— In this world, there exist beings who have crossed over from another dinsion.
I took a small breath.
‘…That’s creepy.’
It was a statent I hadn’t expected, not even for a mont.
Of course, his expression had shown he was about to say sothing serious.
Even with the authority and kindness of an archbishop, there was a gravity in his deanor.
But to open his mouth and say, “There are people who have crossed over from another dinsion”?
‘…He’s definitely testing .’
It’s a dangerous statent to make without any hint of context.
If soone who knows nothing heard such words, they might think, “Has the archbishop gone senile?”
So, to so extent, the archbishop must be suspicious of .
And the fact that he didn’t beat around the bush, but directly threw that statent at …
‘It’s a test.’
He’s testing .
I have no idea why the archbishop is testing , or exactly what he ans by “people who crossed dinsions”.
But one thing is certain: if I fall out of his favor, a quick death on the execution platform, or worse, burning at the stake as a witch, would be a happy ending.
Therefore, my stance is clear.
“Are there such beings?”
I simply asked back as if I didn’t understand. Usually, this is the most natural response, right?
I added a suspicious look as I asked, as if to say, ‘Are you sure you’re alright?’
“Heh. Indeed,” the archbishop just laughed it off pleasantly, continuing to observe in silence, as if gauging my reaction.
What a sly old man.
But I won’t let him drag into his ga.
“Beings that crossed dinsions? What do you an by that?”
I acted as if I didn’t understand.
Well, it’s not really acting, is it? I don’t know what he ans by “people who crossed dinsions” either.
It could be soone possessed, or perhaps actual aliens from another dinsion.
In this situation, playing dumb is the best option.
“Hmmm. Yes, I should explain from the beginning.”
The archbishop stroked his beard thoughtfully.
He soon began to speak again.
“Officially, they’re called ‘Dinsional Wanderers’. They take control of human minds and manipulate them. Usually, if soone’s personality suddenly changes one day, it’s a sign of their presence.”
“Such beings exist?”
“Yes. They’re usually full of greed. They try to take control of sothing and cause chaos. That’s why we call them Wanderers.”
“Wanderers?”
“It ans beings whose souls have no resting place, wandering in greed for this world, seizing bodies and corrupting it.”
Finishing his explanation, the archbishop scanned with a aningful gaze.
What a sly character.
He tosses a plausible answer and watches for a reaction.
Then, he asks more questions and observes again.
He’s slowly feeding information while testing my responses.
From his behavior, I was now sure of one thing.
I was definitely under suspicion.
But why?
Did I do sothing suspicious?
Admittedly, I’ve been making so big moves lately.
Most notably, I was personally rewarded by the Emperor.
‘I’m not sure how or why he took an interest in , but…’
He must have noticed sothing and decided to probe .
‘…Hah.’
I never thought I’d be suspected of being a possessor.
It’s unsettling, like having a fundantal flaw pointed out.
‘Then again, when you think about it…’
In the world of Fantasy X Academy, there’s no such thing as “Dinsional Wanderers”.
Have there ever been such drastic differences in the setting after possession?
Of course, there have been tis when the plot or setting diverged slightly, but this is the first ti things have gone so off course.
It’s quite unsettling.
— Click
I need to stay calm.
I sipped the tea on the table slowly, trying to regain my composure, making sure to look like I was genuinely trying to understand the conversation.
But the situation isn’t all that bad.
‘The suspicion isn’t that strong yet.’
If the archbishop’s suspicion was closer to certainty, he wouldn’t be trying to have this conversation. He’d just hold a witch trial and burn at the stake.
Since I’m just an ordinary academy student with no real backing, the archbishop could deal with however he pleases.
‘Wait a minute.’
Can I really say I have no backing now?
After my recent visit to the palace, I’ve likely been unofficially marked as soone associated with the third princess, Asteria.
Not to ntion my close ties with Silvia Laurent’s rchant guild and Yerina Pierce, who now holds the title of Grand Duchess of the North.
Hmm.
I actually do have so support, don’t I?
That might be why this old man is probing so cautiously.
His suspicion could be stronger than I initially thought.
I need to navigate this situation carefully.
“Hm. I see. Beings from another dinsion, huh? I get the gist, but it’s still a bit hard to fully grasp.”
“Hehehe. That’s understandable. But aren’t you curious?”
“…About what, exactly?”
“Whether there’s a way to identify those Wanderers.”
The archbishop smiled, his wrinkles deepening.
…This is inevitable.
Whatever that blasted thod is, the archbishop is clearly planning to use it on .
I need to dig out as much information as I can.
“What is that thod?”
“The church, or rather, the Vatican, has a sacred relic.”
“…A sacred relic?”
“Yes. When soone’s face is reflected in it, it reveals whether they are a Wanderer or not.” “I see.”
Well, isn’t that convenient?
Things are really taking a frustrating turn.
And if I recall, isn’t the next episode supposed to take place at the Vatican?
This is one of those monts where maintaining a neutral expression is incredibly difficult.
“Well… It’s just sothing to keep in mind, haha! Given your recent achievents, I thought you might be interested in these sorts of topics.”
“It’s definitely a fascinating subject.”
“Isn’t it?”
The archbishop nodded contentedly, stroking his beard.
Swish. Swish.
There was a brief silence before the old man spoke again.
“Inquisitors are coming to Lichten.”
“I’ve heard.”
The old man gazed at steadily. His eyes looked ordinary, but the weight behind them was anything but.
“The First Princess has an interest in forming an alliance with Princess Asteria.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. This is an offer.”
He didn’t spell out the terms of the offer, but I understood its implications.
“Think about it and let know.”
◆
“Haaah…”
After leaving the church, I returned to my dorm as if fleeing.
Though I tried to walk confidently, the truth is that I felt uneasy deep down.
‘Who would’ve thought they’d suspect my true identity?’
It was a question that ca out of nowhere, catching off guard.
Even soone as experienced as I am couldn’t help but feel a chill down their spine.
‘At least it doesn’t seem like the suspicion has gotten worse.’
— Click
As I opened the door to the dorm, I replayed the conversation with the archbishop in my mind.
‘I didn’t handle it badly.’
Playing dumb with all my might—that was the best response I could give under the circumstances.
It didn’t seem like the suspicion had deepened overall.
In fact, by the end, the archbishop seed more like he was questioning himself, as if thinking, “Did I misjudge?”
Of course, I can’t say the suspicion is completely gone.
The archbishop’s final offer was certainly filled with aning.
‘… This is dizzying.’
So much unexpected information ca at suddenly and in overwhelming amounts.
Most of all, the existence of the “Wanderers”.
I suspect this ans there were others who had also experienced possession before .
If that’s the case, do they know about my existence as well?
And what impact will the revelation of “possession” have on the future of the scenario, considering it wasn’t a part of the original ga?
“Ugh.”
The situation was so complex it made my head throb.
However, this isn’t sothing that thinking more about right now will resolve.
I need to gather more information. I’ll leave judgnt for later.
After a shower, I ca to a conclusion and headed for bed. Sotis, a refresh is exactly what’s needed.
Today, I’ll stop thinking and just rest.
… Or at least, that was the plan.
“?”
I stopped in my tracks, puzzled as I stood in front of the bed.
The bed looked oddly lumpy.
What is this?
A ghost?
Did a wild animal sohow get in here?
I cautiously pulled back the blanket.
— Shhhh… Snore.
— Mmmnya…
Lina and Danya were curled up under the covers.
Well, at least it’s not a wild animal… right?
Why are they sleeping here?
Now that I think about it, the air in the dorm feels a bit cold.
They probably crawled under the blanket to escape the chill and ended up falling asleep.
“By the way, are they even allowed to be out this late?”
Ah.
Now that I rember, once you reach Aether Class, the curfew no longer applies.
It’s one of the perks of being in Aether Class: you get treated almost like a graduate in terms of school regulations.
“… Well, I’m sure Elena handled it sohow.”
She did extend the curfew last ti too.
There’s no harm in it, right?
Today’s been full of too much to process.
My mind is overflowing with new information, and I’d rather stop thinking for now.
I noticed there was just enough space between Lina and Danya for to lie down.
Good thing I bought a slightly larger bed than usual.
‘… Co to think of it, if Asteria’s returned, hasn’t Master also arrived?’
With that last thought, I drifted off into a deep sleep.
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