“Is it true that the student council president is sick?”

At the same time, Matian’s expression turned cold.

“Really? That President Matian Wiegratz?”

“Yeah, I met Chad earlier. Bolton was filling in for the student council president’s duties, so Chad must have asked. I heard he collapsed due to heart pain. Could it be because of the devil’s fragment?”

Matian, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, turned his cold eyes towards Bolton.

Bolton belatedly realized his mistake as he covered his mouth with his pot lid-like hands.

“Is it that hereditary disease that runs in the Wiegratz family? I had completely forgotten about it.”

“The student council president usually pretends to be so perfect and kind. So everyone forgets that there’s a devil’s fragment inside the president’s body. Of course, I knew. I was suspicious from the beginning.”

Those arrogant bastards! Bolton, who had been listening to their conversation, was about to rush out into the hallway, but Matian softly called Bolton’s name and grabbed his thick wrist.

The students’ conversation continued.

“Come to think of it, isn’t the student council president a devil too? Heh heh.”

“True. That’s why he hasn’t been able to pull out the holy sword until now, and someone else got it first.”

The students’ voices gradually faded away. Only then did Matian release Bolton’s wrist.

“Why did you stop me? I should have killed those bastards!”

Bolton was jumping up and down furiously in the direction where the students had disappeared, then looked at Matian and became restless.

“I’m sorry, Matian. I must have let my guard down when Chad asked while I was busy with work.”

“What’s done is done.”

“Damn it, if only you had the holy sword, this wouldn’t have happened to you.”

“Bolton.”

“It’s true, isn’t it? You could have easily suppressed something like a devil’s fragment with the holy power of the holy sword!”

“Enough.”

Matian silenced Bolton with a terribly calm voice.

After taking several deep breaths, Matian put on a perfect smile in front of the mirror and got up from the bed.

“Take the documents you’re holding back to the student council room now. I’ll review them in the evening.”

“N-now? Okay, yes. I’ll take them right away.”

Bolton hurriedly left the room. As Rukna, who had been standing awkwardly, was about to follow Bolton out.

“Do I look like a devil to you too?”

The calm question stopped Rukna just as she was about to turn around.

Rukna stared at Matian with wide eyes.

His eyes looked dry and empty, devoid of any emotion.

While it was strange to Rukna that the great Matian could have such weak thoughts, she also realized that she too had come to regard Matian not as a human, but as an uninjured statue.

“At first, you didn’t look human. You’re too perfect, you know.”

Was it an unexpected answer? Matian’s eyes widened.

“But you are human. You’re anxious and impatient like me, you get irritated when things don’t go your way, and you crumble when you’re in pain. You even got angry at me earlier.”

“……”

“You have to be flawed to be human. If you’re perfect, how is that human? That’s more like a devil.”

After hearing that answer, Matian remained silent for a while, then mumbled, “An unsatisfactory answer.” As he turned away, there seemed to be a faint smile on his face.

“Wait there for a moment.”

Matian suddenly walked to the window and opened it.

In the long ceramic planter on the iron railing, there was an abundance of Alechi, a vine plant resembling morning glories.

A large hand dug into the planter and pulled out a bulb that looked like an onion.

Matian brought the Alechi root as it was and held it out to Rukna.

“Plant this on your windowsill.”

“What is this?”

Rukna reached out to take the plant.

Matian first laid a handkerchief on Rukna’s palm before carefully placing the plant on it.

“It’s called Alechi. Its pollen is hard to remove from clothes if it gets on them, and it causes rashes if it touches the skin, so it’s good for keeping intruders away.”

Matian tied the four corners of the handkerchief diagonally to wrap the Alechi, preventing the pollen from getting on Rukna.

“Are you okay? You just handled it with bare hands!”

“I’m immune to most poisons, so it’s no problem for me.”

“How?”

“Let’s just say I met a lot of righteous people trying to judge the devil when I was young.”

“You don’t mean……”

“Well then, take care.”

Matian’s smile as he bid farewell was as kind as usual.

Rukna let out a deflated sigh at the sight of Matian, who had quickly put on his mask again, and left with the Alechi.

If the righteous people he had met were truly righteous, young Matian wouldn’t have needed to build immunity to poison.

A white dove circled the bright blue sky a couple of times before perching on the windowsill of the Grand Chancellor’s study.

It pecked at the glass window with its beak, and the window opened slightly as a hand popped out through the gap.

The dove carefully examined the man’s palm lines to confirm it was the owner, then raised its head and regurgitated.

The dove’s neck bulged as something from its stomach came up, and it spat it out onto the man’s palm.

It was a small, tightly rolled letter.

“Young Master Matian sent this. Thank you, Coo Coo.”

When the man gave the dove a small, round piece of gold, it pecked at it and flew off into the sky.

The hand that closed the window again quickly unrolled the letter.

Alchemist Fritz, presumed to be of the Red Eagle Elder rank, has been dealt with. The Karzan Scripture prophecy book has been secured.

“As expected of Young Master Matian. Excellent work.”

The man muttered while turning the letter over. There was no writing on the back.

“Hmm, nothing about Rukna. Has he not noticed yet?”

The man groped with his other arm across the desk and put on the long white hat placed there.

The triple crown.

It was the hat worn by the Grand Chancellor, and his flowing silver bob hair wore it perfectly.

“By the way, to think he secured the prophecy book from the Red Eagle’s scripture. This is an incredible harvest I wasn’t expecting.”

The Grand Chancellor offered a prayer of thanks, saying this was all due to God’s mercy.

The scripture was said to have been written by Karzan, a black magician who had reached the pinnacle of black magic 600 years ago, and was called the Karzan Scripture.

He had shown exceptional ability in prophecy and left the future he had glimpsed at the cost of countless lives in the scripture, which only high-ranking members of the Red Eagle could access.

The prophecy book was written in code, so even if someone happened to get their hands on it, they couldn’t interpret the contents unless they were of the Elder rank.

If an outsider misinterpreted the trap text, the prophecy book would self-ignite and disappear.

‘It seems we’ll need dwarven technology to decipher the code. I should contact them as soon as possible.’

As the Grand Chancellor was thinking about writing a letter to the dwarf elder, Chief Priest Jerome entered the office carrying a silver tray.

“What are you doing here, Your Holiness? The afternoon service is about to begin.”

The Grand Chancellor very naturally hid Matian’s letter in his sleeve while smiling brightly.

“Ah, I just had something to think about for a moment.”

“Do you have any concerns? You look serious.”

“Why did God allow only black magicians to see the future? While He only granted me a single line of the future through divine revelation.”

As he said this, the Grand Chancellor smiled bitterly.

He had intended to make up any excuse, but he ended up revealing the truth that had been hidden in a corner of his heart.

Contrary to his thoughts, it felt refreshing to speak it out loud, but his expression must not have been good.

Jerome, who had observed the Grand Chancellor’s complexion, brought the cold-brewed herbal tea he had brought on the silver tray to the Grand Chancellor’s lips.

The Grand Chancellor drank the tea as Jerome fed him, without even touching the teacup, as if he was used to it.

“Don’t compare yourself to black magicians, Your Holiness. They’re not permitted to see the future, they’re stealing glimpses of it by breaking taboos.”

“……”

“Besides, Your Holiness, aren’t you the one who has been granted permission by God to cross the universe and go to other worlds? You’re on a completely different level from those black magicians who make a hobby of breaking taboos.”

Despite Chief Priest Jerome’s flattery, the Grand Chancellor only gulped down the tea without opening his mouth.

Jerome easily read his superior’s inner thoughts.

“You’re not thinking of learning black magic, are you, Your Holiness?”

“…Jerome, aren’t you curious about the future that anyone can steal a glimpse of?”

Why does God only reveal fragments of the world to me, who protects the world?

For what reason does He simply cherish those who look into time without permission?

At the following questions, Jerome put away the teacup he had been serving.

“Jerome? I haven’t finished drinking yet.”

“I have no intention of serving tea to someone who’s planning to walk the path of heresy and end up tied to a stake.”

Jerome left with an attitude colder than the cold-brewed tea.

The Grand Chancellor clasped his hands alone in the office.

He felt upset that Jerome didn’t seem to cherish him either.