<h4>Chapter 314</h4>


    It was Friday, the day of the Miss Temple contest and the Open Tournament finals. Olivia Lanche, who had to participate in both, was undoubtedly very busy. The first-year Royal ss students didn’t seem particrly interested in the Open Tournament program, which opened with the semifinals.


    Ellen, Riana, and Cliffman seemed busy with contest preparations. However, Ellen approached me in the morning.


    “Are you...” she said, staring at me.


    I knew what she wanted to say.


    “Of course, I’m going to go,” I said.


    “... Okay.”


    Ellen had watched all my tournament matches. Even if that weren’t the case, there was no reason for me not to attend the Miss Temple contest today.


    I would go as far as using Revise to make Cliffman Mister Temple, but I was unsure about what I would do when it came to Miss Temple. There was no reason for me not to attend the contest, though.


    “... Pleasee,” Ellen said after a moment of hesitation, determination burning in her eyes.


    “Okay. Prepare well.”


    “Okay.”


    It felt like she had something to say to me after the contest. At least, that’s what I understood from her expression.


    With that, Ellen went off with Riana to prepare. The other students seemed to have their own ideas about how to enjoy the festival, but I decided to head out alone during the day, without anyone apanying me.


    I decided to go watch the finals of the Open Tournament, for which most of my ssmates had lost interest. Of course, some of them might still end up going, but I nned to go alone.


    I felt a lot of guilt towards Olivia. She always took care of me and did anything I asked of her, but I always treated her poorly. The day before, I had openly cheered for Harriet as well.


    Just because someone was good at everything didn’t mean they were unbreakable. I intended to go alone, even if others ended up showing upter on.


    The program for the day began with the semifinals, so there were only three matches in total. Even if I watched all the matches, it wouldn’t take too long.


    <i>—Waaaaaaah!</i>


    The cheers from the crowd were thunderous.


    The fact that Harriet had lost hadn’t changed. However, things had taken apletely unexpected route to get there, even though the eventual oue was still one I’d expected.


    Just as my tournament had its own twists and turns, the Open Tournament had its surprises. Olivia had only lost one bout so far, and that was to Harriet.


    As I waited for the match to start, I heard someone calling me from behind.


    “Reinhart, you came to watch the finals too?”


    It was Charlotte.


    “Ah, hi Charlotte.”


    Even though I had nned to watch the tournament alone, I was in the designated VIP seating area, so I was bound to run into someone. I wondered why Charlotte had specificallye to watch the finals.


    The reason became clear soon enough.


    “Teacher Tana, you’re here too?”


    “Yes.”


    It seemed that it wasn’t Charlotte who wanted to watch the finals, but Sabioleen Tana. As Charlotte’s bodyguard, though, she couldn’t leave Charlotte’s side. Charlotte, being no fool, must have read her desire and suggested theye to watch.


    “If you were going toe, you should have said so. Whye alone?”


    “Oh, just... No particr reason.”


    “Really?”


    I thought it would be better to watch the matches alone rather than bring someone along, but now that we had met, I had no intention of moving seats.


    Naturally, Charlotte and Sabioleen Tana sat beside me. Charlotte looked around and crossed her arms.


    “Hmm.”


    “Why?”


    “Huh? Nothing...”


    We were in the section of the VIP seating reserved for students of the Royal ss, but there were other VIP seats as well. Charlotte had just been looking over at the VIP seats reserved for distinguished guests.


    “I saw Commander Volten,” she said.


    “Volten?” I said, tilting my head in confusion, and Sabioleen Tana looked at me.


    “Didn’t you greet him at thest sponsorship gathering?” Sabioleen Tana asked.


    “The sponsorship gathering?”


    I’d already forgotten the names of quite a few people I had greeted at the sponsorship meeting.


    <i>‘Volten? Who’s that?’</i>


    “Hmm.”


    <i>‘This kid has a bad memory,’ </i>said Sabioleen Tana’s eyes for a moment.


    “Sir Illeion Volten, the current Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights,” Charlotte rified.


    “Ah.”


    <i>‘That’s right. I’ve heard that name before.’ </i>


    Illeion Volten, the one who had taken over as the Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights after Leverier Lanche’s dismissal. I didn’t know much about him, and since he hadn’t sponsored us, I hadpletely forgotten about him.


    Charlotte smiled slightly. “I was looking out for him yesterday, but he wasn’t here. But he’s here today. Maybe because it’s the finals.”


    “... Do you think he doesn’t want to see Olivia win?” I asked.


    “Hmm... I don’t know what Sir Volten thinks, but it might be an ufortable sight for him.”


    How would the current Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights feel about seeing a once-promising future religious leader who had abandoned her faith win a tournament without using Divine Power?


    It certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.


    Now that I recalled who he was, I could recognize his face. Unlike Leverier Lanche, he had a stern and rigid appearance. He wasn’t wearing knightly armor but ceremonial robes, and he was quietly watching the arena while surrounded by his close aides, who were undoubtedly also holy knights.


    Sabioleen Tana, who had been listening to our conversation, tilted her head.


    “Instead of being concerned about Olivia, he might be supporting someone else,” she asked.


    “Someone else?”


    “Don’t you know who the semifinalists are?”


    “Other than Olivia, I don’t remember any of them,” Charlotte said with a chuckle, as if she didn’t bother to remember things unrted to her.


    “There’s a student among the semifinalists who is almost certain to join the Order of the Holy Knights after graduation.”


    “Oh... really?”


    “He might be hoping that this student defeats Olivia.”


    Olivia had abandoned her faith, and that was unalterable. Because of that, it was possible that Sir Volten hoped a future holy knight would defeat Olivia, who could not use her Divine Power.


    Indeed, there were quite a few participants in the Open Tournament who seemed to aspire to be holy knights, and many of them were quite skilled as well.


    There was Royal ss sixth-year A-3, Jordan Windsor, and Royal ss sixth-year B-2, Radia Schmidt.


    Radia Schmidt was the person who had been curious about the conversation between me and Olivia. She seemed like a good person, but I had sensed something odd about her. She was incredibly skilled, and could use both Divine Power and Mana Reinforcement.


    Olivia and Radia Schmidt were probably long-time friends that had spent many years together at the Temple, especially since Olivia had repeated a year. Did Olivia abandoning her faith create a rift between them?


    Since Radia Schmidt was aiming to join the Order of the Holy Knights, she might have been jealous of Olivia. They would have beenpared in many ways. Although Radia Schmidt was incredibly skilled, she had probably never surpassed Olivia.


    If Radia Schmidt had been part of the club Grace, I would have seen her before, but our brief conversation in front of the dormitory had been our first meeting. I would have found it quite distressing for there to be someone who was a perfect and superior version of my own talent constantly above me.


    As we continued our conversation, the announcer’s voice boomed out, signaling themencement of the tournament program.


    —Now, presenting the Royal ss 5th-year student who has only lost one set so far! Olivia Lanche!


    Olivia was teleported into the arena amidst the cheers of the crowd. Olivia had regained her confident smile, despite the minor incident the day before. However, there was a noticeable difference: Olivia, who had fought barehanded up to this point, was holding a sword this time. Perhaps she had decided there was no need to give herself unnecessary penalties from the semifinals onward, or perhaps she had realized that letting her guard down, as she did the day before, could cost her a bout.


    The other semifinalists were two Royal ss sixth-year students and a fifth-year student from the Orbis ss. All the Royal ss participants were in their final year of high school.


    Olivia Lanche’s opponent in the semifinals was Mn Benier, a fifth-year student from the Orbis ss. He had to feel bitter about the Orbis ss being disbanded just before his graduation.


    The Orbis ss had been a cradle for the Revolutionary Forces, and most of the students and teachers involved had either dropped out or resigned. Those who remained had either not been recruited by the revolutionaries or had decided to stay at the Temple despite being recruited.


    The Revolutionary Forces... Just thinking about it made my head throb. However, I set aside my personal issues as the semifinal match began.


    There wasn’t much to say about it.


    The result was 3-0.


    Olivia Lanche won decisively.


    ***


    Perhaps Harriet had had a better chance against Olivia because she used magic, or maybe Olivia was just that much stronger with a sword.


    Her opponent constantly struggled and was no match for Olivia. More importantly, while the opponent seemed frustrated, they didn’t look entirely defeated, as if such an oue had been expected.


    And so it was onto the next semifinal match.


    Royal ss sixth-year, A-3, Jordan Windsor vs Royal ss sixth-year, B-2, Radia Schmidt.


    The semifinalists were, of course, highly skilled.


    I had seen both Radia Schmidt’s and Jordan Windsor’s matches previously. Radia Schmidt was the type to overpower her opponents with her double buffs, while Jordan Windsor, despite being unable to wield Divine Power, was exceptionally skilled.


    I couldn’t even hope topete with them given the level I was at. It would have been difficult to favor Harriet too, if she had faced either of them.


    Olivia was an exceptionally powerful monster, but the other senior Royal ss students were also monsters in their own right. They had honed their skills over six years, and while Olivia was an extraordinary outlier, the others were still incredibly talented, and talent did not just disappear.


    Even if Erhi was a cker at present, there was no guarantee he would be in six years. He had been putting in efforttely, so he might awaken Mana Reinforcement in his third year, and three years after that, he could be a monsterpeting in the Open Tournament.


    Olivia Lanche was originally a peer of these sixth-year students, and she had spent her Temple life with them, with the exception of her fifth year, when she went off to serve in the Great War.. Because of this, she was likely closer to these sixth-year students.


    It was quite fascinating and exciting to think about Royal ss peers facing off in the finals of the Open Tournament. If the Gate Incident did not ur, perhaps Ellen and I would eventually face each other in the finals of the Open Tournament as we advanced through the years. I would probably lose to her, though.


    I imagined myself reaching the finals only to lose to Ellen, and honestly, it didn’t seem like it would feel that bad.


    The second semifinal match turned out to be quite interesting, contrary to my initial expectations.


    “Nice to meet you, Radia.”


    “Nice to meet you too.”


    The two greeted each other with smiles, which suggested there was no ill will between them. Despite being from different sses, they seemed to have a friendly rapport, likely due to the long time they had spent together. However, that genial atmosphere was short-lived.


    As soon as the announcer dered the start of the match, their expressions hardened. All hint of camaraderie disappeared, and the two began their cautious probing.


    Mn Benier, the 5th-year from Orbis ss who had just been defeated 3-0 by Olivia, was undoubtedly much more skilled than I was, and now, the two in the arena were both sixth-year students from the Temple. This would be theirst time facing each other in a tournament like this.


    This was a special battlefield where they could give their all, so they set aside whatever personal rtionship they might have had and got serious.


    <i>Woooong!</i>


    Blue mana enveloped Jordan Windsor’s body. It wasn’t an explosive, fiery surge like Ellen’s. It was quite the opposite. It felt like he was focusing all his energy on stability and control. The mana around him waspressed and refined, with no unnecessary expenditure, giving the impression of a well-honed de.


    His Mana Reinforcement wasn’t weak. It was just extremely efficient, and he was only using exactly as much mana as required.


    Perhaps Ellen and I should aspire to using Mana Reinforcement in this way as well.


    Radia Schmidt took a different approach. She suddenly drove her sword into the arena floor.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The metal sword pierced the stone floor, and white lines began to weave their way up from the ground, wrapping around the sword and enveloping her body as well. However, that wasn’t all. Blue mana also flowed out from Radia’s body, mingling with the white light.


    She was reinforcing her body with Divine Power and supporting it with Mana Reinforcement, adding strength to strength. Although I could use Self-Deception, this dual reinforcement seemed almost unfair.


    Sabioleen Tana, observing the scene, said quietly, “It’s the Divine Power of Alse, the god of war...”


    I already knew from watching Radia Schmidt’s previous matches that she used the Divine Power of Alse.


    “The Divine Power of Alse... itcks something important.”


    “Yes.”


    I was aware of this as well.


    The god of war, Alse...


    “Instead of offering healing power, it focuses entirely on offense...”


    While the power of Ouen wasn’t purely limited to healing, most Divine Powers had some ability to heal. However, the priests of Alse couldn’t use healing. Their power was specialized solely towards destruction.


    A power of destruction that specialized in ughter and massacre, a power other than magic. That was the Divine Power of the god of war.


    Radia Schmidt, having fully absorbed the Divine Power rising from the earth, pulled her sword out, wrapped in white light. She faced her opponent with both blue and white auras surrounding her body.


    “Here Ie.”


    “Yeah.”


    These two were not just superhumans, but among the best of the superhumans. They were the pinnacle of the Royal ss—two monsters shing.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    When their swords collided, the shockwave was so intense that I could see the air distort.


    Given the level of their duel, they were undoubtedly wielding powerful artifact-grade weapons capable of withstanding such an intense battle. This was a true fight between superhumans.


    ***


    The second semifinal match ended with Radia Schmidt from ss B emerging victorious, taking the match 3-1.


    While Jordan Windsor’s Mana Reinforcement was exceptional, Radia Schmidt had the Divine Power of Alse. That was the biggest difference.


    Her destruction-focused Divine Power was so terrifying that it made my skin crawl, and ultimately cost Jordan Windsor the match.


    Since no one moved between ss A and ss B, it was prettymon for ss B students to surpass ss A students in the upper grades. Still, it felt different to see it with my own eyes. I could see Jordan Windsor gritting his teeth in frustration.


    No matter what rtionship they usuall had, losing so decisively after training so hard throughout one’s life in the Temple would always be hard to ept.


    epting defeat was difficult for anyone.


    I didn’t particrly empathize with either of them. If there was anyone I could empathize with, it was Olivia. Unlike me, the audience seemed satisfied with the spectacle, as they had no particr favorites and were just here for the entertainment.


    But could Olivia really win?


    Olivia couldn’t use Divine Power, while Radia Schmidt could give it her all. What kind of rtionship did Radia Schmidt and Olivia have? If Radia Schmidt had been jealous of Olivia throughout their life in the Temple, she would surely want to defeat Olivia with all her might.


    After a short break, it was time for the finals. It was a match between ssmates. Formerly Royal ss sixth-year, A-1, Olivia Lanche, and Royal ss sixth-year B-3, Radia Schmidt.


    Right from the start, things seemed different from what I’d expected. Olivia, who always wore a confident smile, now wore a hardened expression, while Radia Schmidt was smiling.


    “Olivia.”


    “... Yeah?”


    The atmosphere between them was tense. Radia Schmidt’s eyes, which had seemed normal when conversing with Jordan Windsor before their match, now seemed different. The same could be said for her smile. There was a hint of madness in Radia Schmidt’s eyes.


    “The Divine Power I sense from you is stronger than before.”


    “...”


    “Return to the embrace of the gods. Olivia, you were born for this. You were not made for a life outside of the embrace of the gods,” Radia Schmidt implored.


    “Radia, I...”


    “Come back, Olivia.”


    There was none of the jealousy or sense of inferiority I had expected. It seemed Radia Schmidt had an entirely different emotion towards Olivia.


    “I told you, I’ve given it all up. I keep... I keep telling you...”


    “No, Olivia. Your Divine Power, your talent, your character, all of it. You are the only one who can truly unify the Church of the Five Great Gods. You are the only one who can usher in a new era in the long history of our faith.”


    Radia Schmidt smiled as she spoke to Olivia. Olivia wielded the Divine Power of Ouen, while Radia Schmidt wielded the Divine Power of Alse. Even though they worshiped different gods, Radia Schmidt was trying to bring Olivia back to the faith. Olivia looked visibly troubled.


    “Come back, Olivia.”


    “I’m sorry, Radia. I have no intention of returning.”


    It was then that I realized how little I knew about Olivia’s life at the Temple. Just as Leverier Lanche did not want to lose the talented Olivia, many others also regretted Olivia’s departure from the faith, including her ssmates who had been influenced by her. She must have heard such pleas countless times since abandoning her faith, not only from religious figures, but also from many of her close ssmates.


    Those who had gotten along well with her while she maintained her faith had likely tried tirelessly to persuade her to return once she abandoned it. Olivia must have grown weary of it all.


    Contrary to my expectations, Radia Schmidt wasn’t jealous of Olivia Lanche; she was one of her fervent followers.


    “What are they talking about?” Charlotte asked Sabioleen Tana as we focused on the distant conversation between Olivia and Radia.


    “... She’s trying to persuade Olivia to regain her faith.”


    “Ah...” Charlotte sighed. “That must be exhausting for her.”


    “...”


    There was fatigue bordering on desperation in Olivia’s expression. She knew she would be gued by this for the rest of her life. Olivia was dealing with far more than I had imagined.


    “My answer is the same, Radia. I have no intention of returning to the embrace of the gods.”


    At Olivia’s words, Radia closed her eyes for a moment.


    “I see... Then, you must be prepared.”


    “... Prepared?”


    “Yes, prepared.”


    Radia Schmidt once again drove her sword into the arena floor.


    “Prepared to endure sadness.”


    <i>ng!</i>


    Radia Schmidt didn’t seem like an evil person. My unease was unfounded; even during our brief conversation, she had had a kind smile.


    However, she seemed like a totally different person while conversing with Olivia. The expression on Radia’s face, now devoid of any hint of a smile, conveyed the madness and obsession within her,pletely different from how she had seemed during her semifinal match.


    “Everything that happens from now on is the will of the gods to guide you back to the right path,” Radia dered.


    <i>Whoooosh!</i>


    Divine Power surged from the arena floor, enveloping Radia Schmidt.