‘Finally, it’s here.’

Nigel’s face was cold as she looked down from the window at the relentlessly advancing priests.

In contrast, the students’ faces were bright with the expectation that they might not have to attend class.

Classes could no longer continue due to their insistent demands for cooperation, despite protests from professors and staff including Widrun.

The students who got to skip class cheered and walked to the lounge. They chatted briefly, escaping from the final exams for a moment.

At the back of the group, Noah and Allen followed, managing their expressions. Nigel, being pulled by the arm by a cheerfully smiling Yenika saying they should hurry to get good seats, moved along with her hands full of study materials.

“Is there really a Holy Maiden in Sienna?”

Though the students talked about trivial matters like failing grades or cafeteria menus, the topic always circled back to the Holy Maiden.

“Well… surely not. There’s no reason for the Holy Maiden to attend Sienna.”

“In any situation, there’s no such thing as zero possibility. Should we be so quick to declare, fellow classmates?”

As Ashton, who was reading a detective novel, spoke quoting Cledian’s signature phrase, several political science students burst out laughing.

“Then who do you think could be the Holy Maiden? Someone in our year? Or a different year?”

“More importantly, what’s the definition of a Holy Maiden?”

Once again, professors’ mannerisms emerged from Ashton’s mouth. The students giggled and raised their hands as if to answer in class.

“Ah yes, the student who ranked 50th overall in the midterms. Can you explain?”

The student whose grades were suddenly exposed frowned slightly before speaking.

“A Holy Maiden is a woman born with innate holy power.”

“Then what’s the striking difference from priests? Ah, let’s have an answer from the student who confessed to a first-year and got immediately rejected.”

“Ash, you…”

“Tut tut, addressing a professor so casually? You’ll get a demerit point if you don’t answer properly.”

The student who was called out raised his middle finger as he began to speak.

“According to the texts, the difference between a Holy Maiden and priests lies in the color and power of their holy energy. While priests’ holy energy is blue, a Holy Maiden’s holy energy emits a warm light. Also, even a small amount of a Holy Maiden’s holy energy possesses great power.”

“Good, that was perfect. I’ll forget about the demerit point.”

“Professor, won’t you explain the power dynamics between the temple and the imperial family after failing to find the Holy Maiden?”

Ashton smiled leisurely and retorted to the mischievous question directed at the Sinclair marquis family, who had turned neutral after the Holy Maiden disappeared.

“Politics is written by the hand of the victor. I just need to hide quietly and then support the winner’s hand.”

And so, the questions that made everyone happy except the subject continued.

“So, if there’s a Holy Maiden among the second years, who do you think it might be?”

At someone’s words, the students’ eyes narrowed. They examined each of their classmates’ faces, picking out those who seemed likely to be the Holy Maiden.

“…Wouldn’t it be Charlotte? She’s kind and beautiful.”

At one male student’s dreamy answer, the surrounding students’ faces soured.

“You might as well confess to Charlotte.”

“To think the political science department would fall for stereotypical errors, don’t act like you know things outside the academy.”

“Hey, hey. Charlotte’s expression just hardened. Ed, I think she really dislikes you confessing.”

“It wasn’t a confession!”

As the face of the student who answered turned bright red, the other students snickered.

At this moment, Ashton’s eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth.

“If the criteria for a Holy Maiden is kind and beautiful, then…”

Everyone’s eyes and ears turned to Ashton, pretending not to. Even Nigel, who had been studying, stopped her pen.

“Nigel would also be included as a Holy Maiden candidate.”

Ashton and Nigel’s gazes met in mid-air. Just as Ashton was about to send a relaxed smile, Noah sat down next to Nigel. He then distracted the two’s eye contact by casually asking Nigel a question.

The students looked at Ashton with sympathetic eyes, then gradually began to share opinions about Nigel.

“Nigel is objectively pretty too…”

“If we have to choose between kind and not kind, she’s on the kind side. She answers all the kids’ questions even though it must be bothersome.”

“Then she meets all the conditions for a Holy Maiden that Ed mentioned, right?”

At Ashton’s words, the students nodded reluctantly.

-Nigel! Because of that ashen human, the humans have found out your identity.

At that moment, Rus, who had been quietly sitting in Nigel’s pocket using invisibility so only Nigel could see his body, wriggled and jumped out onto the table.

Nigel picked up her pen with indifferent eyes and wrote ‘Don’t worry’ in large, clear letters in her notebook. It’s just nonsense they’re saying because they’re bored anyway.

Rus, who had stumbled through reading the letters, tilted his head, wondering why it was okay when her identity might be discovered.

“Nigel…!”

And the wrong person was moved.

Noah, sitting in the next seat, tightly grasped Nigel’s hand that had been under the desk.

“Don’t worry too much, I will definitely save you.”

A gentle voice was heard softly in her ear.

She should tell him to let go quickly, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak, not wanting to lose the warm touch of their joined hands.

‘Ah, it’s not that Noah’s hand is warm, but that my hand was cold.’

Nigel only then realized that her body was more stiff than usual. As she became accustomed to Noah’s warmth and the temperature of their joined hands became similar, Nigel’s body relaxed.

-Big human… Let go of that hand while I’m still asking nicely.

Meanwhile, Noah was being threatened by Rus, who was invisible due to his camouflage.

Even after several loud shouts, when Noah showed no sign of letting go of Nigel’s hand, Rus issued an ultimatum.

-This is the last warning. If you want that hand to stay attached to your wrist, keep holding it.

Just as Noah was about to let go of Nigel’s hand, thinking the joke had gone too far, Nigel’s hand pulled away first.

It was disappointing to see that hand, which had been seeking Noah’s warmth, slip away without hesitation.

Noah also turned his head towards Ashton’s group, following Nigel’s gaze.

They were still arguing about whether Nigel was the Holy Maiden or not.

“I bet my month’s allowance that it’s not Nigel.”

“Then I bet my inheritance.”

Color returned to Nigel’s face as she watched them recklessly betting money and property. Her expression was kinder than a grandfather looking after his grandchildren.

Noah raised the corners of his mouth, seeing right through what Nigel was thinking.

-Don’t even look at Nigel strangely, human.

Sure enough, the dragon’s threat was heard again.

While it was pleasing that Rus sincerely cherished and protected Nigel, it would be quite troublesome if this small dragon continued to check him.

It would be better for Rus to get used to him as well, since he would always be by Nigel’s side.

By chance, Noah looked exactly where Rus was and let out a deep sigh. Rus, whose gaze met Noah’s, momentarily forgot he was invisible and flinched before scurrying deep into Nigel’s pocket.

Just then, the murky holy power of a priest was felt from far away.

-…Nigel, they’re here.

Tension crept into Rus’s usually confident voice. Even the pocket trembled.

“It’s okay. I’m by your side, and you’ll protect me.”

Gently stroking the pocket, Nigel unconsciously looked at Noah and Allen.

The two smiled and nodded at Nigel.

Creeak, as the door opened, the hem of a snow-white priest’s robe invaded the lounge.

The inspection of the second years began.

The students who had been laughing and chattering until just now couldn’t even open their mouths and quietly waited for their turn in the solemn atmosphere of the priests surrounding the lounge.

As students left one by one, Allen and Noah kept an eye on Nigel.

Due to being called in alphabetical order, Allen, who was called first among the group, hesitantly stood up.

“…Well, I’ll go first then.”

His face, usually bright, was full of worry.

“Okay, hurry and finish the inspection so you can study for the final exams. We agreed to go to Tillin together, remember?”

Nigel said nonchalantly, without taking her eyes off her book. Allen regained his smile at those words.

“Nigel, you come quickly too. I’ll be waiting.”

Nigel looked up and smiled back.

-Don’t be too nervous, I’ll protect you no matter what.

But try as she might to act nonchalant, Nigel’s heart was racing wildly.

She trusted Allen, Noah, and Rus. But Ashton’s words that there’s no such thing as zero possibility followed that trust like a shadow.

“Are you nervous?”

Just then, someone’s voice was heard.

As Nigel turned her head, Ashton was smiling leisurely.

“They say they’re inspecting all the male students too, since we can’t rule out the possibility that the Holy Maiden transformed into a man. Isn’t that funny?”

Nigel looked up at Ashton indifferently.

“Weren’t you the one who said there’s no such thing as zero possibility? Besides, I can’t believe a Sinclair, who has fervently supported the temple for generations, would say such things.”

“Well, our family bets on the Holy Maiden, not the temple.”

“What?”

Just as Nigel was about to ask further, a priest called Ashton’s name.

“Unfortunately, it seems we can’t talk at length. Good luck, Nigel.”

After finishing his words, Ashton kissed the tips of Nigel’s black hair and then walked out of the lounge at the timely call of his name.

-Nigel, every single human in Sienna is strange…!

“…Indeed.”

Nigel’s eyes narrowed as she watched Ashton’s retreating figure walking out leisurely.

Time passed quickly, and finally, it was Nigel’s turn.

Following the priest’s guidance, Nigel underwent several inspections.

In the first inspection, all the acorns that Rus had collected in her uniform pocket were confiscated.

In the second inspection, the two rings that Zeronin and Noah had given her were taken away.

Nigel suppressed a sigh as she looked at the clear ring marks.

At that moment, the priest who was closely examining the rings opened his mouth.