Chapter 76

Chapter 76: You Are Free to Misunderstand (4)

Well, I suppose this is the age when people are especially sensitive about that sort of thing.

I was about to chuckle and continue on my way when…….

“Hm?”

When I looked around, the people who had been cursing at Franz flinched and kept glancing at me.

To be precise, at my face.

“What are you glaring at?”

At my question, the flustered male students scattered in different directions, saying it was nothing.

“…Like hell my image has improved.”

Did they seriously think I’d lose my temper just because they cursed in front of me? 

My personality wasn’t that ruined.

It seemed the students were still quite wary of me.

Well, that’s how prejudice is.

Thinking nothing of it, I started walking toward the entrance.

While Franz and Bella were walking this way, close to the Changing Room, I glanced sideways at them and recalled what Yulia had told me before.

‘They all come from fairly renowned families even in the Holy Empire.’

In the distant ancient past.

Unlike the Dark Empire, which had been founded around the Four Great Houses, they said family power had not been that strong in the Holy Empire from the beginning.

However, as Holy Power Awakeners entered the Holy Empire in large numbers, families that were naturally exceptional in Holy Power began to stand out one by one.

Among such families, the collective term for the Divine Families that stood out particularly sharply and maintained high prestige within the Holy Empire to this day was none other than ‘Royal Lord.’

And the two people currently passing by on my right just so happened to be children of families belonging to that ‘Royal Lord.’

This was my first time meeting them in this round, so there was no need to act like I knew them.

…Not that you two will just pass me by.

“You are Damon David, correct?”

“Can we ask you something for a moment?”

Just like now.

I stopped walking and turned my head.

Franz and Bella, who had also stopped walking at some point, had their gazes fixed on me.

“…The Holy Order must’ve told you quite a bit about me? Seeing as you start with my name right away.”

“Haha, was that a little rude?”

“We came to see a friend from the same Holy Order, so I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

The two of them made the Sign of the Cross in front of me.

“Inquisitor, Franz Mars.”

“Inquisitor, Bella Vesta.”

The surrounding students stirred quietly. 

They were probably surprised after hearing the surnames of families listed among the ‘Royal Lord.’

“…I’m Damon. Though I suppose you already know that.”

These two students were both ‘Royal Lord’ and ‘Inquisitors.’

They could be seen as occupying a position within the Holy Empire similar to the children of the Dark Empire’s Four Great Houses, like Lloyd and me.

“You said you came to see a friend, so why did you stop me?”

The two of them stared intently at me before continuing.

“…We heard from the Holy Order. They said you’re quite talented in Holy Power?”

“They said your Holy Power Refinement Speed is fast even though you awakened Holy Power as an acquired ability. Talent like that is rare. I was surprised to hear it.”

Franz and Bella’s eyes narrowed.

“Rumors have already spread that far? I’m honored you think so highly of me.”

“But… compared to your talent, your mindset is completely rotten.”

“For someone who uses Holy Power to be interested in Black Magic, it is enough to leave us, as ‘Inquisitors,’ utterly dumbfounded.”

“We came because of Aron, but you and we are in the same class, so we’ll be seeing each other often, right? I’d like you to be careful with your conduct from now on. We don’t think very highly of you.”

“Oh, is that right?”

I’ll give them high marks for openly saying they dislike me to my face instead of talking hideously behind my back.

These guys had pride in Holy Power just as strong as the Four Great Houses of the Dark Empire, and it wasn’t as if neither the Holy Empire nor the Dark Empire had people with that sort of narrow-minded tendency.

However, as someone who knew the future, I had a duty to enlighten these frustrating humans.

Because those tendencies ended up going to extremes and eventually caused a war.

…Good. 

Since we ended up talking like this anyway, let’s check just how much I need to improve these guys’ mindset.

Let’s see where your improvement difficulty falls if I rank it as high, medium, or low.

“Sorry, but this is Saengterminum.”

I answered with a sneer on my face.

“Even if you came to catch Aron as Inquisitors, shouldn’t you follow Saengterminum’s laws once you’re in Saengterminum? By what right are you opening your mouths and lecturing me about mindset?”

“We came to catch Aron. We didn’t come here to learn as students.”

“Depending on the circumstances, we may define you as a heretic and subdue you on the spot. Please be careful with your words and actions.”

Franz and Bella’s eyes creased slightly.

“Is that all? Did you not try to taint Yulia as well?”

“It’s so unpleasant watching you muddy the waters.”

“…What the hell…….”

I tried to taint Yulia?

For a moment, question marks floated up at their incomprehensible remarks.

“Was it Lucia? We heard she healed the trash who had been a Demon Cult Leader with Holy Power.”

“Yulia really is too soft-hearted. To use sacred Holy Power on someone like that. She should’ve killed her the moment she saw her.”

“…….”

As the two of them made their blunt remarks on an already sensitive matter, the entire area fell silent.

“Wow So you’re saying Yulia did something wrong, is that what you’re spouting right now?”

Ha.

Ah, the back of my neck hurts.

I was planning to just say something appropriate and leave, but this wouldn’t do.

“These fucking bastards don’t know when to stop, do they?”

“Wh… what?”

“You told me to be careful with my words and actions? Just how far does that shitty standard of yours go? Huh? What, is it that serious if a Holy Power Awakener forms a team with a Black Mage?”

“…What did you say?”

“Ah I’m entering the tournament the ‘Magic Department’ is holding this time. I brought in one Black Mage as a teammate. I personally recruited him.”

““……!””

The two of their faces filled with shock.

Their faces were already rotting just from hearing that much. 

Their improvement difficulty was high.

“…You’ve completely lost your mind. You… formed a team with a Black Mage?”

“Do you feel no guilt toward the god who bestowed Holy Power upon you?”

“Guilt, my ass. Setting that aside, isn’t being skilled all that matters? It’s a Black Mage you two know, too.”

“We know a Black Mage?”

“What a ridiculous thing to say.”

“Oh, really?”

I let out a smile.

“You don’t know ‘Lloyd Desmond’ of the Dark Empire’s Four Great Houses?”

Fwoooosh……!

The moment my words ended, golden flames bloomed around me.

The flames, which rose to about four times my height, drew an arc around me and the two of them, enclosing the surroundings in a circle.

The students watching nearby screamed and ran far away, but those flames were not flames that burned just anyone, so no one was hurt.

But unlike the students, I would be burned before I could ever pass through the flames.

Because right now, those guys had defined me as a heretic.

“You brought this upon yourself, Damon. We will make you pay the price for shamelessly speaking out of turn in front of ‘Inquisitors.’”

Flicker…….

Bella, who had raised Holy Flames in both hands, quietly stared at me.

To make it so I couldn’t escape in that brief instant—she was quite skilled for her age.

“Promise you won’t team up with a Black Mage. Then we won’t go any further either.”

Bubble.

A golden liquid bubbled from Franz’s hand and dripped to the floor.

That was not ordinary Holy Power.

“The mixing of Holy Power and mana…….”

The words Yulia had said just a little while ago came to mind.

‘Condensation is only a method of using mana and Holy Power separately. Once your proficiency rises further from there, you can use Holy Power and mana by mixing them.’

Most of the ‘Royal Lord’ were monsters who could use that Mixing Technique from childhood.

It meant they had been born with exceptional Holy Power.

“Wow So you hate it this much just because I’m teaming up with one of the Four Great Houses?”

Correction.

Their improvement difficulty wasn’t high, medium, or low. 

It was simply top-tier.

I looked down at the right hand I had in my pocket.

‘Since it’s come to this, should I test out ‘Condensation’ properly too?’

I had wondered how I should check its power, and now they had volunteered to be such perfect sandbags.

‘Since they won’t get badly injured thanks to their Holy Power……. I can use it to my heart’s content.’

Swish.

When I took my right hand out of my pocket, the light of the Sacred Mark spread in every direction.

“…What is that?”

“How is his Holy Power like that……?”

I drew out the Holy Power inside the contracted mana sphere.

The Holy Power I had been condensing in my heart since a while ago.

Holy Power Condensation, sustainment time: five minutes.

Ruuuuumble……!

I placed that condensed Holy Power directly into my right palm.

The two of them rapidly turned pale after confirming the densely condensed Holy Power, but…….

“Let me say this first.”

What are you two going to do about it?

“You started this fight first, didn’t you?”

“That’s Condensation!”

“Have you lost your mind?”

‘Release.’

Rooooooar!

The Holy Power condensed in my palm erupted like a waterfall.

***

Ten minutes later.

“Mmmmmm…….”

I swallowed a groan with my arms crossed and stared straight ahead.

One wall of the Training Hall Lobby had been gouged so deeply that the other side could be glimpsed through it.

…There was no excuse to make. 

This was the result I had created by releasing condensed Holy Power just now.

Clear property damage.

“…Damon.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

After detecting an abnormality in the Security Formula, Levia had come, settled the surrounding situation, and Franz and Bella had been taken away by a Professor who had apparently come with them and who was a former Inquisitor, so they could be firmly educated.

I, too, had been held here and was being lectured by Levia.

“Do you maybe, uh… have a mental illness? Does your body itch if you don’t get into a fight for even one day?”

“Of course not. This was self-defense.”

“You do know there’s also such a thing as excessive response, don’t you?”

Inwardly, I hurled curses at Franz and Bella.

No, you bastards, you should’ve blocked it there like proper ‘Inquisitors.’ 

With your skills, you could’ve blocked it easily.

Even if you hadn’t realized I’d learned Condensation, what kind of nonsense is it to get startled and immediately dodge it?

I’m wronged.

“Do you have a complaint?”

“No. I don’t.”

Tsk, fine. 

At least I found out roughly how powerful five minutes of Condensation was.

For now, it would be better to take comfort in that.

“I’m going to charge the repair costs to your personal funds, so keep that in mind, all right?”

Damn it.