Chapter 47: The Emergence of a New Event

Chapter 47

The Emergence of a New Event

It might be a bit disappointing, but Xeno didn’t think Ellie would be that easy to manipulate anyway. After all, she’s an important person to the Setter family. His actions were just a gamble. Therefore, he needed to find a new plan. Perhaps he might have to switch his target to Nara instead of trying to deceive Ellie.

“So, Mister Xeno, are you dissatisfied with Nara?” While Xeno was devising his plan, Ellie asked him out of the blue. Xeno paused slightly before offering a smile.

"Mm...no. I don’t have personal feelings about it, just some doubts." Seeing his cautious demeanor, Ellie shook her head. His behavior only revealed more about his intentions, didn’t it?

"That’s right, and the situation has changed now. We all need to be more careful, you included," the young woman said the last part with a smile before leaving.

Xeno was slightly taken aback. He initially thought she would be an easy play. Who would have thought that it would be he who ended up being threatened? As he watched her departing figure, a smile of amusement immediately appeared on his lips.

Ellie no longer paid attention to Xeno. She knew that returning from the break had sparked a lot of curiosity among many people. She needed to be extra cautious.

Leaving the classroom, she intended to head to the cafeteria for her lunch. As she stepped out, she saw a woman standing with arms crossed, smiling in anticipation. Ellie didn’t greet her but simply walked past as if Nara didn’t exist at all, while the students around watched them intently.

"Ellie, are you going to have lunch?"

Nara’s voice was filled with an air of superiority. Now that she had undergone some training with the Church, her demeanor might not be as aristocratic as Vida’s, who was highborn, but it was evident she had changed.

Unlike the novel’s heroine, described as a bright and unpretentious girl—a persona that had captured the hearts of many men—it seemed Nara’s recent changes had completely stripped her of her role as the heroine of the story...

As long as she maintained such an elevated demeanor, how could a prince, who sought a true love whom he felt genuine comfort being with, look towards this priestess? Moreover, the social statuses of clergy and royalty were in conflict; it was improbable for a prince to love a priestess, as it would appear as though the royal family was endorsing the Church’s power.

Although publicly they might display love and respect, neither side truly wished to let the other ascend to a position beyond their control!

Back to Ellie, after attempting to ignore Nara, but seeing the other still holding her back, the young woman stopped out of courtesy and replied,

“Yes, Reverend Lady.” Nara, seeing Ellie’s respectful behavior, felt truly validated in her decision to join the Church. Despite the harsh training and losing some of her individuality, gaining such a prestigious status allowed her to see Ellie as beneath her, which delighted Nara immensely.

"Is that so? I also wanted to go to the cafeteria. Then, let us go together. For the sake of our past friendship, shall I show you mercy by treating you to a meal?"

Nara smiled, posing as if she were a saint, but everyone could see it was merely her way of taunting. These two were known to be at odds, so how could they suddenly be dining together? Even a fool could see that Nara was seeking revenge!

"I’d rather not trouble you, Reverend Lady. I understand that priests must meticulously consider their food, unable to simply enjoy their meals. Every meal of a priest comes from the gratitude of the community and those in distress, so how could I accept such kindness?"

"Besides, I cannot stomach food paid for by donations. Additionally, the Setter family has already provided me with a substantial monetary reward for my assistance, so there is no need for you to worry, Reverend Lady."

Ellie’s response was not one of submission; she refused to be oppressed alone. Was the other party trying to suggest she had so much money that she could afford to feed others? Did she want her to appear as foolish as a beggar?

While Ellie was not one to attract trouble, she was not about to let others walk all over her either. So...if someone wanted to bully her, they better be prepared for her to strike back!

Many students had to cover their mouths while laughing after hearing Ellie’s retort, finding this battle more entertaining than any past quarrels. It wasn’t just Nara who was looking to stir trouble; Ellie was equally capable of fighting back!

"Ellie truly understands the clergy and their teachings. God will surely bless you. Those who reach out to God receive gifts from Him," Nara said through gritted teeth, as Ellie’s demeanor seemed more like a reprimand! This embarrassment, Nara vowed, she would repay in full!

"Of course, Reverend Lady," Ellie replied with a smile, then walked away.

Behind her, Nara and many other students watched. News of their confrontation spread throughout the institution. Now they all knew that Nara’s return was not at all friendly.

Not just Ellie, but even Vida, Aria, and others who had previously looked down on Nara found themselves in a difficult situation due to her.

Aria was the most affected, directly reprimanded by Nara for not respecting a priestess like her. Under familial pressure, Aria had to apologize the next day, turning the situation into a humorous anecdote throughout the institution.

Ultimately, the faculty learned of this complication. The institution had never had a student who was a priest before; typically, the Church trained young priests from an early age or waited until they had sufficiently power and graduated from the institution before admitting them into the clergy. But Nara’s case was a first, causing confusion and discomfort among the students.

Although they called a meeting to find measures to accommodate, in the end, they couldn’t do anything. They had personally admitted student Nara and even announced a scholarship for her to study until graduation. If they revoked her rights now, wouldn’t the Church use this as an excuse to destroy the institution?

They might accuse the institution of opposing the existence of the Church, stirring up dissatisfaction in people, and then shut down this institution, only to establish a new one under the Church’s direct control. If that were allowed to happen, it would certainly cause more people to suffer.

Even Lucien couldn’t do anything about this. He knew for sure that the Church was intentionally causing problems for the institution. Where else would the Church accept a priest without any proven achievements? Moreover, instead of letting the priestess learned the ways of the clergy at the Church, they let her roam around the institution. Wasn’t it unnecessary to help the villagers anymore?

In the days that followed, people saw that Professor Lucien was more irritable than usual, while student Nara’s reputation also increased.

Ellie didn’t care about the heroine who had changed her status to a priestess. She was here to complete her studies, just learning to better harness her own magic powers.

She also needed to be more vigilant about the direction of the storyline because the safety of the village was no longer in the hands of the heroine of the story but hers since she had disrupted the entire plot. That might be her only concern about the changed storyline...

Fortunately, the Setter family had already promised to protect her village earlier, so Ellie could rest a bit easier. However, now she had even more to worry about.

"All students, the institution has received an urgent mission, and I believe many of you are already aware of the crisis involving the Red Plague," Professor Regan announced at the front of the classroom. Ellie was already interested in this issue, so she wasn’t surprised when the professor mentioned it.

According to the original storyline, in the first academic year, the “Red Plague” or “Unstoppable Bleeding Disease” also occurred. At that time, first-year students were drafted to assist priests and apothecaries in treating the injured, which the heroine of the story had to participate in.

While other students had to help investigate the source of the outbreak and ensure the safety of the camp.

This scene was a moment for the heroine to interact with the Hero No. 1, the knightly "Wint Femon," who was the leading hero. As the entire institution was mobilized outdoors, their chances of encountering each other were significantly high. During this period, the heroine assisted the priests and apothecaries all day, tirelessly caring for the sick until her body was so dirty.

One evening, after a tiring day, Nara went to a stream to cleanse herself, and Wint, who had secluded himself for training, saw her beautiful figure illuminated by the moonlight. This made him feel that he had erred and that he should take responsibility since his eyes had witnessed her entire body.

The embarrassed heroine rejected him, stating that marriage should be based on mutual affection, not a mistake like this. Wint grew even more convinced that Nara was the woman he was searching for. Following this, the two grew closer, with Wint’s honest nature consistently reinforcing his belief that Nara was meant to be his life partner!

So, it’s no surprise that after this event, Wint would always follow the heroine around and truly became Nara’s knight.

“All first-year students must participate to assist the priests and apothecaries. In this effort to help the patients, I ask everyone to leave your titles and ranks here and focus solely on caring for the patients. We are there to improve the situation, not worsen it...I hope everyone understands what I mean.”

Regan swept his gaze around, spending most of the time on a few important students he feared might cause problems for this operation.

"Professor, do all of us really have to go? Then, where will we eat and sleep?"

"Professor, I have a question too. How will we get there? Are we walking or is there a portal?"

"Professor, what happens if we catch the Red Plague too?""Professor, is it possible for us not to go?" As soon as the professor finished speaking, many students immediately raised their hands with their questions. Each question was crucial, and Regan could not simply ignore them.