I left the infirmary and started walking slowly through the quiet corridor.

There were more than a few questionable points about Siegfried. At the same time, there was a lot to think about regarding Jeffrey, the Second Prince.

Despite Ashillya’s appointment as Crown Princess, Jeffrey does not relinquish his desire for that position.

Since Jeffrey is skilled at manipulating people, he naturally instigates the nobles who try to make Ashillya fall to the bottom, aiming to become Crown Prince.

While the original novel’s story in this world was far from the power struggles in the Imperial Palace, the character of Jeffrey was unusually described in detail.

It’s because Jeffrey eventually approaches Siegfried, the Hero.

After Ashillya becomes the Crown Princess, Leonhardt falls into extreme despair and self-deprecation. Still, he comes back to his senses as Sylvia comforts him.

Of course, while slightly fixing his habit of looking down on others and his thoughts of becoming the Crown Prince, he naturally turns his eyes away from the Imperial Palace.

Jeffrey, who tried to somehow involve Ashillya using Leonhardt’s past actions as an excuse, shifts his focus to Siegfried when that fails.

To him, Siegfried must have seemed like very easy prey.

What he wanted was very clear.

“…Felix?”

“Ah, Conan.”

Lost in thought, I came to my senses at the voice calling me and looked ahead.

There stood Conan, looking at me with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine now.”

As I answered his concern with an awkward smile, he sighed and wiped his chest as if relieved.

It feels strange to be worried about by a guy.

“Ah, by the way, have you seen Sylvia and Helena?”

I asked to shake off the strange feeling, but Conan tilted his head instead.

“Huh? They definitely said they were going to visit you?”

“…Really?”

Did they return to their room?

It’s annoying that they left the patient and returned to their room. With that thought, I nodded, and Conan waved his hand in surprise.

“Ah, but still, you should go and rest quickly.”

“…Thanks.”

With a small smile at Conan’s consideration, I said goodbye to him and moved my steps.

But Helena isn’t usually like that.

Given her personality, if I were injured, she would stay by my side until I woke up. She’s not the type to disappear like this.

Feeling a strange sense of discomfort at that fact, I quickened my pace with a thought that suddenly came to mind.

***

“Helena… Helena…”

Sylvia called out to Helena, mustering her courage, but she didn’t budge.

Siegfried alternately looked at Helena and Sylvia, then burst into laughter.

“So, what do you want to do?”

Ordinary students are not allowed to carry their own weapons. That was the academy’s rule.

To Siegfried, Helena’s appearance, coming to find him with a sword while breaking such a rule, was utterly worthless.

“Did you come to take revenge for your friend? Over such a trivial matter…”

“You.”

Helena’s cold voice ruthlessly cut off Siegfried’s mocking words. At that fact, his expression turned grim.

Sylvia stood next to Helena, not knowing what to do. She understood why Helena suddenly acted this way. Still, she couldn’t imagine that she could land a hit on this person called a Hero.

Rather, it could be dangerous for Helena.

That thought was shattered when Helena’s words continued.

“You damn bitch…”

“You, you really intended to kill Felix, didn’t you?”

“…What?”

Sylvia doubted her own ears.

At the same time, a chilling silence settled between them. Even Siegfried, who recklessly lashed out without regard for anything, frowned while glancing at Sylvia standing next to Helena.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t even think about denying it. You think I wouldn’t know?”

The reason Siegfried came here, and his crappy alliance with Jeffrey, was all solely because of Sylvia.

Having his flaws exposed in front of Sylvia was not pleasant for him.

So Siegfried intended to deny it, but the moment he saw Helena’s eyes, he soon realized it was impossible.

“You definitely had murderous intent. You were planning to slice Felix, weren’t you?”

“…”

At Helena’s words, Sylvia’s face gradually turned pale white.

Seeing that, Siegfried frowned even more and exhaled deeply.

“There are two reasons I came here.”

“I’m not interested in that at all.”

“I’m not talking to you, so shut up.”

Irritated by Helena’s sharp voice, Siegfried lost his temper and looked at Sylvia.

“One is to eliminate Felix von Astria.”

“…You crazy!!”

“The other one is.”

Tuk.

“Urgh…!”

Suddenly, grabbing the neck of Helena, who kept cutting off his words, Siegfried lifted her up while applying force to his grip and smiled, baring his teeth.

With a force impossible to overcome with a simple difference in strength, Sylvia hurriedly reached out as Helena’s face turned bright red in agony.

However, the words that followed made her body stop.

“To take you to the Sun Church. Sylvia Bersche.”

“…What?”

“No, Saintess of the Sun Church.”

“What… does that…?”

If there was a Hero named Siegfried in the Sun Church, naturally, there was also a position called the Saintess.

The Saintess, chosen by the Goddess, was an important being who embarked on a journey together with the Hero. Siegfried’s eyes looked at Sylvia indifferently.

But Sylvia could briefly glimpse a subtle madness in those eyes.

As she blankly opened her mouth and looked at him, he smiled and continued his words.

“It’s exactly as I said. You are the Saintess chosen by the Goddess to be with me.”

“… That’s a lie.”

At Siegfried’s continuing words, Sylvia composed herself. Even at her rebuttal, he only smiled with an expression as if he expected it.

“If I were really a Saintess, there should be some kind of revelation accordingly. I heard that’s how their existence is.”

“You’re right.”

Just as Siegfried, the Hero, received the Holy Sword after being chosen by the saint, the Saintess also undergoes some change when selected by the Goddess.

Something that allows the saint to realize that they are one.

Although Sylvia’s healing power is superior to others, that alone cannot be clear evidence.

Contrary to Sylvia’s thought that he would continue to deceive her with lies, Siegfried readily acknowledged her words.

“But you can become the Saintess.”

“…What do you mean?”

Sylvia didn’t properly understand Siegfried’s words.

She is not a Saintess, but she can become one. Siegfried’s words sounded as if he could choose the person he wanted to become it.

“First, put Helena down and talk!!”

At Sylvia’s frowning appearance, Siegfried clicked his tongue and threw Helena, whose face had turned bright red from agony, far away, then calmly continued his words.

Thud!!

“Cough…!”

“Exactly as I said. You can become the Sun Church’s Saintess. All it takes is my word.

“There’s no way that’s possible.”

“It is possible.”

Siegfried, grinning, took a step closer to Sylvia.

“If we lock up the real one somewhere no one knows, and I, the Hero of the Sun Church, say that you are the Saintess, it will be so. At the same time, if there is a powerful figure to support it… it’s possible.”

“…”

Sylvia unknowingly took a step back.

Although Siegfried talked about a ‘plan’ that he could implement, his actions and way of speaking seemed to suggest that he was already proceeding with it.

“D-Don’t tell me you really… to the real Saintess…”

“No way.”

Siegfried calmly shook his head at Sylvia’s question. However, she, who couldn’t even trust that appearance, inhaled and stared at him intently.

“What… are you doing…?”

Is this something a human would do?

Sylvia first confirmed with a sideways glance if Helena was okay.

She was holding her neck and breathing roughly, but fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any harm to her life.

Relieved by that, Sylvia continued her thoughts.

Even if it’s an era where God is not so necessary, is it okay for the God of the Empire’s first religion to leave someone like this as a Hero?

Someone who imprisons the one called his daughter, the Saintess, and tries to manipulate the world according to his own will?

Sylvia couldn’t understand. At the same time, she was confused. As if knowing her heart, Siegfried whispered like a devil.

“If you become a Saintess, you can even surpass that Crown Princess.”

“…”

Ashillya?

There was no reason for Sylvia to try to surpass Ashillya.

But when she heard Siegfried’s words, she could see herself being slightly tempted.

Suddenly, the conversation she had with Ashillya came to mind. Sylvia clenched her teeth to resist the devil’s whisper.

Siegfried watched that appearance joyfully, taking a leisurely step back while waiting for her answer.

“…Stop with the crazy talk!!”

At that moment, Helena, who had been catching her breath, drew her cherished sword and charged at Siegfried.