Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

90화. A Place Where Men Can’t Fit In

Delos, having been struck on the tail, stood up with the help of the priests. Indeed, he was red and swollen from a fluff of fur.

Kreuz is a saint made of benevolent hands. Anyone can freely come and go, as long as they don’t emit any suspicious energy.

However, if even a hint of black magic or curse is detected, they become ruthlessly strict.

Skilled paladins teleport instantly to interrogate the intruder.

Archbishop Delos, possessing excessive piety, was one to fully implement this measure.

“What kind of scoundrel are you?! How dare you enter here… Hah!”

His silver hair fluttered in the sunlight like autumn leaves.

Seeing that heavenly sight, Delos took a deep breath, and his resolve to rise against her suddenly waned.

“How… how did the Saintess end up here…!”

“It’s not like where I wander is of any concern to you, is it?”

Upon stumbling upon Angela, Delos’s face turned pale.

Even as an Archbishop, one must maintain etiquette before the Saintess. That girl received the light descended from the heavens.

“Don’t you think it’s too harsh on the students who worked hard with the venerable paladins to redeem the criminals?”

“However, I cannot allow the blasphemous power of that spirit to set foot on this holy ground. I ask that you consider this…”

“Archbishop, if we speak of such matters, then I too should be banished from this land. Just months ago, I was covered in ‘weapons.'”

“….”

Delos’s face hardened at the undeniable truth.

In fact, everyone knew that the identity of the Nine-Tailed Fox that caused a ruckus in Aligieri was her.

However, there was no evidence that it was intentional, and she had transformed into that monster due to someone else’s brainwashing.

The fact that she was a victim had also reached Kreuz, allowing her to receive numerous sympathies.

“Isn’t it a bit extreme to be so unilateral when I’ve been chosen as the Saintess, a bundle of filth like me?”

“But Saintess, you’re a victim who was corrupted by those damn devil-worshipers. That’s not the same as someone who deliberately wields spirit power.”

“Could that be proof that she intentionally committed wrongdoing?”

“That…”

Delos was left speechless. Seeing his expression, Angela smirked with a hint of mischief.

“Although several incidents occurred, I’m scheduled to enter Aligieri next year. It’s quite unpleasant to offend those who will become my seniors in the future.”

“I know that place is the best magic academy. I heard that those brave students banded together to save the monster that was the Saintess.”

“Those brave students are these very people.”

“Right. Those brave students… Huh?”

Delos’s eyes widened as he looked bewildered. Meanwhile, Angela, along with my group, turned their heads alternately.

“Is it really… you?”

“….”

From Delos’s perspective, Angela appeared as an overwhelming presence.

Angela looked down at him, her eyes filled with disdain.

As an extreme religious fanatic devoted to God, the Saintess also looks up to her with equal regard.

The messenger of God can never lie. This means he has greatly offended those who saved her life.

“U-uun…”

Delos’s face turned pale as he stuttered.

And then, a tremor began in his facial features, sending him to the floor as he slammed his forehead down.

“I have sinned greatly!!”

“….”

“What are you all doing?! You too, hurry up!”

The priests who had followed Delos bowed their heads at his urging too. Their voices unified in a single phrase.

“We have committed an unforgivable impudence!!”

*

Angela now was worlds apart from her former self.

The little girl who always used to cling to her sisters had grown to be of a similar age to her friends, which was a huge factor.

In her mere 8 years of life, the growth rate of a divine beast is unlike that of a human.

Her biological age was currently at 15. The growth rate was not two times but 1.9 times that of a human, so she was technically still 16 as the backstory suggested.

Moreover, there was even a setting that she had lost that growth speed due to the transformation into a Nine-Tailed Fox.

‘This is just the cliché tactic by the creators to get her into Aligieri one way or another.’

Her age, personality, and even status had skyrocketed.

Thanks to the education she received from Kreuz, her way of speaking had also become more refined compared to before.

“How has our Angela been during the time apart?”

“I know, right? It’s been ages! You should’ve come to visit us at least once during break.”

“I’m sorry. There wasn’t enough justification to visit openly.”

Angela then snuggled into Jenny’s embrace.

The polite tone she had just exhibited faded away instantly. It seemed she turned simple as soon as she met someone familiar.

“Wow. Do you really live in such a vast place?”

“Yeah. But it’s tiring to maintain proper etiquette every day.”

Mary awed as she explored the open area decorated with various artifacts.

She then approached a wall decoration reminiscent of insects with keen interest.

“Can I eat that? What’s it taste like?”

“Sis, if you bite that, you’d be considered a heretic.”

We were invited to the Holy Cross Tower, the very center of the sect, following Angela’s guidance.

It was a building that widened at the bottom and became narrower as it ascended, with a giant cross prominently displayed at its very top.

Amidst that, the chatter of the girls echoed from the Saintess’s room where Angela resided.

“So, that’s why you had to appear so dignified?”

“Well, I’m the Saintess. I need to improve my speech and actions to be graceful. Especially in front of others, it’s crucial.”

This time, Trisha brought up a question.

“So, does that mean you can’t drink alcohol?”

“Well, to be honest, I’ve never really tried it.”

“What about those risqué Nobel records?”

“If I ask, the priests would probably bring them to me… but there’s a sense of propriety, you know.”

It seemed she wanted to impose her interests, but that wasn’t going to work.

Trisha looked sulky like a failed fan. Meanwhile, I pondered what I was doing.

“Is Radon brother far away?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“Hurry! My stomach feels like it’s sticking to my back.”

“Ugh…”

The room was spacious, and there was even a kitchen inside it. I was busy hand-rolling rice balls into something round.

“You said you’d bring rice balls, so how can you lie? You’re not leaving until you make 100, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, just don’t disturb me. I’m too flustered to handle interruptions.”

My hands felt like they were going to cramp up.

There was plenty of rice prepared in the kitchen.

And ham, tuna, chicken breast, eggs, and seaweed were lavishly laid out in an enchanted cold storage.

These ingredients for rice balls were clearly prepared, anticipating my arrival.

‘I’ve already made 30. Isn’t that enough to just throw together?’

No, if I were to offend her feelings gained from high authority, who knows what would happen?

If I resisted and it increased to 200, who would take responsibility for that?

And it’s not like I didn’t have a reason to do the favors.

After all, I just forced an apology out of that damn Archbishop, so consider it my repayment.

Honestly, Angela liking rice balls was something I inadvertently caused too.

Then a thought struck me.

“By the way, is it really necessary for me to make these? There must be plenty of cooks here too.”

“That’s true, but… it just tastes so different when you make it.”

So if it’s not mine, she can’t get through withdrawal symptoms, huh?

What would she do if I were to leave far away?

“Above all, the Saintess must maintain grace externally, you know? Even if I want it, the clerics would deny me immediately, so I couldn’t eat for a while.”

Even if I secretly made something, it wouldn’t meet the standard of what I made myself.

It’s like, wanting to game late at night secretly while your parents were sleeping only for the internet to fail due to a disaster.

That overwhelming stress is something I can certainly sympathize with.

Feeling empathetic, my hands moved automatically to make the food.

“But why have you been quiet since earlier, sis?”

“Uh…?”

Luska, who had been silent, flinched at Angela’s words.

The only movement she made was to sip the served tea.

She had come to see her sister after a long time but felt a bit disappointed at the lack of reaction.

“I’m fine just being next to you, you know?”

“That just makes coming all the way here pointless.”

“Well, that’s…”

Being socially awkward as always, Luska struggled in prolonged conversations. It was burdensome for her when someone was cheerfully lively.

“Ugh.”

“Hey! What are you touching?”

Angela playfully pinched her sister’s side. Luska, with zero resistance to being tickled, let out a laugh-filled whine and covered herself with her hands.

“Luska, you’re unexpectedly ticklish.”

Jenny gazed intently at Luska’s laughing face.

Soon everyone leaned in, and sensing danger, Luska turned her waist defensively.

“What’s up? Is it your first time seeing someone ticklish?”

“No. It’s just super interesting.”

“I had no idea you could be like this when you always seem so composed.”

‘What’s so noble about that?’ Luska scolded, but they approached as if they had found something enticing.

And then, they reached out eagerly.

“Wait! What are you all trying to do? No, don’t! No! Hahaha! Stop that… Kyaahh!”

Jenny and Mary attacked her armpits and chest, while Trisha and Angela concentrated on her sides.

With eyes that always seemed poised to tear, Luska appeared somewhat emotionally detached.

But seeing her laugh like this made her surprisingly adorable, something I couldn’t resist.

Even with pleas to stop, their hands wouldn’t relent.

‘This is starting to become a headache.’

Luska’s laughter, mixed with tears, echoed throughout the room.

How ticklish could she be to laugh out loud like that? For someone who has experienced life and death on the battlefield, her weakness was completely apparent.

She also hated bugs.

But wouldn’t laughing like that lead to choking and passing out?

‘Nah, there’s no way. It’s not like we’re playing a game of escape from reality.’

It was the 90th one now. Just 10 more to make, and my hands could finally be free.

But then, it happened. A brown stream poured all over the tower of rice balls…

– Crisis Detection Lv6

My gaze sharpened in an instant. And the cause came into focus in my sight.

Unable to endure the tickling, Luska was flailing her arms about. In the process, the teacup she was holding went flying towards me.

As the brown stream and the teacup were about to wreck my rice balls, I reached out to protect them.

But it was hot. I thought it had all cooled down before reaching out, only to end up with a burn instead.

“Ow! That’s hot!”

It was only after I screamed that they paused their antics.

“Hah! Radon, what happened?!”

“Are you okay, buddy?”

“Did you get burned?”

Realizing their mistake late, they rushed over to check my wound.

Like the black tea the Saintess was drinking, it was made by the sect’s quality priests and was quite hot. However, it seemed shallow enough, so it would heal naturally.

“You should’ve listened when I told you to be careful!”

Luska’s anger flared as she gritted her teeth. Once they understood, they immediately offered their apologies.

Fortunately, the rice balls were unharmed. Just as the sound of drooling was about to cease.

Knock knock knock—

With three knocks and the words, “I’m coming in,” a seemingly older priestess entered.

“Leona. What brings you here?”

As soon as another person entered, Angela’s demeanor took a swift turn. She was always attended to like a servant by the priestess Leona.

“Among the guests, Cardinal Ruiness wishes to meet you, Radon Crawler.”

All eyes focused on me.

That’s because a Cardinal holds a position just below the Pope.

There’s no avoiding the attention, but I wondered why I was being summoned.

“Why me?”

“You’ll need to meet them in person to find out.”

Leona, being the attendant, seemed unaware of the context. Ultimately, following her was the only way to understand, so I left the room with her.

The Cardinal’s office was on the top floor. I boarded the magically operated elevator alongside her.

‘Who would have thought I’d ride an elevator in a fantasy world?’

At that moment, someone was watching the magical elevator ascend.

A girl with green hair, resembling the mountains and woods, was watching; she wore a priestly outfit similar to Angela’s.

Surrounding her were several priests accompanying her.

“Nebia Saintess. Let’s go quickly.”

“I know.”

A knight beside her, seemingly guarding her, spoke.

Like Angela, she was also a Saintess of the Holy Cross Sect.

“Before that, I would like to ask something.”

“What is it?”

“Is that young man going up the elevator the son of Count Crawler?”

The girl continued to fix her gaze on the boy ascending the elevator.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer