Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 353 - 290: Extravagant home

She turned to Dielle with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Dielle, before I leave tomorrow, let me touch your muscles," she asked, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Dielle immediately took a step back. "Hurry up and leave already!" he yelled, flustered.

"Humph! Stingy old man," Aurianna pouted. "I won’t get to see that eight-pack for six whole years!" she added dramatically with tear filled eyes as she tried to look pitiful.

Dielle refused to budge, crossing his arms. "Stop being a pervert and leave already!"

Aurianna grumbled under her breath.

"I’d let you hug me, Master," Hadina chimed in eagerly, her breathing turning a little too enthusiastic.

Aurianna glanced at her warily. "You kinda creep me out sometimes," she admitted before walking away.

Hadina froze in place, her expression darkening. Her lips trembled as she began to mumble, "Master finds me creepy... Master finds me creepy... Master finds me creepy... Master finds me creepy... Master finds me creepy..."

______

Back in Aurianna’s church.

"Was it right to send her away?" Vaium asked, his voice uncertain.

Dielle his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of his chair stated, "Right now, we’re dealing with Paige’s church. It won’t be long before they start sending their apostles." His eyes locked with Vatium’s. "So it’s better for them to believe we’re all dead."

"And how exactly do we make them believe that?" Vatium asked with a smirk, clearly intrigued.

Dielle exhaled, hus expression cold. "Your group doesn’t need to worry but former church members like myself were definetly the targets. If the attack on us came from the Sacred Kielbasa, they’ll assume we were wiped out. And if Aurianna survived, they’ll think she sought refuge in the academy controlled by the Church of Light. After all, where else would she go to avoid being hunted down? Or perhaps..." He leaned back, his lips curling slightly. "He predicted she would be the only survivor."

Jugi chuckled. "Oh, that’s not a bad play. We might actually have a head start in this game."

"Exactly." Vatium folded his arms. "And from the intelligence I’ve gathered, only the Church of Light controls who is permitted to enter the Ruins. That means we might have potential allies—ones like yourself."

Jade, who had been quiet until now, gave a dry laugh. "Allies or not, I’m sure she’s going to do something insane."

Dielle arched an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Jade’s grin widened. "Recruiting the top two heroes. That’s what she told me."

The room went still for a moment. Then....

"Totes agree!" Avriel chimed in, almost too cheerfully.

Dielle’s eyes narrowed. "And who, exactly, are the top two heroes? That’s classified information, y’know. Even I don’t know."

Jade scoffed. "Rank Two—Penelope of the Abyss. Rank One—the Child of Light. Those two make me look like a damn child in comparison. Ahh, I remember the good ol’ days. When we were summoned, those two slaughtered everything in sight—friend or foe. As long as you didn’t align with their ideals, they cut you down without hesitation."

Kairo clenched his fists. "And yet people like them were summoned?" he spat, his voice laced with disgust.

Jade shook his head. "No. They weren’t summoned. They’re from your world. The Child of Light is being that isn’t like any race on this planet. Penelope? A Floop." He leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "And together, they managed to kill three gods before they were sealed away."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Dielle frowned. "That puts them leagues above even the strongest Arcane humans."

Jade’s fingers drummed against the table. "Exactly. I doubt even Aurianna could force them to submit to her. Those two? They don’t just see people as beneath them—they see everything as beneath them." His voice betrayed his nervousness.

The room remained silent for a beat before Jade exhaled and leaned back with a smirk. "Well then... let me tell you all how heroes came to be."

______

"So now then! Since you’ve received your uniforms, you’ll also be given a monthly allowance of two gold coins!" Bronius announced. "This will cover groceries, water, food, and other necessities on campus. If you want to earn more, you can take on missions from our mission board—but don’t let that distract you from your studies!"

Excited murmurs filled the room.

"Two gold?! That’s amazing!" some students cheered, whispering among themselves.

Aurianna, however, remained unimpressed. ’That’s pocket change... or am I just that spoiled?’ The thought crossed her mind, but she brushed it off.

"Good! Now that introductions are over, here are your room keys!" Bronius snapped his fingers, and in an instant, glowing keys materialized in the air before dropping neatly into the hands of the new students. "These keys will teleport you directly to your assigned residence on campus. You’ll be sharing a home with other students. If you’d like to upgrade your key, speak to me or my staff at the front desk, and we’ll take care of it immediately. If you want to room with a friend, inform the staff as well—but be quick! You can only make changes today."

More excited chatter filled the hall as students examined their keys, some already discussing potential roommates.

"We offer different types of accommodations to suit everyone’s needs!" Bronius continued. "There’s the common house, middle-class housing, luxury housing, and finally, extravagant housing. However, extravagant housing costs 100 gold per month. But for that price, food is automatically restocked, and you won’t have to worry about shopping for groceries or paying bills!"

"One hundred gold?! That’s way too expensive!" someone gasped.

Bronius smirked. "Expensive? Maybe. But anyone can afford it if they work hard. Missions pay well, and each roommate contributes to the total amount. If you form a team, covering the cost won’t be difficult."

The mood in the room shifted immediately, disappointment giving way to renewed excitement.

"Oh, that’s much better!" a student blurted out, and several others nodded in agreement.

Bronius clapped his hands together. "Alright! If you’re satisfied with your key, proceed to the next hall for further introductions. You have one hour, so don’t waste time!"

A rush of movement followed as students hurried toward the front desk, where hundreds of elves were assisting them with key upgrades and room changes.

Before Vlad or Andre could react, Aurianna vanished from their side, reappearing instantly at the front desk.

"I want the extravagant home," she said firmly, her eyes locking onto the staff member before her.

"Yes, of course," the elf man replied politely. "But remember, you and your roommates must contribute to cover the cost of your stay."

Aurianna scoffed, crossing her arms. "I really dislike the isolation of this school."

The elf remained composed, "Yes, you won’t be able to contact your family during your time here. However, you’ll still experience the outside world, so there’s no need to worry."

Aurianna sighed, then reached into her ring and pulled out a glowing crystal coin. "Alright. Here—this should cover it," she said, handing it to him.

The elf’s eyes widened in shock. "A... magic coin?" he gasped, his reaction immediately drawing the attention of those nearby.

’I’m definitely sure this is the girl they were referring to...’ he thought nervously, gripping the coin. And he rembered what a boy from the previous batch told him. "If you meet a girl who looks unreal, teleport her to the home we selected. I’ll pay you."

The elf turned, facing a boy with an unreadable expression, flanked by a group of others.

"Why’s that?" the elf man asked cautiously.

"She’s a dear friend of ours," the boy chuckled, his tone laced with amusement.

The elf’s gaze flickered back to Aurianna. ’She does fit the description... Arrogant face, unrealistically beautiful—most people here can’t stop staring at her. And her level... I can’t see it. What’s more, she handed over a magic coin like it was nothing.’ A bead of sweat formed on his brow, but he quickly composed himself.

"Here’s your key," he said, materializing a golden key in his palm before handing it to her.

Aurianna took it without hesitation. "Thanks." She turned on her heel and walked away, unfazed by the whispers around her.

"Aurianna, you left us behind again!" Vlad’s voice rang out as he and Andre finally caught up.

Andre grinned. "Me and Vlad got the same home. What about you?"

"I got the extravagant home," Aurianna replied calmly, pocketing her key.

Vlad clicked his tongue. "Damn rich kids."

Andre chuckled before nudging Aurianna. "This time, let’s actually sit together, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered as they entered the next hall.

The room was massive—a grand auditorium with thousands of seats arranged in tiers, all facing a large stage at the front. Students were already filling the space, buzzing with excitement.

Aurianna, Vlad, and Andre found an open row and sat together, waiting patiently as the murmurs of the crowd swirled around them.