Chapter 43: Putting on an act

Lila simply couldn’t understand why Ulysses, after seeing through her identity at a glance, could still act so frivolously.

And even after figuring it out, he went along with her act, keeping her secret and not pressing her for answers, to the point that Lila had thought her disguise was flawless.

“Why do you think I never stopped you from bullying Simon?”

Ulysses raised an eyebrow at Lila, then slung the greatsword back onto his back.

“Because I knew it was always you treating his injuries. Though that dense kid still hasn’t realized it.”

“I’m warning you, you creepy old man, don’t even think about telling Simon!”

Lila’s eyes widened.

“Now that I’ve exposed you, you’re not even pretending anymore?”

Ulysses looked speechless. Just moments ago she had been gentle and soft-spoken, and now she wore an openly impatient expression.

Not a shred of respect for her teacher, he sighed inwardly.

“You were quite easy to talk to earlier. Now your attitude toward a teacher is completely disrespectful.”

“You deserve it.”

Lila frowned.

“But don’t worry. I won’t tell that kid Simon.”

“Hmm?”

Seeing the meaningful smile on Ulysses’ face, Lila couldn’t help but feel he was imagining something strange.

“I can tell, you’re trying to train him, right? That kid really needs some guidance and a goal. The fact that you’d go this far shows you really care about him.”

Ulysses gave her a hearty smile and a thumbs-up.

He genuinely admired Lila for motivating Simon through hatred, though such an extreme approach might lead to… questionable results.

Still, that was a matter between young people. Ulysses had no intention of interfering.

He was suddenly reminded of his younger days, running under the sunset with companions who shared his ideals, forming an adventuring party. Those were days of youth long gone.

Based on everything he’d seen, Ulysses had already arrived at a conclusion he was one thousand percent certain of: Lila liked that boy.

Nobility really did twist people’s thinking. To come up with such a method to train Simon, what a grand love story.

Watching Ulysses grow inexplicably moved, Lila felt helpless. It was clear he had misunderstood something badly.

But she couldn’t refute it. If she said she bullied Simon simply out of interest, Ulysses might reveal her identity to him… even though it wasn’t interest at all, but a task given by a goddess, yet no one would believe that anyway.

So Lila hesitated, lips moving slightly, before finally saying:

“…That’s basically what I had in mind.”

“Taking him in was just an experiment by the academy. No one knows how it’ll turn out. The higher-ups can set rules, but rules can’t restrain thoughts. In the end, it’ll depend on what Simon chooses to do.”

Ulysses sighed. Simon’s dark magic was already an uncertainty, and now a demon subordinate had infiltrated the academy, trouble never came alone.

“That demon subordinate has already started affecting students,” Ulysses said.

“Is that thing really so hard to track down?” Lila asked.

“Just like you didn’t notice when Alice was implanted with that dark seed. I call it a ‘dark seed.’ I can’t track it either.”

Ulysses still looked troubled. If Luche were here, things would be easier. With his immense mana and spatial magic, he could scan every inch of the academy. No matter how capable that demon subordinate was, it wouldn’t be able to hide.

“What’s the academy doing about it?” Lila asked.

“They’ve already started sending students out quietly, without alerting anyone. They’re preparing for the worst-case scenario.”

Lila fell silent. She was just a small figure in all this, there wasn’t much she could do.

“Still, I might need your help later,” Ulysses added.

Though he often joked around, this time his tone was serious.

“Me?” Lila pointed at herself.

She had nearly failed to defeat Alice, who had only just begun learning magic, after all.

“Yes. That holy light of yours is anything but ordinary. It can even dispel that dark seed. We’ll likely have to rely on you in what’s to come. Can you tell me where that power comes from?”

Since her identity was already completely exposed, Lila gave up trying to hide anything.

“If I said I once met a goddess, would you believe me?”

“Even if I didn’t, it wouldn’t change anything. But if it’s true… that’d be great.”

Given her unique use of holy light, it really did seem like a divine miracle.

****

To be honest, when he first saw Lila use holy light, he had been shocked.

After all, he knew her personality well.

Holy light was a power granted only to those who were kind-hearted and selfless. Compared to ordinary magic, it was closer to a miracle.

Seeing someone like Lila wield it had nearly shattered his worldview.

But once he realized it had been Lila healing Simon all along, his worldview slowly pieced itself back together.

So she was the type who seemed harsh on the outside, but soft within?

Or perhaps only someone with true inner kindness could be blessed with holy light, no matter how sharp their exterior appeared.

Ulysses found Lila rather contradictory, cruel on one side, yet capable of profound gentleness on the other.

But since she resisted so strongly against revealing her identity to Simon, he decided to drop the matter.

Lila crouched down beside Alice, who still lay there peacefully asleep, the very person who had caused all that destruction.

Even though Lila tried to summon some resentment, she found she couldn’t.

After all, Alice had merely been parasitized by the dark seed. None of it had truly been her will.

But one thing was certain, she did like Simon, didn’t she?

With a faintly resentful expression, Lila pinched Alice’s cheek.

“What should we do about her?”

“I’ll take her to the infirmary. Cecilia, she’s also a holy practitioner, can examine her,” Ulysses said.

He paused, as if thinking of something, then added:

“Aren’t you going to check on your little boyfriend?”

“Huh? What’s wrong with you, you creepy old man? That’s not our relationship!”

Lila shot him a glare and snapped.

Ulysses just shrugged, looking disappointed.

“You know, men nowadays prefer someone more straightforward.”

Just as Lila was about to unleash a barrage of insults, she realized he had already left, carrying Alice away. Only his receding figure remained.

She felt utterly drained. The only comfort was that Ulysses didn’t intend to reveal her identity to Simon.

That meant she could stay alive a little longer.

With that thought, Lila hurried back to where Simon was.

He was still lying unconscious in a dark corner. To make sure he noticed nothing, Lila had knocked him out with full force.

She quickly dragged him back into the restaurant. Holy light could heal physical wounds, but it couldn’t awaken a sleeping mind.

So Lila sat quietly, watching his sleeping face, waiting for him to wake.

After some time…

She saw Simon slowly open his eyes, confusion lingering in his dark gaze.

“Why am I here?”

His voice was full of doubt.

Lila quickly put on a relieved expression and said:

“Thank goodness, Simon, you’re awake!”

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