Surviving as a Villain at the Academy

82 – Figure of Evil (5)

The will of God is absolute and sublime.

Do not ever doubt it.

You must not doubt anything and just dedicate yourself.

Everything you do is for the prosperity of the kingdom, willingly carry out your tasks.

Remember.

Este, you are nothing outside of the kingdom.

The moment God’s blessings leave you, you will be nothing but insignificant existence.

So, you must always be grateful for the power that God has given you and follow His will.

The will of God ultimately means the peace and happiness of those who live in this land.

Do you think their lives should be destroyed by the seeds of hell?

You don’t need to listen to those who say you shouldn’t join this battle.

You don’t need to rely on anyone. Just do as we instruct you.

If you do that, your path will be filled with countless glory. Isn’t that enough glory?

God’s grace will also be bestowed upon you, and He will forgive you no matter what sins you commit.

Arise, Este.

Go and stop them. This is also the will of God.

* * *

With unpleasant memories, Este opened her eyes, borrowing Adrian’s body.

Este felt her senses returning.

A bitter feeling lingered in her mind.

She wasn’t simply consumed by determination. No matter how strong her desire for vengeance against the kingdom may be, would she hand her body over to the specter who wanted to trample the world?

She recalled the conversation she had with the demon who spoke to her subconsciousness not long ago.

“Don’t you want revenge? On the kingdom that abandoned you.”

“Revenge, huh?” It was true. Estelle asked the devil who approached her.

“What do you want from me? I know beings like you, demons. You only move if there’s something in it for you. I’m sure you want something from me too. Unless you clearly state what you want, I won’t help you.”

“I want to surpass the higher demons.”

“Ahahahaha. I see. So you want to accumulate evil deeds. It’s only natural for demons to be obsessed with accumulating evil deeds. Alright, I understand what you want from me.”

Estelle laughed at that moment. She could clearly see the devil’s thoughts, like looking into the palm of her hand. Devils were pitiful creatures who would be devoured and die if they didn’t become stronger.

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t hurt to save one of those pitiful creatures. It would also be a way to relieve some of her pent-up resentment.

She realized at the end of her life that the kingdom was not a place that followed the will of God.

The will of God, it never came upon them.

Otherwise, how could they abandon someone who had received God’s grace so devotedly?

No, perhaps even God was a hypocrite. Offering the illusion of grace, using that grace to exploit wretched beings like them, maybe He was that kind of existence.

How hollow and grand the name of a saint, a holy person is. Numerous glories follow behind it, and that name is written in history and never forgotten.

Instead, under the name of sacrifice for the kingdom, they would surely face a harsh life.

Estelle hated all of it. She resented it.

The reason she willingly yielded to Navaros’s corruption was also because of that.

She knew that many years had passed. She knew that the era of peace had arrived.

But how could she extinguish this resentment burning in her heart?

The kingdom was rotten to the core.

Besides herself, how many other saints had been sacrificed? She could know what could not be known while alive. Did the souls of the deceased saints, the holy ones, ascend to the heavens where God resides?

Nonsense.

Their determination was still trapped beneath the brilliant land of sacrifice, piled up to build a shining kingdom.

Though she died in territory far removed from the kingdom, Estelle could not help but hear the determination of the deceased saints.

Countless victims lay beneath the brilliant land built through sacrifice.

All of this stemmed from ignorance.

Estelle’s goal was to make them aware. To reveal the fact that the statement “good people go to heaven when they die” is a lie.

And in doing so, to dismantle the foundation of the kingdom, while hoping that no more victims like herself would emerge.

God merely grants power, without expecting any specific action from the recipient.

Look. The subordinates of the kingdom commit such wicked deeds, yet God still grants them power.

Just that alone shows that God’s bestowal of power is only a falsehood.

That’s why Estelle will make that fact known.

There is no soul that goes to heaven after death. God merely watches the world from above.

Using the body of the current Holy Maiden, directly.

—

Upon the sudden shriek, everyone’s gaze turned towards Adrian.

And there was a murky aura surrounding her body.

“Holy Maiden!”

The priests called out to her, concerned about her well-being, but Adrian, already overtaken by Estelle, could not respond.

Enveloped in an evil aura, her previously gentle eyes opened.

The usual warm gaze was nowhere to be seen, replaced by empty eyes that seemed to contain the world.

“Ah.”

A sigh escaped her lips.

“You look pitiful, just like a child.”

What came out of her mouth was not her own clear voice. It was a voice much more mature than hers, with an inexplicably somber tone.

The priests around Adrian could only be bewildered.

What on earth had happened?

“…Holy Maiden?”

“Holy Maiden. Yes. This child was the Holy Maiden, like me.”

Whoosh-!

The appearance of the Holy Maiden covered in black energy was painfully foreign. Gradually, fragments of bones attached to her body expanded, encompassing her like armor.

Her figure looked as if she was bound by chains.

“Who are you?”

Ruslan, who watched the scene, stared at the Holy Maiden with a tense expression. Adrian, no, that being was not Adrian.

From her manner of speech to every aspect, there was nothing that resembled Adrian. It was not just tainted by an evil aura; there were far too many strange points.

“Estelle.”

“…!”

“W-What!”

A voice of astonishment burst out from the surroundings.

Estelle, who was she? The past strongest Holy Maiden and the savior of the Holy Kingdom, why did she suddenly possess such an evil aura?

It’s hard to believe. That’s right. I can’t believe it either. Anyone would be taken aback if a Holy Maiden who died hundreds of years ago suddenly appeared with an evil aura. Perhaps they would speculate that she got involved with an evil sorcerer or the trickery of a demon. Or maybe…

She paused for a moment, looking around before continuing.

“Consider it a wicked lie.”

However, no one dared to speak. Not for any other reason, but because of the overwhelming pressure.

Truly, it was because the power emanating from her body was crushing the entire envoy, including the diplomatic corps, with its authority.

“…Huk.”

Someone’s groan echoed in Esthe’s ears.

“Oh, my. Your power is too strong. The current generation of humanity is so intoxicated by peace that it can’t resist even this level of strength. But still… yes. Those two boys over there seem quite strong.”

She pointed her finger at Ruslan and Frakh.

“Hmm? Is that the Candlestick of St. Valensia? hehehe. A boy who possesses enough righteous heart to wield that candlestick. What a pity. And the other boy, well, it’s hard to determine who is aiding him.”

“Really, are you Saint Esthe?”

At that moment, Ruslan spoke up.

“Yes. Is there any reason for me to lie?”

“…You exude such a wicked energy, so it’s only natural to assume it’s a lie.”

“Pity. Well, the truth tends to be obscured by those who claim to be righteous. You don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to. Just because you don’t believe doesn’t mean the truth ceases to be true.”

Ruslan weaponized the Candlestick of St. Valensia without saying a word. Radiant brilliance erupted from the candlestick that had transformed into a sword.

“The Candlestick of St. Valensia. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it as a weapon.”

Without responding to Esthe’s words filled with longing and amusement, Ruslan lunged forward, silently delivering a strike aimed at Esthe.

Thunk.

Esthe’s armor offered no resistance against Ruslan’s candlestick.

But something strange happened. Suddenly, the light vanished from the Candlestick of St. Valensia.

“Why?”

“Why did the light vanish from the Candlestick of St. Valensia? Allow me to provide the answer.”

As she spoke, Esthe grabbed Ruslan’s arm, bewildering him. With a strength that seemed otherworldly, Ruslan couldn’t resist.

“Ugh!”

Ruslan’s thrown body crashed into the nearby tree.

In the moment Ruslan collided with the tree, Esthe raised the Candlestick of St. Valensia that he had dropped.

And then…

From the Candlestick of St. Valensia, an even more radiant brilliance erupted than the one Ruslan had produced.

“The reason the brilliance vanished from the candlestick. It’s because I was the previous owner of the Candlestick of St. Valensia. Fortunately, it seems the candlestick still recognizes justice in my heart. Of course, it’s only fortunate for me, not for you.”

While gazing at that radiant brilliance, Frakh opened his eyes wide.

“I’m doomed.”

Feeling that everything had gone wrong.