Chapter 11 : Shall we flee?

What the hell is going on?

Charlotte came running out of the headmaster’s office in tears.

Alec tried to chase after her but got blocked by a woman standing next to him.

‘What is this situation even supposed to be?’

For now, finding Charlotte, who ran off crying, came first. As I passed Alec to follow her, our eyes met.

‘Did Garua and Lamia actually lose to this guy? I really need to yell at them later.’

I couldn’t help but smirk, already imagining calling Garua and Lamia over to yell at them.

Might as well call the other Demon Generals too. Blood King probably won’t want to come, but if I send a few messages, he’ll show up. I won’t

call the Dragon King, though. That old guy is just annoying.

The tears wouldn’t stop.

A Saintess running around crying — I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. A Saintess is supposed to be perfect.

‘I’ll just hide…’

There was no way to stop the tears. Once the dam of emotions broke, it was like the feelings I’d bottled up for the past three years all came

rushing out.

I crouched down in the shadows behind a building where no one would see me. No one would find me here, right?

As I sat, hunched and head down, the sadness only deepened.

I didn’t even do anything wrong. So why do I have to hide?

‘I want to quit being the Saintess…’

I heard someone panting and coming closer.

No one should’ve come here. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this.

I curled up as much as I could, trying to make myself invisible.

“Hoo… Charlotte. Why are you here alone? Did something happen?”

“Morgan…”

The one who had come panting up to me was Morgan.

I wasn’t supposed to let anyone see me like this, but… for some reason, knowing it was Morgan made me feel relieved. Maybe because we’d

gotten a bit closer.

I thought I hid well… but I must have been found way too easily.

“Don’t look at me…”

I didn’t want anyone to see me cry. Especially not someone I knew. I didn’t want anyone to see the Saintess like this — pathetic.

Don’t tell anyone, please.

Morgan scratched her head and sat down next to me.

It was such a tight corner, and now with the two of us pressed together, there was barely any space left.

“It’s cramped…”

“I like it, though.”

She must’ve really run around to find me, because I could still feel her panting.

Sitting this close, I could feel the roughness of her breath and her pounding heartbeat through her shoulder.

“Sorry. I saw you coming out of the headmaster’s office earlier.”

Morgan didn’t ask anything.

She just stayed beside me quietly while I sniffled.

“I want to run away…”

“Then let’s run away together.”

I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

Where would a Saintess even run off to?

I have nowhere I can go.

But Morgan still said we could run away together.

Where could we even go?

“We can’t…”

“I know somewhere no one will ever find us.”

Morgan stood up, gently lifted my chin, and cupped my face with both hands.

She looked into my eyes.

Her ruby-red eyes — always shining and beautiful — suddenly felt terrifying.

It felt like she was about to devour me.

“Charlotte. If you want to, I’ll help you escape.”

“No…”

Her face was so close, our lips almost touched.

She smiled, a seductive smile that made me feel like she truly could take me somewhere no one would ever find me — if I just said yes.

It was so tempting. I felt like I was falling in.

“Thank you.”

“You were trying to comfort me, right?”

I was scared.

If I said I really did want to leave, Morgan might actually make it happen.

She could take me somewhere even the Hero’s Party or the Church couldn’t find me.

When I said no, Morgan gave me a bittersweet smile.

“You figured it out, huh?”

My tears had stopped without me realizing it.

Morgan looked into my eyes and quietly held out her hand.

“Let’s go back.”

“…Yeah, let’s go back.”

Morgan gave me a bright smile again, as if the bittersweet one never existed.

I gave a small smile in return.

That night, in Charlotte’s room.

Lying in bed, Charlotte buried her face in the blanket and squirmed.

“I must be crazy…! Charlotte, you’re seriously insane!”

After parting with Morgan and coming back to her room, she had thrown herself into bed and curled up in embarrassment.

It was shame.

Crying in front of Alec — and even more, telling Morgan she wanted to disappear — it was all just so embarrassing.

Morgan had laughed it off, thankfully, but the fact that a student comforted her stung her pride.

“How am I supposed to face anyone tomorrow…”

She squirmed in shame again.

Morgan had said she’d help her run away — she must’ve just been trying to comfort her, right?

But Morgan’s expression back then didn’t look like simple kindness. It felt sincere.

“No way…”

She remembered again how close Morgan had been — their lips almost touching.

Those eyes… they really felt like they’d devour her.

‘Why did Morgan say that…?’

Her face grew hot again, and her heart raced wildly.

This must be shame. It has to be.

But Morgan’s face from earlier kept coming back to her.

She couldn’t fall asleep.

The next day, Eris asked to speak with her privately, so Charlotte invited her into her room.

It was probably about what happened yesterday.

If Alec had come too, she would’ve refused, but since Eris was coming alone, it was fine.

Eris was someone who, at the very least, tried to understand her.

“Charlotte…? May I come in?”

“Come in.”

Eris walked in with her head hanging low.

She didn’t do anything wrong yesterday, so Charlotte didn’t understand why she looked so defeated.

It made her feel a bit guilty.

“I came to apologize… for what happened yesterday.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“But still…!”

Eris tried to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

“Alec really did come to the Academy just to apologize. Karl and Sierra made him — they said he had to say it to your face…”

“I see.”

So that’s what it was.

Karl and Sierra had pushed him to do it.

Alec wasn’t totally clueless, after all.

He must’ve known how much Charlotte hated seeing him.

“So… please don’t hate Alec too much.”

“Hate? I don’t hate him. I despise him.”

“Charlotte…”

Eris.

You’re such a sweet girl. But that’s all you are — sweet.

You’re not a good person.

You must know what I did for you two.

Why do you pretend not to?

“Eris. Please don’t force me to make peace with Alec. You know what I’ve done for you both.”

Eris flinched.

See?

You knew.

You were just pretending not to.

It’s disgusting.

“I knew…! I knew, but still…”

“Knew what, exactly?”

Eris couldn’t raise her head.

And then she said something that hit Charlotte’s deepest trauma.

“Charlotte… I knew you were the one cleaning up after the demons Alec spared…”

“You knew…?”

This is why she has nightmares.

Every night, she hears the screams of the demons she killed — begging for mercy, saying they had families.

But the ones Alec spared always came back to kill.

At first, she was the one who killed them.

And even after that, Alec kept sparing demons — ones who’d beg for their lives.

Those demons turned into raiders. They burned down villages.

They killed people.

And it always felt like it was her fault.

The more Alec spared, the more people died.

And Charlotte couldn’t stand to see her friends get hurt anymore.

So she had no choice.

No one else acted.

No one else took responsibility.

So she did.

“It must’ve been easy for you.”

“Charlotte…”

“Why didn’t you stop Alec?”

She could feel the anger rising again.

“If you had said something, maybe I wouldn’t have had to be the only one doing this dirty work.”

“We did talk to him, but…”

“But he didn’t listen, right?”

It would be a lie to say she didn’t resent them too.

But her real hatred — the one that burned — was for Alec.

“Leave.”

“…I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

The words “it’s too late” almost slipped out, but she swallowed them.

It’s over now.

Getting angry again won’t help.

She held it in.

Eris stopped at the door.

“…This hasn’t been made public yet, but… remnants of the Sea King’s forces burned the Empire’s main grain region.”

“What?”

“There are rumors we’ll be called back to duty. Nothing’s official yet, but…”

Why?

Why would the Sea King’s forces act now?

Without a leader, they should’ve been scattered.

It’s been over two years since the Sea King died…

“I’ll get going now. I’m really sorry, Charlotte.”

“…Yeah.”

She tried to act like it didn’t bother her, but it was impossible.

The tears she held in front of Eris finally spilled over.

“…Bastards…”

Rebecca made sure no one was around and locked the Hero Club room.

She held out her hand, gathered magic energy, and activated a communication spell — one she absolutely hated using.

A blue flame appeared in her palm, and inside it, an image of a demon took shape.

“What? I’m busy right now.”

“What do you think? I’m calling about the bonus.”

“Have a conscience, would you? How are you getting triple bonuses?”

“Complain to the Demon King then.”

She was only doing what the Demon King told her.

If the butler didn’t like it, he should show up himself.

“Just make sure to send the money.”

“it might be late this time.”

“What? Don’t screw this up.”

“It’s not my fault…”

The butler scrambled to explain.

“There’s a problem with the Sea King’s army. They attacked the Empire’s grain region.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“I don’t know either. There’s even talk of rebellion. I have to go there now.”

“A rebellion?!”

A rebellion in the Demon Army?

They’ve lost their minds.

If Garua were here, he wouldn’t let this slide.

“I’ll still file the bonus, but it might be delayed. I gotta go now.”

“…Okay, got it.”

“Keep the Demon King updated.”

“Right. You… take c-care…”

“Even when I worry, you react like that?”

“Just don’t worry, okay?”

The spell ended, and Rebecca sat in silence.

Something’s wrong.

Even if Garua’s gone, a rebellion?

Those guys were always loyal — why now?

She had to report to the Demon King.

Feeling something was seriously off, Rebecca left the club room.

‘Garua… your subordinates really messed up…’