Chapter 371: Inter-Academy Tournament (XXIII)
The Saintess listened to all of them with a small, gentle smile, nodding politely at each recommendation.
Her luminous silver eyes seemed to hold a kind, understanding light as she acknowledged their words.
The nobles’ faces lit up with hope every time she nodded, thinking they had a chance.
But then, her gaze suddenly moved across the room.
Her eyes caught Gray, who was sitting calmly between Aurora and the Northern Duchess, surrounded by all these big shots.
The Saintess’s expression remained gentle, but there was a clear spark of curiosity in her silver eyes as she looked at the young man who was quietly observing the projection screens.
The nobles noticed her gaze and thought the same thing.
’She’s interested in that boy...’
’Who is he to be sitting with the Emperor and the Saintess herself?’
’He must be someone special if the headmistresses brought him here.’
The Saintess tilted her head slightly, her voice soft and refined as she asked curiously.
"Who is he?"
The Emperor, still trying to please her, quickly replied with a respectful smile.
"That is Gray Vireux, Saintess. He is a student from Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy. He has been the standout talent of this tournament. Many say he is the strongest in the 2nd year."
’The strongest of the 2nd year?’ Gray wanted to laugh at the Emperor’s comment.
Aurora smiled proudly as she placed a hand on Gray’s arm.
"He is my student," she stated with clear affection. "And one of the most talented young men I have ever seen."
The Northern Duchess, Evelyn, chuckled softly.
"He is quite special," she added, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Gray.
The nobles’ expressions changed slightly. Some looked envious, others curious, but all of them were now paying much more attention to Gray.
The Saintess’s silver eyes stayed on Gray for a moment longer, her gentle smile never fading.
"I see," she said softly.
"He has a very... interesting presence."
The Emperor, still trying to please her, looked confused as he asked.
"Presence...?"
The Saintess smiled gently as she explained in her soft, refined voice.
"I can feel the people’s inner evil or goodness... they are represented in colors. That is how I want to choose my student... a being with pure goodness and good talent."
At those words, the nobles instantly frowned.
Especially because they knew themselves that their sons and daughters weren’t exactly pure.
Many of them had dark ambitions, hidden scandals, or selfish desires that they tried to keep secret.
The Saintess’s words made them realize that their children might not have the "pure goodness" she was looking for.
One of the nobles, a count with sharp features, couldn’t help but inquire, causing everyone to look at the Saintess.
"And what about this student then? What makes him so interesting?"
The Saintess’s lips curled up slightly as she stated:
"He... has the most inner evil that I have ever seen in my entire life."
The VIP section fell into a stunned silence for a few seconds.
The nobles looked at Gray with a mix of shock, fear, and curiosity.
The Emperor’s eyes widened slightly, while Aurora’s smile widened with clear amusement. The Northern Duchess, Evelyn, chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Gray.
Gray remained completely calm, his expression unchanged as he met the Saintess’s gaze for a brief moment.
He didn’t look surprised or offended.
Instead, a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips.
The Saintess continued speaking softly, her voice carrying a gentle but serious tone.
"His inner color is the darkest black I have ever seen. It is filled with ambition, ruthlessness, and a deep desire for power. Yet... there is also a strange light within that darkness. It is not pure goodness, but it is not completely evil either. It is... fascinating."
The Emperor cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation.
"Saintess Elara, if this boy has such a dark presence, perhaps he is not suitable as your student," he said carefully.
The Saintess shook her head gently.
"Evil is not always bad. It depends on how it is used. I am curious about him. He might be the one the Goddess is looking for."
The nobles remained silent, their earlier confidence gone.
They had been so sure their children would be chosen, but the Saintess had completely changed her attention to Gray.
’Jasmine,’ he asked inwardly.
’What was that trace you were talking about? The light within the darkness. I’m pretty sure I’m just evil, though I can still love. Other than that... I don’t have a shred of goodness on me. I could betray, for example, Ronan if I’m given something useful in return.’
Jasmine’s voice echoed in his head after a short pause, sounding a little hesitant but honest.
[It’s hard to explain, Gray. Your soul is indeed very dark. It’s filled with ambition, ruthlessness, and a deep desire for power. But there is a small, faint light inside that darkness. It’s not traditional goodness like kindness or selflessness. It’s something else. Loyalty to those you truly care about. The ability to love, even if it’s possessive and selfish. The willingness to protect what belongs to you, even if you have to destroy everything else to do it.]
Gray’s lips curled up slightly into a faint, cold smile as he listened.
’So it’s not goodness, but something akin to possession. The desire to keep what I want?’
[Exactly. It’s not pure light. It’s a twisted light, but it’s still light. That’s why the Saintess, or rather, the Goddess, noticed you. She can see colors in people’s souls. Yours is mostly black, but that small trace of light makes you different from pure evil. It makes you... interesting to her.]
"Ahem... so, Saintess Elara, are you going to take Gray as your student?" the troubled Emperor couldn’t help but ask.
The Saintess smiled gently as she replied in her soft, refined voice.
"Not yet... I might need to see him in action to carefully consider him..."
Those words made the nobles and the Emperor himself let out a sigh of relief.
Gray was already troublesome because of his exile... so getting such a powerful backer would make him even more dangerous. If he wanted revenge on those who mocked him... they were definitely fucked.
The Emperor’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he nodded.
"I understand. It is a wise decision, Your Holiness. Observing him in the upcoming challenges would be best."
One of the dukes, still trying to salvage the situation for his own family, spoke up politely.
"Of course, Saintess. My son will also be participating in the third challenge. I’m sure you will see his pure heart and talent there as well."
The other nobles quickly nodded in agreement, trying to steer the conversation back to their children while hiding their relief that Gray had not been chosen immediately.
One of the high nobles, a tall man with sharp features and a well-groomed beard, suddenly pointed at one of the students standing out on the projection screen.
The boy was a tall, handsome young man with dark hair and a confident posture, currently leading a small group in the middle layer of the floating island.
"That is my third son, Saintess Elara," the noble said with a proud smile, his voice polite but clearly eager.
"He is in the 4th year of Gloria Academy. His talent in swordsmanship and fire magic is exceptional. I would be honored if you would give your opinion on him."
The Saintess turned her luminous silver eyes to the screen, watching the boy for a few moments. Her gentle smile remained, but her voice was calm and honest as she replied.
"His talent is not bad... however... his heart is full of twisted desires, to the point of committing incest with a close relative, though... I’m not sure if it’s his cousin, or sister."
The Saintess pointed out the truth without any hesitation.
The nobles’ faces didn’t change much. Incest was something that was acceptable, especially for the houses that wanted to keep their bloodline pure.
Many of them had done similar things in the past to preserve their power and noble status. The high noble who had spoken simply nodded, his expression remaining proud.
"I see. Thank you for your honest opinion, Your Holiness. My son is still young and ambitious. With proper guidance from someone like you, he could overcome those flaws."
The Emperor watched the scene with a small, troubled smile, clearly aware of the tension in the air. He tried to keep the conversation light.
"The third challenge will give everyone a chance to show their true potential. I’m sure the Saintess will find a worthy student among them."
The Saintess nodded at his words.
Though... her eyes kept glancing in Gray’s direction. Of course, she was curious about him... but not just about him.
She was curious about the beings inside of him too.
The Saintess didn’t know who it was... however, she knew that it was extremely powerful, to the point that if the being was at its full power, she wouldn’t last five seconds in a battle.
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