Chapter 86 Trust Alden? Never

After a long day of classes finally wrapped up, Alden ventured out of the academy and headed straight into the bustling evening market. He walked alone. He had no friends to tag along with him, and more importantly, Alicia was acting strange lately. She was actively avoiding him for some unknown reason. It was an unusual shift since she had never acted like this before. Instead of pushing the issue, Alden decided to stay quiet and give her the space she needed to sort out whatever mess she was carrying in her mind.

As he strolled through the lively market, colorful shops lined the roads. He checked a few stalls, searching for something special, though he wasn’t even sure what that something was. So why was he wasting his precious time wandering around instead of focusing on his magical training back at the academy?

The answer was simple. A few days ago, he accidentally saw the birth date printed on Alicia’s identity card. Her birthday was coming up soon. As her actual boyfriend now, he wanted to give her a special gift. But having no experience in the romance department, he had no clue what to buy. He wanted something she would always remember and keep close to her heart.

After scouring the entire market, he failed to find anything unique that suited her taste. Sure, she would likely accept whatever he gave her with a smile, but he didn’t want her to keep it just out of mere formality. He wanted to make her feel truly special. Since finding the perfect gift was proving to be a massive headache, Alden decided to head back to the academy for the night.

On his way back, he spotted a familiar golden-haired girl standing frozen in front of a brightly lit bakery. Sarah was tapping her chin in deep thought, looking as if she were planning world domination rather than just choosing a sweet pastry. Alden immediately pulled his gaze away. He did not want to get close to any more SS-ranker’s children today.

But thanks to his usual luck, she noticed his brief glance. Her face lit up like she had just found the ultimate answer to a problem she had been stuck on for days.

“Ah! Hey Alden, come here!”

Alden kept walking, deliberately ignoring her cheerful call. But Sarah refused to back down. She ran over and blocked his path on the spot.

“What is it? I need to get back to the academy.”

“Haah… Haah… Okay, I didn’t think I would find you here, but since you are here, you have to help me pick a pastry for Edwin!”

Alden looked at her with blank eyes, instinctively taking a step back.

“Who am I to suggest what he likes? How in the world would I know his taste in sweets? You know him better than I do, right?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Well… I know that, but I have never actually seen him eat a pastry before.”

Alden frowned slightly and replied with a calm tone. “Then do not buy a pastry. Get him something else to eat.”

Sarah pouted and stepped closer. “No… I mean, I really want to share a sweet pastry with him. So give me a good suggestion!”

Alden slumped his shoulders in defeat. He stared at her for a moment until a brilliant, devious idea popped into his brain. He read her innocent face and decided to play along.

“Have you ever cooked for him?”

“Hmm… Cooking? Well… No.”

Alden smirked. “Then you should just bake a cake for him yourself.”

“Making a cake for him? That is a nice idea! But what kind of cake should I make?”

Alden’s smirk widened. “Just make a Vegetable Cake.”

“Huh? Vegetable cake? I have heard of fruit cakes, but I have never heard of a vegetable cake.”

“Oh, you just haven’t eaten a good one yet. It exists, and it tastes amazing. I am sure he is going to love it. Do you want me to give you the secret recipe?”

Sarah’s eyes sparkled with genuine interest as she nodded rapidly. “Yep, spill it!”

Alden then began to list off a ridiculous recipe, making up absurd ingredients on the spot. He suggested things that had probably never been used in a cake in the history of the world.

“…Then, you need to pour a large amount of chili powder on top to decorate it. It will make it look exactly like a red velvet cake. Make sure to crush the vegetables into a fine paste so they stay hidden inside the batter. And most importantly, do not tell him what kind of cake it is beforehand. You have to give him a big surprise.”

“Okay! Thanks, Alden! I do not know what I would have done if you weren’t here. I am sure he will love my cooking. Bye-bye, I am going to the kitchen right now, hehe!”

She immediately turned around and fast-walked toward the academy grounds.

Alden watched her retreating back, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. “Well, I hope Edwin survives that cake. Not that I have any personal grudge against him, of course.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Alden made his way back to the academy and headed straight for his dormitory. After arriving and changing into some comfortable clothes, he sat cross-legged on his bed in the lotus position. He pulled his entire focus inward and began to cultivate his mana.

As the mana flowed through his body, his thoughts drifted to the guest lecture from earlier today. He thought about the priest’s story regarding the origin of the heretics. Yet, the more he pondered, the less sense the words made.

Everything the priest said sounded like a convenient half-truth. The entire narrative leaned on one specific point: the Church acts as the ultimate savior protecting the world, while the opposing forces are just mindless destroyers. But after breaking down the facts, Alden noticed several logical holes.

Why does everyone in this world blindly believe in a God they have never seen with their own eyes? The church claims this God emerged specifically to punish people who chose not to believe in Him, turning them into twisted monsters. But a massive question arose in his mind. Why would a supposedly benevolent God choose to punish people like that? Isn’t that just a petty form of revenge? Why would a divine being seek revenge against mortals when a true God should value equality over everything else?

This only meant one thing. The story the priest spilled was just a fabricated piece of the puzzle, not the entire truth. Whatever the real truth was, the Church was hiding it—or maybe they didn’t even know it themselves. Alden realized that if he ever managed to uncover that hidden history, it might just change his entire worldview forever.