Why is the Saintess here of all places?
The next morning.
“Mmm…”
Rudell gazed out the window, his chin resting on his hand.
-You’ll see when you meet.
Just who was that priest that made Jade react that way?
That thought consumed Rudell’s mind.
Judging by her reaction, they were definitely not an ordinary person.
However, Rudell had no idea who it could be.
The various religious cults didn't make a significant appearance until much later in the story, and even then, few survived the Kingdom’s civil war.
If he tried to recall any priests he knew, a few names did come to mind.
But there was a significant problem with them being at the academy.
“They’re all way too old…”
The priests he knew were all elderly at that point in the story.
Moreover, they all held high positions within their respective temples, so they wouldn't have the reason or the time to come here.
That meant the newcomer was either a minor character from the original story or someone entirely new…
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Just then, Leje, who had been watching him, asked.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? It’s written all over your face.”
Leje gave him a faint smile as he shook his head.
“It’s about the priest Princess Jade mentioned, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“Your thoughts are easy to read.”
Leje chuckled at Rudell’s question.
“Don’t worry too much about it. Priests are generally kind people, despite their fanaticism.”
While they fanatically followed the gods they believed in, most priests in this world had relatively normal mindsets.
Of course, there were some extremists like the Inquisitors, but they were a minority…
Most were generally polite and kind.
“Well… I suppose so.”
Whatever the case, he would find out when he saw them.
With that thought, Rudell began preparing for class when…
“Everyone, take your seats.”
The familiar voice accompanied the opening of the classroom door, and Fernand de Pasell, the homeroom professor for A-1 Class, entered.
“It hasn’t been long since Kurt transferred in. I have another friend to introduce to you all.”
Scratching his messy hair as if annoyed, he turned his head.
“Come in.”
At the same time, every student in the classroom turned their heads towards the entrance.
Rudell and Leje also turned, and they both held their breath at the strange sensation emanating from outside the classroom.
“Did you feel that?”
“Uh… What was that…?”
It felt like a gentle spring breeze, a cool summer wind relieving the heat.
It also felt like the autumnal atmosphere of falling leaves, and the warmth of a fireplace in the cold winter.
It was an indescribable sensation.
But at the same time, it was full of benevolent energy.
Creak.
The door opened, and a young woman entered the classroom.
She wore a white priestess’s robe as white as a cloud, and her hair was the color of a summer sky.
Her golden eyes, nestled beneath her azure hair, shimmered like jewels.
“Ahem… Come u… Come up here.”
Fernand spoke with a distinctly uncomfortable expression.
The young woman nodded and slowly walked up to the podium.
As an indescribable aura emanated from her…
“Introduce yourself and then take a seat.”
“Hello everyone. My name is Elleanor, and I'm a trainee priestess of the Gaia Church. I’ll be studying in the same class as you all from today. Please take care of me.”
The young woman, who introduced herself as Elleanor, bowed her head.
And then.
“Wait, what?”
The moment he heard those words, a stunned voice escaped Rudell’s lips.
* * *
Elleanor.
She was the Saintess of the Gaia Church, the largest religious organization in this world.
And in the original story, she was a minor character who was mentioned as having died and never appeared again.
‘No way, why is the Saintess here of all places?’
Rudell wanted to confront her immediately, but it was impossible.
“Are you really a priestess? I’ve never heard of a priestess enrolling in the academy.”
“If you don’t mind, would you like to talk with me later? I know a nice cafe.”
“Wow… your skin is so beautiful. What’s your secret?”
Students, both male and female, flocked around her.
Amidst the crowd, she answered their questions with a gentle smile.
“Rudell… that person…”
“It must be the priestess Princess Jade was talking about.”
Should he be happy about this or not…
With that thought, Rudell let out a low groan.
Logically, he should be happy.
In any novel, a Saintess usually possessed immense power.
In fact, the Pope, known to have the second-highest amount of divine power after the Saintess, was said to be able to revive the dying.
In the original story, the Pope's feats included obliterating a Lich, a mid-rank executive, along with its entire undead army, and passively buffing nearby soldiers to the level of knights with his mere presence.
Simply put, he was an S-rank supporter.
And the Saintess, who possessed even more divine power than the Pope, might even be able to resurrect the dead.
However…
‘I have a feeling things are going to get even more complicated…’
His past experiences told him that whenever things seemed to be going well, a correspondingly large problem always followed.
The Chimera in the Back Alley, the magical beasts that suddenly attacked his territory, Leje following him to the Cult’s facility.
To Rudell, the Saintess’s arrival was a signal flare, heralding the arrival of a corresponding challenge.
“She doesn’t seem ordinary at all… Is she really a trainee priestess?”
“Hmm…”
As expected of Leje's sharp perception, she immediately recognized that Elleanor was no ordinary person.
He wondered how she would react if she knew Elleanor was the Saintess…
As Rudell watched Elleanor surrounded by people, a low groan escaping his lips…
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“Huh?”
Elleanor rose from her spot and approached Rudell, who looked at her with puzzled eyes.
Standing before him, Elleanor gave him a gentle smile and said,
“Young Master Weinstein? Would you mind speaking with me after class?”
“…”
It seemed the challenge had already arrived.
* * *
“…”
“…”
Naturally, what followed was a barrage of envious stares directed at Rudell.
And…
“Be honest, are you hiding something from me?”
“I’m telling the truth! I’m just as bewildered as you are!!”
Leje was among those glaring at him.
Of course, Rudell felt incredibly wronged.
If he had met her before, he wouldn’t feel so unjustly accused.
But this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on her.
“Really?”
“Really! I swear on Goddess Gaia!”
He didn’t believe in gods, but he had to say something to clear Leje’s misunderstanding.
“Hmm…”
His oath seemed to have worked, as Leje softened her expression with a low groan.
“Why me…”
The boys in the classroom were all glaring at him with murderous intent, while the girls looked at him as if he were something untouchable.
“[I-I believe Young Master Weinstein…!!]”
“Thank you for saying that…”
“Don’t worry about it. It's natural for a strong man to attract many women. They’re just envious of you.”
“Thanks for the words of encouragement, but I’d rather you didn’t say anything right now…”
The already hostile glares from the girls seemed to intensify.
With that thought, Rudell let out a short sigh.
Meanwhile, Elleanor, oblivious to his predicament, was busy chatting with other students.
He felt like giving her a good whack, but he didn’t know what would happen if he messed with the Saintess of the Church.
Rudell could do nothing but push that thought to the back of his mind.
“Sigh…”
Why were these things always happening to him?
Letting out a short sigh, Rudell looked out the window.
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