About an hour or so had passed.In the midst of studying hard for the midterms, we decided to take a short break.“I’m peckish, so I’ll go buy a few things. Do you desire anything?”“Just coffee to wake me up, please.”While Garfield went to the café inside the library to buy some simple coffee and snacks—“Here, the signed documents.”I handed Elena the information-exchange documents she had sent previously.“Thank you. I’ll take this as the contract being concluded. I’d like you to stop by the clubroom regularly to exchange information.”“If I have the time. Do you have any agenda to ask about right now?”“Mm, first, this.”As if she had been waiting, Elena took out a document and held it out to me.A steel cross and two snakes coiled around it. It was a document stamped with the emblem of the Holy Kingdom Celestia.The content of the document requested information regarding the breeding season of the Northern Three-Headed Wolf.I roughly understood the intent.“You want to predict the timing of the southward movement of the monster swarms?”“Yes, even though the Gunhild family manages the north, when it’s time for monsters to move southward, the entire continent has to prepare.”“Fine, I’ll tell you as soon as I obtain the information. How about remuneration?”“I’ll make sure you’re not slighted. {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} It doesn’t have to be money—do you have any materials you particularly want? You’re an alchemist.”“Materials, huh.”I fell into brief thought.Although it’s antagonistic to me, there are frequent cases where a holy-power potion is needed as an alchemy material.It’s used to neutralize the inherent toxicity or demonic energy of a material.If it’s a potion imbued with Elena’s holy power, it would be second to none in performance.Besides that, there are many purification tools or specialties that can only be obtained in the Holy Kingdom, so I’ll think it over gradually.“I’ll think it over and let you know.”“Alright. By the way, have you heard the rumor? The rumor that gremlins appeared within Voltimir territory.”“Gremlins, huh.”I had thought the information was blocked at the Chairman’s level, but as expected, it seemed to have reached Elena’s ears.I didn’t know if she also knew that a demon appeared, but for now I set out the standard line as if I didn’t know.“Generally, monsters cannot appear within academy grounds.”“That un-general event is what happened. Adler reported that he cut down a dozen-odd gremlins in the Black Forest. I personally confirmed the sword and cuirass with green blood on them.”“Hoh.”Come to think of it, there were several gremlin corpses lying near the Black Forest.Since there were consistent sword marks left, I thought one person handled it—so that was Adler.Adler is Elena’s faithful retainer, so it would be fitting for him to pass that information on.“If that’s true…… we’ll need to make the Union’s defenses a little more thorough.”Although the Union is protected by several barriers, its root is ultimately a “frontier zone” built atop the Meteor Isles.If you think of monsters infiltrating from undeveloped zones piled up around, it isn’t very strange.No matter how thoroughly you prepare, it’s common to find a bug or two inside the house.As we were chatting about various things related to the Sports Festival, including the gremlin appearance case—Elena suddenly stared fixedly at the ring on my finger.“Loen, what is that ring? You’re always wearing it.”I flinched a little inside, but answered calmly.“It’s a gift from my elder sister. I wear it at all times.”“Aha, could I try wearing it once?”“…….”Elena’s eyes sparkled as she coveted my ring. Whether it was simple curiosity or what, it wasn’t a good sign.No, seeing those oddly sparkling eyes, it seemed similar to the madness I’d felt before.That’s right.Elena was now suspecting, “There’s something suspicious about this ring.”Sensing a threat to my life, I swallowed.‘This won’t do with some clumsy excuse.’The Ring of Derode, the only means by which I can hide my identity. Not even an inch of suspicion can be allowed to arise about it.I should erect an ironclad wall so that Elena will never be able to bring up this ring again.Pressing the ring tightly to fix it on my finger, I spoke calmly.“My elder sister said to put it on the person I’ll marry later.”“…….”With this, she won’t be able to say she wants to try it on again.As I entered iron-wall mode, Elena also gave up without saying anything more.“Eh, then that won’t do.”Leaving other things aside, it’s absurd for a saintess candidate to even think about marriage. This should be safe.‘……Come to think of it.’I quietly gazed at the black ring on my ring finger.Loen wouldn’t have had this from birth.In the end, someone who knows Loen’s identity must have passed the ring down.Just how far, within House de Valis, does the knowledge of Loen’s identity extend?This information is a double-edged sword, but if I dig into it, I might reach some truth.“That aside, you obtained the date ticket after all, didn’t you? Pretending you didn’t.”Elena moved to the next topic. It was about the S-rank slip I’d found in the treasure-hunt event.Because I’d openly come forward and declared it at the time, every Union student knew.“I acquired it by a lucky chance.”“Because of that, there are probably a lot of male students sharpening their knives. Your approval rating might drop a bit.”“It’s fine. It wasn’t high to begin with. And speaking of approval ratings, I secured quite a bit with this tram construction matter.”“Ah, right. I saw that you have to build over forty tram stops alone. Will you be able to manage it?”“What’s there that I can’t do. It’s not like I’m going to take a shovel and dig the ground myself.”That’s the good thing about money.“…….”Elena wiped the beading sweat with a handkerchief and continued.“Do you have sufficient funds? I heard your allowance was cut off. Do you perhaps need a loan?”Elena quietly leaned toward me and brought up money.It seemed she meant to lend construction funds on this occasion and put her spoon on the tram construction plan. As expected, she calculates quickly.But the table is already so full there’s no space to put a spoon.“Sorry, but the funds are secured.”“Aha, come to think of it, there was a merchant guild you brought in during the Sports Festival. By the way, I noticed that guild was also involved in the last stock-manipulation incident—Loen, it seems you were involved there as well?”‘Just how much do you know?’I put a bit of distance between us and said,“……You know quite a lot for something that isn’t even internal Union business.”“When you sit in the student council president’s seat, various information comes into your ears.”Why does it sound like a warning to mind my behavior since she knows everything worth knowing. Anyway.Taking the chance while I was meeting Elena, I asked what I’d been curious about.“More than that, what was the slip you drew in the three-legged race last time?”I’d been curious about the contents of the lot Elena drew in the three-legged race.What on earth was written that she bothered to choose me?Public interest was so hot that it even made the newspaper.But Elena was reluctant to answer.“Oh dear, I said that’s a secret. If you pry too much you’ll be unpopular, you know?”I’m not popular to begin with.As we chatted for a bit, Garfield, who had gone to the café, returned.“I’ve brought the ordered black tea and iced tea, sandwiches, and a confectionery set.”“Oh my, thank you. You worked hard.”Elena smiled faintly.After a brief tea time, we continued with the study.***A good thing about the exam period is that, for this time at least, there are no lectures, so the day’s schedule ends quickly.After finishing Divine Studies at the library, I borrowed the power of the system encyclopedia and successfully completed the exams for two general-education subjects.If you use the encyclopedia, it’s effectively open-book, so general-level questions were very easy to solve.The day’s official schedule was done.Afterward, using my extra time, I headed to Izelin Academy.Students were busy in the thick of exam period.Since I had made arrangements in advance, I could meet Illeina, Philip, and Josefin, but time wasn’t all that ample.The reception room at Izelin I arrived at.It felt a bit cozier than before.The old, worn sofa had been replaced with a new one, and the messy curtains had been changed to a fresh color, changing the atmosphere.Noteworthy was that the hospitality tea had been upgraded from coffee to black tea.It seemed they were gradually replacing furnishings in the academy using the compensation received from Jerome.As I looked around the reception room, I opened my lips while looking at the groundwork visible outside the window.“The construction seems to be going well.”Rumble-.The sound of construction coming from outside.The new dormitory construction was gradually proceeding in earnest, and not long ago they broke ground and began the foundation work.‘For a building, solid groundwork comes first.’I heard they were carrying out groundwork—firmly packing the earth and pouring concrete flooring and rebar.Also, not just the dormitory; since we had to secretly develop the underground ruins and even make a passage that leads to the underworld, the importance of foundation work goes without saying.Illeina said,“Thanks to you. That person named Demian whom Lord Loen introduced is quite an outstanding architect.”Outstanding indeed. If his temper is foul, at least his ability should be good.“And I confirmed the amount you returned. You didn’t have to repay it.”The one billion krone I had received from Illeina previously was repaid in full.“I felt uncomfortable. Even the dormitory rebuilding is being done at my insistence.”To begin with, the Izelin side had no intention of newly building a dormitory.The new dorm project was merely one of the tricks to cover the ruse—namely, the content of my contract: to obtain the underground ruins of Izelin and the legendary artifact, the Cognition Acceleration Stone.Of course, that doesn’t mean the dormitory rebuilding is a total waste of money.‘Rebuilding the dormitory was something that had to be done sooner or later.’Building anew in place of an old, dilapidated structure was a matter of timing, not yes-or-no; if you consider that we simply did in advance what would be done anyway, there isn’t much to fret over.Besides, as a result, thanks to me, the kingdom all but escaped the crisis of war, so they’ll understand this much with a generous heart.“Use the returned compensation well. Remodel the cafeteria or the gymnasium, or reinforce the faculty. Or you could waive students’ tuition.”From a look at Izelin’s budget details, the annual academy budget expenditure was about eight hundred million krone.For building management, maintenance and repair costs, faculty wages, and the purchase of essential supplies, they were spending close to the minimum.Most of the budget expenditure was being used to support the enormous Union tuition for main-campus students.Even so, every year there were students who couldn’t attend the Union due to lack of tuition, so it would be good to give opportunities to them as well.Investment in education directly connects to the nation’s future competitiveness itself.“Yes, after reviewing the budget, we will proceed according to Lord Loen’s wishes.”Once the compensation matter was tidied up, the guard knight Philip asked,“Come to think of it, Lord Loen, I heard you decided to build tram stops for other academies based on the Sports Festival scores?”“Yes, we’ll expand the tram lines and increase the number of trains in proportion.”It doesn’t end by simply building stops. Accordingly, we have to lay rails to expand the lines, and since the lines get longer, we must increase the number of trams to fill the gaps.“Let’s see. Izelin Academy is…… seventeenth.”I checked the Sports Festival score sheet I’d noted in my notebook. Considering Izelin’s scale, seventeenth place was quite an achievement.The once-divided opinions within the academy had united into one, and they had shaken off the shadow of Jerome that had long harassed them.Given that the students’ motivation was burning, it wasn’t strange for them to produce good results.“From the current stop to Izelin’s main gate, it took over twenty minutes on foot. Once a new stop is built this time, the environment will be greatly improved.”For Izelin’s students, it would be the best gift.After that, I spent time talking with Illeina about the upcoming dorm construction schedule, the search for locations to install new stops, the remaining compensation to receive from Jerome, and so on.Once such official talk ended, Josefin, who had been quietly listening, handed me something.“Loen. It’s a letter written by my younger sister. Please accept it.”As I received the letter he handed over, I asked,“Come to think of it, has Joshua fully recovered?”Josefin’s younger sister, Joshua.She suffered from an incurable disease, which was also the reason Josefin briefly sided with Jerome.I’d heard she was taking the new medicine I’d given before and was improving.He nodded with a smile.“Yes, thanks to the medicine you gave, she’s close to fully cured. Even the shaved hair is gradually growing back. She might be able to enroll in the Union next year.”“That’s a relief.”Even though we had no particular acquaintance, it made me happy to hear that someone tormented by illness fully recovered thanks to me.As I took the letter Josefin handed me and looked it over briefly—I wasn’t going to open it immediately and meant to keep it in my breast, but something caught my eye a bit.“The sender looks a little different.”The addressee was clearly Loen, but the sender of the letter that Joshua supposedly wrote was written in strange characters.Josefin explained about this.“Ah, that’s my younger sister’s pen name. Joshua has a hobby of writing novels. She wrote her pen name in ancient runes, but I don’t know what it means.”“A pen name, and ancient runes…… is your younger sister perhaps famous?”“So-so. I hear the books sell well within the kingdom.”“Hm.”Gazing intently at the letter in my hand, I carefully brought up information from memory.With my original memory alone I couldn’t bring up all the fragments, but with the correction from Loen’s Intelligence stat, they surfaced from beneath the waterline.Based on the information that had passed by in the game, I combined the memories, and soon could read what this letter signified.“!”Deep in thought, I opened my eyes wide.What the ancient runes written on the letter meant was precisely “Prophecy.”That’s right.What Joshua writes is not a simple novel, but part of a prophecy that reveals the future of this Saga of Mirielin.She is the only prophet that exists in this Saga of Mirielin.

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