The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Student Council (1)

***

There was only one reason Grace, upon becoming a Saintess, was thrust onto the NTR route:

The "Virgin's Prayer."

This spell, or rather, ritual, sacrificed a tremendous amount of divine power to resurrect the dead. However, it came with a significant caveat: complete subservience to the resurrected individual.

And if mere subservience were the only drawback, it might have been manageable. But the insidious ritual had several other fatal flaws.

First, the Virgin's Prayer merely opened a portal to the afterlife where the target resided. The first being to step through that portal claimed ownership of the caster's everything. Therefore, even if the portal opened near the intended target, if a nearby spirit overpowered the target and entered the portal first, the caster would become a puppet of that spirit.

Second, even if the target was successfully resurrected, if they didn't possess a certain level of affection for the caster, the caster would be dragged instantly to hell, their body and soul subjected to unspeakable torments by demons.

This was the reason Grace was forced onto the NTR route in the original story.

Ian held friendly affection for her, but not love. As a result, Grace was dragged to hell after resurrecting him.

Having already sacrificed all her divine power for the ritual, she was powerless to resist the demons' torments. A cruel fate for a Saintess.

And third, even if all conditions were met, the caster became a puppet, their body, mind, and emotions controlled by the resurrected individual.

Of course, in the story, since she used it on Ian, she didn't have to worry about losing her dignity…

'But still, the risks are too high.'

The author's intention to push Grace onto a tragic path was glaringly obvious.

The ritual required a massive amount of divine power, and only Saintesses knew the spell, supposedly learning it instinctively upon awakening.

So, I made Grace an offer.

"You're… suggesting we become partners in the student council?"

"Yes."

The student council positions were traditionally filled by the top two scorers of each department.

As the top scorer of the Divine Arts Department, she would join the student council, just like in the original story. And she would become partners with Ian, going on missions together.

I had to prevent that. She fell for Ian because of his nauseatingly idealistic sense of justice.

'Even villains deserve a second chance… If they show remorse, forgiveness should be the default… Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick.'

Having even one bleeding heart in a four-person party was enough to drastically increase the difficulty. With two of them, constantly enabling each other's recklessness, it was only a matter of time before Ian got himself killed.

And that's how Grace ended up using the Virgin's Prayer on him, her heart broken.

The best way to prevent that was to become her partner.

That way, she wouldn't fall for Ian, and the other two members would keep him in check.

I could protect the protagonist, secure a valuable ally, and add the best healer in the story to my and Lili's party. Three birds with one stone.

As I reveled in my brilliant plan, Grace tilted her head, looking at me curiously.

"…Are you… infatuated with me, Berry?"

"No."

"Hmm… that's the truth…"

My face must have contorted in disgust as I vehemently shook my head. Grace pondered my answer, stroking her chin. She seemed to have seen the truth in my words.

She had the ability to discern truth from lies.

The story didn't explain how it worked, but maybe she saw words like "truth" or "lie" floating above people's heads?

"Then why are you so insistent on having me as your partner? We just met today."

"I can't tell you the details, but there's a reason you need to be in my party."

"So you're saying there's a reason I need to be with you, even though you can't tell me what it is…?"

Her jewel-like eyes stared intently at me.

I simply nodded.

And then, she asked that annoying question again.

"And it's not because you're attracted to me?"

"…Not even a sliver of that, so don't worry."

I almost cursed out loud. I hadn't expected that question.

I didn't blame her for thinking that way. She was beautiful, with a figure that could turn heads.

'But not mine, damn it.'

She had almost given me an aneurysm countless times in Academy Demon Hunter Chronicles.

Giving enemies a chance to repent, only to get backstabbed.

Enduring the village chief's lecherous gaze, losing sleep, and jeopardizing the mission.

Wasting her divine power on unnecessary healing, becoming dead weight at crucial moments.

Just thinking about all the idiotic things she did, spurred on by Ian's encouragement, made me want to slap some sense into her.

My genuine disgust must have been apparent, because Grace looked up at the ceiling, pondering my answer, then nodded.

"Then I have no reason to refuse your offer. Besides, I can't turn away someone who needs my help."

"Thank you."

I expressed my sincere gratitude.

For once, her meddling nature was actually helpful.

***

-Knock knock.

As Grace left after checking my injuries, a knock echoed from the door.

"Come in."

I sat up straight, hoping it was Lili, having heard about my recovery. But the person who entered was completely unexpected.

"…Headmaster?"

"How are you feeling, Berry?"

I couldn't just ignore the Headmaster, who had personally come to check on me. I moved my limbs, demonstrating my near-full recovery.

"As you can see."

"That's good to hear. I came to apologize for the incident, and to discuss compensation."

"Compensation?"

I feigned surprise, widening my eyes. The Headmaster nodded, pleased with my reaction.

I knew this was coming. Ian and Selina had gone through the same process. But I still had to act surprised. A casual "Oh, really?" would have been strange.

"Yes, we must properly compensate outstanding students who prevent potentially disastrous incidents. I hear you don't have a very good sword, despite being a swordsman."

"Well… that's true."

It would be strange for a commoner like me to carry a high-quality sword. I had seen plenty of good swords while raiding noble estates, but I couldn't bring myself to use them.

A sword…

This was different from Ian's reward. He had received a protective artifact, if I remembered correctly.

As I pondered my options, the Headmaster took a step closer.

"Lilisiana Yekaterina insisted that you receive full compensation. She said she didn't contribute anything."

"…Her Highness?"

The Headmaster nodded.

"So, we've decided to grant you the right to choose a sword from the academy's treasury… What do you say?"

"……I'm grateful for the offer."

Grateful, my ass.

I could barely suppress my grin.

Perhaps this was the result of me receiving the credit that was originally meant to be shared between Ian and Selina.

The academy's treasury. Something even Ian, the protagonist, only gained access to after defeating a powerful demon… and I, a mere freshman, was being offered the same privilege. My lips trembled with excitement.

The Headmaster, noticing my joy, smiled warmly.

"Then… when would you like to visit the treasury? If you're still recovering, we can wait…"

"I'll go now."

I couldn't postpone this. Who knew what kind of bizarre incident might occur and ruin my plans.

I jumped out of bed and followed the Headmaster to the academy's treasury.

Unaware of the unexpected discovery that awaited me.

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