At Professor Andrea's question, every eye in the room fixed on me.
Fortunately, thanks to my Thick Skin trait, I didn't panic. I was able to calmly gather my thoughts.
So, my reason for taking this divinity course…
It felt like being asked, "Why do you want to work for our company?" during a job interview.
I applied to make money. What other grand, noble reason could there be?
Similarly, I'd signed up for this divinity course to earn easy credits and get closer to Elena and the other named characters. But giving an answer like that would only leave a terrible impression on Professor Andrea.
I needed a suitably impressive excuse.
I subtly shifted my gaze toward him.
…Despite his cold exterior, Andrea is a cardinal of the Nicaean Faction, one of the more moderate sects of Celestia.
For a man like him, excessive flattery or blind praise for God would likely backfire. For example, suddenly claiming I was here to convert, or that I wanted to repent for my past misdeeds and seek forgiveness.
A few idiots had tried such desperate ploys to get on Professor Andrea's good side in the past, but it was a foolish move that proved they knew nothing about his character.
Having organized my thoughts, I opened my mouth.
"It's not for any particularly grand reason, but…"
I began lightly, then pivoted to a topic I knew Andrea would appreciate.
"As you may already know, a mage's duty is fundamentally rooted in the pursuit of truth. The same goes for alchemists like myself. We walk the path of enlightenment, using higher states of matter and spirit as our medium."
"Indeed. And?"
"However, I do not believe the pursuit of truth is limited solely to magical inquiry."
"...!"
At that, a flicker of genuine interest appeared in Andrea's eyes. I seized the opportunity and pressed on.
"Therefore, I signed up for this course hoping that I might gain some form of inspiration for my journey toward the truth, as well as a deeper understanding of the divine."
"…"
Andrea slowly nodded in silence, a faint smile finally touching his lips.
"I see. I have heard your thoughts, Student Roen."
At Andrea's smile, a small stir rippled through the chapel. The man was infamous for his permanent, ice-cold expression. A reaction like this was unheard of.
It's the natural result.
I smiled inwardly, satisfied.
Mages were beings who sought to reach the world's truth through human strength. In modern terms, they were the closest thing to scientists. On the other hand, the priests of Mirellin Saga were exclusionary clerics who rejected other forms of truth, seeking it only through God.
Their values were diametrically opposed.
In such a situation, for me—a man of magic—to speak of truth and show interest in divinity… Even if it was just lip service, there weren't many priests who would dislike hearing it.
As the students murmured, Andrea raised a finger to his lips, calling for silence.
"Quiet. Although the only absolute truth in this world is the Lord Ru, it is also important to maintain an open mind like Student Roen. Through this, we can come to understand and cooperate with one another. Understanding and learning about each other—perhaps this is the first step to spreading the Lord's will across this land."
Andrea gestured for me to sit back down and offered a rare word of welcome.
"You are somewhat different from the rumors. Very good. Welcome to the divinity course, Student Roen."
*
The lecture proceeded smoothly after that.
As expected, divine magic and healing spells had no effect on me. It was a theory-heavy class, much like a sermon—reading scriptures and listening to Andrea's interpretations. It was boring, but it had a way of calming the mind.
So calming, in fact, that I started to doze off.
I figured I might as well use the time to catch up on some much-needed sleep, but…
Poke, poke—.
Someone next to me kept nudging me, making it impossible to drift off. I kept my eyes closed, turned my head slightly, and growled under my breath.
"…Stop poking me."
I was dozing off so skillfully that no one should have noticed, but the constant poking was startling me awake, which was actually more dangerous.
It wasn't something to brag about, but as a lifelong gamer, I was a veteran of playing games all night and sleeping through class during the day. Thanks to the skills I'd honed back then, I rarely ever got caught.
But the person poking me seemed to have no intention of stopping.
"It is all for your benefit, you see. If you are caught sleeping in class, your attitude score may be docked."
"I don't care if it gets docked, so mind your own business."
Besides, I was sleeping so perfectly that there was zero chance of my score being docked anyway.
"No, such an attitude is not proper. It is said that one who is diligent in small matters can achieve great things. I do hope you will focus on the lecture."
A chubby, blond-haired male student was pestering me with a bizarrely formal way of speaking. I glared at him and muttered.
"…You. Your name's Garfield, right?"
"Ah! This should be our first meeting. How is it that you know my name? Could it be that you have been secretly…"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
I swear, I'm gonna…
"Yikes."
When I slightly raised my hand, he flinched, his body shrinking in a way that didn't suit his large frame.
I stared intently at this meddlesome, chubby student. This guy was the youngest son of the Golden Elephant Guild, one of the three great merchant guilds on the Mirellin continent.
'Garfield Morty.'
The Morty family was treated as nouveau riche who had bought their noble status with gold, but the lore stated their financial power was immense. Quite a few students approached him, hoping to catch some scraps by getting close to him.
But none of them lasted long. For one, as the youngest son, his standing within the family wasn't very high. More importantly, his personality and hobbies made him rather difficult to hang out with.
I glanced at the picture book hidden under Garfield's divinity textbook.
'…'
In modern terms, it was a comic book. An otaku comic book, at that. And he wasn't just reading it; he was actively sketching in it with a pen.
That's right. Garfield was a hardcore otaku.
Sure, I liked games and had some knowledge of subculture, but I was nowhere near his level.
I looked Garfield up and down, then noticed a sword leaning against his chair.
"A sword?"
With that body?
"Huhu. Indeed. With the new semester, I've found myself interested in physical training as well. I have signed up for Ishtal's Basic Swordsmanship course. Perhaps you have as well, sir?"
"…"
Instead of answering him, I quietly closed my eyes.
Since it's come to this, should I build up my affinity with this guy too?
Right now, Garfield was just an annoying meddler, but with his uniquely affable personality and incredible focus, he was a character who would eventually surpass his brothers to become the head of the merchant guild.
Furthermore, Garfield's trait, Golden Grace, was one of the best in the game for merchant-class professions.
In Mirellin Saga, when trading with merchants, market prices were randomly adjusted. With Golden Grace, you could arbitrarily adjust those prices within a certain range. In short, you could buy low and sell high. It was a trait that was practically a cheat code.
I wasn't sure how this trait would manifest in reality, but I imagined it would ensure he profited from every business venture or deal he touched.
He's basically a walking gold mine.
In other words, I could profit just by being associated with his ventures.
However, Garfield becoming the guild head was a long way off. Since I needed money now, he wasn't much help at the moment. Still, there was no reason to push him away. I'd maintain a decent relationship and build up some affinity.
Dong—.
Just then, the bell signaling the end of the lecture rang.
"Well then, that concludes today's lecture. You've all worked hard."
As Professor Andrea announced the end of class, the grand sound of a pipe organ filled the air. As the closing hymn played, a notification window popped up in front of me.
Ting—.
[Achievement Unlocked: Into Enemy Territory.]
- You, a scion of the demon race, have attended a divinity course. We applaud your wondrous achievement. A new trait has blossomed.
[Divine Power Resistance]
Hoh.
An unexpected gain.
But since I already knew what the trait did, I closed the notification window without checking the description.
The students began to file out of the chapel in an orderly fashion. Garfield packed his things, stood up, and turned to me.
"Sir Roen. What is your next lecture, perchance? If we are taking the same one, how about we head there together?"
Since I'd decided to build a rapport with him, there was no reason to refuse. Besides, the swordsmanship class sometimes involved paired sparring, so it would be good to have a familiar face.
"Alright. I also signed up for Ishtal's Basic Swordsmanship. I'll wait for you at the Ishtal transit center at one o'clock."
"Huhu. I shall be waiting."
Garfield gave a relaxed smile and sauntered away. Judging by his cheerful posture and jaunty steps, he seemed happy to have made a friend to attend class with.
"Oh my, have you made a friend already?"
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind me. It was Elena, leading her group, who had come to talk to me.
"He's not exactly a friend. We've just gotten acquainted."
"Don't be shy. Anyway, I was a little surprised earlier. I never imagined you'd say something like that. You sounded like a model student, you know?"
Was she talking about my answer to Professor Andrea? I shrugged, as if it were nothing.
"It's called lip service. You have to say that much to make future lectures easier."
"But you know, if you'd said that to another professor, you might have gotten a failing grade on the spot. People like Professor Alberton or Professor Dominico. You were lucky."
I chuckled and shook my head.
"It wasn't luck. I already knew Professor Andrea was a moderate cardinal."
That was the truth. I already knew about Andrea, and I had tailored my answer to fit him.
Celestia had a total of ten bishop-level cardinals, and each had a different disposition. If it had been a crazy hardliner like Dominico, I wouldn't have signed up for this course in the first place. But even if I had, I would have given a completely different answer.
Regardless of my intentions, that man would have screamed, "What? The pursuit of truth through magic? Truth lies only in the divine!" before bashing my head in with a holy scripture.
I straightened my textbooks on the desk and put them in my bag.
"If you have nothing else to say, I'll be on my way."
I needed to get close to Elena, but getting too involved with her for too long was dangerous. Just from sitting next to her on the tram for a short while, the durability of the ring I'd fully restored had already dropped to 40.
If Elena asked me to eat with her like Beatrice did yesterday, things could get complicated. I had to get out of here fast.
"Oh my, you seem busy. I was hoping we could have a meal together."
"I already have lunch plans. Sorry about that."
As I grabbed my bag and stood up, Elena let me go without any fuss.
"That's a shame. Well, see you in the next class."
She gave me a little wave, then led the other students away.
"…"
I watched her leave for a moment before turning to go.
*
The Union Main Building.
My one and only sanctuary: the Student Council President's office.
The truth was, I didn't have any lunch plans. I just wanted to get out of the Seintea territory as quickly as possible. The more I chatted amicably with Elena, the harsher the stares from the other students became.
"Whew."
I leaned back deeply in my chair and pulled up my status window to check the trait I'd earned for successfully clearing the divinity course.
[Divine Power Resistance]
- Increases resistance to divine magic, healing magic, and exorcism spells.
- Current Value: 0%
Divine Power Resistance was a common trait you could get when playing as a demon-type character. It wouldn't give me an edge in battles against priests or paladins, but it was a nice little passive that would be helpful nonetheless.
Just like with Spiritology, I'd gained a new trait. It felt good. It even made me wonder if I might get another one in the upcoming swordsmanship class.
In any case, I'd made it through the divinity class safely, but the main event was still to come.
'Ishtal's Basic Swordsmanship.'
Because of that class, I decided to skip lunch and keep my stomach empty. I'd heard that Ishtal was merciless even with students from other academies, and I was worried I might throw up if I trained too hard on a full stomach.
It was a logical conclusion reached after considering my overall physical condition. My stomach also felt a bit off, probably from overeating yesterday.
I closed my eyes for a moment to rest, then stood up and grabbed the sword I'd received from Freya. After packing a few more items, I left the student council office.
"…Shall we get going?"
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