Karma always comes back around.
The same was true for what Iria had done to Clana.
Usually, Ariel, Sera, and Iria were a group that went to the academy together.
With Clana joining that group, big and small problems arose.
Clana maintained a good relationship with Ariel and became close with Sera through their duel the other day. However, she still seemed to dislike Iria.
First impressions tend to last, after all.
Clana still frowned whenever she saw Iria.
“Wh-What are you staring at me for?”
In the awkward atmosphere, Clana blurted out those words when the two made eye contact.
Iria scratched her cheek as if dumbfounded.
It was Clana who had been glancing in Iria’s direction since earlier.
Iria was sensitive to gazes, so she had been watching from the beginning to the end.
She just turned her head because she felt a sharp gaze from the side, but Clana asked what she was staring at.
It seemed like she had truly gotten on Clana’s bad side.
“I wasn’t looking at anything. You’re the one who looked.”
“I-I wasn’t really looking either……”
Perhaps she was caught glancing out of curiosity.
Clana slightly blushed and turned her head away with a huff.
And,
Iria, who had been watching that scene from start to finish, sighed.
It wouldn’t be good to turn Clana into an enemy for the sake of their future life together, but it seemed like her grudge from that time was very deep.
Didn’t she apologize in her own way?
Iria recalled what she had said when she pulled Clana aside.
“Forget about what happened back then. Wouldn’t it be better for both of us to end it cleanly without any lingering feelings?”
“A-Are you threatening me?!”
Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t really an apology.
Rather than trying to threaten her, she just said what she was thinking.
“……”
It was due to Iria’s lack of eloquence.
What was meant to improve their relationship ended up causing a deep misunderstanding instead.
“Now, now, stop fighting and get along, you two. Why are you fighting when you have similar hair colors?”
“Ah, b-but that person did this to me first……”
“Do you want to keep doing this?”
“I’m sorry……”
Sera, unable to bear it any longer, stepped in to mediate, but it had little effect.
Rather, it only prolonged the awkwardness.
Iria thought this couldn’t go on like this.
And Clana thought the same.
It wasn’t just Iria who wanted to improve their relationship.
Clana, who was having difficulties with this kind of life, thought that some change was necessary.
The two socially inept individuals were moving to achieve the same goal.
***
Love your enemies.
It was a teaching that came from the church.
Clana recalled what had happened with Iria before.
From when Iria pretended to help her when she was in trouble and took her wallet to the days when she interfered with every little thing and extorted money from her.
It was definitely a painful time.
At first, Clana had even learned and imitated Iria’s behavior exactly.
But it wasn’t like there were only bad influences.
Still, it was true that she had learned quickly about the world.
It was good to be somewhat wary of kindness that approached without reason.
Clana was no longer a fool who knew nothing.
She had seen enough things after leaving the church.
Even Iria’s harassment… if she said it wasn’t helpful at all, that would be a lie.
So, Clana decided to forgive Iria.
Following the church’s teachings, she decided to give generous treatment to her enemy.
She was a merciful saint, after all.
This time, Clana called Iria out separately.
It was to propose reconciliation.
“What is it?”
When she arrived at the meeting place, Iria was already there.
Still, her expression was completely unreadable, as if it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
‘T-Today, I’ve come to reconcile with you!’
‘I don’t like her, but the Hero and Sera seem to trust her!’
‘Maybe she’s actually a good person, and I misunderstood her.’
Clana had once asked people around her how to reconcile with someone she had a bad relationship with.
And in response to that question, Clana’s guardian, the abess, said she should give a meaningful gift.
She said that if she apologized and gave a sincere gift, the other person would surely accept it.
Rather than apologizing, it was more like Clana was the one forgiving. Still, she thought it was a good method anyway.
So she prepared a gift for Iria.
She had a bit of trouble figuring out what to give her as a gift, but fortunately, there was something good.
Something that anyone would like, and it also had a high value.
“I-I’ll especially forgive you for what happened last time. Because I have a big heart. Take this.”
Clana handed Iria the holy water she had personally mixed.
It had a particularly high concentration.
It was made just last night, so a faint warmth remained.
And when Iria saw it.
“Ugh……”
She expressed that she really didn’t want to receive it.
It was clearly evident, as her facial expressions were usually subtle.
Iria stepped back with a deeply frowning face.
Iria was sensitive to holiness because she was a monster.
She had already avoided regular holy water, but a saint had made this directly, so its concentration was very pure.
Perhaps touching it would set her hand on fire.
“Do you not like the gift? If you don’t like holy water, I can personally bestow a miracle upon you. It’s my specialty.”
“……”
Iria’s face turned pale.
She stepped back with a frightened expression.
This time, Iria rummaged through her own pocket.
“…… Take this.”
“What?”
Iria took out her wallet from her pocket and handed it to Clana.
It was a moment when the dynamic of harassment was reversed.
From that day on, the way Iria looked at Clana changed.
While maintaining her usual blank expression, she subtly paid attention to Clana’s mood.
Holy water and holy power were forms of harassment to Iria.
Getting close to it made her body have a rejection reaction, so it was very unpleasant.
Iria thought that Clana was approaching her to take revenge.
Forgiveness my foot, that crazy saint had finally come to kill her.
So she gave her wallet and left.
Clana’s existence was like Iria’s natural enemy.
If this would appease her, she could give up her wallet.
However, Clana’s harassment towards Iria continued.
“You don’t seem to like holy water much, so I baked some cookies…… Ah! Would you like to try one now?”
“……”
Clana said that and handed Iria a cookie.
And,
Iria can’t eat human food.
If she does, her stomach twists, and she suffers from extreme pain.
She took out her wallet from her pocket and handed it to Clana once again.
“Why?!”
“Take it.”
Iria was receiving the consequences of her actions.
***
After finishing her academy life, which was more tiring than expected, Iria was on her way home.
Today, Iria was walking through the back alleys.
For no particular reason, just lost in memories.
It was a place that was half-ruined and reeked of blood, but she had a deep affection for it.
It was the beginning of her life in the Empire, and it would also be the end.
She planned to visit this place one more time before leaving the Empire and embarking on a long journey.
Iria was going to meet the Demon King’s army.
The truth she was seeking was there.
Of course, she didn’t know what would change even if she found out.
Perhaps the truth was so cruel that it would be better not to know.
Still, she was going to go.
Iria firmly believed that it would be related to the ending of this world.
Iria continues to walk through the back alleys.
It was a place where sticky black demonic energy clung.
The magical energy here was what Iria had scattered when she went on a rampage a year and several months ago.
The concentration was so high that it still hadn’t been purified.
She touched those things with her hand, lost in thought for a bit.
After all, it was the magical energy that had devoured her old friend.
When she closed her eyes and recalled the past, she could hear Riana’s voice screaming and calling her name.
Now, she couldn’t feel anything.
“……”
It was empty.
Extremely so.
The unique feeling of emptiness inside couldn’t be filled by mingling with people at the academy.
It only rose when she killed humans.
Emotions were only felt when she swallowed human blood.
So, sometimes, Iria visited the back alleys because she couldn’t bear that feeling of emptiness.
Even when she came here, nothing changed, but it was more comfortable than other places.
Before she knew it, she had arrived at the place where she had killed her friend while walking.
She placed a single flower there.
The one she had placed last time had been scattered by the rain.
Soon, she might be unable to come to the back alleys for which she had a deep affection.
Iria lay down on the ground there.
‘Should I just sleep here?’
Fortunately, it was a day when it didn’t rain.