Fated to Be Loved by Villains
chapter-40

༺ Spirit (2) ༻

<System Message>

[ Upon the awakening of the spiritual body in Soul Linker, functions are unlocked. ]

[ Confirming fusion of the Hero Fragment. ]

[ The level of the unlocked skill is enhanced. ]

[ Skill: Image World has been unlocked. ]

As the spirit revealed its form, a white veil unfolded around me.

It was as if the entire background was being swept away with pure white.

It was similar to the erosion phenomenon that occurred when I summoned the Gray Devil, exerting its influence in the surrounding area.

While it wasn’t as powerful as erosion, which literally stopped time itself, this was by no means weak.

<Item Info>

[ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ]

[ Enchantment: Epic ] [ Hero Fragment Fusion ]

◎ Built-in Skills ◎

■ [ Image World ] [ Skill Grade: A ]

[ Summon a spirit to create a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within the domain, certain abilities possessed by the spirit can be used. As the spirit level increases, the wider the range of the domain and the more abilities to use. ]

Current Available Abilities:

[ Attribute: Solidarity ]

[ To a knight, comrades are family. You can partially share the buffs you have with nearby allies. ]

“…”

Sharing buffs… was possible?

Did that even make sense?

Of course, there was a caveat especially with the term partially, implying that the full extent of the buffs may not be transferred. However, there were no restrictions on the number of individuals or the grade of the buff that could be shared.

And it was limited within the range of the domain.

‘About a few meters.’

At the very least, it was at a range where it could be effectively utilized in close combat.

Though there was the fact that the recipient of this skill was a trash with an All-F stat who heavily relied on ridiculous buff skills to resolve situations.

‘…It was a good decision to get it quickly.’

Yes, really.

It wasn’t an epic item for nothing. To think that I got such a crazy skill this early.

As I was thinking so, the spirit fully materialized in front of me.

A visor covering the face and a full-body plate armor. But what stood out the most was the lion’s head emblem engraved on the breastplate.

It was the standard equipment of the Imperial Guards.

They were considered the strongest unified force in the continent.

The difference between an ordinary person and a regular knight was often compared to that between a newborn baby and an adult.

And the gap between regular knights and the Imperial Guards was also of a similar magnitude.

And among the Imperial Guards, there were those who wore the Lion Breastplate.

They were behemoths who stood at the pinnacle even among such monsters.

Guardians.

A group comprised of only the strongest knights of the era.

They were a group that was a close match to Gideon, who was currently hailed as the strongest in the Empire.

Hence why they were treated in such high regard.

They were the ones who got deployed during the Crimson Night, the incident that swept away Iliya’s family, and ultimately decapitated the main instigator.

“…”

It was such an unbelievable achievement that it was surreal.

As seen in the boss battle against the Purifier, devil energy itself summoned creatures from the astral realm to the material realm. That effect was even more pronounced when several fragments gathered simultaneously.

And yet, against someone who could summon thousands of demons with a single gesture, a few dozen people, who were urgently deployed, successfully dealt with the situation.

So, any one of them deserved to be called a hero.

However…

I think I know who this is.

“…Nice to meet you, Guardian.”

Upon hearing my words, the knight’s gaze slowly turned towards me.

[Who are you? Where is this?]

The spirit’s voice echoed inside the Image World.

As expected, it was the voice of a young man. He had a similar atmosphere to a person I know.

For a human to become a spirit, they cannot simply be great.

There had to be a lingering attachment.

It was like having an unfulfilled goal that they couldn’t achieve before death, preventing them from closing their eyes even in death. Something along those lines.

And among the deceased Guardians, there was only one person who would carry such sentiments.

“I have heard many things about you.”

[…What?]

It was true.

Not just in-game knowledge, but also from someone else.

“Nice to meet you, Caliban.”

The spirit’s movement came to an abrupt halt.

Caliban Krisanax.

Granted with the title the Knight of Dawn. The strongest and last Guardian. Even on a low estimate, he possessed combat power on par with a top expert like Gideon.

A key figure in Chapter 4.

And.

“Not long ago, your sister said that we look alike.”

He was the older brother of the Hero candidate, Iliya.

<System Message>

[ Checking the current condition of target Iliya. ]

[ Current favorability level below Trust. Confirmation of contact with target Caliban. ]

[ When favorability reaches Trust, an Exclusive Quest will be unlocked. ]

<System Message>

[ Heretic Inquisition is starting to take an interest in you! ]

I read through all the messages that popped up.

Caliban Krisanax played a significant role in Iliya’s growth in the main story.

He remained the object of Iliya’s admiration, and the fact that Caliban was her last surviving family member had also driven her to desperately seek his whereabouts.

‘…But you can see for yourself whether he is alive or not.’

If he was alive, he wouldn’t have become a spirit.

In the story’s progression, Iliya went through a tremendous emotional shock when she eventually learned of her older brother’s death. However, she ultimately overcame this and bloomed into a true hero.

The information the player was given about Caliban was quite fragmentary. Unlike Gideon, who was still alive at the beginning of the scenario, Caliban passed away long ago.

So, there were some pieces of information that even I didn’t know.

[Iya, the memories are flooding back. Even after all this time, nothing has changed, huh?]

“…”

[Ah, when did I start school again…?]

This guy was more of a chatterbox than one might initially think.

“…You’ve been resurrected as a spirit. Aren’t you shocked by the current situation?”

As I whispered that to the amulet, a voice chuckled in my head.

[With my memories, I am well aware of the situation I am in. But what’s the use of denying reality? Rather than that, isn’t it better to quickly adapt?]

That’s right. And as you can see, he was very good at adapting.

He even accepted my request for cooperation without much fuss, saying that he was in no position to refuse given the circumstances.

As long as it wasn’t blatantly wrong, he promised to cooperate with anything. All of which was arranged in less than an hour prior to his awakening.

[Well, I don’t have a choice anyway. Won’t I have to do everything you tell me from now on?]

He even left such a comment.

It felt like a slave signing a contract with the tone of “I’d prefer meat for dinner.”

“…”

I guess this just comes packaged with good adaptability.

As expected of the strongest man among the Guardians. His mentality was nowhere near ordinary.

[Well, I have conditions, though.]

The voice within the amulet momentarily softened.

He seemed to be suppressing an emotional reaction.

But he soon went back to a cheerful tone as ever.

[You can’t talk about me to Iliya unless I say so. Promise me that, alright?]

“…Yes, I promise.”

I knew why.

The fact that Iliya knew about his life or death was itself… danger.

In the game, when Caliban’s soul awakened, events were triggered for both Iliya and the Heretic Inquisition, which was known as the most ruthless organization in the Empire.

There was a reason why it occurred.

‘…Not unless he says so.’

Recalling what happened, I stroked my chin.

I think I have a rough idea of when that time would be.

The content related to this person and Iliya was the main quest of Chapter 4. The search for the Holy Sword’s owner.

After that, Iliya’s fighting power would skyrocket to a level where she could face the demons in earnest.

‘…But I have to deal with the Heretic Inquisition.’

Just thinking about the recent system message makes me feel that way.

I really don’t want to get involved with those people. But perhaps it was better to think that we would be seeing each other face-to-face sooner or later.

As I sighed inwardly and contemplated this, Dame Ophelia, the dorm supervisor, clapped her hands and drew the attention of the freshmen in the auditorium.

“So, you all know why we’re here, right? It’ll be the midterms soon~”

Dame Ophelia’s melodramatic voice prompted cries and sighs from various places in the room.

But then again, who in the world liked exams?

This was especially true considering the strictness of Elfante’s regular exams.

“Although there’s still many of you who have yet to choose a major, everyone takes the midterm exam fairly.”

The regular exams for freshmen who didn’t have majors were always conducted in a similar format.

The Great Plains Survival.

Students are placed on a massive stage and engaged in team battles.

After all, the main enemies officially defined by the Empire were monsters, demons, and devil worshippers. Since Elfante itself was an institution established with the purpose of countering such threats, combat ability was naturally an important factor.

The Knights School’s popularity wasn’t for no reason.

“A survival team will consist of a maximum of four members. Choose your teammates wisely, as you’ll be together for two days~”

In fact, the reason why everyone was gathered in this auditorium was to form teams.

Of course, you could go alone. The difficulty would increase, but so would the bonus points.

However, I don’t intend to proceed that way.

This midterm exam was an extremely important event.

It wasn’t just because it was a test, but also because of the events that happened in between.

‘Saintess Lucia, the Boy King, and the Pope.’

These three individuals were involved in the events simultaneously.

It simply couldn’t be considered unimportant.

Therefore, I had to form a team best suited for the situation at hand.

‘For the team formation…’

First of all, Eleanor was out of the picture.

No matter how you look at it, it wasn’t acceptable for the Student Council President to interfere in the freshmen’s exams.

She had a separate role to fulfill.

So, the first person I needed to recruit was…

“Excuse me.”

As I approached Iliya, who was chatting lively with her friends, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Everyone was gathered here.

Luca. Falco. Grid. Trisha. The hero party members.

“…”

Originally, I would have let Iliya continue with these guys, but I needed her this time.

“…I’m sorry, but would it be okay if I take her with me for the midterm exam?”

Hearing this, everyone’s face went blank.

They exchanged glances with each other, clearly taken aback by the request.

‘…Was I too sudden?’

From their perspective, it probably seemed like a sudden move for a guy to come out of nowhere and try to take one of them.

It was only natural to be stunned.

“Good for you, Iliya!”

“I knew it would turn out like this! You always talk about it!”

“Ah yes! Take her with you! Please, feel free!”

Luca, Grid, and Falco all said so excitedly as they patted Iliya’s back.

It felt like they were genuinely celebrating some good news that happened to their friend.

“…”

What’s up with this atmosphere?

“…Um, is this something worth celebrating?”

When I cautiously asked that, Mage Falco swept his nose and replied.

“No, Iliya has been singing songs about wanting to take the midterm exam with you. She probably felt threatened seeing you constantly around the Student Council President. This time, she said she wanted to do something toge—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Iliya’s short hook hit him in the face.

Seeing him collapse like a puppet with no strings, he probably fainted in that one hit.

“Ah, um, the teacher recommended it, so it’s a big deal! Yes!”

“…”

And Iliya, who had punched him, said with a slightly embarrassed tone.

Her face was a little flushed, and her breathing was fast.

“…Are you okay?”

Wasn’t she overdoing it a bit?

She didn’t seem to be in a normal state.

With that doubt in mind, I asked her, but she rolled her eyes while scratching the back of her head.

“Yes, I’m okay! Of course! Ha, haha!”

“…No, seriously, she received an invitation from the guy she cares a lot about, so of course she couldn’t be more—”

As Marksman Grid was saying this, he too received Iliya’s fist. Watching from the side, Warrior Luca admired the clean execution of the move.

Grid also fainted instantly, falling straight to the ground.

“Really, I’m fine! I’m okay!”

“…”

“Okay, let’s get out of here for now before we hear any more nonsense!”

Good, she seems okay.

Leaving this place was a good suggestion as well.

[…What is your relationship with my sister?]

Caliban’s bewildered voice sounded from the amulet, but I ignored it and instead turned to Iliya.

“Un, that’s good. But we have one more stop.”

“Yes? Where to?”

“We’re forming a team. We need one more person.”

To be precise, we needed someone related to Saintess Lucia.

“…”

Honestly, having them involved in this event was the worst case.

But there was no choice.

“Iliya.”

“Yes?”

“Have you heard of the equipment room?”

That was why.

It was time for the monumental debut of the one and only Swordmaster.

“…So, this regular delegation consists of Saintess Lucia Greyhounder and her escort knight. Thank you for graciously permitting this, Headmistress.”

“You’re too kind, Your Holiness.”

At first glance, this was just a friendly conversation.

In fact, Atalante had a polite expression on her face as she faced the man behind the long-distance communication magic orb.

However, inside, she was fervently grinding the other person to the ground.

She was having thoughts that would get an educated intellectual kicked out.

‘As if you didn’t just threaten to stab Elfante if I didn’t give permission.’

What a disgusting human.

Atalante’s evaluation of the Pope could be summed up in one sentence.

Saint Credo Paul II. The current Pope.

A sly individual who would casually stab people in the back with a smile on his face.

He was a repulsive snake that treated people lesser than worms under the guise of being the leader of the greatest and largest religious group on the continent.

Furthermore, his divine power surpassed the current era’s strongest, reaching a level that contended with the mightiest in history.

‘What is he thinking about when he sent the Saintess here?’

Most of the talents gathering in Elfante were individuals with his influence, especially those suspected of being the devil’s vessel candidates.

Saintess Lucia was one of them, but even Atalante couldn’t fathom the true intention behind this move.

The Saintess. A religious symbol of the Empire and Holy Land.

Handing over such an individual to the Empire without any hesitation was a striking and strange decision.

He was demanding to make it happen as soon as possible and even threatened just to ensure the Saintess gets into the Academy.

He definitely had something planned behind his back.

“Showing gratitude with empty hands is meaningless, so I wish to offer a small favor to the Headmistress.”

His next words naturally followed that context.

“Elfante is currently in the middle of its midterms, isn’t it?”

Atalante’s expression twisted slightly.

‘…The midterms?’

What reason could a figure as significant as the Pope have to concern himself with the students’ affairs?

Especially with something as insignificant as midterm exams.

The difference in scale was so vast that it was impossible to guess what his intentions were.

“…That’s right. However, it is entirely an internal event within the Academy, Your Holiness. You don’t need to concern yourself with such insignificant matters—”

“No.”

The Pope cut her off with a clear voice.

“Give Lucia a task, Headmistress.”

But unlike his voice…

“She will undoubtedly be of help.”

His gaze was venomous.