Chapter 029. Cleaning (1)

It was a few days later that the heresy inquisitor escaped from the evil clutches. Being caught and having his head bashed in by Veris as he was returning to the Holy Kingdom is another story of humiliation.

Anyway, amidst the school closure that was racing towards its end, Veris received a request from the dean.

"Clean the dungeon."

It was a task that should have been handled by the exam instructors or professors who had enemies at the academy, but it was entrusted to Veris.

Naturally, Veris initially wanted to refuse out of annoyance, but upon seeing the dean in his office, sleeves rolled up and tears welling in his eyes, he ultimately had no choice but to accept.

After all, he was already so full from the academy's provisions that he felt he might burst. So, could he not do this trivial task?

"How's it going, Arwen?"

"I'm getting a bit more accustomed to it."

With the deadline for cleaning fast approaching, Veris was instructing Arwen in swordsmanship.

Arwen, who was in the midst of training to channel the spirit's power into his sword, had a face shining brighter than ever. It seemed he was intrigued by the newfound power he had acquired.

"Hey!"

─Ding!

Seeing Arwen like that, Cecilia was also igniting a competitive spirit. Being in the same S-Class and living in the same mansion, she felt a sense of urgency as Arwen seemed to be advancing ahead of her, prompting her to intensify her training.

Before long, the mansion was heating up with the fervor of their training. Recently, when Gunther and Princess Maria visited, they shook their heads at the hot atmosphere, which was certainly different from usual.

"By the way, Veris, I heard you won't be going down to the dungeon for much longer."

"Yeah. I'm thinking it'll be either tomorrow or the day after."

"In that case, I can't afford to slack off in my training."

Saying this, Arwen nodded, and Veris couldn't help but smile.

In truth, Veris had never even considered taking anyone with him to the dungeon.

However, upon hearing that he would be going down, Arwen, Cecilia, and even Gunther and Maria decided to join him, suddenly expanding the size of the party.

For Veris, it didn't matter much. Even if he were to slice through monsters and gain experience, it held little significance for him at this point.

"I'll protect you, Veris!"

Cecilia raised her fist with a determined look. There was something adorably fierce about her, and Veris nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Cecilia, you protect me."

"...I will protect you too, Veris."

"Right. Arwen, you protect me too."

"My holy mana is specialized for protection, you know?"

"I also have spirits that are specialized in defense."

The two were oddly competitive.

However, having a friendly rival was certainly not a bad thing, so Veris quietly watched their banter.

"I've never heard of a spirit mage using a sword in my life."

"Long ago, elves were said to have wielded both spirits and swords. Perhaps Cecilia lacks knowledge?"

"Ugh!"

Listening to their odd back-and-forth conversation, Veris felt inexplicably good.

"...I am the woman who is embraced by Veris."

"W-What are you talking about?!"

But Cecilia's words were anything but ordinary.

Knowing what the embrace meant, Veris let out a small sigh and had no choice but to intervene.

"Are you saying that 'embrace' refers to the time you unilaterally hugged me last time?"

"...Yes."

"It's better not to say things that could be misunderstood by others. You do realize you're the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, right?"

"Ugh."

Sometimes, Cecilia seemed to forget that she was a Saintess, reverting to the innocent demeanor of a girl her age.

It felt particularly strong at that moment, and she quickly lowered her head.

"I'm not scolding you or anything. I'm just... saying this out of concern for you, Cecilia."

"R-Really?"

"Veris cares for everyone around him."

Whether Cecilia's eyes widened or not, Arwen chimed in.

For some reason, the atmosphere was so peaceful that Veris couldn't help but burst into laughter.

* * *

"How can you only visit your brother in the hospital once when he has several broken ribs and is on the brink of death? I know you have that cold exterior, but I also know you have the romantic notion of being a warmhearted man inside. But this is just too disappointing; I can't just sit by and let it go. I understand you're busy, but there are certain duties between people..."

"Shut up. And what do you mean 'on the brink of death'?"

Veris was taken aback by Gunther's whining, which sounded like something a rapper would say if he were born on Earth.

No, it wasn't like the guy was dying from a serious illness; he just had a couple of broken ribs. What was the big deal?

It seemed Veris wasn't the only one who didn't want to hear Gunther's voice, as Arwen, Cecilia, and even Maria, who was equally talkative, were covering their ears.

"Ahem. I just want to convey my sincere feelings. Didn't I mention that I have an uninvited guest tied up in the northern district?"

"Freeze to death with your sincerity."

"Brother!"

With that response, Veris continued walking.

The place they were walking through was one that naturally made people feel intimidated due to the thin oxygen and endless darkness.

The dungeon.

As Veris and his party entered the vast underground of Vera Academy, they were slicing through monsters without rest.

Ah, of course, Gunther wasn't slicing through monsters; he was just running his mouth.

"You really talk a lot."

At Maria's muttering, Veris turned his head sharply.

The strong-willed princess Maria. He knew she was quite talkative, but to say something like that was surprising.

Moreover, it was unclear how she ended up accompanying them to the dungeon. After all, she had been visiting frequently since her identity was discovered, but he never expected her to follow them here.

"Ahem."

At Maria's jab, Gunther cleared his throat.

It seemed he still didn't know that Maria was actually Princess Maria Theresa, and he was aware of his own talkative nature.

"By the way, why did you receive this mission, Veris?"

"...The dean asked me."

"The dean? Personally?"

"Yes."

Maria's eyes widened in surprise at Veris's nonchalant response.

It wasn't entirely surprising; it was hard to understand why the dean would personally ask a student in B-Class for help.

"That's impressive."

Without even considering her dignity as a princess, Maria gave a thumbs up.

Arwen and Cecilia, who had already heard about her identity, couldn't hide their sour expressions.

"Hehe, it seems you've noticed my brother's greatness."

"...Could anyone with a bit of insight not notice?"

Gunther nodded vigorously at Maria's quiet voice.

As the saying goes, "A gem shines in the dark," Veris was indeed that kind of person.

Wouldn't it be obvious if a dragon of similar size sat among weak herbivores? Not at all; the herbivores would naturally bow their heads before that unknown power.

"Surprisingly, I knew from a very young age."

"From a young age?"

"Ah, you might not know this since you're from the Gallia Kingdom, but the heads of the Haruen and Vitelbach families, two prominent families in the northeastern part of the Empire, are very close."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"I've heard that the two of them promised to pair a boy and a girl from their families, born from the friendship they built on the battlefield."

"Eh?"

Maria's eyes went blank as they turned to Veris.

Although it felt a bit out of the blue, she at least understood what he was trying to say.

"Ha! Why hide it? My sister Beatrice and Veris are said to have been betrothed through a political marriage since the past."

Gunther's voice was as stiff as someone who had just witnessed a scene from history.

However, the problem was that Cecilia and Maria, who were hearing this for the first time, turned their heads like lightning.

"Beatrice? The candidate for the next Archmage?"

"Political marriage? What does that mean? It can't mean what I think it does, right?"

The two were fidgeting with anxiety. Arwen let out a small sigh and shook his head, while Veris couldn't help but flick Gunther on the forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Stop with the obvious behavior."

"...Yes."

Gunther, rubbing his swollen forehead, lowered his head. While his intention to think of his sister was commendable, the way he went about it felt more like sowing discord, which wasn't very pleasing.

After that small incident, the party continued deeper into the dungeon and soon reached a small clearing.

Perhaps it was a place where students had stayed during the entrance exam, as there were traces of a fire left behind. The group decided to take a short break there.

After sitting for a while, Cecilia, who had been deep in thought, soon approached Maria, who was sitting in a corner of the clearing.

"By the way, Maria."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Um... do you...?"

"Yes?"

"You know..."

"Yes. Please go ahead, Saintess."

Cecilia seemed restless. Maria briefly questioned her behavior.

"Do you... like Veris?"

Thud.

It was a direct hit without any preamble. Maria froze as if caught in a legendary gargoyle's spell.

However, Cecilia felt she had seen a glimmer of possibility in that reaction.

"That's right."

"N-No? Me? Why? Is it because he's handsome? Strong? Kind? A man who keeps secrets well? Ho, hoho! Are you thinking too easily of me? Why would I like Veris? Of course, I want the school closure to end soon since we're in the same class, but you're jumping to conclusions!"

"Ha."

Even Gunther, whose head was filled with flowers, could understand this much.

Thinking that, Cecilia let out a small sigh.

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