CH 317

The Miss & Mister Temple Contest was set to start at 7 PM. The current time was 4 PM.

There wasn't much time left. The size might not fit perfectly, but I thought it should be close enough judging by the eye. The one I wore wasn't something that the size mattered that much anyway.

I was worried that Eleris might have sold it by now. But it had only been two days, so it shouldn't have been resold yet.

Since the contestants had to gather beforehand, Olivia would actually have to arrive at the contest venue a bit earlier. So I needed to give her the dress before that.

If someone pointed out that the dress was the one worn by the winner of the cross-dressing contest…

…I wasn't sure about that.

I don't know! It'll work out somehow!

It might be a bit embarrassing!

No one ever died of embarrassment!

With no time to waste, I hurried to the Aligar Shopping Street, where Eleris's store was located.

"…This is driving me crazy."

The fastest means of transportation in the empire was the magical train.

During the Temple Festival, the empire was crowded with an excessive number of people.

Thus, the magical train station was packed with people waiting to board. Even after sending three full trains, I still couldn't get on.

I shouldn't be late.

Nevertheless, the magical train was bound to be faster than walking or running, so I anxiously waited for the train and boarded it.

I wasn't sure why I had to ride a hellish train after coming to this world, but I finally managed to arrive at the Aligar Shopping Street.

Now all I had to do was go to Eleris's basement room, get the dress, and leave.

However.

I didn't have eyes in the back of my head.

But now I had developed something like an intuition that played a similar role.

A sense of unease.

There was a feeling of unease following me from behind. An unpleasant sensation, sticky and sinister, as if something was clinging to my back.

I instinctively knew.

I was being followed.

"…If you're going to tail me, shouldn't you at least hide yourself?"

In her school uniform and not even trying to hide, Lydia Schmitt was watching me intently in the middle of the bustling Aligar Shopping Street.

"…"

I thought she was a tasteless person, but to follow me so openly. Lydia Schmitt approached me with a subtle smile on her lips.

"Reinhardt, I have a favor to ask."

"What favor?"

"Stay away from Olivia. Please."

Lydia Schmitt's eyes were so chilling that they made my skin crawl just by looking at them.

Had Olivia been watching this lunatic with such eyes, pleading without hesitation all this time?

Even experiencing it just a little was horrifying, let alone having it happen around her continuously.

It was a wonder that Olivia had managed to keep her sanity intact.

"It's all your fault. Olivia's like this, she's corrupted, she's drifted away from the embrace of the gods, all because of you. All we need is for you to be gone. If you just stay away, Olivia can return to her former self. Don't you think so?"

"…Senior, I think you're mistaken. Olivia had already decided to abandon her faith before she met me. It has nothing to do with me."

The order was mixed up. Olivia was already in that state before she met me. So it's absurd to say it's because of me.

Lydia Schmitt stared at me with eyes as if she were entranced by something.

"No, it's because of you. Olivia could have been saved. She could have definitely changed her mind back then. Everything went wrong after she met you."

There's no way my words can get through to her since she's already drawn her conclusion. Was the cruelty of the Holy Knights towards Olivia not even a consideration?

No, in this case, they would probably say it was necessary to lead her down the right path.

There's no way I can deal with everything she says and does based on her pre-drawn conclusion.

This person won't be convinced by my words.

"Please, Reinhardt. Stay away from Olivia. I'm begging you. If only you weren't here. If only you weren't here, Olivia could return to the right path. I'll even kneel down, I'll do whatever you ask. Just let Olivia go. Please. Before something more tragic happens. Let Olivia go. Before something irreversible happens."

Her attitude that she could do anything for Olivia, even though she dislikes me, felt unfamiliar. This was a person who even attempted suicide for Olivia's sake.

Why is she going this far?

I find myself thinking like Olivia.

Just as Olivia couldn't understand why she had to go through this, neither could I.

"Let me make a request too. Just leave her alone. Even if that person is a once-in-a-century genius, there must be others with similar faith and abilities. Why do you insist on sticking to Olivia, who clearly dislikes it? You're not lacking in abilities or faith yourself, but I don't know what you're expecting from Olivia. Why don't you just do it yourself?"

"No! Olivia is! Olivia is unique! Only Olivia is worthy! Olivia was born with that destiny!"

Lydia Schmitt shouted, and passersby began to take notice of our quarrel.

As if they sensed that something was not quite right.

"Only Olivia can unite our five great religions and become the Holy Emperor of the soon-to-be-established Millennial Empire. It is her destiny."

"…What?"

My mind seemed to freeze at the sudden nonsense.

Millennial Empire?

What kind of nonsense is this?

"Olivia was born with that destiny. Only Olivia is worthy. Her appearance, talent, ability, and character all suit her for this role. You're the one ruining it."

All I could read from Lydia Schmitt's eyes was a pitch-black abyss.

She was a believer in the divine, but only darkness could be seen in her eyes.

It seemed that Lydia Schmitt wanted more than just the restoration of Olivia's faith.

He appeared to desire something grander, to become the master of a great destiny.

But there was a word that seemed to stick in my throat.

The Millennium Empire.

What on earth did that mean?

If Lydia Schmitt was simply a madwoman, it would be a matter of dealing with just her.

But there was something that shouldn't be easily dismissed.

"What is this Millennium Empire you speak of?"

Lydia Schmitt's expression hardened once again at my counter-question.

"…There's no need for someone like you to know."

It seemed as if she had made a slip of the tongue and was trying to hide it.

It wasn't mere nonsense.

There was something there, a feeling so intense that it led to saying something she shouldn't have. If it were just a passing remark, there would be no need to muddle through it.

A few inferences could be made.

While there might be those who encouraged Olivia to regain her faith for their personal desires, Lydia Schmitt's intentions seemed different.

It appeared that Lydia Schmitt was talking about the independence of the Five Great Holy Religions. Although they were already independent forces, it seemed as though she intended to establish an entirely new nation.

The possibility that this was merely Lydia Schmitt's delusion couldn't be ruled out. But if there was a group with such thoughts, the situation would become complicated.

One might have to consider another revolutionary force.

In that case, it wouldn't simply be a matter of shaking off a single madwoman.

Naturally, my anger grew.

They were ultimately forcing their thoughts on Olivia, weren't they?

Why did they have to be so insistent?

Moreover, the look on her face showed that she didn't even think her actions were unreasonable. The attitude of not even considering the right or wrong of what she was doing or what she wanted, because it must be right, was extremely repulsive.

A corrupted clergyman is disgusting, but

A fanatic is both disgusting and unpleasant.

There were many things I wanted to say.

Numerous harsh words boiled in my mind, but I couldn't utter them.

I quietly watched Lydia Schmitt.

She had openly followed me on the streets.

I could see her nervously clenching and unclenching her hands.

She was someone who would risk her life to bring Olivia back.

That meant she might be someone who would kill to bring Olivia back.

There was no need to go to such extremes.

A mix of rage, hatred, resentment, and an unpleasant, obsessive gaze told me everything.

An irreversible event.

A tragedy might occur, as she had said.

Wasn't that the only thing she was saying?

This woman was trying to kill me.

Considering her mention of the Millennium Empire, she seemed to have some sort of sense of mission.

Regardless of what others might think, she would try to kill me because she believed it was justice. It wasn't difficult to predict, having already witnessed her madness once.

That's why I tried to persuade her by asking her to stay away from me.

Now that I've been rejected, it's highly likely that Lydia Schmitt's choice would be to kill me.

I don't want to fight on the streets, but if my opponent starts using force, I'll have to use it as well.

There is a high probability that if I fight this person, I will die.

So far, I've been fortunate many times, but there's no guarantee that my luck will hold this time.

Would her reaction change if she knew I was the owner of Tiamata?

There would be no item as effective as Tiamata for a fanatic like her.

However, I can't rely on Tiamata alone.

If she finds out I'm the Champion of Tu’an, she might try to persuade Olivia with me or put me through another annoying ordeal.

Lydia Schmitt is too dangerous.

And she is highly likely to know an even more dangerous fact.

First, I need to find out what that is.

"It seems like we have a lot to discuss, you and I."

"If you don't stay away from Olivia, I have nothing more to say to you..."

"How about we go somewhere quiet and talk?"

"!"

At my words, Lydia Schmitt's expression hardens.

It's not because she's flustered, but because my words are completely unexpected.

She had been trying to kill me, whether or not people were watching, and now her prey is suddenly suggesting going somewhere secluded to talk.

She must be prepared to kill me and be taken to prison to stand trial for murder.

However, if she kills me in secret and hides my body, she won't get caught.

It would be the perfect crime, making me, a thorn in her side, disappear.

"…I'm fine with that."

Lydia Schmitt smiles chillingly, as if she's dreaming of a perfect crime.

Chills run down my spine, but I have no choice.

"But I have some business to take care of first. Let's settle that first. It won't take long. You can come along if you want."

"Fine."

She'll soon realize that she should have attacked me now if she wanted to kill me.

Your greed for a perfect crime will ruin everything.

It was quite fascinating to see myself calmly engaging in such thoughts and conversations, putting my life on the line.

The business I had in mind had changed slightly from what I originally planned.

Nevertheless, it doesn't make a huge difference. The ultimate goal is still to find Eleris.

Thinking that her prey is willingly walking into a trap, Lydia Schmitt looked quite pleased.

------

Since it was daytime, Eleris must have been at her shop.

We had already arrived at the Aligar shopping district, so the journey with Lydia Schmitt wasn't long.

Lydia Schmitt didn't ask where we were going or what my business was. She must be thinking about how to deal with me in a quiet place once my errand is over.

The hunter had no idea she had become the prey.

Yes, how could she imagine that?

Since Lydia Schmitt is the unrestricted tournament winner, she must be confident in subduing me, and I know that as well.

No matter what I do, even if I manage to escape without her noticing, she would be confident in catching me.

-Thud

"Ah."

Eleris, as always, was lounging behind the counter when I entered, visibly startled. Then, she was surprised once again upon seeing an unfamiliar female temple student behind me.

Eleris must have been perplexed by the situation, but right now, things were not looking good.

I speak up in the shop as if I had come in for a reason.

In fact, I did have a reason.

"Don't ask any questions, just cast some noise-canceling magic around us."

"Yes."

Although Eleris did not understand the situation, she immediately followed my instruction. Noise-canceling magic was cast, and Lydia Schmitt seemed to sense the strange atmosphere, furrowing her brow slightly.

Of course, she couldn't have predicted this.

She couldn't have expected me to enter any random shop and casually give orders to the shop owner.

"And if you have any binding or disabling spells, try using them on this person. Use something strong. This isn't a normal situation."

"Yes."

"You!"

Eleris still didn't understand the situation, but she followed my instructions precisely.

As Lydia Schmitt's face showed signs of being alarmed, she tried to take action, but Eleris was faster.

-Clang! Clank!

"Ugh!"

With an alarmingly fast casting speed, jet-black chains suddenly appeared from thin air and bound Lydia Schmitt's limbs.

-Clack! Clatter!

Her arms were raised into the air, and her legs were tied to the ground. Despite exerting her divine power and struggling, the chains summoned by Eleris only rattled slightly and did not budge.

"You, you brat! What, what is the meaning of this!"

It was natural for Lydia Schmitt to be shocked, as no one could have predicted that she would suddenly find herself in this state.

-Thud!

Eleris then completely locked the shop door to ensure that no one could witness this scene. Eleris did not question me while doing as she was told.

"You, you... you can't keep me like this! Who is that person and what does she want with me!"

Lydia Schmitt could not understand the situation, but just as she had no intention of understanding me, I had no intention of making her understand the situation either.

"Release me! Release me now!"

As she had said only what she wanted to say to me, I would say only what I wanted to say to her.

-Swish

"Do you know what this is?"

"Tia... Tiamata? That, that's... How do you have...?"

"It may be hard to believe, but I am the owner of Tiamata. People in the world call me the Champion of Tu’an... something like that."

The person who had tried to kill me suddenly found herself trapped and saw Tiamata being summoned.

It must have been an unbelievable situation. However, Lydia could not possibly think that the Tiamata in my hand was a fake. No matter how long the object had been hidden from the world, she couldn't fail to recognize the divine nature that emanated from its appearance and the artifact itself.

Before making an extreme decision, Lydia Schmitt tried to persuade me to distance myself from Olivia.

So, I give her a chance.

"From now on, you need to answer my questions carefully."

"Stalling, glaring with weird eyes, or spouting nonsense will not be tolerated…"

I tapped Lydia Schmitt's cheek with the flat side of Tiamata's blade.

"The divine power you so adore might just cleave your head in two."

With her eyes wide open, Lydia Schmitt could only stare at me.