[Trantor - Peptobismol]


    [Proofreader - Demon God]


    <strong>Chapter 141 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (7)</strong>


    The next day.


    Headmaster Kirrin, looking utterly distraught, came rushing to find me early in the morning.


    "Dian! Dian! Save me!"


    Clinging to the hem of my clothes, Kirrin begged desperately.


    "Please, save me!"


    "What’s the matter? Has Vice-Headmaster Ismera threatened to kill you and take your position?"


    I joked, but Kirrin''splexion only worsened.


    "She’sing!"


    "Who’sing?"


    "Th-The, the Ch-Chief…!"


    Kirrin stuttered as he fumbled with his words.


    "The Chief Administrator!"


    "Ah, I see."


    "Snap out of it!"


    When I responded absentmindedly, Kirrin shouted in frustration.


    "Not just any administrator, Dian! The Chief Administrator of the Church Headquarters!"


    "I know. If it’s someone important enough for you to be this flustered, it has to be the Church’s Chief Administrator."


    "Why aren’t you more shocked?"


    "I am shocked."


    But in truth, I wasn’t. I’d already expected this oue.


    The day after Priestess Maya’s departure, we received notice that the Church’s Chief Administrator would visit the Academy.


    This only confirmed my suspicion that Maya had been sent to monitor me.


    So that patient ledger she handed mest time—it was all a ploy.


    Of course, as a priest serving such a high-ranking official, it’s no surprise she’d be meticulous in recording things like that. She wouldn’t have kept such a crucial record carelessly.


    "Wh-What should we do...?"


    "We prepare to greet our guest properly."


    "But the Chief Administrator is equivalent to a minister! There’s so much to prepare!"


    Kirrin practically shrieked.


    "Is there an established protocol for greeting high-ranking visitors? Then just follow that. The administrative office handles these matters all the time. Why are you so worried? Besides, you have Vice-Headmaster Ismera."


    "Th-That’s true, but…"


    Kirrin trailed off, his ears drooping as he mumbled, realizing my point was valid.


    "It’s just that… she’s such an important and famous figure. And more than anything, the fact that she’s suddenlying here scares me…."


    "I have a theory. Priestess Maya probably reported all the Academy’s shorings in detail."


    "Wh-What?!"


    Kirrin''s eyes bulged in horror.


    "So now the righteous Chief Administrator ising in person to serve divine punishment on you on behalf of the gods…."


    I caught Kirrin as he staggered, nearly copsing.


    "Just kidding. I’m guessing she’sing to see me."


    "To see… you?"


    "Didn’t I mention before? I’m a former member of the Demon King ying Special Force. She’s probablying to visit an old acquaintance."


    There was no need to tell Kirrin the real reason for Lormane’s visit. That would genuinely make her faint.


    "Oh, right. Now that you mention it, I forgot about that because it seemed so far-fetched."


    Finally, Kirrin let out a sigh of relief.


    "Then can I leave the reception to you, Dian?"


    "Huh? If you’re ufortable handling it, I suppose I can take over. It doesn’t bother me."


    "Oh, thank goodness."


    Wiping the sweat beading on her forehead, Kirrin finally smiled.


    "Really, we’re lucky to have someone from the Demon King ying Special Force at our Academy."


    "What are you two doing over there?"


    At that moment, Ismera approached us from down the hall, her expression full of suspicion.


    "Good morning, Vice-Headmaster. You haven’t heard the news yet, have you?"


    "What news? And why are you and the Headmaster...?"


    "The Church’s Chief Administrator ising to visit our Academy."


    "Wh-What?!"


    Just as expected, Ismera was just as shocked as Kirrin had been and shouted in surprise.


    "The Chief Administrator ising here? Why?!"


    "She’sing to see Dian."


    Now fully reassured, Kirrin exined cheerfully.


    "As you know, Ismera, Dian and the Chief Administrator go way back."


    "Hmm, that’s true. But still, out of the blue like this…."


    "So there’s no need to worry. Dian will handle everything."


    "Headmaster! How can you be so rxed?"


    Ismera snapped in frustration.


    "Even if Professor Dian is close to her, the Chief Administrator isn’t someone who moves so lightly. We must start preparing to receive her right now! Don’t tell me you’re nning to leave everything to Professor Dian while you sit back?"


    "O-Of course not! No way!"


    Having her intentions seen through, Kirrin pped her ears and waved her hands in frantic denial.


    "Gather the administrative staff immediately, including the administrative director. We have a lot to prepare."


    "Y-Yes, yes, understood."


    Kirrin hurried off, with Ismera following closely behind.


    Honestly, if it weren’t for Ismera, I don’t know what would’ve happened to our Academy.


    Now that the reception was being taken care of, it was time to focus on my own issue.


    Priestess Maya had been scribbling something every time I visited the infirmary.


    Not just then—whenever I saw her around, she’d be jotting down notes in the patient ledger or spying on my house.


    What exactly did she write?


    Whenever I visited the infirmary, it was to bring others or visit sick students. I hadn’t done anything suspicious at home either.


    Except for one thing.


    Last night, I spent the night with Ismera, and since it was hot, we had left the window open.


    That window was right above where I suspect Maya had been lurking.


    So Maya must have recorded everything she overheard.


    But what’s the point of specting? I should just go find Maya and ask her directly.


    When I arrived at the infirmary, the door was locked.


    Peeking through the window, I saw the ce waspletely empty. It seemed Maya was still at the Church.


    She’s probably nning to return to the Academy with Lormane.


    Makes sense. Lormane wouldn’t send Maya back to the Academy alone.


    After all, knowing me, I’d confront Maya immediately after hearing about the Chief Administrator’s visit.


    Hmm, should I just wait for Lormane to arrive?


    But waiting around feels a bit passive.


    I might as well head over to Linus’s ce and see if there’s anything I need to know about what’s been going on these past ten years.


    I called for a carriage and headed to Linus’s house.


    # # # # #


    "So Lormane ising, huh."


    Linus slowly nodded.


    "That priestess at the infirmary was really Lormane’s spy, after all."


    "Looks like it. She must’ve been taking double notes in that patient ledger from the start. So, do you know anything about Lormane that I should be aware of?"


    "Well…"


    Linus nced at Celine, who just shrugged her shoulders.


    "Not really. Ever since she became Chief Administrator, she’s been too busy for us to meet much."


    "I see. So I should just treat her like I did back during the war?"


    "You met her earlier this year, didn’t you? How was it then?"


    "I don’t know. It felt normal. Didn’t sense anything particrly different."


    "Hmm…."


    A brief silence fell.


    Linus and Celine both had serious expressions, clearly trying to think of some advice to offer me.


    "To be honest…."


    Linus finally spoke up.


    "When ites to Lormane, the only solution is to face her head-on. The thing is, she’s the type who only responds when you confront her directly."


    "But that only works when you’re a third party."


    Celine interjected.


    "Dian, you’re involved in this personally. If you do that, she’ll see it as you turning the tables on her, and it’ll only make things worse."


    "That’s true. So then what should we do… Hmm…."


    After thinking for a while, Linus finally gave a sheepish smile.


    "Sorry, Dian. I’m not sure."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It’s fine. I figured as much. I can’t think of anything clear either."


    "What does she n to do at the Academy, anyway…?"


    Celine muttered.


    "One thing’s for sure—she’sing because she thinks your rtionships with women at the Academy areplicated. But I doubt she’ll cause any major disruptions while she’s here."


    "Maybe she just wants to see who these women are."


    "Could be… but if we consider that subus incident, it feels too optimistic to think this will go smoothly…."


    "Right. That did happen."


    As Celine trailed off, Linus’s expression also turned serious.


    Here’s what happened with the subus incident:


    After a battle, we captured a subus.


    She was a high-ranking officer, so we decided to transport her to the rear.


    During the journey, we made camp, and Lormane killed the subus during her night watch.


    I still remember that night vividly.


    "Dian, wake up. Dian."


    Lormane shook my shoulder to wake me.


    I assumed it was because I was next on night watch, so I opened my eyes—and was shocked.


    Lormane’s face was covered in blood, her priestess robes soaked.


    Had we been ambushed?


    I jumped up to find the subus lying on the ground, brutally mutted.


    Not far off, Kaiden stood trembling, pale as a ghost.


    "That wretch tried to seduce you, so I took care of it."


    Lormane proudly showed me the dagger she always carried for self-defense.


    But it was all a delusion. At the time, the subus had been bound at the wrists, gagged, and blindfolded—there was no way she could have seduced anyone.


    So she was helplessly killed by a dagger-wielding priestess.


    "You’re safe now, Dian. I made sure of it."


    Lormane stared at me with zed-over eyes.


    [Trantor - Peptobismol]


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