24 – Saintly Candidate – 5

 

Rosaria Leone de Micaella, the only and strongest candidate for the saint of the Starlight faction, had been stuck in Bellium Academy for almost five days.

 

In the meantime, Rosaria faithfully implemented my advice while monitoring the Bellium forest once a day according to her stated purpose.

 

However, the advice was nothing special, anyway. She should kindly greet anyone who first says hello to her with a smiling face. And she should say hello sometimes to people who seemed a little more open. That’s all the two things I told her to keep.

 

As I expected, the students were already so moved by the mere fact that Rosaria would greet them or occasionally initiate greetings with them, they didn’t seem to care about past rumors at all.

 

“Doesn’t it get tiring having to smile all the time?”

 

“Not at all. I smile because I am genuinely happy. It’s much better than being locked in a torture chamber all day, being tortured by nuns.”

 

Rosaria answered my question clearly without hesitation. She didn’t have to force herself to smile; just seeing people approach her with smiles brought a spontaneous smile to her face.

 

When she had to imitate what the original Rosaria had done for the first time, it was understandable that she had a weak character to the extent of vomiting her guts out the moment she regained control.

 

“Well, there are some who look at me strangely… but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’d have to wrap myself thickly to fully hide it.”

 

However, her clothes remained unchanged from the black sweater she initially created. To keep the thread connecting the stars, she had to faithfully fulfill the excuse she made when she brought it here.

 

She couldn’t cover her body with an outer coat because she pulverized all other clothes that touched it, considering them holy relics. Eventually, Rosaria had no choice but to remain in her one-piece sweater.

 

Dressing in a way that overly emphasized her chest.

 

“So I get the chest, but why the thighs?”

 

Even the bottom wasn’t normal. The length was short enough that the flesh underneath her buttocks would be exposed if she even slightly bowed her waist forward from a standing position.

 

“…It couldn’t be helped due to a lack of divine power.”

 

“Divine power?”

 

According to Rosaria, she lacked the divine power to make it any longer. If she tried to lengthen it even slightly, the entire dress would revert back to thread.

 

Clearly, there seemed to be a limit in handling magical artifacts, probably because she was destined never to ascend to the status of a saint. Rosaria smiled a grim smile, saying that she surrounded herself with nuns to block as many gazes as possible.

 

“I may be providing combat training, but as a professor, I must teach you.”

 

Professor Jake, shouldering a massive-sized greatsword, said.

 

Due to the closure of the Bellium forest, the schedule changed, making two practical combat classes for the time being. He grumbled, complaining that his workload had increased as a result.

 

“What do you think I emphasize as a priority to you?”

 

“Bigger muscles!”

 

“You dumbass! Did the nutrients that should’ve gone to your brain go to your muscles? Not that! You should answer something you can gain with bigger muscles!”

 

Though moody, the student, whose whole body was boiling as if Professor Jake was his idol, indifferently gave a pleasant smile after being called ‘stupid’ and sat down in his seat. Professor Jake also continued talking while laughing in good mood.

 

“The accurate answer is strength. Unless the efficiency of physical enhancement far surpasses that of your opponent, if you have strength, everything else usually follows.”

 

Jake, holding his greatsword, swung it around casually. The thick chunk of iron, shocking in both size and weight, made a hair-raising sound.

 

“The majority can’t build their bodies like this and even if they did, maintaining it is more difficult. So, physical enhancement through mana is used.”

 

His body, full of scars and muscles, was surrounded by a faint blue light. Then, the speed at which the sword swung increased explicitly. The sound of the wind became more eerie.

 

“What I want to say is not only to physically enhance only with mana, but also to enhance the whole body evenly. If a balance is disrupted, it can strain the muscles and joints, leading to fatigue or injury. Watch carefully.”

 

Jake’s upper forearm was colored blue, and the part below the elbow was dyed a lighter blue. The hand holding the greatsword swung hard in this state.

 

– Snap!

 

The sound of bone twisting and the elbow joint, which should never have bent, was shattered and bent at an impossible angle. A few students who saw this stiffened in surprise, but the person who shattered his elbow seemed unaffected.

 

“This could happen if you’re not careful. The joint shattered because it couldn’t withstand the disparity in strength between the upper and lower forearm due to the difference in enhancement. What would happen in a real battle if such a situation arises?”

 

Jake, who finished his sentence with a rhetorical question, lightly swept his regenerating elbow joint, turned and bowed his head slightly.

 

“Thank you, candidate saint.”

 

“Don’t mention it.”

 

A recent job Rosaria had started was participating in classes where there’s a risk of injury and providing sacred healing. Thanks to this, her reputation had been soaring for some time.

 

After his elbow fully healed, Jake slowly turned to the students, who were almost frozen in terror, and spoke.

 

“Don’t worry too much, that was an extreme example. I’ve never seen such a case in a real battle. It’ll probably only happen if you intentionally try like earlier.”

 

The atmosphere loosened a bit at the words of a veteran who’s been fighting on the frontlines for over a decade.

 

“But whether it comes to that point or not, the fact that improper enhancement creates a burden on the body remains unchanged. It wouldn’t matter in a short battle, but inevitably, there will be a time when you’ll have to face an unwanted long battle or a war. Think of it as practice for that time.”

 

Thump! Jake slammed his greatsword onto the ground.

 

“Always as always, but today, let’s strive even more! Because the candidate for Saint, Rosaria Leone de Michaela, has specially agreed to support our practice!”

 

Thunderous applause erupted. Rosaria, who was standing among the sisters escorting her nearby, smiled and nodded her head. Aria and Brynhildr were also eagerly applauding.

 

I managed to play along, giving an appropriate response.

 

“I guess we can consider the plan a success by now.”

 

Even if Aria is selected as a saint, she won’t be dragged to the papal examination in disgrace, pointed at by students like in the original work.

 

As Jake had promised, we moved to the practice field less than 30 minutes after the lecture began, and everyone bolted to the professor to decide on the order.

 

Thanks to the presence of the saint, everyone seemed more motivated than usual.

 

“Hey, can’t we just start right away? I really can’t wait any more. Okay?”

 

Brynhildr, one of the three who didn’t join the rush, nudged me with sparkling eyes.

 

“Didn’t I tell you to be precise with your expressions? What do you want to start, and what can you not wait for?”

 

From noble mtl dot com

 

“Do we need more words between us?”

 

Brynhildr chuckled. Her grin told me this was 100% intentional. She knew what she was doing. I should have known not to respond the first time.

 

“Anyway, no one else would apply if not with us. How about just following me quietly?”

 

What she said was true. After accompanying her several times due to her relentless requests, our dueling applications dried up.

 

Thanks to that, I was almost excluded from the lecture. Even Jake subtly hinted that he considered us perfect.

 

“The next one is…Aria April?”

 

“Yes, Professor.”

 

While Brynhildr and I were arguing about whether or not to duel, Aria, who was chosen next, stepped forward. As she made her way to the practice field, she didn’t forget to adorably cheer us on.

 

Her opponent was a male student I had never seen before. Actually, in this class, the only names I remembered were Brynhildr, Aria, and Diana.

 

Aria bowed her head slightly and drew her sword with dignity. The blue mana dividing the two disappeared shortly after.

 

The male student moved first. Aria was on the defensive, but ultimately, the winner was Aria. She didn’t get hit once and stopped just before striking him several times.

 

The male student returned to his seat with a severely bruised ego. Tongue-tied Jake, who had been watching Aria with an absurd expression, clicked his tongue.

 

“You there, Aria April. I don’t think I have anything to teach you. How come there are three such students in one grade? And in the first grade, no less?”

 

His gaze then turned sequentially to Brynhildr, Aria, and me. Aria sat back down next to me amid the professor’s trembling gaze.

 

“You could have just struck him since Rosaria is here. Why did you stop?”

 

“It might be possible to treat, but even so, it hurts if you get injured.”

 

“…..”

 

It was a hard response to counter. I changed the topic abruptly.

 

“Where did you learn swordsmanship? You seem to have learned it for quite some time.”

 

“I learned it by myself, through reading.”

 

“Le, Leona!”

 

Brynhildr cut me off. Surprised Aria quicky hit Brynhildr. It was a punch that didn’t contain any force.

 

“…..Is that possible?”

 

“Well, it worked when I tried? I checked the posture through the book, held a sword in my hand, and voila.”

 

When I asked more, Aria promptly stopped hitting Brynhildr and cutely swung her arm. At that moment, I realized what a genius looked like.

 

“Well. Because she’s the protagonist.”

 

That would indeed make sense. Even Rosaria could barely make a sweater with star thread that was just about the right length. And that same thread ended up covering and protecting an entire army.

 

If she’s going to become a saint later, awaken her divine power, bravely stand by the hero’s side and fight with the devil, she needs this much talent.

 

“She was always like that since she was young. Whatever she learned, she learned quick.”

 

“Not, not everything was like that! There were things that took a long time!”

 

“Since I could remember any given book just by skimming through it, spending a full day would be considered much, right?”

 

“But then, I’d appear strange…!”

 

While Aria and Brynhild were arguing, Rosaria quietly approached.

 

“You two seem close.”

 

“Of course. Do you know who they are?”

 

They were the novel’s protagonist and hero. As long as there was no significant dispute between them, they were naturally expected to have a good relationship.

 

“Why have you suddenly appeared? There are many eyes around. Just say what you want.”

 

If Rosaria’s capability was on par with Brynhild’s, she would be able to hear even a whisper from some distance. However, Rosaria wanted to deliver something urgently, so she pressed her lips to my ear.

 

“A message arrived from the Papal State.”

 

“What did it say?”

 

“They said to stop the hypocritical activities.”

 

“……”

 

“If I don’t stop right now, they said they would come here and take me back.”