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—Eh…what is this, a prank?!

Thinking this, I glanced around. But all the students, teachers, bodyguard adventurers, and even the clergy who had been tense just moments ago were now watching us with amused expressions.

“It’s a love triangle, a real showdown,” someone muttered.
“If you think logically, she’d choose that handsome guy over there, right?”
“Nah, women are drawn to men with a dangerous aura.”
“Oh, Saintess, please let this love come true,” another person prayed.
“No way, one of them is going to cry,” someone else remarked.
“How about a reverse harem?”
“Alright, let’s bet on it.”
“I’m putting two silver coins on the handsome guy,” one said.
“Me too,” another echoed.
“I’ll bet three silver coins on the guy with black hair.”

Are they seriously starting a betting pool over this…? Has the situation been misunderstood as some sort of romantic entanglement?!

No, no, this can’t be happening! We’re talking about me here! Little ‘ol me! The last person who’d ever be involved in such romantic events, the most unremarkable, random Jane! Everyone must be gravely mistaken! Luke, Cestlavie, exhaustion must’ve gotten to you two…

With these thoughts, I looked at them both with what I hoped was a compassionate gaze, like a saint, and yet that only tightened the grip on my hands.

Well, that just backfired…

At this point, would it be acceptable to break free and throw them off? Though, in the martial art I learned, throwing and then locking and breaking joints is a single set, so I’m not confident I can hold back.

“Who are you choosing, Jill?!”
“Which one of us is it, Jill?!”

Luke and Cestalvie urgently demanded an answer from me, who was on the verge of escaping reality. I sighed as I looked somewhat resentfully at the church door towering over the heads of the two male students.

They say the church doors are always open for lost sheep, but right now, they look like the heavy doors of destiny to me. I even feel a slight wave of malice from them.

“Fine… I understand. Could you both please let go of my hands?” Resolving myself, I asked them, and after a brief hesitation, they let go of my hands simultaneously.

With the two of them silently demanding an answer with their eyes, I sighed again. Surely, this isn’t just my misunderstanding, right…? The unexpected situation of being liked by two guys is making my stomach hurt. However, this is not the time to dawdle. We need to fortify our defenses or evacuate quickly.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Would it be the handsome imperial prince or the prodigy from the commoners? The tension in the air was like that of watching the climax of a heroic tale.

“Alright, let’s go, Eren, Vier. Don’t fall behind.” Without hesitation, I took Eren’s hand and picked up Vier at my feet, quickly passing through the church doors.¹

“Yes, Lady Jill!”
“Woof!”

Eren looked unusually happy, and Vier wagged her tail as we hurried inside. The crowd fell silent in astonishment—except for Lieselotte, who burst into laughter, and Viola, who smirked.

‘Wha… What the heck is that—!!!’

In the next moment, a chorus of screams erupted.

It seemed like there were some loud boos chasing after us from behind, but I didn’t care. I, the one at the center of this sudden battlefield of love, chose a tactical retreat.

♦♢♦

—She’s come…!

No phrase like “long-awaited” could truly capture the depth of his soul’s hunger, the craving so intense it seemed to bleed, awaiting this moment. The being that had entered his domain finally triggered his eruption into mad, triumphant laughter.

Then, summoning the remnants of his strength, he unleashed a wave of magical power that shook the enclosed space.

The seal placed by that woman was infuriatingly strong, almost impossible to break from within. However, it was more susceptible to interference from the outside. His former minions, followers, and even the foolish ones who sought to exploit his power had all tried to break the seal. But it was “relative” by his and his adversary’s standards, and no one had yet appeared who could shatter or destroy the seal.

Perhaps no one ever would. But if his theory was correct, the method to break this seal was remarkably simple and required only a tiny “……” to suffice.

Yet, there was little he could do from inside the seal.

Having mastered all known magical arts and transcended the limits of mortal life, admitting his lack of power was a torment worse than the fires of hell. But he had to face the facts.

Even in his sealed state, he wasn’t completely powerless. While he couldn’t directly interfere, the ripples of his magical power subtly resonated with the magical particles in the atmosphere, spreading thinly but widely.

There was a barrier to conceal and block this, but occasionally, someone would sense the anomaly, leading to this place being treated as a special holy site—a ludicrous idea. He recalled how, a few years or decades ago, someone whose magical wavelength matched his had briefly communicated with him and mentioned this. It was laughable.

That person couldn’t break the seal either, but maybe they had inadvertently helped lure that woman back to this place.

Thinking this, he glanced upwards at the darkness above.

Fortunately, tonight was a full moon, the time when a monster’s internal magical power is most active.

Would they ever step into his domain again? There was no guarantee he’d still exist. For the stars to align on such a unique opportunity—

For the first time in his life, he felt an urge to offer gratitude even to the being he always spat on, cursed, and loathed—’God.’ He let out a long, mad laugh filled with insanity.

Author’s Note:

Just to be clear, this is not a hint that Jill and Eren will have that kind of relationship in the future.²

Translator’s note:

Yuri ship is sinking! I repeat, Yuri ship is sinking!

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“Ah ! Valère, chacun tient les mêmes discours ! Tous les hommes sont semblables par les paroles ; et ce n’est que les actions qui les découvrent différents.”
— “L’Avare (Acte 1, Scène 1),” Molière, 1668

“Ah! Valere, all men say the same thing; all men are alike in their words; their actions only show the difference that exists between them.”
— “The Miser (Act 1, Scene 1),” Molière, 1668

♦♢♦

Now, here’s a question: In front of you is a sturdy door. It’s an ordinary door; in fact, it is neither locked nor magically protected. But what if there was a sign hanging there saying “Do not open”? Would you be able to open it without hesitation?

—This is not a physical issue but a psychological one.

I recall a story from a foreign land where an academic expedition tried to enter a sacred mountain worshipped by a local tribe. The villagers, unwilling participants, were forcibly taken along. The moment they crossed the ‘barrier’ separating the village from the mountain (which was merely a line drawn with stones), the villagers fainted from shock. This disturbing tale, perhaps from a ‘previous life,’ illustrates how significant a psychological taboo can be.

With such thoughts in mind, we were led by the teachers and adventurers along a dimly lit night path to minimize visibility. After about thirty minutes, we arrived at the grounds of the ‘Saint Campbell Church,’ owned by the Saintess Church.

“Welcome. You are safe now. This place is a sacred ground consecrated by Saintess Snow and the Shrine Maiden Princess Clara. The impure cannot approach here. You must be tired. We’ve prepared warm drinks, so please relax and feel at ease.”

The warm smiles and words of the monks and nuns who welcomed us eased the tension of the group. Some male students and attendants collapsed to the ground, while some female students and maids began to cry in relief.

While the kind-faced church members assisted those inside, I noticed a few stern-faced, armed priests hurrying out in shifts.

“Exorcists. They’re probably going to reinforce the barriers around the church, but unlike warrior priests, they’re not really specialists in combat, so don’t expect too much,” Cestlavie explained, noticing my gaze. I appreciated his clear explanation.

“So, we’re essentially in a defensive stance, and if something happens, we’ll have to hold out with the current forces…” A quick look around revealed about twenty adventurers as guards, fewer than ten exorcists, and around ten instructors. With this number of people, protecting fifty students and their associates, plus the non-combatants within the church, seemed a bit uncertain. “It might be wise to inform them beforehand that we can assist if necessary,” I suggested.

Cestlavie, who had fought alongside me before, nodded in agreement. Unlike the protagonists in stories who heroically leap into battle alone to save their allies, in reality, performing solo actions without prior coordination could hinder rather than help.

I don’t know who’s holding the command here, be it the guards, academy instructors, or church officials — However, since both Cestlavie and I are registered adventurers with adventurer IDs, it wouldn’t hurt to report our availability as usable forces.

Just as I was about to walk with Cestlavie to do so, someone grabbed my right wrist and pulled me back.

“Wait a moment! Jill, are you really planning to head towards danger? I’m against it,” Luke said, grabbing my hand and planting his feet firmly as if he’d never let me go.

…Well, I could easily break free from his grip, but still…

“You’re being too reckless. While your desire to help others and your belief that those with the ability should stand on the front lines is commendable, you disregard your own safety and life too much! There are people who care deeply about you and worry for you… you should value yourself more.”

I expected him to oppose from a chivalrous perspective of “protecting weak women,” but this unexpected reprimand made me close my mouth in silence.

Looking over, I saw Eren watching me with pleading eyes.

If he had opposed me head-on, I could have argued back, but being pointed out my flaws and appealing emotionally made it difficult to respond. When did Luke become so skilled in such tactics? Terrifying…

“That’s not quite right,” said Cestlavie, grabbing my other hand and pulling. “Jill isn’t your possession. Do you think keeping her locked away will keep her safe? If you believe it’s okay for capable people to sit idly by in a crisis, then you’re deluding yourself.”

Those words made Luke’s eyes, which usually retained a calm demeanor even when serious, turn cold and sharp.

“…I can’t ignore that. So, do you think you can take responsibility if something happens to Jill? Do you really think you’re qualified to do that?”
“One’s way of life is their own decision. It’s not something others should meddle with, Young Master.”
“I don’t care if you throw your life away for some heroic sentiment, but don’t lump Jill in with you.”

Luke and Cestlavie were at a standoff, each holding one of my hands and pulling in opposite directions. What is this, some kind of Solomon’s Judgment situation?

“Well, aren’t you popular, Jill,” chimed Lieselotte, who had followed a bit behind, with a tone that was half amused. “Given the setting, it looks like two rivals fighting over the bride at a wedding.”

Realizing it, we had somehow moved to the church’s door.

“As I mentioned earlier, this church is famous for matchmaking. It’s also known as the ‘Church of Reminiscence.’ They say that couples who pass through its doors together will end up together. So, which one will you take by the hand and walk through?”
“――!?”

I was speechless at her teasing, but then I noticed that Luke and Cestlavie had both stopped arguing. They exchanged wary glances, then looked at me with an expectant gaze.