How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 744: A Goddess’s Advice to Godhood

”Amelia...”

”Yes, Principal?”

”...Why do people work?”

Amelia blinked.

”...Who knows? Maybe it’s to have a purpose in life.”

”...I don’t want one anymore.”

A long, exhausted sigh escaped Leilah’s lips.

Inside the principal’s office, the usually elegant headmistress of Lumen Academy had completely collapsed over her desk.

Her cheek rested against a mountain of paperwork while another stack was quietly placed beside it.

Then another.

Then another.

”...”

She watched in silence as the pile somehow continued to grow.

It wasn’t ending.

It was multiplying.

At this point, Leilah was convinced the papers were reproducing on their own.

Amelia calmly walked over carrying another armful of documents.

Without saying a word, she neatly added them to the stack.

”...”

”...”

”...Amelia.”

”Yes?”

”I think they’re breeding.”

”I don’t believe paperwork is capable of reproduction, Principal.”

”Then explain why there are more than when I looked away five seconds ago.”

”...”

”I can’t.”

Leilah buried her face back into the desk.

Even without opening a single file, she already knew exactly what every single one was about.

Yesterday.

That disastrous...

Historic...

Absolutely career-ending battle between Rose and Snow.

”...Surely most of these aren’t complaints, right?”

Amelia’s smile stiffened ever so slightly.

”That’s...”

”...Amelia.”

”...”

”Amelia.”

”...Mostly complaints.”

Leilah slowly looked toward the ceiling.

”I see.”

She closed her eyes.

”Surely...” she muttered, clinging to the last thread of hope she had left. ”It’s written somewhere in the academy’s regulations that we’re not responsible for... unexpected incidents.”

”It is.”

Leilah immediately sat up.

”It is?!”

”It is.”

”I’ve never loved our legal department more.”

”...However.”

”...”

”The same regulations also state that the academy is responsible for maintaining a safe environment during official events.”

”...”

”And yesterday...”

Amelia quietly opened one of the reports.

”...Several spectators fainted from mana overload.”

She opened another.

”Dozens are suffering from temporary magical trauma.”

Another.

”A few remain unconscious after being exposed to the aftermath of multiple Ultimate Class spells.”

Another.

”And we’re currently receiving compensation requests from several nobles regarding emotional distress.”

”...”

”Haha...”

Leilah laughed.

”Haha...”

It was the kind of laugh people made when they had already accepted their fate.

The battle itself had been nothing short of legendary.

Two young mages had displayed power beyond what anyone thought possible.

Scholars would probably study that fight for centuries.

History books would undoubtedly record it.

But history books didn’t mention who had to deal with the paperwork afterward.

Leilah did.

Complaints had arrived from every direction imaginable.

Students.

Parents.

Professors.

Merchants.

Tower Masters.

Nobles.

Royal families.

Even a few foreign ambassadors who had attended the tournament had sent strongly worded letters requesting an explanation as to why they had almost witnessed the end of the world during a student competition.

The only saving grace she had was that the emperor who was present that day didn’t file any complaint.

Leilah slowly reached toward a neatly sealed envelope sitting on the corner of her desk.

”...Amelia.”

”Yes?”

”Hand me that envelope.”

Amelia glanced at it.

”...That’s your resignation letter.”

”...I know.”

She extended her hand anyway.

”I’ve thought long and hard about this.”

”Principal.”

”I’ve dedicated years of my life to this academy.”

”Principal.”

”I believe it’s finally time for the next generation to—”

Amelia quietly pulled the envelope out of reach.

”You’re not allowed to resign.”

”...”

”...”

Leilah stared at her for several long seconds.

”...Can I at least cry?”

”I already prepared tea.”

”...You knew this would happen?”

”I’ve worked with you long enough.”

Leilah slowly leaned back in her chair, her soul practically leaving her body.

”...I want a vacation.”

Amelia smiled politely.

”Your schedule says you’re busy for the next six months.”

Leilah wanted to die.

...

Yesterday, after I finished training inside Alice’s realm, I immediately returned to the real world.

Thankfully...

Nothing happened.

Or more specifically, no one happened.

Liyana, who I was fully expecting to corner me the moment I stepped out, never showed up.

Considering everything that had happened between us recently, I had already prepared myself for another exhausting conversation.

Instead...

Silence.

Honestly, that was somehow even scarier.

From what I’d heard, she’d been occupied the entire day, accompanying the Emperor and helping deal with the aftermath of yesterday’s incident.

And there was... a lot of aftermath.

Snow and Rose had gone completely all out during their match.

The result?

The first draw in the history of the academy’s tournament.

Technically, both of them should’ve advanced.

But after the fight ended, the two somehow came to the same conclusion.

They both declared themselves the loser.

Then, without giving anyone a chance to argue...

They voluntarily withdrew from the competition.

No one—not the audience, not the professors, not even the judges—had expected something like that.

It was probably the most bizarre conclusion the tournament had seen so far.

”...”

Last night had been...

Difficult.

Both of them looked disappointed, though for completely different reasons.

Rose seemed frustrated that she couldn’t push Snow any further.

Snow, meanwhile, felt she still hadn’t reached Rose’s level.

Trying to comfort the two of them at the same time was harder than fighting a dragon.

Fortunately, they didn’t seem to dislike each other.

If anything...

Their match had earned each other’s respect.

Unfortunately...

That also seemed to make them both even clingier toward me.

I let out a tired sigh.

Opening and closing my hand as I walked through the academy’s bustling commercial district, a faint thread of divinity seeped from my fingertips.

The space around my hand distorted for a brief moment before settling down again.

I’d already spent several hours testing the limits of my newfound divinity.

Just as I’d expected...

The degree of control I had over reality depended entirely on how much divine power I invested into it.

The more divinity I poured into an action, the greater the effect.

Simple enough.

The problem...

Was that I barely had any to begin with.

Unlike actual gods, I had no proper source of faith to replenish or strengthen my divinity.

At least...

That was what I thought.

”...Well, mostly.”

I scratched my cheek with an awkward smile.

For some reason, there apparently existed a group of cultists somewhere out there who genuinely believed I was their god.

I still had absolutely no idea how that happened.

I didn’t start a religion.

I never performed miracles in front of a crowd.

I hadn’t even introduced myself properly.

Yet somehow...

People were praying to me.

”...”

”...I should probably be more concerned about that than I currently am.”

Instead...

I’d somehow just accepted that a random cult existed in my name.

My life had gotten strange enough that even something like that barely surprised me anymore

I had Lavine travel across the continent to figure out what exactly was going on with that cult, but she still hadn’t returned.

So, for now, the mystery remained a mystery.

Honestly, even I wanted to know how something like that even happened.

One day I was just trying to survive.

The next, apparently there were people worshipping me.

”...”

Yeah.

My life had gone off the rails somewhere.

I could probably ask Evelyn.

If anyone knew why people suddenly decided I was worthy of being worshipped, it’d be her.

No maybe it was her own doing to begin with.

Unfortunately...

She was also the last person who’d give me a straight answer.

At best, she’d smile, tell me everything was according to fate or destiny, and leave me with even more questions than before.

So instead, I decided to ask someone who’d hopefully be a little more helpful.

A goddess.

If I wanted to understand divine power, there probably wasn’t anyone more qualified than the one who literally embodied it.

With that in mind, I made my way through the academy’s commercial district.

Even though the tournament had technically paused after yesterday’s insanity, the academy was somehow even livelier than before.

Students, merchants, nobles, adventurers... people from every corner of the continent still filled the streets.

Most conversations I overheard were about only one thing.

Snow.

Rose.

Their battle.

I couldn’t really blame them.

Watching two people casually throw around Ultimate Class spells was probably something you’d only see once in your lifetime.

Eventually, I arrived in front of the only church inside the academy.

The grand cathedral stood proudly near the center district, its white walls and towering stained-glass windows practically glowing beneath the afternoon sun.

It was surprisingly crowded.

Normally, only students and the occasional professor came here.

Now...

People from all over the continent were offering prayers inside.

Whether it was because yesterday’s battle reminded them how fragile life was, or simply because they wanted blessings before the tournament continued...

I had no idea.

As I walked through the entrance, quite a few people recognized me.

”...Isn’t that him?”

”The one from the rumors...”

”I only saw him fight once but he was really amazing”

”I heard he’s close to both Lady Rose and Lady Snow...”

”...”

Whispers followed me wherever I went.

Some curious.

Some respectful.

Some just plain confused.

I ignored all of them.

I wasn’t here for attention.

I was here to find the one person who could help me contact a goddess.

Or more accurately...

My lovely junior who was pretending not to be the Saintess.

Emilia.

Of course, searching an entire cathedral for one person sounded like a pain.

Luckily...

She had a best friend.

And as fate would have it— finding an elf’s unique mana signature was easy for me now.

”Senior Riley?”

”Hi, Vanessa.”

I gave her a small smile.

”Done praying?”

”I... yes?”

”If you’re not too busy, can I borrow a minute of your time?”

”...Uh... sure?”

Vanessa stared at me with obvious surprise.

Actually...

I was probably the surprised one.

Instead of her usual academy uniform, she was dressed in elegant white and golden ceremonial robes, the kind worn by the Church during formal services.

Combined with her long green hair and pointed ears, she genuinely looked like she belonged here.

”...”

”...”

Wait.

Did she think I was surprised because she was wearing nun clothes?

I mean...

I was.

Just not for the reason she probably imagined.

It was honestly the first time I’d seen the Elven Princess dressed like this.

...Somehow, it suited her more than I expected.