sin.

Even if the Sword of Doctrine has equal rights as the Pope regarding heresy inquisitions, he is still the Pope’s sword.

It is a dishonorable thing to strike one’s own master.

Therefore, it is an unwritten rule not to recognize or treat him as the Pope during the verification period.

However, Benaya had no qualms about calling him the Pope, and the Pope did not stop Benaya from doing so.

“I must have been too relaxed.”

It must have been a long time since he had dealt with a political enemy, so he must have lost his sense of timing for the hunt.

He should have just framed him as a heretic and thrown him in as soon as he was accused of heresy! Grrrind, the sound of the Pope’s teeth grinding echoed.

“How on earth does Theo Lisitoel know about the basement!”

Could Ferdiel have told him?

No, that couldn’t be.

Ferdiel, who found it hard to even say the word, would never dare to speak of the basement.

But how on earth did Theo Lisitoel, who would have been lying in bed sleeping at the time, know about the basement!

“Ferdiel, that damned child, he doesn’t even know gratitude and dares to…!”

Blood dripped from between his fingernails that had dug into his skin again.

At that sight, Benaya strode up to the Pope and wrapped his hand with a white handkerchief.

“Your Holiness.”

If he had his way, he would call the damned traitor right now, but even that was not as he wished.

At a time when the eyes watching the Sword of Doctrine were at their most, a meeting between the Pope and the Sword of Doctrine… even if they were parent and child in private, it would not work in the Pope’s favor.

“Yes, bring Hartain.”

The Pope’s eyes flashed.

“Benaya, it seems I have grown lenient lately.”

The Pope let out a light laugh.

Whenever the Pope stained his hands with blood, he would always laugh like he was now. If Hartain were to stand in this spot right now, he might be killed at the hands of the Pope.

Knowing this, Hartain still bowed his back firmly and answered.

“As you wish, Your Holiness.”

Benaya left to summon Hartain.

The Pope, watching his back, muttered softly.

“Ferdiel, my foolish son.”

To think of resisting me, you must still be a clueless brat. The Pope just laughed at his son’s innocence.

“It would have been a fight with no chance of winning from the start.”

The current Ferdiel was made by Caelus Levian from one to ten.

From his way of thinking to his movements, his way of protecting what was useful to him and dealing with what was harmful, everything.

In the end, it meant that Ferdiel was in the palm of his hand.

“But, this is not enough.”

Yes, this was the result of being complacent.

Then, shouldn’t he prepare a last resort?

“To think I would fall like this, how naive!”

If he was going to die with his wings broken and fall unsightly, he would burn everything to the ground. For that, he was confident he could do anything.

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