Immediately after returning from guiding Oz’s dormitory.

The first thing Olivia saw was Arrieta lying helplessly on the desk in the office.

“Saint… … ?”

“ah.”

Arrieta jumped up in surprise at Olivia’s calling.

It was rare for her to grasp the surroundings by spreading divine power.

“ha… … .”

Olivia sighed as she saw Arrieta like that.

Arrieta is in a distraught state right now.

It has been like that since before.

Arrieta didn’t want to reveal her troubles or pain, so when she was alone like that, she suffered alone.

“Are you having a hard time?”

Arrieta did not answer Olivia’s question.

She, too, started riding quietly as if she hadn’t expected an answer.

Soon, the refreshing scent of herbal tea began to spread in the freshness room.

It was herbal tea brewed with apple mint, which has the flower language of virtue, which Arrieta especially likes, symbolizing her as a saint.

The moment Olivia poured the finished herbal tea into a teacup and put it down in front of Arietta’s eyes.

“… … I guess I’m not attractive.”

Arrieta stretched out again.

It was a kind of sign that it was time for just the two of them.

“no. Holy Maiden.”

Olivia answered as soon as Arrieta’s words ran out.

Actually, this didn’t happen for a day or two.

As Arrieta is a saint who should become people’s hope, she should not show weakness.

But she is also human after all.

That’s why Arietta decided to show weakness only in front of Olivia, her closest aide.

To put it simply, Arrieta is a little bothered.

“Isn’t Oz popular?”

Olivia hesitated.

To put it bluntly, Oz was a person who was bound to be popular.

Even if there is an arrogant behavior, it is rather a person who suits you.

Putting aside her appearance, considering her talent and status, it just didn’t make sense that she wasn’t popular.

If Oz hadn’t been drawing a line right now, women would have overflowed around him.

‘It seems like a little too much now that we are drawing the line, but… … .’

All she saw was three. A problem child who always causes trouble, a cat who feels strange, Su-in, and even the daughter of [Myungwang].

Thinking that far, Olivia kept her mouth shut.

“… … Oz must be popular, right?”

But Arrieta was persistent.

I didn’t want to answer, but seeing Arrieta’s attitude, I couldn’t move on without answering.

Olivia became dizzy.

Perhaps Arietta was thinking of repeating the same question until she heard an answer from Olivia.

I can’t even lie in front of her.

Then, in the end, it means that you have to speak directly to her heart… … .

As a member of the ＜Shield of Light＞, which revere and protects the saintess, it was painful.

“ah… … Yes, probably.”

“yes… … . I thought so. It must be like that too. Whoa… … .”

Olivia couldn’t bear to lie, so she spoke cautiously, using the word ‘probably’.

That was the best thing she could do, but Arrieta started to cry just for that.

“The list given by the head of the academy. I know it’s a lie.”

“Yes, Lady. But doesn’t the saintess know too? The Prince of Oz is such a person… … .”

Arrieta slumped over the desk in the office before Olivia finished her answer.

“But I don’t even think there will be smoke in the chimney when it’s not.”

Olivia was silent at Arietta’s words, which unexpectedly pointed to the point.

It was a natural procedure prepared from the previous question, but I didn’t notice it.

Olivia realized that she had answered too hastily.

“Oz is smart, capable, and even handsome, but I don’t think I have too much ability.”

Olivia quietly shook her head in displeasure at her return to square one.

“no. Holy Maiden.”

Actually, I didn’t even have to say it.

You don’t need any more defense than this.

Arrieta must also know that she doesn’t have anything.

However, weakened in many ways, she began to humiliate herself, as if she could not stand it if she did not complain.

“I can’t see… … .”

“But can’t you see many other things?”

“I am weak and… … .”

“But don’t you have the will to not give up no matter how tired you are?”

“I can’t even fall in love.”

“… … .”

“Why don’t you defend this?”

Looking at Olivia, who was speechless at the unexpected question, Arrieta muttered quietly.

It was a small sign that he was upset.

Olivia hastily made an excuse.

“… … If the saintess wants, you can do it anytime.”

“But I hate it if it’s not Oz.”

“… … .”

“I like Oz.”

Olivia was again speechless at that clear expression.

Even if he had weakened before, he had never seen him express his feelings so openly.

Olivia felt a chill run down her spine.

‘Also… … .’

Arrieta is changing.

But change doesn’t always go in the right direction.

No one knows how this change will lead.

Olivia decided to wait and see after Oz’s answer, but it didn’t seem like Arrieta would be able to hold on for very long.

“Today ends with this!”

“ah… … . Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

The moment Olivia was about to sink into contemplation, Arrieta shouted lively.

She always ventilated this way after expressing her dissatisfaction.

“Come to think of it, it’s called a chimney, so I thought of it. The monastery I was in had a big chimney?”

“Is that so?”

Arrieta smiled softly and continued small talk.

Not a girl troubled by love problems, but a benevolent saint.

Olivia knew that this was Arrieta’s own way of overcoming it, so she responded wholeheartedly.

However, as long as she claimed to be Arrieta’s protector, her insides were bound to burn.

* * *

I know.

Only Eleanor and Baek Yang, persuasion through conversation is impossible.

“It’s dark… … .”

So I did a physical persuasion.

First of all, it didn’t take long to subdue Baekyang, who had excellent defensive abilities, and then to subdue Eleanor, who was trying to run away in panic.

In the past, it was difficult just to catch up with Eleanor who ran away, but I have grown like this.

“Master, at least try to convince me… … .”

Eleanor, who had been overpowered and was lying on the floor, began to mutter an injustice.

“You persuaded me.”

There are many methods of persuasion, and I have only chosen the most effective method among them.

“Noah, do you remember what the student cafeteria menu was today?”

“Teacher, can’t you guess from the fact that I haven’t vomited right now?”

“You are starving.”

I guess the student cafeteria menu was not good.

After all, we have to eat out as usual… … .

“Okay then, good job… … . No more vandalism today.”

Eleanor usually goes around destroying many things.

“Master, don’t we usually ask to go out to eat together at times like this? Didn’t I just say that I was starving?”

But Eleanor doesn’t seem to think so.

Just needlessly high affinity.

“… … I said it, not you.”

“Anyway. Anyway, let’s go to lunch like this.”

Eating together is not a problem.

The problem lies with people.

“Noah, will you be quiet when you go to the restaurant?”

“… … Master sometimes treats me like a child who was put out by the water.”

“I wouldn’t have to worry so much if you were a child.”

To put it bluntly, Eleanor is not a child, but a terrorist.

This kid has an accident in an eccentric way that I can’t even imagine.

“ah!”

“what?”

Eleanor, who was trailing the white sheep who did not want to go, suddenly shouted as if she had remembered something.

It’s always like that, but it’s sudden.

“Come to think of it, Master, what did you and Lucia do last night?”

“… … .”

I suddenly get short of breath.

What? What the hell does Eleanor know?

did you see No, if I had seen it, I wouldn’t have asked this way.

“The two of you didn’t even go to the dormitory yesterday, did you?”

“no… … . It’s not?”

Answer a sharp dagger-like question while paying attention so that your voice doesn’t tremble as much as possible.

“I don’t know about Lucia, but I went back to the dorm properly yesterday… … .”

“Actually, I saw the moment my master lost his magic yesterday.”

A sense of dread, like encountering an assassin, runs through the back of your neck.

“That splendid performance… … . You didn’t think I wouldn’t pay attention to that, did you?”

“… … .”

“Yesterday, admiring the splendid performance, I visited the place where the teacher’s dormitory was.”

desolation.

I began to feel that the surroundings had become exceptionally quiet.

“The dormitory where the teacher used to live is nowhere?”

“… … Actually, I moved the dormitory.”

“That was earlier, right? I met Olivia-senpai earlier and heard about it.”

“Yeah, actually, I was hiding this for my honor, but yesterday I slept outside for a bit. Is this a secret?”

It is perfect. Bringing out Oz’s concentration, he answered without leaving even the slightest gap between sentences.

This would have sounded like a natural answer, not an excuse.

“aha?”

However, it feels cramped, as if it is getting entangled in something.

I’m just too concerned about this stuffiness to just pass it over.

Where did you make a mistake?

“Teacher, I’m the most popular celebrity in my class, but I have five especially close friends.”

Even if I left that splendid self-consciousness alone, I couldn’t help but care about those five people.

In any case, she is the main character.

If there were 5 people she was close enough to mention separately, there was a high chance that they would get entangled in the storyline too.

“One of them is the master. By the way, this is 5 people including the other class, so you can be proud of it.”

“… … yes.”

I had guessed that one of them was me, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit bland.

Doesn’t that mean I can’t step out of her fate anymore?

It’s something I’ve been prepared for since a long time ago, but it’s a strange feeling when I hear it.

“And one is a white sheep.”

“… … If it ended up on the ‘especially close friends’ list, I wonder if it would drag on like that.”

“Because they were close friends, I couldn’t bear to leave them.”

“Then can you pick me up?”

When I brought up the obvious, Eleanor said with an expression as if asking what she was talking about.

“I hate that because of the two needlessly large, obtrusive lumps that will end up on my back.”

“It’s too much.”

At Eleanor’s words, I secretly turned my gaze and looked at the white sheep who was still whining.

Well, I got it. Now that I see it, it seems like a good enough reason.

“Master, where are you looking? Are you talking to me right now?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I was listening. keep talking.”

Eleanor looked at me with sullen eyes, but I was confident.

No, you have to be bold. If you are not confident, you become a criminal.

“And the other is Ula.”

“Cry?”

I’ve heard the name before, but I don’t remember meeting him separately.

Then, it is said that it is a character in the game, but who is it?

“I’m an owl beast. He’s Lucia’s friend, but now he’s close with me too.”

“… … .”

If it was an owl beast and Lucia’s friend, it would definitely be ＜Tenebris＞.

By the way, you have good eyes, you have good senses, plus ＜Tenebris＞?

It’s clear that he’s the one who sniped me twice.

Later, if you get a chance, it would be okay to use the previous job as an excuse to rip off something.

The more debt you erase, the better.

“And the other two are Lucia and Marie. Lucia is even my roommate.”

something, something strange

The feeling that was worse than before began to grow stronger.

It’s hard to breathe now.

“Then, Master, where is Lucia now?”

“… … .”

“Well, actually, I heard everything from Lucia who came back this morning.”

Only then could I understand.

All the excuses I made were blunders. So it didn’t work.

I made a fatal mistake.

“I heard that the master met Lucia by chance and borrowed a place to sleep?”

In front of someone who already knew the situation, I should have answered with a mixture of truth and lies.

“I believe in Master. I also believe in Lucia. So I believed that nothing had happened.”

Lucia had already dramatized and explained the situation to Eleanor.

And Eleanor would have believed it, even though she didn’t understand it.

“By the way. According to Lucia, would that have been something worth hiding?”

“… … .”

──Until you hear me keep making excuses.

ruined.

Rather, he should have shown hesitation or bewilderment.

It might have looked like an answer prepared in advance, since he spat out an excuse without hesitation.

“What the hell happened between you two last night?”

Eleanor smiled broadly.