Chapter 61

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Episode 13 - Community Service [1]

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A week had already passed since Celestia was captured.

It was the weekend, just one week away from the third part of Chapter One.

During these two weekend days, I would leave the Academy together with Rinna, or so I thought.

"Ah, this is great. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out of the Academy. What about you, older brother?"

Rinna was at the restaurant counter ordering some drinks.

Meanwhile, Verónica was sitting beside me, her voice drifting in and out of my ears.

Honestly, she’s the only person who gets on my nerves.

I didn’t know why, I don’t even know her, and the way she speaks is actually quite affectionate.

Even so, she irritates me so much that I simply ignore her most of the time.

Anyway, at the moment, I was in a restaurant outside the Academy, in the Imperial Capital.

’I’ve been in this world for a month and a week now. I’ve certainly gotten used to everything.’

But quite a lot has happened as well, to be honest.

"I’m blind. I can’t enjoy the sights, so I’m not interested in leaving the Academy."

Especially because of my training.

I was already preparing to begin the Second Form of Inverted Heaven.

’It’ll be this coming week.’

At my words, Verónica tilted her head.

"What are you saying, older brother? I don’t mean going out just to see places, but the feeling of freedom. You do know the Academy is like being in prison, right?"

Keeping my expression neutral, I shrugged and simply said:

"Being blind keeps me in darkness without any sense of freedom."

Verónica briefly closed her mouth, then sighed and said:

"Well, it’s not that bad either. I mean, you’re stronger than those of your same Star, older brother."

Her words were soft, almost reassuring. I turned slightly toward her and said in a low voice:

"Anyway, what are you supposed to be doing here?"

Without realizing it, I changed the subject. Even so, my own words made me wonder.

What is this anomaly doing here?

I wanted to keep my promise to help Rinna over the weekend, and that’s why I missed training.

Meanwhile, the other cadets didn’t even ask for permission to go out.

’Since I’m with Rinna, she has a free pass to leave the Academy only on weekends.’

At this moment, it was likely that some professor or someone from the Academy was protecting Rinna.

Finally, Verónica answered my question.

"Isn’t it obvious? I want to be of help to you, older brother."

"..."

A vein throbbed on my forehead and I said in a low voice:

"You just want to mess with me, right?"

She closed her mouth, forming a thin line with her lips. Her expression, which clearly said "I like to annoy," only made my irritation stronger.

’I should just hit her.’

But that would make it seem like I hit women too easily.

And I don’t want rumors about me to spread.

Especially not because of the idiot next to me, due to her words when she became the First-Year Representative.

With a sigh, my thoughts began to clear. Finally, Rinna returned.

"Ugh, this place is quite expensive."

Rinna complained under her breath.

"A Saint without money... how interesting."

I murmured with a smile. Rinna seemed to hear it and lifted her head, then pointed at me.

"I heard you clearly, Adel, and it’s not that I don’t have money, it’s just that this place is expensive."

"..."

"Whatever you say."

This place literally had discounts right now and was cheaper than other places.

I shrugged as I took the coffee Rinna had brought me.

It wasn’t the same one I usually drink at the Academy, but it didn’t taste bad.

My expression relaxed so much that Rinna noticed.

"Too much coffee... coffee here, coffee there, you only have coffee on your mind."

"Pauper Saint."

"..."

***

After leaving the restaurant, we went to an orphanage. It was the largest in the entire Imperial Capital.

Normally, orphanages were slightly larger houses with several rooms.

But the one in front of me was like a mansion. Of course, there was nothing luxurious or anything like that.

Just a huge three-story house, with walls surrounding the entire property and facilities such as daycare areas, among other things.

As we entered, we were greeted by an employee who seemed to be properly uniformed.

"We have been waiting for you, Saint."

Rinna, smiling, said to the employee:

"Where are the children?"

"At this moment, they are in the main hall listening to the orphanage’s anniversary speech."

Rinna was surprised by the employee’s words.

"Anniversary? I didn’t know it was today."

"Not exactly, but it was moved forward because the orphanage’s director will be leaving for a while."

Rinna nodded, and then the two of them continued talking until we finally reached the hall where all the children were seated.

At the podium stood a fairly young woman, unexpectedly.

Some of the children were already teenagers, but most were under eight years old. Overall, there were even younger children.

’There are even babies.’

As I looked at some women holding babies, my thoughts drifted toward certain memories that, strangely, I still had.

The memory was extremely blurry, but I could see something. It was faint, but there was definitely something there.

’Did I... not have parents...?’

It was an unconscious question, without me realizing what I had just thought.

Honestly, even though I don’t remember my past life and only have the memories of Holy Land...

I had a rather strange feeling. It was as if I had never actually had parents.

But at the same time, I felt that I did have them.

And as I looked at these children in front of me, that faint memory, so blurry and so hard to make out...

Started to become visible, just a little more clearly.

And just as I was delving deeper into that strange memory, a voice made it disappear.

"Hey, older brother, are you okay?"

If I hadn’t had the bandage over my eyes, I probably would have blinked.

I slightly turned my head toward the woman beside me.

I felt a strange déjà vu when she called me older brother.

’We knew each other... in some possible life.’

Of course, the almost nonexistent memory I had just witnessed didn’t seem to belong to my previous life.

And recalling the words of the Queen of the Specters of Dream, about there being a third face in my soul...

Perhaps from a life even before my life on Earth.

I couldn’t help but look at Verónica.

I said nothing as she looked at me, tilting her head slightly, as if she didn’t know what I was thinking.

’Did we have some kind of relationship...? Why exactly do you call me older brother...? Were we really ever close...? Who are you...?’

My thoughts churned, but then...

Verónica lightly nudged me with her elbow and said in a low voice:

"Hey, older brother, don’t you think none of these children are sick? I mean, just look at them, they’re completely fine. They even brought babies, so..."

She frowned as she looked at all the children in the orphanage.

I slightly turned my head and, of course, I had noticed it too.

My True Sight allowed me to see anything that normal eyes could not perceive, even what the Divine Eyes could see.

But that was not what mattered right now.

I briefly looked at Verónica for a second before sighing and shaking my head.

’Well, I don’t know...’

I didn’t know what to think about this strange sensation or about the questions that had suddenly arisen in my mind regarding Verónica.

’Maybe I shouldn’t consider killing her when she answers who I am, and also... if she tells me what kind of relationship we had, if we already knew each other... I might hesitate to do anything to her.’

So, with that thought, I slowly took a breath and finally opened my mouth.

"Yes, that’s true, but remember we’re talking about Rinna. She probably just came to play with these children."

Verónica nodded slightly without looking away.

"Oh, that’s true. You’re right, older brother."

"Yes, anyway, then let’s wait for this to finish."

***

Verónica, sitting beside Adel, couldn’t help but glance at him briefly.

Several thoughts crossed her mind.

’My eyes aren’t deceiving me. It seems like he’s remembering something, or at least that’s how it looked.’

At some point, her eyes seemed to look through Adel. She wasn’t sure what kind of thoughts he currently had.

Since Adel was like Verónica, and between the two of them, they couldn’t "see" beyond reason.

’Anyway, it’s unlikely he remembers anything. Not right now.’

Her thoughts spun briefly for a few seconds before she finally snapped out of them.

Then, suddenly, a screen appeared in front of her.

〖■■■■ says you’re overthinking it, that it’s unlikely he remembers anything〗

Verónica, upon seeing the screen, sighed.

’Hey, idiot, I know that, and anyway...’

She paused for a moment, but before she could even say anything else...

〖■■■■ says that, in any case, he was the one who made all the plans, and you and I accepted and respected his words〗

Verónica fell silent for a second before finally responding.

’What can we do? It was his decision, but even so...’

〖■■■■ says to stop questioning it. You made a promise and said you would keep it. At least the two of you are together right now, but not him〗

Verónica sighed, but she also smiled.

’Well, you’re not wrong about that. Ha, ha... and all because you lost at rock, paper, scissors. Something so simple from back then, when everything was normal.’

The screen flickered for a moment, as if the person on the other side had gotten irritated and felt like hitting Verónica.

Seeing this, she mocked her.

’Wow, how childish you are.’

Then, the screen disappeared, and Verónica simply remained smiling.

’It’s fun to tease her.’