Chapter 73: External Training Part 3

There was a fairly reasonable explanation for Lobelia’s outburst.

She was Ariel’s friend.

Because of that, she often heard Ariel chatting beside her repeatedly. She recalled Ariel speaking with a flushed face, going on and on about what Johan had said to her, how amazing he was, and other exaggerated stories.

Young, innocent first love.

Lobelia would smile whenever that word came to mind, watching Ariel’s expressions. And so, in Lobelia’s mind, the relationship between Johan and Ariel had been painted like a scene from a watercolor fairy tale. But then, a single phrase dropped into that image.

“Are we having an affair now?”

It was like a massive bomb had gone off, obliterating the picture in Lobelia’s head.

The children’s fairy tale had turned into a grim one.

That fresh watercolor moment turned into something sticky and sordid.

Wait a minute, if it’s “now,” then what were they before?

Unfortunately, Lobelia was in such a state of shock that she ended up overanalyzing that short sentence.

Johan’s odd reluctance toward marrying Ariel…

A girl who had to hide her true identity…

Oh no…

What have I done?

Lobelia fell into even deeper confusion.

She was the one who had pushed for this marriage and tied it with an engagement.

She was one of the main culprits behind the creation of this messy picture.

***

It was a sight I had seen before.

Lobelia stood there with her arms crossed, trying to maintain her usual composure, but sweat was trickling down her forehead and her face was completely flushed.

What on earth was she imagining?

What kind of thoughts could make her react like that? I couldn’t even guess.

“I don’t know what you’re imagining, but it’s not like that, okay? She’s Safe Clown, the one who helped me during Eden’s terrorist attack at the start of the semester. Do you understand?”

“Identity and infidelity are separate matters! How can you be so shameless?!”

“Because it’s not an affair!”

“How am I supposed to believe such a shameless lie?!”

“Why can’t you consider the possibility that she might be the one lying?!”

“Doesn’t that expression look too genuine to be a lie?”

“Ugh…!”

I nearly swore but swallowed it back.

Yuna’s lies and acting were convincing enough to fool even Lobelia.

It wasn’t the kind of expression that came from shamelessness or deliberate provocation. It was just an awkward, embarrassed look as she scratched her cheek.

That expression only made her story more believable.

She was seriously terrifying.

“Ah, anyway, let’s leave this for the people involved to sort out!”

“…It’s not actually an affair, but I didn’t expect that to be the conclusion.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I thought you’d scold me right away and tell me to end things cleanly.”

“I want to do that, but… after hearing her say ‘now’, it’s hard to say anything.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, Yuna did say, “Are we having an affair now?”

That made it sound like we were just dating normally and then suddenly found ourselves in an affair.

Lobelia must’ve misunderstood the sequence of events.

She clearly thought I had been dating Yuna first and then got roped into an arranged marriage.

“Then doesn’t that mean this is partly your fault too, Your Highness?”

“……”

“Look, I’ll say it again. It’s not actually an affair. But since that’s how you’re interpreting it, I just want to point out that you bear some responsibility for how this all turned out.”

“I never imagined you’d be in such a situation… I mean, how could I have thought someone like you who doesn’t even have friends would have a girlfriend…”

Her voice gradually trailed off.

It was a timid, deflated tone, completely unlike the confident and composed Lobelia I knew.

“Ah! Whatever, I don’t care! I saw nothing! I heard nothing!”

“……”

In the middle of speaking, Lobelia suddenly snapped and stormed off alone, striding deep into the forest.

Should I follow her or not?

“Third Princess is more entertaining than I expected, isn’t she?”

“Yuna, I can’t believe you actually messed with Her Highness.”

“I just made a joke. I didn’t think she’d react like that.”

“And fanning the flames after you realized what was happening?”

“That part was because it was funny. I mean, who told her to be so fun to tease?”

“…You’re banned from desserts for a while.”

“What!”

Yuna’s eyes widened in surprise, but then she said,

“Then I’ll just buy my own. I’ve got plenty of money too.”

“……”

This little—

She showed no sign of remorse. And wait, does that mean she’s been mooching off me all this time even though she’s loaded?!

Unbelievable.

“Well, since Her Highness is the one who’ll probably gather the leaves, should we head back?”

“…Yeah.”

Looking at Yuna’s cheeky grin, I finally decided not to follow Lobelia.

If I went after her now, it would probably just provoke her even more when she was already fuming.

***

As Yuna and I came out of the forest, we spotted the Hereticus siblings and Dietrich soaking their feet in the stream.

Those guys applied for an external training, and all they’re doing is playing around.

Helena’s just a kid, so fine.

Kult… well, yeah, he’s supposed to be blind, so he gets a pass.

But you, Dietrich. You don’t.

“Ah! Senior, you’re back! Has Her Highness not returned yet?”

“Dietrich, you…”

“Oh, since you two were a bit late, I caught some fish. I’ve also got the tent ready to set up as soon as you’re back. But… weren’t you out gathering leaves for the ground?”

“Uh, yeah, Her Highness is bringing them. I just… had some, uh… personal business, so I came back early.”

“I see!”

Now that I thought about it, no one had worked as hard as this guy.

The net in his hand was full of fish, and the materials for the tent were neatly arranged in the order they needed to be set up.

Sure, it’s not like there are that many components to a tent, but still…

“Whoa, how’d you catch so many? This’ll last us three days.”

“Come on, who could eat nothing but fish for three days? Tomorrow I’m planning to go into the forest and look for fruits or mushrooms we can eat.”

“Mhmm…”

“Oh, you two should go dip your feet in the stream too. I’ll take care of cleaning the fish. I’m good at it.”

A dazzling display of humanity.

I decided then and there that I should never say anything bad about him again.

“He’s quick and capable, isn’t he?”

“Don’t you think you should feel at least a little guilty? Yuna?”

“Huh? What did I do?”

As she spoke, Yuna suddenly dumped a bunch of fruits and vegetables from her backpack.

Ah, so you were secretly doing your part while tailing us.

Right. I’m the only jerk here, then.

“…You should take a break too.”

“Puhihi! Maybe I will.”

And so, we played by the stream until Lobelia showed up carrying a large sack.

***

Evening fell.

Up to that point, no specific instructions had been given.

In fact, aside from being told to go to bed by ten, we hadn’t been told much at all.

Naturally, the students went wild.

Right. It was hunting time.

These lunatics apparently need to spill blood even when they’re playing. Terrifying.

Watching groups of students come and go from the forest, dragging back all kinds of beasts and monsters, I finally realized the true nature of this training.

“So we really did just come out here to have fun.”

“Took you long enough to figure that out, Johan.”

“Looks like you’ve finally relaxed, Your Highness. Glad to see you back to your usual self.”

“Ahem! Let’s not bring that up.”

Lobelia gave a forced cough as she quickly changed the subject.

Yeah, I guess it was embarrassing.

“The Headmistress seems determined to make this training a success. I mean, it has been humiliating up until now. She probably wanted to create a peaceful external environment to help correct the students’ twisted mindsets, even if just a little.”

Let me say this again. Olga Hermod was, at her core, a good person.

She became the Headmistress of the Cradle out of self-sacrifice, to protect the young students.

“The intention was good, but I don’t think things went quite the way she hoped.”

I pointed at the students in the forest, laughing while covered in blood.

At this point, I almost felt sorry for the beasts that lived there.

“Maybe so, but still, isn’t hunting animals like that better than killing people?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“What are you two chatting about so cheerfully?”

It was while Lobelia and I were watching the students’ antics that Kult approached us.

He’d spent the whole day with Helena acting perfectly normal and keeping his true nature hidden.

“What brings you here?”

“I didn’t want to waste this rare opportunity to meet.”

“Hah, you sure know how to dress up nonsense in fancy words. Very fitting of a heretic.”

“Is it really nonsense? Your Highness, I’m just speaking plainly.”

From the start, the two of them were already locked in a battle of nerves.

Ugh, why do they always have to drag me into it?

If you’ve got something to say, just say it to each other….why use me as a go-between?

“In that case, Kult, there’s something I want to ask. What exactly do you plan to do with Helena? After watching you today, I still can’t quite understand.”

“She’s just family, that’s all. Even if it’s not me, there are other noble families with similar things, right? You know, hiding the disgraceful behavior passed down through generations.”

“That’s a rather prejudiced view. Not all nobles are like that.”

“True, but there have been enough cases to justify the prejudice.”

With that, Kult plopped down beside me.

“What is it you’re really trying to do? What are you thinking, continuing this madness?”

Lobelia also sat down next to me, perhaps ready to engage in a more serious conversation.

So I stood up.

It looked like they were set on having this conversation with me stuck in the middle, but I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Sit down, Johan. Try to act natural.”

“……”

And just like that, I was pulled back down.

This is so unfair.

“Didn’t I already say? The reason I keep doing all this madness… is because I want to remake this world.”

“You mean that’s the will of God?”

“Coming from a non-believer, I didn’t expect you to bring up God. But if you must know, no, it’s not. This is entirely based on what I’ve seen and judged for myself.”

“Then why…!”

“Haha! Is it because you saw me with Helena today? Are you starting to feel conflicted? Thinking maybe I’m not so different from everyone else?”

To be honest, it wouldn’t be wrong to say Kult had spent the entire day for Helena’s sake.

There was no deception in his actions.

He truly cared for her. He genuinely loved her.

Seeing that side of him, his devotion to family, Lobelia began to see Kult as more than just a simple enemy.

That was all there was to it.

“Helena had an incurable disease. It’s been treated now, but the aftereffects… those couldn’t be erased.”

Kult glanced behind him.

Helena was sleeping in the tent.

She’d seemed eager to help with setting it up earlier but quickly ran out of energy and collapsed from exhaustion.

And right beside her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, sat Dietrich, standing guard.

“She’s had it since birth. Your Highness… do you think that child bears any sin?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Why did that child have to suffer like that? Why did Helena have to be different from everyone else? If that’s the case… then what does it even mean to be different?”

“……”

“This is what I believe. Being different is the root of greed. People stain their hands with blood whether to obtain what they lack or to protect what is theirs alone. Jealousy over what others have, the desire to possess it, and the resentment of one’s own circumstances. All of it happens because people are different.”

A prophet who had been exiled simply for being born. Kult seemed to mock the very structure of the world.

“That’s the kind of world we live in. So it’s not really strange. But I don’t think that should be considered normal.”

“So now you want to overturn the world?”

“More precisely, I’m just preparing to restart creation. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, I intend to tell God that there’s something wrong with this world.”

“That’s an awfully extreme conclusion.”

“Does it matter if it’s extreme? I have the power and ability to carry it out. In that case, I’ll simply do my best to build the utopia I believe in.”

Kult smiled gently.

That calm expression only made him seem more frightening.

“I will erase deficiency from this world. Because the root of greed lies in being different from others.”

“……”

“If I can do that… then that child won’t have to suffer a unique pain all alone. And there won’t be people dying miserably in countless other injustices either.”

Kult laughed.

Like a child still holding on to purity, he beamed as he dreamed of his ideal world.

***

While Kult was talking with Lobelia, Helena who had been asleep inside the tent stirred and slowly woke up.

“Yawn…”

“Oh, Helena. Are you okay?”

“Yeees…”

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, big brother Dietrich.”

“That’s a relief then…”

Helena rubbed her eyes and glanced around.

Aside from Dietrich, there was no one else in sight.

“Kult went to thank Her Highness the Princess.”

“Is that so? Ah—!”

Helena tried to get up but stumbled, clutching her chest before sinking back down.

“Hehe… I’m okay. It just tingled for a moment, that’s all.”

“…Alright, Helena. But don’t push yourself, okay? You promised not to overdo it when you joined the training.”

“Yes.”

Helena smiled shyly, and Dietrich scratched his head awkwardly.

Looking at the frail Helena, Dietrich muttered,

“The world really is unfair. Why do you have to go through so much?”

“Is that so? But I think the world is more beautiful because it’s unfair.”

“Hmm…?”

“Because it means we can share what we have. And maybe even find meaning in that. Like how big brother healed me. And I can be his eyes in return.”

“Helena…”

“I guess it’s a bit cruel, but I’m glad. Because I was sickly, I got to meet him. And because he’s not perfect, I get to walk beside him, holding his hand and being his eyes.”

“I see…”

“Yes. That’s why I think this world is truly beautiful. It’s made in a way that lets us feel each other’s warmth.”

“Haha… listening to you, I feel like you’re more mature than I am.”

Dietrich laughed and gently patted Helena’s head.

Despite living in such harsh circumstances, Helena never shrank back. She didn’t lash out at the world in anger.

One might say it’s just because she’s a child, still too young to understand how cruel the world can be.

Or maybe it’s because she hasn’t experienced true injustice yet.

But to Dietrich, it felt like Helena’s untainted innocence was proof that this world still had something worth saving.

“Do you want to go see Kult?”

“Yes, big brother Dietrich. Please!”

“Alright. Here, take my hand. Let’s go.”

Dietrich took Helena’s small hand, and the two of them began walking side by side.