I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 4 Chapter 1.5

“Quite noisy, isn’t it?” Minerva suddenly remarked as we made our way to the main gate.

As she spoke, the clamor from inside the school building became apparent. It wasn’t the excited buzz of class announcements; rather, it carried a tense atmosphere.

Shion, who had just returned from the administration office, provided an answer to that.

“It seems the Hero Lord has challenged the Viscount’s son to a duel. Apparently, it’s in defense of a commoner girl who was being harassed,” Shion replied.

“Well, that explains the strange tension in the air,” I nodded, exasperated.

Minerva agreed with a bewildered expression on her face.

Glancing around, I noticed the others wearing wry smiles or shrugging their shoulders.

They probably thought it was overly reckless to cause trouble immediately after the entrance ceremony… That’s what I assume. And their lack of support for the Hero Yuudai in this situation made me realize that everyone here is immersed in the nobility society.

If they possessed the thought processes of modern-day Japan from my past life, some might associate Shion’s story with “nobles trying to take advantage of a common girl.”

However, based on the nobles’ common sense, that would be absolutely impossible.

Those associated with the nobility always carry the potential to be targeted by other factions. Naturally, they are cautious about romantic relationships. Background checks are always conducted on their partners, and if they visit brothels or similar establishments, thorough examinations are required. It is out of the question to choose a casual partner.

So, I believe this “harassment” was meant literally. Perhaps the Viscount’s son intended to use her as a pawn or something similar. Such behavior, where nobles delegate trivial matters to commoners, is occasionally observed.

“Most likely, the Viscount’s son and his friends surrounded the girl. If that’s the case, the Hero might have misunderstood,” Shion added.

“I see,” I responded, contemplating the situation.

“Hmm… Come to think of it, that person had a female friend, right? They were next to each other during the entrance ceremony. Could it be that the ‘harassed female student’ was that friend?” I pondered.

“Ah, if that’s the case, it makes sense. If your friend is surrounded by a group of nobles, even I would be surprised,” Caron chimed in.

Karin and Orca speculated and exchanged their thoughts until they finally arrived at a satisfactory answer.

Their reasoning was based on multiple assumptions and possibilities, but it was mostly accurate.

Why can I be so certain? Because this is the Hero’s tutorial. It’s the first event where I’m supposed to “rescue my childhood friend Marina, who is being threatened by a noble’s son.” This duel is meant to teach me the combat mechanics of the original game.

Since it’s a tutorial, defeat is out of the question. Yuudai’s abilities were already confirmed before the entrance ceremony, so there’s no chance of failure. Plus, I don’t really want to get involved, so I can just ignore it this time.

By the way, even if I correct the misunderstanding about taking advantage, Yuudai won’t stop. Carrying over the values from my past life, he would get angry even at the idea of treating commoners as tools.

However, it was a good decision not to go to the bulletin board. If I had been present at the scene, I might have been caught up in it. The probability is low, but that’s the gut feeling I had.

Ignoring the commotion paid off, and we safely reached the carriage. Then, we all tried to get inside.

At that moment, my eyes caught sight of certain individuals.

“Is that…?”

A short distance away, the Saint and the second prince, Gray, were engaged in a discussion. We had received reports rather than actively monitoring them, but it seemed that the initial event had still occurred despite the changing circumstances.

I couldn’t help but have mixed feelings, considering the potential influence of the world’s compelling force. However, when I thought about the Demon Lord in the west, it was a positive trend to have more allies for the Saint. As long as Caron doesn’t get involved, I’ll observe quietly.

“What’s the matter?” Shion, who had been waiting for everyone to get on board, asked curiously.

I shook my head and replied, “It’s nothing,” cutting off my gaze from the Saint and her companions.

Once I got inside, the carriage soon set off.

And so, the first day at school ended without being entangled in any events. The reality had already diverged from the original game’s path. I hope that these differences will lead to the best possible outcome.

“I heard that someone from the church faction has left the Forlanada territory,” the information was relayed to us immediately after our return from the academy. We were taking a short break in one of the rooms of Foranada’s mansion.

It must have been a report from the subordinates who remained in the earl’s domain. Shion proceeded to state the facts in a steady stream.

“Yes, just a moment ago, they suddenly took action. The church branch and the medical facility have become like empty shells,” Shion explained.

“Have they been pursued?” I asked.

“Our intelligence operatives are coordinating efforts. So far, they seem to be prioritizing the escape from the Foranada territory, and no suspicious movements have been observed,” Shion reported.

“Understood. Continue the investigation. Make sure to maintain close communication. The response should proceed as planned… Is that clear?” I instructed.

“Understood,” Shion acknowledged, and then left the room. From now on, they would continue to coordinate with the people on-site. It concerned me, but the remaining tasks were in the hands of my subordinates. It is the role of a superior to trust and delegate to them.

“Are you sure it’s going to be okay? The medical facility being like an empty shell is a big deal,” Minerva asked, expressing her concern.

Her worries were valid. The healthcare system of the Holy Kingdom relies heavily on the church. Normally, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, but when actions like this occur, it becomes a significant problem. It means losing the personnel who can handle illnesses and injuries.

However, it turned out to be an unfounded concern.

“There’s no problem. We have measures in place,” I assured her.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I anticipated this development.”

Indeed, this turmoil was something I had anticipated in advance.

In the first place, why did the church personnel leave the earl’s domain? The cause lay in the results of today’s Saint selection.

For some reason, the Foranada branch of the church was predominantly comprised of the magic-enhancement faction—particularly the hawkish faction. Therefore, they had always been critical of me, who lacked any color of magic, and even sent protest letters when I assumed the position of the lord.

Nevertheless, the reason I had remained quiet until now was largely due to Caron’s presence. Known as the “Radiant Saint,” she was the foremost candidate for the next Saint. The members of the Foranada branch of the church had intended to curry favor with the future Saint.

In other words, they took their outrageous actions because it became apparent that Caron was not the chosen Saint. They expressed their anger in a misplaced manner, saying things like, “We made a mistake. We can’t live in a colorless’ territory!”

“What fools,” Minerva exclaimed when I explained their motives.

Yes, I agree. Even if Caron is not the Saint, the church should have maintained a good relationship with her, the Light Magician. Furthermore, if it becomes known that they withdrew because they disliked the lord, it would damage the reputation of the church. This turmoil brought no benefits to the church whatsoever.

I did send a protest statement to the headquarters of the church in the capital, but while there may be apologies, I doubt we’ll receive any significant information in return. This incident was simply the result of the hawkish faction’s individual recklessness.

Of course, I have grounds for such assertions.

Do you remember Valan, the church member who targeted Nina’s life about six or seven years ago? When I interrogated and tortured him, I managed to extract information about their plans in case Caron was not the chosen Saint. That’s why I can remain composed in the face of such a spontaneous event and have the necessary countermeasures in place.

“May I ask for the details of these countermeasures?” Minerva inquired.

Minerva asked again, her approach considerate since she is not officially affiliated with Foranada. It’s one of her admirable traits to show such consideration.

I smiled faintly and replied, “There’s no problem.”

“But to be honest, we didn’t do anything too complicated. We simply trained individuals who can work in the medical facility in advance.”

Caron and Orca, who had been helping at the medical facility, were taught basic knowledge of first aid, and Shion also possessed some knowledge in that area as part of spy training. I also had some recollection from my past life. Thanks to all of that, we were able to train them to a sufficient level for temporary replacements.

The church headquarters, upon learning of the situation, should send replacement personnel promptly. Until then, we can manage. And if there are any patients we can’t handle, Caron can heal them.”

“Leave it to me!” Caron responded enthusiastically. Even though she had grown up, such gestures remained incredibly adorable.

After hearing the explanations, Minerva let out a satisfied “Hmm.” Then, she asked a third question.

“So, you were fully prepared. But why didn’t you dismantle the evacuation plan itself?”

“Because I wanted to capture all those who would seek refuge in the escape destination.”

“…Were they involved with a criminal organization?”

She furrowed her brow, looking perplexed. My previous statement must have raised some suspicions.

Her intuition was correct. Holding back a sigh, I answered her.

“They were in cahoots with the Demon Lord Cult.”

“What!?”

Minerva stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the chair she had been sitting on. She seemed quite shocked.

I understood her feelings. I think she wanted to ask why someone affiliated with the church would collaborate with them. When I first obtained this information, I had the same reaction.

The Demon Lord Cult is literally a criminal organization that worships the Demon Lord. They are nuisance terrorists who aim to unseal the Demon Lord and destroy the world. There are even bounties on their heads within the Holy Kingdom, and they are frequent enemies in the original game.

It seems that some members of the hawkish faction had connections with the Demon Lord Cult and had plans to utilize them if necessary. Leaving aside who was truly using whom.

By the way, we obtained this information from Valan as well. He proved to be quite useful as an information source.

Normally, the Demon Lord Cult members blend in with ordinary people and rarely hold gatherings. It’s difficult to root them out even with game knowledge. Therefore, it was convenient for the hawkish faction members to target their meeting place. It was an unparalleled opportunity.

Minerva stood with her finger on her forehead, trying to alleviate her headache caused by the excessive shock.

After sighing for a while, she calmly sat back down on the chair.

“In the six years I’ve known you, I thought I had come to realize the extent of your extraordinary nature, but it seems my understanding was still lacking. Truly remarkable,” she said.

“Thank you.”

“I’m not praising you!”

Minerva, visibly exhausted from the conversation, slumped in her seat. It seemed best to leave her alone until she recovered.

At that moment, as if on cue, a telepathic message came through. It was from the intelligence agent who had been monitoring the Hero, Yuudai.

After listening to what he had to say, I involuntarily furrowed my brow.

“What’s wrong?” Orca asked, curious about my reaction.

I hesitated for a moment on how to respond, but I quickly decided that I should be straightforward.

I let out a sigh and began to speak.

“It seems the Hero’s childhood friend has been targeted by an assassin arranged by a noble.”

“What?!”

The expressions of everyone present betrayed their astonishment.

It appeared that today was going to be a night filled with turmoil.