I Picked Up the Protagonist’s Heroine Chapter 5

Chapter 5: With Intentions This Impure, There's No Need for Dark Magic

[Ending (1): Locked]

[It—it's not like I like you or anything?]

『He was suddenly confessed to by the academy's goddess.

It happened before even a single sester had passed since enrollnt.

Raword still had many people to et and many things to learn—but he decided not to worry about it.

He'd been confessed to by an absolutely stunning girl, so wasn't that enough?

Hadn't he fulfilled the purpose of a man's life?

There was no need to lant in advance over connections that hadn't yet co.

Raword decided to spend his life together with Esther.

But the world perished.』

Endings remaining until Stage 1 Bonus Unlock: 4

I still don't understand what's happening—but 1 ending has been locked.

Esther's route.

1 of 5.

Reading through the ending script, it looked like the ending that appears when Raword accepts Esther's confession.

The ending a player could see the fastest.

And at the sa ti, an ending now locked away.

"...I did it."

I clenched my fist and breathed out a long breath.

As expected—the judgnt to interfere with the romance route was correct.

I had blocked 1 ending for the first ti.

Even if it was a small change, it was the first step against a great fate.

If I keep going like this, the protagonist and the heroines will not end up together.

If they lose interest in romance and grow stronger, the apocalypse—where every person, animal, and monster without exception turns undead—can be prevented.

A zombie apocalypse in a fantasy world—what a bizarre end this is.

"Huu."

I slowly composed the urge to go buy liquor and toast right away.

Just 1 out of 31.

It's still too early for that.

On top of that, the ssage that had appeared after the ending script was bothering .

Stage 1 Bonus Unlock.

4 endings remaining.

This was the first I'd heard of hidden bonuses in the ga.

Perhaps because I had only ever cleared the 1 hidden ending.

What the bonus reward was, what "Stage 1" even ant.

It was still full of questions.

Well—if I keep blocking more endings going forward, I'll naturally find out.

Sweuuk—

I changed my clothes and stepped out into the lodging's sitting room. A letter from ho had been left there.

I recognized it at a glance by the seal—2 crossed spears.

To summarize its contents:

Our family is participating in this sumr's monster subjugation campaign, so co ho.

—That was it.

Since returning, I had been continuously searching for the protagonist and had been away from ho a long ti.

It was a markedly different course of action from my previous life, when I had been holed up inside the house.

The place where the protagonist and heroines were active was the territory of a certain marquis's family—quite far from the Hasgard Earldom.

Naturally, in my previous life I had never co anywhere near here.

It was understandable that my father was worried.

Even if his youngest son raising talented people was a good thing, he'd probably be anxious about whether I'd go off sowhere far and cause trouble.

I couldn't tell my father the specifics—but I should at least let him know not to worry.

Both the apocalypse and the family's annihilation—I'm preparing against all of it.

Sagak—

I began writing a reply.

To summarize what I sent back: I'll return soon, so please rest easy.

In particular, I made sure to let him know I would definitely return before the subjugation campaign—the decisive event that would be the beginning of the Hasgard family's downfall.

With that, I set down the pen from the letter paper.

There were still things to do before returning ho.

Esther seed to still like Raword despite being rejected 10 tis—and above all, she still hadn't learned healing magic.

Before going ho, I needed to make Esther of so use.

Because a healer was needed for the subjugation campaign my father had ntioned.

"Healing magic...."

I let out a breath and leaned back in my chair.

Unfortunately, the academy's Magic Division did not handle sacred magic.

No—

Could not handle it.

Sacred magic.

Healing magic especially was the symbol and authority of the Order.

Only clergy who had passed the Order's examination were granted the right to learn healing magic.

It would be wonderful if I knew healing magic myself—but the only magic I had learned was 'Reinforcent,' a buff-type magic.

All-in on 1 spell.

I had not learned healing magic.

To teach Esther, the only way was to sohow obtain that spell to and deliver it to her.

There were 3 ways to obtain the Order's spell tos.

Take the Order's examination through the proper process, obtain one on the black market, or approach a corrupt clergyman.

"Mm."

Let's go with the first.

I knew what that examination was like—and for the I am now, it's not difficult in the slightest.

***

005

I stopped by a nearby monastery and said I wanted to take the examination.

"It is truly a joy that you would walk the path of glory alongside us, Brother."

The priest who greeted said plainly.

He was a priest with a stern impression—perhaps because of his square jaw.

"However, there is a qualification that must first be t to beco a mber of the clergy. That is a pure body. If I may be so bold—might I confirm whether you possess this qualification, Brother?"

He said sothing unpleasant in a polite tone.

After all, the aning of "a pure body" was asking whether one had any experience.

The wording alone was reserved, but it couldn't have been more blunt than that.

Had he noticed from my attire that I was a noble?

And assud that a noble would surely not have a pure body.

As a modern person, it was a truly distasteful question—but having co all this way on my own feet, I had no choice but to go along with it.

"Please go ahead."

When I said so, the priest nodded and stepped 1 pace forward.

"Then—excuse ."

Uung—

The priest's right hand radiated a pure white light.

Soon after, the light-enveloped hand was carefully placed on my shoulder.

"......."

The priest closed his eyes and concentrated.

The magic that confirms purity.

I had experienced it a few tis in my previous life as well—but it was a spell that gave chills every ti I saw it.

There were 2 situations in which this magic was used.

One was on soone seeking to beco clergy, and the other was on a betrothed partner.

They say the latter has all but disappeared now—but shouldn't a dreadful magic like this be prohibited?

Whoever developed it, with intentions this impure there's no need for dark magic.

It deserves a global ban.

Uuung—

Even as my thoughts expanded, the priest's magic continued.

A mont later.

"Oh—you have the qualification, Brother! You possess a pure body!"

Well, of course.

I know my own experience better than anyone.

But still.

Why does this feel so unpleasant?

"You are ready to beco a mber of the clergy."

And so—I beca a certified man of no experience, endorsed by the Order.

Still a deeply unpleasant certification....

"...Hm?"

Suddenly the priest's eyebrows curved and he wore a startled expression.

"How can this be...."

He openly displayed eyes that shook.

"If I may be so bold... might I ask your age?"

Suddenly my age?

I was 21 this year, wasn't I.

"That is... remarkable. Within your body there is a purity deeper than the years you have lived. Sothing like... 30 years of deep slumber...."

30 years.

There was sothing that clicked with that number.

Daywin Hasgard's age was 21—but factoring in the years I had lived in Korea and the 5 years spent in my previous life, I was 30.

Actual age: 30.

That insane magic had even determined my true age.

aning.

The priest was telling I had been pure for 30 years.

"You truly are faithful, Brother... I have never t anyone like you!"

The priest gripped my 2 hands tightly in an excited voice.

He didn't stop there—he even called the other clergy to gather.

"Everyone, look at this Brother! We must all take him as our example!"

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by the monastery's priests.

They each placed a hand on my shoulder, tried the magic, and without exception—marveled.

"Aah... to be this pure...!"

"To maintain such clean purity at an age when every manner of passion runs rampant... the goddess has sent this Brother to us...."

"Everyone! Let us pray for this Brother!"

Having my 30-year-old purity exposed was already unpleasant enough—and then they were lifting up as though it were so kind of achievent.

You demonic bastards....

It was unavoidable—losing one's purity ant losing a holy knight's power as well....

"That's enough preparation."

I irritably shook the hands off my shoulders.

"I will now take the examination."

"Ah, yes! Certainly! If anything, I'd prefer you do it right here."

The priest who had first greeted clapped his hands in welco.

"Here—please take this."

A mont later, he produced a cleanly preserved holy scripture.

"After morizing the scripture over the next 2 years, you will be granted eligibility for the examination. I will be cheering you on, Brother."

"I don't have that kind of ti."

"Tradition cannot be defied. Or do you intend not to morize the scripture, Brother? That will not do. The goddess has said: 'In the hands of one who does not sweat, grace....'"

"'...shall not abide. The wind without deed scatters the seed, and only one who has acted shall reap.'"

When I completed the scripture passage, the priest's 2 eyes flashed open wide.

"That is Chapter of Abstinence, Verse 17, is it not."

"How...."

How do I know?

I may not know other passages—but the Chapter of Abstinence I had morized with certainty.

One morning after I had joined the Holy Knights Order.

I had experienced the sort of... physiological phenonon that a healthy man experiences upon waking, accompanied by a particular part of his body.

However, I had the misfortune of being caught by the Bishop in that state—and was confined to the punishnt room until I had morized the entire Chapter of Abstinence.

Even now, recalling the Chapter of Abstinence passages made the humiliation of that ti well right back up.

"Ahem—it does seem you... have the scripture morized. V-very well. Even so, now is not possible. morizing the scripture is not all that takes place over those 2 years. During that period, one is to learn divine energy."

The priest put force into his voice with a resolute expression.

"Even if you say you have already morized the scripture—manifesting divine energy is an entirely separate matter."

When he finished speaking, the other priests nodded in agreent.

"Allow to explain the examination subject. Once you hear it, you will understand that it is not yet feasible."

He rolled up his sleeve, then indicated the bracelet on his right wrist.

A silver bracelet.

A cross-shaped ornant hung from that bracelet—and when the priest extended his arm, the ornant swayed back and forth.

A perfect cross.

It was the cross ornant of the Goddess Faith—symtrical in all directions, like a plus sign ( ).

For a clergyman's accessory, it shone with remarkable brilliance.

On the front of the ornant, a relief carving could be seen—depicting a scene from the scripture as its motif.

The figure of the goddess stacking bricks upon a ruined foundation.

Seeing fine carvings etched into a small ornant barely 5 cm in size made it clear the piece had been born from an artisan's hands.

"The examination is to recreate this using divine energy. Down to the very smallest carving—all of it, without exception."

The priest removed the bracelet from his wrist and placed it on his palm.

"For a beginner, it is the equivalent of sculpting with flowing water. Co now, Brother—if you begin learning even now, it will be possible in 2 years. Ah, for soone as faithful as you, it may be possible even sooner."

The priest smiled gently, as if coaxing.

"Ha."

And I too smiled, looking back at him.

"...Hm?"

The priest made a rather flustered sound, as though he hadn't expected to smile.

An examination to convert magical energy into divine energy and reproduce fine ornantal details.

For a beginner it would be no easy test.

One would need to handle divine energy with complete freedom—so much so that 2 years would feel unreasonably short.

For Esther at this stage, who couldn't even control her magical energy, it was a far-off story.

But I had been Commander of the Order.

Even if I had been fast-tracked because the higher-ups died off one by one—I had been Commander.

"Please be seated. Let us begin the enrollnt formalities first. Once that is done, you will live at the monastery and train...."

Tak—

I seized his bracelet as if snatching it.

"...Brother?"

I then stared fixedly at the cross-shaped ornant hanging from the bracelet, for a brief mont.

Focused concentration.

In my mind I drew out the ornant's details and re-engraved them with magical energy.

Kugugu—

Done.

From the direction of the roof, where stained glass stretched wide—an ominous sound rang out, like storm clouds rolling in.

"Hm?"

The mont the priests also noticed the boom and looked up at the ceiling—

Kwajijik!

A massive cross pillar pierced through the roof and ca to rest inside.

The radiant pillar stood tilted in the center of the monastery.

It didn't rely boast an enormous form—it had faithfully replicated every carving engraved on the priest's ornant.

No.

Rather, it had been carved even more beautifully.

"Wh—wha...."

The priest's mouth went sluggish, as though he had just woken from sleep.

"B-Brother, what is, what is this...."