The Overpowered Cult Leader at the Academy Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Blew Through the Operating Funds (1)

"Uwaah! Th-that! What's with the sweat and blood?! Are you hurt?!"

Winter, who had been studying late in the chapel, was startled when she saw co in drenched in sweat and blood.

I dropped my backpack as if throwing it down and collapsed onto the sofa. Winter hurriedly grabbed a first-aid kit and rushed over.

"Uh… Where are you hurt…."

"Bell. Ring the bell for ."

Even in her confusion, Winter took out the Silent Bell and gave it a shake.

―Ding.

Only after hearing that deep chi did my trembling body begin to calm. Once the fear from Fiero lifted, the tension finally began to ease.

"Phew! Phew!"

"Is that supposed to be a sigh?"

"Eek!"

As I slumped down, I felt her start treating . Winter sighed in an exaggerated way, clearly for to hear, but it didn’t really register with .

The only place I was injured was my hand. The treatnt ended quickly.

"Winter, can you check my backpack?"

"Can I look through it?"

I nodded. Winter opened the bag with a puzzled expression—and then froze in place.

"Winter? Winter?"

"……."

No reply. I had no choice but to smack the back of her head.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"Operating funds."

"A-all of this… huff! hic! kuh!"

"Hey. Calm down and take a deep breath."

I soothed Winter as she nearly passed out. I patted her back a few tis before she finally managed a steady breath.

"Did you loot so ancient ruins or sothing?"

"Sothing like that."

"Unauthorized excavation of ruins is a serious cri, you know…."

"I actually went to a dungeon."

"A dungeon!? Then the story you told this morning about the southern forest, was that it!?"

I scooped up a handful of gold coins from the backpack and placed them in her hand.

"Gold coins, no less. This is your share."

"I always believed in you, senpai."

Her sudden change in attitude amused . Winter dropped to her knees and started counting the coins.

I wondered if that really warranted such reverence, but right now, I just wanted to rest.

"Senpai, I’m not sure about the jewels, but for the gold coins, we’ll probably need to convert them into gold bars."

"Yeah, I figured."

I wouldn’t have anything to say if soone asked where it all ca from. If things went wrong, I could be branded a grave robber. And if the coins were valuable enough, I might beco a target.

It’d be a waste, but I had no choice but to lt so of them down into gold bars. As for the rest, I’d either use them to build power or sell them through a proxy.

'Bereninche, maybe.'

If anyone had the kind of influence to sell them without issue, it’d be Bereninche, the Imperial Knight Order, or Canis.

I didn’t like any of them, but Bereninche seed like the most realistic option. Though, of course, she'd take a huge cut.

I decided to think it over slowly. What I needed first was money I could actually use right away. Tomorrow, I’d have to find a forge to lt the coins.

"Oh? What’s this?"

Winter, who had been organizing the backpack, pulled out a bundle of docunts. I shrugged. I’d just brought it along on a whim. Didn’t really know what it was.

"Looks like writing from the era of the Ancient Magic Kingdom…"

"I brought it just in case. I don't really need it. You can use it if you want."

"Ah, thank you."

Winter was a bookworm shaped by circumstance. A timid mind, frail body, and weak magical power—being a scholar was the only path available to her.

She’d grit her teeth and endured all that to beco my priestess. In doing so, she had no choice but to dedicate herself to study.

Thanks to that, she developed a liking for this kind of thing. She examined the docunts with a face tinged with interest.

"We should buy a safe. A strong one."

"I’ll go get it tomorrow."

As I said that, I checked my quest log.

▶ Faith Quest: [Anaye’s Regret]

Anaye is a hero who takes pride in the path she walked. Yet even she has one thing she regrets.

Anaye hopes her first child will resolve the mistake she left behind.

Condition — Salvation of the Astral.

Reward — Skill: Eye of the Celestial Body.

Saving sothing like the Astral… It felt vague. For now, there didn’t seem to be anything I could do.

"Hey, got anything to eat?"

"……No."

"Sheesh."

Once the tension faded, hunger hit hard. The jerky I had earlier barely scratched the itch. I asked Winter if she had anything to eat.

All I got in return was a sharp glare.

"Should I sell the jewels to Canis?"

"……I-I don’t want to be involved."

"Don’t worry. I’ll handle it."

Mages love jewels. Not because of vanity or luxury, but because gems make excellent vessels for storing magical power.

The Ulbushis Family had more than enough wealth to handle it.

Winter quickly voiced her opinion. She had a hard ti dealing with the unusually smooth-talking Canis. I wasn’t particularly fond of her either, so I didn’t push it.

"Is there anything we can install in here?"

"Huh? In the chapel?"

"Yeah. Should we start with a big statue of our Goddess?"

"……Maybe not too big. People might start asking questions."

"Ah, you’re probably right."

Now that we had money, everything felt like a happy problem to solve.

We discussed things seriously. First priority: the chapel. Step one was erecting a statue of Anaye and then furnishing the place with necessary items.

"Let’s make a bed too."

"Why would you put a bed in the chapel!"

"Well, I an, if I get tired, I might want to lie down for a bit."

"This isn’t a hideout! It’s a chapel! Try to have so reverence!"

"Eh, whatever. I’m still getting one."

Winter grabbed her neck in frustration. But this ti, she didn’t back down. After all, I spent most of my ti at the academy inside this chapel.

The scent of wood, the sunlight streaming in—everything about this place made feel strangely at ease.

“No way.”

Winter suddenly turned pale and spoke up. I looked at her, puzzled.

“No way… you’re not actually planning to sleep here, are you?”

“……”

“Haha… no, of course not. Haha.”

“……”

“…You’re actually planning to, aren’t you.”

She’d gotten sharper lately. I stayed silent, and Winter buried her face in her hands.

“Could you maybe think a little more reverently about the Goddess? This is still the first place where we’ve enshrined Her, after all…”

“So this is that ‘communion’ I’ve always heard about.”

Winter let out a hollow laugh. I could faintly hear her mutter, “Damn Duheins.”

I was innocent. I wasn’t even a Duhein. And compared to Bereninche, I was a saint.

“If there’s anything we need to buy tomorrow, tell . I’ll take care of it this ti.”

“You haven’t even managed to make gold bars yet…”

“If not tomorrow, then the day after.”

With an exhausted expression, Winter pulled out a sheet of paper.

What we’d bought with the Imperial Knight Order’s support barely amounted to the table Winter was always camped out at, and the sofa I was glued to.

The rest of the money had been saved up in case anything happened in the future. Now seed like a good chance to properly furnish the chapel.

While doing so, Winter shook the Silent Bell every now and then. Watching her, I clapped my hands.

“Perfect. You’re coming along tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s get you so armor. Maybe a defensive artifact.”

“Wha—huh?”

Winter’s safety was second only to mine. That fragile body of hers was about as sturdy as a glassfish—just thinking about it stressed out.

Could I even run the order without Winter? I didn’t want to imagine it.

“Why… why are you using the order’s funds for that?”

“Your safety is part of the operating funds. You probably can’t wield a weapon, so we’ll at least get you so protection.”

“…I can wield a weapon, you know.”

“You even struggle to carry a field shovel.”

Winter pouted, clearly sulking. I chuckled and teased her.

―Knock knock.

The warm atmosphere, at least from my perspective, instantly went cold.

By the ti I’d arrived at the chapel, the sun had already set, and now the moon was high in the sky. There should be no one coming to the chapel at this hour.

No—no one really ca even during the day. Unless it was Canis.

“C-Canis?”

“No. Soone else.”

Unfortunately, I knew Canis well enough by now. That one wouldn’t bother knocking anymore—she’d just co in.

“Yeah, not .”

“Right, I figured it was… the hell—what are you?”

“Aaack! Kyaaaa!”

I’d responded automatically to the voice, but the mont I did, I felt it—a bizarre sensation. A voice that should not be heard.

When I quickly turned my head, I saw Canis leaning against the wall, scribbling sothing down.

A wave of exhaustion and disbelief hit all at once. I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, and she greeted with a face full of smiles.

Winter followed my gaze, turned her head—and the mont she spotted Canis, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Tears ca with it.

“Wh-what’s going o—huh?”

Suddenly, Vice-Commander Sheila burst through the door. Tense and alert, she swept her gaze thoroughly around the chapel.

Realizing there was nothing unusual, she finally relaxed. It seed she had rushed in after hearing Winter's scream.

“My apologies.”

All three of us turned our eyes to the vice-commander. She gave a quick, apologetic bow and stepped back out the door.

―Knock knock.

A second later, as if nothing had happened, she knocked again.

I rubbed my forehead. Chaos was erupting from every direction.

“Hmhm. What a fun little scene~”

“We’re gonna have words later. Wait—how long have you even been here?”

“Maybe five minutes or so~”

“You little… Whatever. We’ll talk later.”

For now, I decided to deal with the more urgent guest first. I shot Canis a sharp glare for trespassing and went to open the door.

The vice-commander stood there with her usual calm expression.

“It’s been a while, Davide.”

“…Yes, Vice-Commander. Though it feels like I just saw you.”

“Oh my, you must’ve missed . I’ll try to visit more often.”

No, please don’t. I didn’t have the guts to say that out loud. I’d tried to slip in a jab, but she’d deflected it with practiced ease.

Without saying more, I let the vice-commander in. Winter stood awkwardly, greeting her.

“Ah… Hello!”

“Lovely to see you, Winter. Your eyes are just as glistening as ever.”

The vice-commander greeted Winter especially warmly—like a father seeing his daughter again after a long absence.

“We’re not quite prepared to receive guests… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I believe the support we provided should’ve been sufficient. You’re being cautious, I see.”

“Well, since we can’t predict what might happen… Still, I do plan to spend so funds tomorrow.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

After I guided her to the sofa, the vice-commander took the center seat with perfect posture. Even though Canis was sitting right beside her, she didn’t seem to notice.

Just what is that freak’s deal?

“Hey. Mind getting off the seat?”

“Hmm? Oh my. I didn’t realize we had another guest.”

“She’s a trespasser. Please ignore her. Hey, I said get lost.”

“Mmm~ That kind of reaction hurts, you know~”

I grabbed Canis by the back of the neck and moved her to the far end of the sofa.

Even though she must have been startled by how Canis had quietly taken the seat beside her, the vice-commander quickly composed herself.

Winter brought over the chair she usually used, and I sat down facing the vice-commander.

“So then. What brings you here?”

“I noticed the lights were on during my patrol, so I dropped by. I also have so business to take care of, while I’m here.”

“Business?”

I tilted my head. There was no real reason for the vice-commander to co all this way, especially with how busy she must be.

“Are you free tomorrow by any chance?”

A strange feeling crept over . Just from the way she said it, it sounded like she was asking out on a date.

But there was no way the vice-commander of the Imperial Knight Order would say sothing so frivolous. I raised an eyebrow and replied.

“I don’t have any particular plans.”

“That’s good. I happened to notice you don’t seem to use a weapon.”

She wasn’t wrong. Due to Anaye’s skill traits, I hadn’t paid much attention to weapons.

If I had enough money to buy a well-crafted sword, it was more worthwhile to spend it on stamina potions and stack them into the glass orb. I already had a weapon in mind, anyway.

“How about stopping by a weapon shop together tomorrow?”

The vice-commander added that with an alluring smile. Honestly, it made uncomfortable.

I couldn’t understand why this woman in front of was approaching so cordially.

Still, I couldn’t outright refuse her. Having a link to the Imperial family held its own importance.

“I’d rather not owe you any more favors.”

“Favors? It’s all part of our support. I hope you won’t take it too heavily.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to incur any more debt either.”

I said it outright. For a mont, she seed surprised by the bluntness, then let out a small, weary laugh. Her expression held a hint of apology.

“It’s complicated, but this isn’t the kind of situation where we’re placing you in our debt. Strictly speaking, it’s more accurate to say we’re repaying ours.”

“Repaying a debt?”

“Yes. The safety of Academy students is clearly within the jurisdiction of the Imperial Knight Order. That we left things so helplessly unattended… is a failure of duty. You did the job we should have done.”

“……”

“It’s shaful. And at the sa ti, we’re grateful.”

I didn’t fully understand it, but rejecting it outright beca difficult. Once the Imperial Knight Order was invoked, refusing felt almost like a cri.

More than anything, I didn’t want to pull out the gold coins in front of them.

“I want to co too!”

“You open your mouth one more ti, and I’ll put a hole straight through your skull.”

I growled at Canis, who had once again failed to read the room. Things were serious on my end, whether she realized it or not.