CH.56 16-2. The Thrill of Finals Comes with Youth
***
I headed straight for the library.
The magnificent repository of knowledge within the Grand Hearts Academia. Amid the mountain of books sat a figure.
“The Nameless Saintess? Hah. Other people have asked me about that too….”
“Sage, does that mean…?”
“I can’t see the future of someone like that, so I don’t know.”
A woman with demonic horns let out a long sigh. She was the Sage of the Tower, one of the Ten Greats, known for her ability to foresee the future. Even she didn’t know about the Saintess?
‘…Something’s off.’
In the game, she was supposed to reveal all potential paths not yet set in stone.
“…Are you that famous Licht?”
“Ah, yes, that’s me.”
She was more widely known by her title, “Sage,” than by her name, Asmodeus.
“…The very notion of being ‘nameless’ is inherently unstable.”
“But Laplace said the same thing.”
The head librarian of the Library of Truth, where all past information was recorded. I’d already met Principal Laplace, and even she had shaken her head at the query.
‘This doesn’t make sense. The only contradiction the system has flagged so far is the . The Saintess was never mentioned in the initial script of .’
“Then it must be someone who didn’t exist before. Maybe someone lied.”
“That’s impossible. Absolutely not.”
I answered immediately. My helmet rattled as I nodded, my unease palpable. This was a subject I’d avoided for fear of spoilers, but maybe even the Sage could be wrong.
‘It might be that she can’t see it because Head is involved. Or maybe… Magic Hat?’
My hands began to tremble. Damn it, my body was acting up again. I bit my lip in frustration at my own frailty. Could it be that the Church of Heroes was targeting the Saintess?
‘If that were the case, they’d go after Charitines.’
This didn’t add up. She wouldn’t be the Saintess now. If anything, she’d be the third Saintess, not the second.
“…Couldn’t it be a case of Head’s ignorance or something blocking your vision?”
“A little chick chirping away about things it doesn’t know.”
“Have you seen my future?”
“Of course. But it’s annoying, so I won’t tell you.”
Ugh, this was why I disliked her. In the game, she’d share unreliable information about uncertain futures just from a player approaching her. She was about as accurate as real-world weather forecasts.
She yawned, already tired of repeating the same vague answers for the umpteenth time. Folding my arms, I started thinking.
‘Even so, I succeeded in triggering the Fallen Route.’
Even if I told her the condition of losing someone you love, she wouldn’t believe me. Only players knew the hidden truths about the Demon Lords.
“…”
Revealing that I was a transmigrator in this game was out of the question. It was too risky. What solution could I present?
Ah, there was one.
“Don’t you want to impress Sir Drake?”
“…What? How do you… Wait a minute, your name is…!”
“Yes, I’m Licht, his disciple.”
She had a setting where she secretly admired Drake. As soon as I mentioned his name, her demeanor changed completely. Her eyes wavered, and she became visibly flustered.
“If you ever see anything about our Saintess’s future, please let me know right away. That’s all I ask.”
“Hey!! Wait!”
That was my cue to leave. I turned and quickly exited the library. I wasn’t ready to meddle with the love line between my mentor and the Sage.
“I’ll help, but if you dare lie to Sir Drake, I’ll make sure you regret it!”
Stirring things up and leaving might inspire her to take the leap. Besides, I wasn’t sure I could stomach hearing more grim tales about the Saintess.
As I left, I nearly walked past some familiar figures in my haste.
“Oh, Licht.”
“Helmet guy, coming back from the library?”
It was the party of heroes heading off to lunch. Even the Crown Prince seemed fully integrated into the group now.
“Licht, we’re going to Gransia Bakery. Want to join us?”
The blonde hero smiled and offered. Perfect. I needed to increase Kainel and Ariel’s affection levels, so there was no question I’d tag along. Forcing myself to focus, I responded.
“…Sure. Lead the way.”
Thankfully, the helmet hid my expression.
***
The aroma of freshly baked bread tickled my nose. So this was the famous bakery of the Empire. Its opulent decor gave it a luxurious feel.
“Licht. Eat a lot.”
You’re the one eating the most, though. There were already several empty plates on the table of the Glass Knight. How did he even fit all that food?
“…Understood, Mardol.”
He always thoroughly concealed his face with his glass magic while eating. Clearly, he didn’t want his identity as the Crown Prince exposed.
“And don’t get hurt, Licht.”
His indirect concern made me a little embarrassed. Was he telling me to recover quickly? Thinking back to when I bled during the Fallen Route, it made sense.
Wait a minute, has your speech gotten longer? I nodded slightly and glanced at the menu.
‘Special apple pie, éclairs… Oh, that one.’
A familiar name caught my eye. Come to think of it, since this was the Gransia Empire Bakery, it made sense for this item to be here.
“I’ll have the chocolate cake.”
The Nameless Saintess had given me one of these as a birthday gift. It was an item in the game, and I’d never even unwrapped it out of reverence. Now I had the chance to try it for real.
At that moment, I heard chewing sounds from beside me.
“…I’ll take the strawberry cake.”
Mardol, having devoured a flaky croissant in record time, interrupted to choose his next target. Strawberry cake? Can you really eat more?
“…I liked the crab sandwich, Licht.”
“And Mardol’s bear-shaped sandwich was so cute! You’d like it too, Helmet Guy!”