Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 399 A Person in Despair
Ritas kept telling himself to calm down.

Miriam was his student simply because that's how Erles Academy arranged it. He didn't select him, nor did he choose him based on his gender, abilities, appearance, social status, or anything like that. Even though he was willing to teach more during those two semesters, it was still because of Miriam himself, not any of those additional factors.
So, at least on his side, there's nothing to be shaken about.

Miriam remains a member of the Yewwood Class, and nothing that previously connected them has changed.

He only changed his appearance slightly; we can't conclude that...
Speaking of which, with so many dorm rooms at Earls College, why did he, as a professor and class tutor, insist on sharing a room with a student?
Oh!
She is the goddess of bathing.

It was this utterly unreliable goddess who insisted on saying that Miriam would build a harem at the academy.
The seeds of all misfortune were sown from the very beginning. And ironically, the culprit behind it all was absent at that very moment.
Ritas stared silently at the white disc that had been silent for a while, then let out a long sigh.

No matter the occasion, he was a teacher, an adult. Therefore, he had to maintain the composure required of a mage, otherwise even he would start to feel helpless, let alone Miriam, and Eileen's condition would only worsen.

"So, you've been using this prop to conceal your identity all along?"

Looking at the magical prop suspended in mid-air, still displaying a spectacle resembling a total lunar eclipse, Ritas asked a question.

"It can even change the shape of the soul?"

"Yes."

Hearing that Ritas was already focusing on the most important things in his usual way, Eileen felt a mix of emotions.

On the one hand, as her attention began to shift, she felt somewhat "saved".

On the other hand, she was a little resentful that the professor's attitude hadn't changed much in the face of such a big matter.

Even if you're a little panicked or shocked, that's okay, right?
Could it be that only she believes she is hiding something of immense importance?

Is it because she feels that the secret she has spent a long time nurturing will cause quite a stir once it is revealed?
That's really annoying.
Do you know exactly what it is?

Ritas continued to inquire.

The true power of this "Miniature Moon" lies not only in its ability to alter the physical form over a long period, but also in its capacity to change the shape of the soul.

It could be said that if the original power hadn't forcibly separated Irene from the Miniature Moon, causing her appearance to be influenced by the fairy tale world, then she, with no flaws even in her soul, could have truly maintained the identity of "Miriam" forever.

No matter how obvious her words and actions may seem, there is absolutely no evidence to prove that her true identity is "Eileen".

etc.
Wasn't there someone who noticed Eileen's unusual condition in a particularly magical way before?

But did that person really figure it out, or was they just making it up?

"I actually don't know too well."

Seeing that Ritas had completely adopted a scholar's mode, Eileen also adjusted her shirt, twisted the hem, and tried her best to remain calm.

To prevent the miniature moon from being lost, Eileen beckoned the mysterious, seemingly sentient object to her side before putting it back into the pendant's storage space.

Having already made a decision in her heart, Eileen decided that now was the time to stop hiding anything and try to take a step forward. After sorting out her thoughts, she slowly began to recount everything she knew.

Currently located in the powerful nation of the southern part of the continent, within the territory of the Koscat Empire.

There is a territory called Ubia, which, apart from being called the "Ubia Theocracy," is no different from the ordinary territories of the Empire in terms of official appointments, taxation, and so on.

The church that mainly resides and operates in this Eubia territory is the Holy King Church from which Irene originated.

This somewhat peculiar church, which possesses the "Holy King Faith," serves the "World Tree," and arbitrarily regards the Tree Witch as its enemy, actually had its glorious years.

Legend has it that, if we trace back to its origins, the Church of the Holy King was able to rival the "Holy City of Vorgodo" on the other side of the continent.

However, at this point, even members of the church itself may not believe it.

In short, Miriam and Irene, who were adopted by the Church of the Holy King from a young age, have always lived in welfare facilities under its name.

Miriam and Irene were abandoned orphans. When they were abandoned, they had no identification or any related documents. Therefore, their relationship remains a mystery.

They might be twins, siblings, or even strangers who look alike but are not actually related by blood.

Because the overall situation of the Holy King Church was precarious, the living conditions at the orphanage were not much better. However, the staff at the orphanage were very kind and friendly. As a result, Miriam and Eileen grew up smoothly in the church, except for the occasional hunger.

Originally, if things had continued this way, Miriam and Irene would have simply become members of the church, perhaps even clergy or employees of other affiliated facilities, depending on their strengths.

But one day, three years before Eileen came to Earls College, their lives took a dramatic turn.

Within the Church of the Holy King, there was a rather famous "prophet," Empa.

Although this elderly woman, Empa, held the position of "Holy Priest" within the church, a rank somewhat below that of the head of the church, even the Pope himself would usually listen to and obey "Grandma Empa."

This very special and powerful figure summoned Miriam quite abruptly that day.

Completely bewildered, Miriam had no right to refuse and could only agree to meet Priest Empa. Accompanying Miriam, Eileen and the nuns from the orphanage also went to the temple where Priest Empa was located.

Irene doesn't know what the priest Empa said to Miriam alone that day.

She believed there shouldn't be any secrets between her and Miriam, so she asked Miriam about it. However, Miriam was vague and just scratched his head, unable to give a clear answer.

"That old woman must have gone mad. After seeing me, she kept shouting and yelling excitedly, and her words were broken and incoherent, so I couldn't understand what she was saying at all. Oh, and she seemed to have tried to grab my shoulder, but luckily I dodged in time!"

Miriam recounted the story with great pride.

After he finished speaking, the nun from the orphanage who had immediately grabbed his forehead with her hand lowered her hand after Miriam promised that she would never talk about the Holy Sacrifice again. She had a dangerous expression on her face with a smile but no real smile.

Since it was already late that day, Eileen and her group accepted the church staff's kindness and stayed overnight at the temple.

It was on this very night that something happened that Eileen still cannot accept or understand.

Let's explore the inside of the temple!

Eileen's memory of exactly what Miriam said was somewhat hazy. But that was roughly the gist of it.

Compared to the more mature Eileen, Miriam was like a child who hadn't grown up—or rather, a teenager who hadn't grown up. Therefore, more mischievous and more curious than ever before, he wanted to sneak into the temple at night. Unable to dissuade Miriam, Eileen could only reluctantly follow. At least, if anything happened, she could stop him in time.

Looking back now, Eileen realizes that the situation in the temple that night was actually very strange.

The temple was unusually quiet, as if there was no one else besides them. Wherever they went, it was dark, still, and empty.

Logically speaking, since some important church figures reside in the temple, there should be guards patrolling the temple even at night.

Unfortunately, looking back now, it's clearly too late.

At the time, Miriam and Irene, who were completely unaware of anything amiss and thought that "the legendary temple is nothing special," made their way to the core area of ​​the temple without any hindrance.

Then, suddenly, Eileen realized that Miriam, who hadn't made a sound for a long time, was nowhere to be seen.

His disappearance was so sudden, so strange, so silent.

At first, Eileen thought Miriam was lost and searched cautiously. But after searching for a long time, she became anxious and no longer cared about being exposed. She ran around the temple shouting Miriam's name while searching for her loved one like a headless fly.

After searching for an unknown amount of time, Eileen, exhausted and filled with panic and extreme fear, suddenly noticed something unusual in front of her.

That was probably a corner of the temple. And in that corner, there was a full-length mirror that was almost integrated into the wall.

For some reason, Eileen was drawn to the mirror and stared at it for a long time. To her surprise, she discovered that the scene reflected in the mirror was different from the real scene.

She was currently in a corner of the temple, a place that resembled a storage room. However, the background of her reflection in the mirror was an old, dilapidated building.

As if possessed, she reached out her hand towards the mirror. The moment Eileen's fingertips touched on both sides of the mirror, the scenery around her changed rapidly.

She actually entered the world inside the mirror.

It wasn't until much later that Eileen realized that the place she had mistakenly entered was the "holy land" of the Holy King Church.

Upon entering an unfamiliar landscape, Eileen's already overburdened mind went completely blank.

Eileen wanted to escape, but couldn't find a way out, and could only stand there blankly.

Until, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice drifted from the depths of the sacred land.

Eileen, acting almost instinctively, walked toward the source of the sound.

After passing through a long corridor, they entered a vast, open space. Eileen saw the Saintess's Tablet, which she would only later recall; the holy sword Kaom sealed in obsidian; and several other things.

Compared to all these wonderful things, all her attention was naturally focused on Miriam, who was kneeling on the ground with her hands covering her face.

Just as the voice gave Eileen a strange feeling, at this moment, Miriam's figure also felt both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

It had only been a few hours since they last met, but Miriam was now pale, his eyes were empty and lifeless, and his face was so thin and sunken that he was almost unrecognizable.

He knelt on the ground as if in despair and collapse, his hands covering his face trembling violently, as if he were still sobbing.

"How could this be? How could this happen? How could such a thing occur?"

"I didn't want it to be like this; I didn't know it would turn out this way."

"What should I do? What should I do?"

"Where...where am I? And why is this happening?"

Miriam, who kept talking to herself, showed a vulnerability that Eileen had never seen before, as if she had become a different person.

Even in this state, Miriam still noticed Eileen's approach immediately.

"Who?"

"Mimili"

The moment Miriam roared at her, Eileen felt a deep-seated fear. It was as if she had suddenly been targeted by a ferocious beast that had devoured countless people.

"Eileen?"

The moment he saw Eileen, the expression on Miriam's face seemed to melt away instantly. The intense killing intent that had been building up vanished completely.

"It was you all along. So that's how it is. So that's how it all happened."

Miriam, who was in a state of frenzy, kept muttering incessantly, as if in a dream.

After Miriam stopped radiating his captivating aura, Eileen mustered her courage and shouted,

"We've explored enough, haven't we? Let's hurry back, or the nun will get angry again."

"Go back where?! I can't go anywhere! My very existence is a calamity!"

Suddenly, Miriam, whose emotions were extremely unstable, roared angrily as if he had exploded.

After his outburst of rage, seeing the fear on Eileen's face, Miriam's expression was filled with pain once again.

His right hand was gripping his brow, his nails scratching deep into the ground, drawing blood.
"I'm sorry, no, that's not it. Ahhhhh... I... Ahhhhhhh—"

Miriam's face was half-covered in tears, as if he were about to break down uncontrollably. His words, broken and fragmented, formed a heartfelt plea.

"Please, Eileen, don't come any closer, don't touch me, don't keep looking at me. Because I... I'm not..."

Eileen didn't hear what Miriam said at the end.

As the footsteps of the belated church personnel echoed within the holy land, it was likely that Irene, who had been ambushed by Miriam, had her consciousness completely severed.

(End of this chapter)