-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Lily's Small Story
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The temple within Arden Academy is a building managed by the Elveras Holy Kingdom, not the Empire, and it performs various roles within the academy.
Its original purposes include worship, religious ceremonies, and the propagation of doctrine.
Beyond that, it also serves as a healing institution and an educational institution, befitting the continent's foremost academy.
Perhaps that's why, even from a considerable distance, the temple's facade, gradually appearing in my sight, was incredibly splendid and majestic.
I stopped walking, absently fiddling with the note Lily had given me, and fell into thought for a moment.
'I wonder if Lily's alright.'
The image of Lily struggling after using her divine power earlier lingered in my mind.
She tried her best not to show it, but it was painfully obvious to me.
Not only had I seen that sight many times in the game, but I had also witnessed it firsthand four years ago.
Saint Lily can wield a special divine power.
And I am certain. Even in a fantasy world, there's no power as cursed as Lily's divine power.
Because that divine power was not, in fact, an ability bestowed by a celestial being, but an artificially created one, and it was the very root cause that gnawed at and damaged her body.
And that wasn't all. Lily also carried a penalty: when she used her divine power on someone, she was directly exposed to the evil residing within that person.
However, the being on whom Lily had used her divine power was a toy meticulously crafted by Greed.
I couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain the evil residing within it must have caused Lily.
That was why I was worried about Lily.
'She was targeted an awful lot, too.'
Her status as a Saint,
The uniqueness of her divine power,
And on top of that, her delicate and beautiful appearance, which stimulated men's desires.
Lily was, without a doubt, the character exposed to the most danger in [Harem Academy], and the incident four years ago was one such instance.
'Those damn developers, seriously.'
As I recalled her tragic fate and the ultimate end of Lily, who never became a heroine, curses welled up inside me.
And for good reason. Repeatedly exposed to evil, and utterly broken, Lily eventually fell, transforming into the 'Queen of Chaos,' a being who wielded even greater authority than the Seven Deadly Sins.
'I'll have to stop it.'
Naturally, I have no intention of letting Lily fall, and I also know how to fundamentally eliminate her suffering.
The only drawback is that I have to wait until a specific day.
When that day comes, I will not hesitate to follow Lily.
"By the way, how on earth did Lily even notice?"
The note Lily had given me came into view.
----
- Mr. Karamel, I'm sure you noticed, and even if we tried to step in, you'd probably go first.
Well, we'll handle the cleanup, so feel free to do as you please.
P.s.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't make me smash your head with my mace, Mr. Karamel.
----
I'm not sure how accurately she knew, but.
Lily clearly sensed the demonic energy that even I, with my Heavenly Insight Eye, hadn't noticed, and she had even tried to take action.
And that wasn't all. After realizing that I knew about it thanks to her and my usual personality, she chose to offer cleanup assistance rather than trying to stop me.
'I feel like I'm constantly being helped.'
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
I wondered if the help I'd given Lily four years ago was infinitesimally small compared to what she was doing for me now.
'For today, at least...'
My ultimate reason for wanting to meet Lily was to express my gratitude and personally inform her of the location of the 'toy' I had dealt with.
Entrusting the message to someone else was dangerous.
Because within that temple, there were many who were more loyal to someone within the Holy Kingdom than to the Saint herself, acting as that person's eyes and ears.
Moreover, that 'someone' had fallen long ago and was even acquainted with the Seven Deadly Sins.
With a task to complete and questions to ask, I had no other choice.
There was no choice but to sneak into her room.
'She used to enjoy such situations, too.'
I don't know if the current Lily is the same, but.
The Lily in the game had a setting where she enjoyed role-playing.
'Let's go for now.'
Having arrived near the temple, I concealed my presence and began to move stealthily.
****
Lily's sanctuary was located deep within the temple, so deep that those who visited for healing would never even suspect such a place existed.
To give you an idea, I had to stealthily climb the walls to the fourth floor, then walk for what felt like over twenty minutes.
And that wasn't all. There were so many Holy Knights still patrolling at this late hour that I had to hide multiple times.
Some might think that Lily's room being in such a deep location was natural for the sanctuary of a Saint with special status.
But that wasn't actually the case.
'It was to monitor her every move and receive reports.'
As I recalled the face of the one who ordered this and the evil deeds he had committed, my expression twisted into a frown.
'I want to kill him quickly.'
Thinking like this makes me sound like a serial killer, but.
When I reminded myself that he truly deserved to die, my murderous intent towards him only deepened.
"Is this it?"
Lost in thought, I found myself standing before a wooden door.
It was such a shabby-looking door that I would have walked past it without a second thought if I hadn't remembered it.
Indeed, if I hadn't had my experiences from the game, I wouldn't have even thought of coming here.
With that thought, I carefully opened the door, crept into the room, and then closed the door behind me.
Then, I cautiously turned my head. I wasn't expecting anything, but just in case Lily was caught off guard…
"Oh..."
This wasn't the kind of 'unprepared state' I had in mind.
I had to rush to her immediately.
Lily was lying helplessly on the floor, writhing in pain.
****
Xenon Philight – Nesiah the Priest was the one who told me about him.
He said he had accidentally witnessed something while walking at night: a terrifying entity dripping black sludge approaching Xenon.
Upon hearing this, I immediately instructed Duran, the next Saint and the only sibling I could trust in the temple, to gather information about Professor Xenon.
But Duran, who had moved on my orders, told me that Xenon was just a normal person, nothing out of the ordinary, except for his obsession with acting.
That's why I, as a Saint and a second-year student, had even submitted an application to join the drama club, going so far as to report it to the Holy Kingdom.
Well, it also seemed interesting since Karamel had applied.
Leaving the temple, I felt an unfamiliar sensation for the first time in a long while.
Pink petals falling in the wind,
The feel of my hair swaying in the breeze,
The vitality of the students carried on the wind.
And the fact that I was meeting new people as a fellow student.
I couldn't precisely define the emotions I felt at that moment, but I was certain it was the first time I'd felt such emotions since that day four years ago.
Feeling those emotions, I stepped into the theater for the first time since coming to this academy.
A welcome face was there.
Rose van Darmian.
A grateful person who, four years ago, had briefly offered me a place to stay and shared her warmth.
She always pretended to argue and pick fights with Karamel, but deep down, she was a very kind girl.
Sure enough, as soon as she saw me, she asked if I was alright these days.
Why did such a small concern make me feel so elated?
That feeling peaked when Karamel opened the theater door and walked in.
Was it because I was genuinely happy to see him?
Or was it because it reminded me of that day four years ago?
Strangely, whenever I saw his face, I would utter words that seemed to have a will of their own, independent of mine.
"Oh, Karamel-ssi."
When I called him that, he tilted his head, his eyes wide.
Seeing him like that, I recalled a memory, as I always did.
Ah, right. It was because his unchanging, unassuming presence made me feel at ease.
Although Daisy, that woman, had caused me a minor humiliation, the time I spent in the theater afterward felt incredibly comfortable.
So much so that I had, subconsciously, thought something I absolutely shouldn't have.
If I had lived as an ordinary girl instead of a Saint, could I have lived as comfortably as them? Such thoughts.
It was Professor Xenon Philight who broke that brief, sweet fantasy.
As a Saint, I could tell instantly. That man clearly harbored demonic energy.
Moreover, the aura of evil contained within that demonic energy was horrifically potent.
Enough to make my head throb and my stomach churn just from observing him from afar.
I immediately wanted to light the petal-infused tobacco Karamel had given me and put it to my lips.
Normally, I would have immediately gotten up, gone to a corner of the temple, lit the tobacco, and smoked it.
But I couldn't. No, I didn't.
Strangely.
In that moment, I felt a strong urge to remain there.
More than anything, I wanted to fulfill my duty as a Saint.
Otherwise, who knew what that man might do to someone?
And I also didn't want Karamel, whose 'vessel' was beginning to crumble, to step forward and use his power.
That's why I called Professor Xenon onto the stage.
To purify him, Xenon, using this cursed divine power, which I abhorred more than anything.
I pushed my cursed ability to its absolute limit. I put the tobacco to my lips. To lessen the pain that would soon engulf me, and to ensure I didn't fail.
But.
I ultimately failed to purify him. Instead, he even brazenly drew out some of the demonic energy he had been hiding, and from that moment on, I was tormented by an evil that was truly beyond my reach.
Just before I reached my limit, I left a note for Karamel and immediately headed back to the temple.
I put the tobacco to my lips, lit it, and inhaled the harsh smoke into my lungs repeatedly.
If it had been any ordinary evil, it might have brought some calm.
But upon reaching my room, I was assailed by a torrent of every conceivable evil emotion, like waves crashing over me, along with pain that felt like my entire body was being torn to shreds, like a moment of profound pilgrimage.
I grew angry. I wanted to tie the Holy Kingdom and the Archbishop, who had made me this way, to a cross and set them ablaze.
Greed welled up. I wanted to harm those who had the ordinary lives I lacked, and make those lives my own.
Lust surged. I wanted to grind my crotch into his face and take his member deep into my mouth.
Envy flared. I wanted to cut off that bitch Daisy's large breasts and look down on her.
I became slothful. I wanted to burn the entire world to let go of everything.
Becoming avaricious and proud, I wanted to put everything in the world beneath me.
The more I fought against those emotions, the deeper I only sank into a more hollow and profound abyss.
But then.
Even though it had been like that.
The world suddenly brightened. The seven emotions that had been crashing over me receded, and only a warm sensation began to dominate my five senses.
Feeling that all evil had receded,
That all pain had vanished,
That all my nerves were concentrating on my right hand.
I opened my eyes.
I was sure I had collapsed on the floor.
But I was lying in a bed, covered by a blanket.
My head turned.
The first thing I saw was two white, veiny hands gently cradling my right hand.
Next, I saw a black-haired man sleeping with his head at the foot of the bed.
My lips, upon seeing him,
"Oh, Karamel-ssi."
Opened reflexively, as if possessing a will of their own.