Chapter 128: Swamp of Silence
But in this situation, it seemed impossible to find out the “timing.” Acrea was nowhere to be found whenever she went to the Black Eagle classroom, and besides, why would he reveal confidential information to Sue? It might be faster to just camp out in front of the chapel and stake it out every day.
And there was another question that had been lingering in Sue’s mind.
How had Woo Acrea, a mere young master, detected the high priest’s “illegal magic,” which even the self-proclaimed genius mage, Jean Emilia, hadn’t been able to detect properly?
Of course, the Acrea family was renowned for their white magic, and Acrea himself was quite talented. But he was definitely weaker than a mage who lived behind a barrier 24/7, hidden from everyone.
‘Don’t think too much about it, Sue. There must have been a way he could sense it. It’s better to think that way.’
That’s what Jean had said, but Sue couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. More importantly, thinking back, it might have been Woo Acrea who had prevented her from being brainwashed.
‘Did he notice and stop it in advance…?’
He had said that the high priest used brainwashing magic during the soul level measurement. And if that was true, it made sense that the high priest had deliberately skipped Sue’s soul level measurement.
Acrea, as “Louis,” had made a deal with the high priest without him knowing. She didn’t know how he had phrased it, but the gist of it must have been, “Don’t measure follower Marie’s soul level.”
So she had been a hindrance, as he had said. Sue felt a pang of guilt towards Acrea. She should have just told him the truth, and he would have backed off.
‘Was it Reeves’s order? Or was it his chronic illness acting up again?’
Noble consideration.
She hadn’t thought much of it until now, but it was one of the byproducts of the Acrea grand duke family’s flawed education. Of course, nobles should have noble manners, but Acrea’s consideration was different.
Woo Acrea Ire.
He was a good person, but not a “kind” person. There was no doubt that Woo Acrea was the kind of person you couldn’t get close to.
***
During lunch break, Sue was with Melaine in the cafeteria. It was rare for them to have a private conversation at the academy. Melaine, who was always busy proselytizing the Holy Demon Religion, had summoned Sue. Her face was grim, unlike her usual self, and she sighed heavily.
“My sister came back yesterday.”
“Oh my, you must be happy!”
It was the first good news she had heard in a while. Acrea had said he had sent a message to Yuna in the Locor Kingdom, and it seemed like she had returned to the capital as he had said.
“Happy… Sigh.”
Melaine, who adored her sister, didn’t look happy at all. She rubbed her tired face and said in a frustrated voice,
“Listen, my sister… She told me to leave the Holy Demon Religion as soon as she came back.”
“Oh my…”
Sue covered her mouth to hide her smirk. She felt like her cluttered mind had been cleansed.
Melaine, oblivious to her thoughts, slammed her hand on the table.
“So I asked her why, and she said… She said it’s a crazy cult!”
She’s right, it is a crazy cult.
“She said I’ve been brainwashed… That she has to break it… She even called a white mage! The white mage said there’s no brainwashing on me. But my sister keeps saying I am…! How does that even make sense…!”
Yuna had taken the best course of action she could. Sue was surprised that she hadn’t even confined Melaine and had let her come to the academy. Sue sipped her rosehip tea and said,
“You joined the Holy Demon Religion for Marquis Yuna, right?”
“Yes! I want to become the Saint of the Holy Demon Religion for my sister! For my sister…”
Her confident voice trailed off. Melaine lowered her head, looking flustered.
She had lost confidence in her belief that she was in the Holy Demon Religion for her sister.
“Then… If Marquis Yuna doesn’t like the Holy Demon Religion, shouldn’t you leave?”
“No!”
Melaine felt betrayed by Sue. Her yellow eyes, filled with tears, glared at her.
Sue was actually relieved to see those brainwashed eyes. Melaine and Ten hadn’t been swayed so easily.
“I’m sorry, Lady Melaine, I was out of line.”
It was time to back down. Honestly, rescuing Melaine was a secondary concern now. The Holy Demon Religion would be destroyed, and Melaine would definitely be rescued in the process.
“Sue, I love my sister, but now I don’t know.”
Melaine, her anger subsiding, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and sniffled.
“Sue, can you talk to my sister for me?”
“What?”
Melaine stood up before Sue could even ask. She grabbed Sue’s hands and pleaded,
“You know! You know what kind of place the Holy Demon Religion is, and what position I hold there!”
The Holy Demon Religion is a crazy cult, and you’re the high priest’s most expensive toy.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll be sure to tell her. So please calm down, Lady Melaine.”
Sue soothed her with empty words. It would be over soon anyway. Beings higher than Sue Byron were moving. It was an unstoppable force now.
Melaine was touched by Sue’s insincere flattery and burst into tears again. Her delicate eyelashes fluttered.
“My sister… She doesn’t understand. Why I went this far… What I’ve been doing in the Holy Demon Religion…”
“I think I understand.”
At that moment, Enzhe appeared and mocked Melaine curtly. Sue, who had been observing Melaine nonchalantly, tensed up at the unexpected arrival.
Enzhe was fine. Her characteristic black eyes weren’t spinning, and her voice was normal. She was calm and rational. Which was why it was a problem.
“You’re still delusional, clinging to your broken engagement with Brother Reeves. The Melaine Vava I know is nowhere near worthy of marrying Brother Reeves. You were dumped, humiliated beyond repair, and now you’re seeking refuge in some nameless, backwater subordinate religion. Am I wrong?”
Her quiet voice was just loud enough for Sue and Melaine to hear. Sue turned to her side, her eyes wide with surprise. Melaine’s face was flushed, hearing the truth for the first time.
Sue slowly stood up, feeling like she had to intervene. But it was already too late. Melaine, who had been clenching her jaw, suppressing her anger, finally spoke,
“I have a good idea. Why don’t you join the Holy Demon Religion too, Lady Enzhe?”
It was an absurd suggestion. Melaine was desperate to get back at Enzhe Lopetrefer for belittling her. Melaine’s lips twisted into a grimace. She continued,
“We measure something called soul level in our Holy Demon Religion. Soul level, in other words, soul purity. The high priest can see at a glance how righteous you’ve lived your life, how honest you’ve been to yourself. So, the high priest will see your soul level too.”
“….”
“And if you join, my sister will definitely acknowledge you. And the high priest will be even more delighted… Oh? This is perfect! I think it would be good for you to join the Holy Demon Religion too, Lady Enzhe!”
“Melaine Vava.”
Enzhe cut her off sharply. She was still very calm.
“I thought I told you I would kill you if you mentioned that Holy Demon Religion one more time.”
Sue and Melaine knew she wasn’t bluffing. This was the first time Enzhe had been so forceful with Melaine.
“No!”
So Melaine, unable to hold back any longer, shouted, her voice filled with desperation,
“I don’t want to die! Don’t you understand? We all have to join the Holy Demon Religion! We have to join and confess our sins to the high priest, cleanse our hearts, and start over! Everything!”
Tears streamed down her face. Melaine pointed at Enzhe and backed away, her forced smile grotesquely pathetic.
“…Haha, I’m sure your soul level… It’s so rotten that it can’t even be measured. Because you’ve been abandoned by God.”
Sue finally realized that Melaine had completely lost it. No, she already knew Melaine was crazy, but she didn’t know she was *this* crazy.
It was lunchtime, in the academy cafeteria.
Everyone heard Melaine Vava’s scream. They all heard her insults, they all remembered them.
There were Melaine’s followers, the lovely Azette and her friend Vercia, and even Halo, who was watching them with a troubled expression. Ains, who was standing next to her, clicked his tongue.
The moment a single tear rolled down Enzhe’s cheek, the ending was set.
“Meli… How… How could you say such a horrible thing…”
Enzhe, using a nickname she had never used before, began to milk the situation. Was she really crying, her shoulders shaking as she lay on the floor?
“L-Lady Enzhe, are you okay?”
Sue, being on Enzhe’s side, immediately rushed over and embraced her.
Enzhe, lying on the floor, crying, Sue comforting her, dozens of eyes on them, and herself, the one who had insulted Enzhe.
Melaine finally realized that something was wrong as she took it all in.
“…! Ah…”
A single scene flashed through her mind.
The basement.
Countless people, Sue Byron, who she had always pitied, rolling on the basement floor, coughing up blood.
“N-no…”
Melaine, pulling at her hair frantically, ran away. As the sound of her footsteps faded away, the people in the cafeteria started to look away.
Sue helped Enzhe, who was still lying on the floor, to her feet.
‘This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t…’
Sue’s mind went blank.
Enzhe wiped away her fake tears in Sue’s arms, then chuckled softly, a chilling sound that only Sue could hear, and whispered,
“I have to kill her.”
Kill who?
Sue Byron, of course.
Sue ended up losing sleep that night, suffering from the pain of the mark. Nine was the only one left to take care of her.
Sue had failed to find out the “timing” from Acrea, she had only discovered that Melaine was even crazier than she had thought, and she had only helped Enzhe vent her stress. That was how she ended the semester.