"Are you feeling better now?"

"...Yes. Thank you."

Though Aileen said she was fine, her eyes were still red and puffy. I decided to pretend not to notice. After all, she had just found the body of the father she had longed to see again, despite the years that had passed. This was a time to let her cry freely.

"…"

"What’s wrong, Anya?"

"…It’s nothing. Just something on my mind."

"That’s a coincidence. It seems Leo is also bothered by something."

Step by step, Leo, who undoubtedly had many connections to the Sword Saint, approached Orca—or rather, the demon Haize that was using Orca’s body.

"I have a question."

"Ask anything. Hah, I feel good…"

If other demons saw Haize now, they’d think he’d gone mad. After all, he looked so pleased while helping others. Even with such a contract, it was strange for a demon to be this corrupted. Could this really be okay? …Maybe.

"You said burning the body was the way to prevent the curse from spreading."

"I did."

"Do you think the Sword Saint knew that?"

"Well, normally, there’s no way to know. Even if you know you’re cursed, it’s rare to understand what kind of curse it is until you’ve experienced it."

"I see."

"But this man was unusual. How did he know that the curse was transmitted through blood? Normally, those cursed either end up killing their own family in despair or failing to do so, resulting in the death of an entire village."

Oh. Leo’s expression grew serious.

…It seems he’s figured it out.

This wasn’t explicitly explained in the game, but there was a widely accepted theory among players.

"One more question."

"Go ahead, ask anything. It feels good…"

"Is it possible for the curse to infect others, even if they’re not family?"

"It is."

"I thought so."

"Curses that use a medium like blood are especially likely to spread to others, particularly when the medium is something as uncertain as blood."

A curse transmitted through blood means that it tracks down and attaches itself to someone with similar genetic material. The problem with this is that it’s impossible to trace exactly where a person’s bloodline flows.

We’re not talking about all humans tracing back to a common ancestor. It’s more like someone living far away, with no known connection, could share a distant ancestor from several generations back.

"Um, Miss Ophelia, what is Leo talking about…?"

"Well, you see… Leo met the Sword Saint when he was very young."

"I heard. That armor he always wears was a gift from him, wasn’t it?"

"Yes, that’s right. But the day Leo met the Sword Saint was also the day a certain incident caused his village to burn down."

"Wait, you don’t mean…"

"You’re probably guessing correctly."

How did the Sword Saint realize he was cursed? Why did he pass on part of his relic to a child he had just met? Players speculated that the fire in Leo’s village might have been caused by the Sword Saint.

"On the day the Sword Saint was last seen, Leo’s entire village burned down. You could call it a coincidence, but doesn’t it seem a bit suspicious?"

"Are you saying that because of my father, Leo’s village…?"

"Well, it’s just a theory, and there’s no guarantee it’s true. Aileen, there’s no need for you to feel guilty… Oh, she’s already gone."

Aileen, who had been crying just moments ago, suddenly turned pale and rushed over to Leo. From the way she hung her head, she was likely apologizing out of guilt. I had told her it wasn’t necessary, but…

"Even though it’s not her fault. I guess she does really care for her father, doesn’t she, Anya?"

"What should I do, what should I do, what should I do…"

"…Anya?"

"…Oh. Yes, that’s right."

And then, there was another theory. Who was the demon that cursed the Sword Saint? Was it still alive? Or was it dead?

The Sword Saint was one of the world’s most powerful figures, on par with Headmistress Veronica, as confirmed by the creators. A demon wouldn’t easily mess with someone like that. But players speculated that the curse must have happened during the war.

Coincidentally, there was a particularly sinister and treacherous demon active during the war.

And who was that?

"At what point did he do such a thing… Ugh…"

Well, it’s no secret. The demon possessing Anastasia’s father, who drew the ‘jackpot’ by possessing the Pope, was exactly that type of demon. And despite the Holy See being filled with holy power, that demon still managed to roam freely.

If it’s that level of power, then cursing the Sword Saint would certainly have been possible.

"Teacher, could you gather everyone?"

"I don’t mind, but why?"

"…I think I’ll need everyone’s help for what I have to do."

Perhaps Anastasia had realized that the demon inside her father was responsible for the death of Aileen’s father and the destruction of Leo’s village. Her expression was stiff with tension.

"What? Wait, what did you just say? Did I hear that wrong?"

"No, you heard correctly."

"…Is this for real?"

Aileen’s father, the Sword Saint, was dead. But before the students could even process that shock, another shocking truth was revealed.

"The Pope has been possessed by a demon for a long time?!"

"Yes. It’s been about… a year before the war started."

"That was over ten years ago! I thought he was just a senile old man…"

The students each reacted differently.

Stella was horrified to learn that the war had been started by a single demon and finally understood why Anastasia wanted to overthrow the church. Orca and Haize mocked the church, laughing at the irony that the leader of the group that persecuted demon hosts was, in fact, a demon host.

"I’m truly sorry to both Aileen and Leo. I know it’s shameless of me to ask, but I need your help."

Both of them looked conflicted.

Their families and village had been destroyed, and the one who had hidden this truth was the spiritual leader of the church, the Watcher. If this were a game world, they would have drawn their swords without hesitation. But in this situation, where they had become close friends, it was different.

They were close enough to be called friends, even if indirectly involved in such an incident.

It must be hard to know how to respond.

"…I’ll help."

"Leo…?"

"Honestly, this has been a bit of a shock. First, I hear that my benefactor might not have been a benefactor at all, and then someone I thought of as a friend is crying and apologizing for her parents’ mistakes…"

"I wasn’t crying…"

"Maybe wipe your tears before you say that?"

Orca let out a small laugh, clearly pointing out Aileen’s puffy eyes.

"I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel some resentment. I thought it was just an accident, but it turns out it wasn’t."

"…I’m sorry."

"I’m sorry…"

"But it’s alright. I’ve sworn to become a knight, and knights are supposed to help the weak and punish evil."

Leo stood up with a bright smile.

Though he was the smallest among them, at that moment, he seemed larger than anyone else.

"I don’t want to stand still and hate the past. If taking down the Pope can save people, then that’s what I’ll do. Besides, it’s also true that he saved my life!"

"…Oh?"

Stella’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

That was the gaze of someone who saw potential.

Stella, who once didn’t even bother to remember his name, now looked at him with admiration. He’s grown so much. I felt a surge of pride.

"Oh, right. Aileen, I’ll return this."

Leo, who had just pledged his support, suddenly remembered and hurriedly took off the armor he was wearing, handing it to Aileen.

"No, you keep it. It’s yours."

"But it’s your father’s memento…"

"It’s fine. Memento, my foot… I was trembling at the thought of giving it back because I didn’t want to. You keep it. You can have all the armor my dad’s wearing over there too. I’m giving it to you. Is that enough?"

"Are… are you sure?"

"The only memento I need is this."

As she spoke, Aileen clutched a small notebook to her chest, which she must have picked up at some point.

"What’s that…?"

"A diary. I found it tucked away in the corner."

"…I hope it has some good words in it."

"Hmph. Good words, my foot. It’s just embarrassing."

Aileen blushed, clearly feeling awkward about it. It seemed like she had picked up some of Orca’s grumbling habits after spending so much time together.

"I’ll help too. Now that I know who’s responsible for this, I can’t just let it go."

"…I’m sorry. And thank you."

"It’s fine. So? What’s the plan?"

"Me! I have a great idea!"

"…A great idea?"

"Yes! When in trouble, look to Miss Ophelia!"

With a loud and exaggerated voice, I tried to lighten the mood that had sunk so low.

…But there was no reaction, which made me feel a bit awkward.

Even though I did it on purpose, I couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment.

"It’s easier to bring down someone in power than you might think!"

"…Easy, you say?"

"Yes. All you have to do is make it so they can no longer stay in that position."

"There’s no way that’s so simple…"

"It is, if Anastasia sets her mind to it."

Traditionally, the most authoritative figure in the church is the Pope. But right now, the Pope’s authority has plummeted, and the Watcher’s influence has soared as they clean up the mess.

In such a situation, what would happen if the Watcher exposed the Pope’s unspeakable secret?

"Let’s start a revolt."

I smiled brightly as I looked at Anastasia.