Chapter 54: Fake Stigmata (17)

Arcana Academy is a game set in the Middle Ages, but it has weekends. Sunday was a welcome break for students who were struggling to adapt to the new semester.

And I had no intention of missing out on this time. Because from tomorrow, I had to go back to studying hard.

“I’m hungry, shall we eat lunch first?”

“Okay. Are you going to go down to the autonomous district like last time?”

“Hmm… that might be difficult. Do you remember that guy named Marcus we met last time? I’m currently half-confined within the academy because I’m suspected of killing him.”

Officially, a trial hasn’t been held yet. The trial for my killing of Marcus is scheduled for around the end of the midterm exam.

Of course, I won’t be found guilty. In this city where teachers act as high-ranking officials, there’s no way I, who have already finished talking with the teachers, will be arrested.

In the first place, it would be burdensome to imprison me, who has the [Token of the World Tree].

“So, I can’t go down to the autonomous district until the midterm exam is over.”

“Ah…”

Guilt spreads on Elissa’s face. Seeing that the atmosphere was about to become gloomy, I instinctively waved my hands and quickly added.

“No, it’s not your fault, Elissa…! It’s the fault of that guy Marcus who wildly shot fire magic in a place where ordinary people gathered, so you don’t need to feel guilty.”

“…”

‘…Thank you for saying that.”

For some reason, Elissa seems to be very tired today. Where did her usual neat and kind appearance go, and there was an appearance of a person chased by something.

I know that feeling best. When I was working as an adventurer, the feeling that the status window was threatening my life was exactly that feeling.

Is there something going on that I don’t know about?

Will I be able to find out if I talk a little more?

Thinking that, I deliberately raised my tension. If Elissa looks particularly depressed today, I shouldn’t become depressed too.

“So today, I think I’ll try the school cafeteria for the first time in a while. I, I’ve been running around here and there these days, so I haven’t been able to eat in the school cafeteria a few times.”

“I’m fine with anything. As I said last time, I don’t really have any food I avoid.”

“Then, let’s play inside the academy for once today.”

“…”

I said that and pulled Elissa’s hand. At first, she hesitated a little, but soon she entrusted her body to me.

The academy’s cafeteria is excellent, befitting its reputation as the best educational institution in the empire.

If the food in this place where the children of nobles from all over the world gather is not delicious, it will directly affect the prestige of the academy.

Therefore, even on weekends, there were many students in the academy cafeteria.

“…It’s my first time coming here with someone.”

“Me too. I always went outside with Yelena and Regina.”

After receiving a meal ticket each, we lined up with the students and chatted. The topics were mainly about studies and the stories of when I was adventuring.

Elissa especially liked the stories of when I was traveling the world as an adventurer. Because when I tell that story, there was a light in her lifeless eyes for a moment.

“Sian has really traveled to many places.”

“Yes. As I moved as my feet led me, I became a gold-ranked adventurer. Maybe if I write a novel about this, I can publish a book?”

“…I’m jealous. I’ve always longed for a life where I can freely travel the world.”

“Really?”

This is perfect.

I was going to ask if she wanted to go to Elvenheim together during the vacation anyway. This will make it a little easier to talk.

“Then, do you want to go somewhere with me this vacation, Elissa? Anyway, I don’t have a home to go back to, so I’m going to go back to being an adventurer during the vacation.”

“Re, really…?”

“Yes. Originally, the more companions, the better. Besides, Elissa doesn’t have anything to do during the summer vacation, right?”

“Then…when everything is over this time, please let me go with you!”

The tired Elissa’s voice regained its vitality. I don’t know what needs to be finished, but was that deeply embedded in a corner of Elissa’s heart?

Maybe that’s the cause of Elissa’s condition. What kind of worries did the always bright and kind girl have?

“Of course. Elissa is my precious friend. I think the trip will be more enjoyable if Elissa is with me.”

“Haha, thank you.”

Elissa answered like that and quietly savored the words ‘precious friend’. Vitality returned to the girl’s eyes.

The revitalized Elissa talked with me happily while eating lunch. After finishing lunch, we went to the library.

“This is the academy library…?”

“Yes. It’s a place where all the books in the world gather.”

Even the imperial library of that empire feels small compared to this academy library. As the words ‘the place where all knowledge gathers’ engraved on the gate, the academy library occupied an entire building.

As we carefully stepped inside, the fragrant scent of lavender spread. The noise outside, which was noisy with the heat of a rare holiday, disappeared like magic.

“It’s really…quiet, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Because various magic is cast here.”

Even if the library’s usage principle is thorough silence, there were hundreds of students gathered here.

Nevertheless, the reason why even simple living noises can’t be heard is probably thanks to the magic cast on the entire library building.

“Besides, be careful not to get lost. I hear that students who come here for the first time often get lost inside.”

“How can you get lost inside a library building…ah.”

The bookshelves, arranged like a huge maze, came into Elissa’s sight, who was muttering as if she couldn’t believe it. The blue eyes that held the sea trembled finely.

Elissa’s reaction was not unusual. When I first saw this library in the game, I was also surprised, saying what kind of library is this.

“Don’t worry. I know the way here well.”

Memorizing the exit of the labyrinth is a basic skill of a game expert. It was no different for the library.

So, it didn’t take long to find the books we wanted and sit together on a sofa in a corner of the library.

Sitting on a small two-seater sofa, we leaned against each other and opened our books. But the book Elissa chose was quite familiar.

I approached Elissa and whispered carefully.

“[The Diary of an Unknown Traveler]? Elissa, you like this too?”

“Ah, Sian, do you like this novel too?”

“Yes. It’s a story about a nameless wizard traveling. Because I’ve lived a similar life, there are many parts that I can relate to.”

An adventurer is also a traveler. For me, who lived a turbulent life that could make a novel even with just my life as an adventurer, there was no subject easier to relate to than the travel story of another traveler.

So when I came back to the empire for a while while working as an adventurer, I stayed in an inn for two days to read that novel.

The Middle Ages is a really boring era. Even if it is said that there are many things to enjoy compared to the Middle Ages of the original history because of the game correction,

A world without cell phones and computers is very boring.

“But, don’t have too much fantasy about adventurers. Adventurers are a good profession to just watch. I didn’t want to know either.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Elissa nodded lightly and fell into the story in the book. I also turned my gaze to the book I brought.

Perhaps because it was a rare break. Time passed really quickly. Feeling that my eyes were stiff, I closed the book, closed my eyes for a moment, and looked at the clock.

The clock was already pointing to 4 p.m.

“Ugh…time is already…”

As I muttered that and tried to get up, I turned my gaze to the right because of the weight felt on my shoulder. Silky smooth water-colored hair fell softly on my shoulder.

Elissa, who was concentrating on the book, was dozing off. I thought for a moment whether to wake up such Elissa, but I gave up waking her up because she closed her eyes with a very peaceful expression.

I adjusted my posture to make Elissa more comfortable, and I concentrated on the book again.

Surprisingly, there are no large cities near the academy.

The big cities of this era are as gorgeous as they are, but the darkness they hold within is also deep, so the academy deliberately opposed the establishment of a big city nearby.

The academy’s autonomous district can directly manage the water quality on the academy side, but there were too few people to reach out to the nearby big cities.

Besides, the academy’s autonomous district itself was already acting as a big city and a regional economic center. Therefore, the area around the academy was all countryside.

So the assassin who returned after carrying out the orders of the Dark Cult had no choice but to use a shabby secret base disguised as a farmer’s barn as a base.

“No. 47 reports the mission results.”

When he, who wrapped his whole body in a cloak, placed the magic stone on the table and muttered quietly while kneeling, black particles gathered and the appearance of a man appeared.