Chapter 198: Chapter 198: To The Church Of Righteous Radiance (3)

“Are you asking me how to seduce other women?”

After being pestered by Iris, I sought advice from Elisha, and this was the sharp reply I received.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I was just asking how to clear up the misunderstanding between Sister Helena and me.”

“Isn’t it all true, though? There’s no misunderstanding.”

“Well, it is kind of true…”

Asking for a nun’s habit for cosplay, secretly having sex on campus, and now gaslighting a slave so she can’t escape.

All those things were kind of true…!

“Still, it’s not right to leave things as they are.”

“Well, I think it’s just fine as it is.”

“Anyone would think I’m a complete scumbag.”

“But you are more favored than anyone else. If you had no such flaws, you’d already be worshipped by now.”

“That’s… possible!”

In a world where gods existed, most clergy were fanatics. And the followers of the Church of Righteous Radiance were even more fervent.

So, what if someone appeared who seemed like a potential apostle of their god right before their eyes?

No kidding, I could take over the Church of Righteous Radiance right away if I wanted to.

I could even ascend to the position of pope if I accepted the apostleship.

At least, that was the case in the game.

“Even so, things can’t stay as they are now.”

“Hmm. Well, helping you isn’t difficult, but first… you know what to do, right?”

“Of course.”

Smooch.

I lightly kissed Elisha on the lips.

But her expression seemed somewhat strange.

“…Is this not it?”

“I meant it’s time for you to learn from me? I also have many questions for you, Yandel.”

“……”

Although Elisha never neglected her training, she has become even more fervent since I became a mid-level magician.

She often asked about the sensations and images when I first used mid-level magic… But how could I explain the effects I saw repeatedly in H&A that were etched in my memory?

I could only give abstract answers, and as a result, Elisha would frequently call me to ask various questions.

“Hmph. I knew it. I just wanted to try it.”

“Oh? If you say so, then it is so.”

Elisha giggled, covering her mouth with a fan.

As I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, her blue eyes curled gently.

“So? What shall we start with?”

“Hmm… let’s start with the chant shortening, in order.”

“Sure.”

Elisha patted the side of the bed she was sitting on.

Carla was planning something called the Yandel Training Plan with Iona, and Iris was discussing the intersection of enchantment and alchemy with Faye.

Helena was polishing her mace with the skill of a veteran mercenary who had spent years on the battlefield.

Was she really a priestess…?

Anyway, naturally, it ended up with just me and Elisha.

Whether she knew it or not, Elisha put away the notebook she had been writing in and chuckled.

“By the way, I forgot to mention. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making time to be with me? Even though chant shortening is my specialty, I can’t compare to the Teacher or Professor Iona.”

“Well. There’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“Huh?”

Elisha tilted her head curiously, and I reached out to touch her delicate neck, pressing lightly on the slave mark engraved there.

“Iris and Iona might teach better. But their methods are different from yours, Elisha.”

“Well… that’s true?”

Elisha nodded stiffly, perhaps due to the pressure on her throat.

“Carla prefers to extend the chant to increase its power.”

“Yes. Most of what I learn from Carla is how to increase firepower.”

“The Master prefers the standard method of chant shortening. Deeply engraving the elemental shadow of the Elementus Core, or clearly imprinting the image through repeated use.”

“It’s orthodox for elves.”

“Professor Iona’s method is unique to vampires. She skips the chant, sacrificing power, but then amplifies it with blood magic.”

“Vampires are considered to have a higher combat capability.”

“But I…”

When it came to her turn, Elisha, who usually spoke confidently, lowered her head and hesitated.

I lifted her chin with my fingers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Meeting her eyes, I said what Elisha should have said.

“You’re pursuing a different path, Elisha. You’re striving to connect magic with magic to the extreme. Chant shortening is just an intermediate step.”

“How do you…?”

Elisha’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was natural. I already knew the complete form of Elisha.

Of course, I remembered her well since she was a title magician in H&A.

“Elemental magic is intuitive. It deals with the elements that make up the world, naturally. And this world is always in circulation.”

The four seasons. Day and night. Birth and death. The rise and fall of nations. The water cycle.

The many other things that ceaselessly circulate.

Elisha believed that if elemental magic dealt with the elements that make up the world, it could also handle the cycles of nature.

“Just as new life sprouts from the ashes left by a burning fire, the wind blows through the thin branches that have grown, and the wind drives rain-laden clouds to pour down.”

And all of this becomes one under the name of the world.

“There is no beginning or end. There is only a vast cycle that exists purely. The most natural-like magic. Therefore, the most elf-like magic.”

Elisha, who had cultivated to the end, was like a walking natural disaster.

Summoning storms with a breath, causing earthquakes with each step, and creating pillars of fire with just a gaze.

In ancient times, when elves still coexisted with spirits, how much I admired her appearance, which seemed to gather the four great spirit kings, who were said to be the pinnacle of their era.

Even after the Magic Tower collapsed and she lost her master, she continued forward relentlessly, eventually grasping the impossible wish as a great archmage.

“If that is what lies at the end of this path… I assure you, Elisha, your chant shortening will be a vision more valuable than anyone else’s.”

Of course, it would be impossible for me to fully master Elisha’s vision without the Elementus Core.

However, it was an insight that led to becoming a great archmage. Even if it was incomplete now, it couldn’t be ignored.

“So this is neither a favor nor anything. It’s just making good use of you.”

“……”

I draped my arm over the stunned Elisha’s shoulder and smirked.

“As long as you’re my slave, Elisha, your body, mind, and even your realizations are mine. So stop talking and teach me what you’ve researched so far… Hmp?”

In the middle of speaking, my lips were blocked.

Soft sensation, a scent reminiscent of wood, and the sudden intrusion of a soft touch inside my mouth made me realize the situation.

Elisha kissed me out of the blue. And quite passionately at that.

I was briefly startled by the tongue frolicking freely inside my mouth.

Just as I was about to run out of breath, Elisha pulled away and flashed her characteristically confident smile.

“Ohohoho! Yandel, since you value me so highly, I can’t help it! Let’s start right away. Shall we review what I taught you yesterday first?”

“Oh, okay.”

Momentarily taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm, I complied and demonstrated everything I had learned so far.

After that, we experimented with various things together, and she also asked me questions about the feeling of using mid-level magic, leading to a long conversation.

.

.

.

.

.

As the sun began to set and it was time to find a suitable place to stop the carriage, the training with Elisha ended.

Perhaps because of all the talking, Elisha quenched her thirst by repeatedly drinking the elven tea I poured for her, letting out a cute sigh of relief.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. You wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Sister Helena, didn’t you, Yandel?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And you mentioned there was an easy dungeon on the way.”

“Yes… I did.”

Seeing my eyes widen in suspicion, Elisha nodded with an elegant smile, as if confirming my guess.

“Then it’s simple. Just show off an impressive performance there.”

“…Will that really work?”

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed too simple.

But Elisha affirmed it with a voice full of conviction.

“Oh? Isn’t it obvious? Sister Helena is a priestess of the Church of Righteous Radiance, and you are the person closest to the sun.”

“Oh.”

That… makes sense!