"......?"Simon was flustered by the sudden proposal. Lete set down a dish, a sly smile playing on her lips."Why? Scared?""No, it's not that."A duel with the benefactor who saved his parents' lives. If they were caught, it wouldn't end with just a scolding, but Simon felt a pure surge of excitement.Kizen's biggest assignment for this vacation was 'competitiveness in anti-Priest warfare'.If he had a chance to fight Efnel's top first-year student, wouldn't he gain many hints?"Where's the place?"He decided to at least ask."Teacher Anna would worry. Somewhere a bit far from here would be fine, wouldn't it?"Lete replied in her characteristic cynical voice as she wiped a dish."But are you sure? I have a rather peculiar constitution.""Ah, you're spouting nonsense again."She glared at him, growling."Are you acting like this because you were fine after getting hit by a divine attack earlier? You're really dead."When she said that much, Simon couldn't help but feel his competitive spirit ignite."Maybe if I break that spirit, she'll become more docile.""What?! Docile?! You, follow me outside right now...!"Swoosh.Suddenly, a touch on their shoulders startled both of them. They creaked like broken dolls and turned around."You two, just now."Anna's smiling face was visible."Could I hear what you were talking about?"In the end, both of them were called into the inner room and scolded severely.A new forbidden word was born in the Pollentia Family. The very word 'duel' could no longer be uttered in this house.***Crackling.After a full dinner, the dishes were done. Simon, seated on the sofa in front of the crackling fireplace, had taken out his Jet Black Mechanics assignment and was working on it.He tapped the empty space on the paper with his quill pen, then reluctantly began to write down the answer.It was hard to concentrate. Perhaps because he had just eaten, he felt full and sleepy.'It's better to do it tomorrow.'Simon closed his assignment and yawned when Lete, in her pajamas, came out into the living room."Oh? Those clothes...""Yes, as you can see, Teacher Anna lent them to me. Do they suit me?"She said, twirling around in place.Thinking that she had a more age-appropriate girlish side than he expected, Simon replied."Yes. They su...""Shut up. I don't want to hear such things from the likes of you."What was he supposed to do?"More importantly, Teacher Anna said she's thirsty. Please bring two glasses of water."Lete said only that and whisked into the inner room.Thinking that if she weren't his parents' savior, he'd punch her, Simon got up."Ah."Before he had taken a few steps, Lete peeked her head out of the inner room again."Just in case, you wouldn't really just bring plain water, would you? I trust even trashy Necromancers have the sense to bring fruit on a tray.""......You, you really..."Lete darted back into the inner room as if she wouldn't listen to any rebuttal. And from beyond the wall, he could hear her whining and pestering Anna."Haa."Lete was a precious guest. Simon sighed and was about to go get the fruit when."Hey."Lete suddenly popped her head out again."If you spit in the water, I'll kill you.""......."She pointed her index and middle fingers at her own eyes, then at Simon, as if to say she was watching him, and then went back into the inner room.'The character education of students is urgently needed. Efnel faculty members.'Simon did as he was told, drawing two glasses of water and carefully peeling and preparing fruit, then went to the inner room.There, he saw Anna lying in bed, smiling, and Lete, lying prone in her pajamas, swinging her legs and chattering away. When Anna stroked her head, Lete grinned like a puppy. 'Why do I feel like my mom has been stolen?'Simon was setting down the tray with a displeased expression when Lete sharply turned her head."Are you entering a woman's room without knocking? You have no manners. It seems Kizen needs etiquette education more urgently than dark magic.""......No, the door was open.""Don't be so harsh, Lete.""Yes, Teacher~"Lete showed a surprising change in attitude and buried her face in Anna's chest.Simon, now accustomed to it, turned to walk out of the room."Sleep well, my son."Anna said with a gentle smile. Only then did a faint smile appear on Simon's lips."Good night, Mom."***Simon was walking through the Kizen campus.Familiar scenery, familiar alleys, people in familiar attire.As he walked along, lost in thought, someone called his name.He looked up to see Mei-rin waving from a second-story window. Her club friends were beside her.The moment Simon raised his arm to wave back.Bang!The building exploded. Mei-rin's body inside crumbled without a trace.This time, he heard boisterous laughter from behind him.Simon quickly turned around to see Dick gathering Class A students, giving a speech, and cackling. Simon ran towards them, shouting for them to run away.Bang!The building collapsed, burying Dick and the Class A students under a pile of rubble, making them disappear.Simon stared at the sight, dumbfounded. He couldn't do anything.'Ah.'This time, Kamibarez was staggering towards him from the darkness, seemingly injured.'No. Kami!'He had to save her this time. Simon gritted his teeth and ran, embracing her.Crunch!She bit Simon's arm. She had turned into a zombie, her entire body pale gray.Simon's pupils trembled.Thwack!Finally.A black cross pierced through Simon and Kamibarez's bodies.Simon coughed up blood and looked back.Click-clack.Footsteps echoed. A red-haired woman in a black suit looked down at them.[Excessive curiosity kills the cat.]Around her, white flames surged like a massive tidal wave. The White Flame devoured everything in Kizen as it approached.[You should have left Kizen then.]This world was covered in white flames, annihilating Simon's precious people one by one.Simon screamed."......Haaah!"He woke up, bolting upright.He looked around and saw it was his own room. His entire body was drenched in sweat. His back was soaked. 'It was a dream. It's all in the past, so why such a nightmare...?'Simon suddenly felt his throat burning and got out of bed, heading to the living room.His room was on the second floor. As he descended the creaking stairs, his face felt hot. 'Why is it so hot?'And when he reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the living room.Whoosh!The entire living room was engulfed in pure white flames.This felt so unreal, like an extension of his dream. The ceiling was collapsing, the walls of the house were burning down, and through the gaping holes, he could see the night sky."......Ah."There was no mistake.This was Flema's White Flame.On the living room floor, Lete was sitting blankly. Simon quickly ran to her and shook her shoulder."What's wrong? Lete! What happened?"She pointed a trembling finger towards the inner room."Teacher Anna...""!"Whoosh!Anna was burning in White Flame. She screamed in pain and thrashed her body. Every time she moved, the White Flame moved with her, spreading fire throughout the house."Mom!"Overwhelmed by a massive shock, Simon's mind began to race quickly.Did Flema somehow survive and attack their house for revenge? No. Neptis wouldn't make such a mistake. And no matter how he looked at it, this wasn't Flema's attack; it looked like Anna herself was generating the White Flame.Then, was Lete actually the mastermind? That didn't seem right either; there was no pretense in her appearance, sitting on the floor, utterly drained of strength, crying out for her teacher."Both of you, step back."Whoooosh!A jet-black magic circle spread throughout the entire house.<Seal of the Demon Coffin>A large coffin appeared above the magic circle, with jet-black cloths fluttering from it."Hmph!"Richard swung both arms. The black cloths flowing from the coffin approached Anna."Wait! Are you crazy?"Lete rushed forward and grabbed Richard by the collar."Teacher Anna is a Priest! What do you intend to do with Jet Black?""White Flame is the Saint's technique. It's a power that burns Jet Black."Richard said calmly."At times like this, the only way is to inject the opposing element, Jet Black, to suppress the White Flame's momentum.""......."Lete had already tried every divine magic, blessing, and healing spell she could, but it was useless.Finally, she let go of Richard's collar and stepped back.Swish!Following Richard's command, the black cloths wrapped around Anna's body. The White Flame immediately rose and burned the cloths, but even as the cloths burned away, more continuously flowed from the coffin, tightly wrapping around Anna's body.The White Flame burning the cloths, and the cloths wrapping Anna, repeated countless times.In the end, this battle was Richard's victory. The flames slowly subsided, and Anna's body became like a mummy, wrapped in bandages with only her face visible.Her face looked incredibly strained. Simon bit his lip, and Lete turned her head, unable to bear the sight."I'm sorry, Anna. I will seal you."Sliiiide.As countless sealing formulas were carved onto the cloths wrapping Anna's body, the White Flame's intensity weakened. Richard let out a deep breath and carefully approached, laying Anna down on the floor."Teacher Anna!!"Lete rushed over, tears streaming down her face. Though her entire body was wrapped in bandages with only her face visible, Anna smiled with a strained expression."I'm fine, Lete.""H-Perhaps it's because of me... Is there something wrong with the medicine I brought...?""No, it's not your fault."She shook her head, then looked past Lete."My son."Thud.Simon, his legs giving out, also knelt on one knee, swaying."......Mom.""I'm sorry for showing you such weakness after you've come home after so long."Simon smiled at her with difficulty, but with all his might."I'm fine. Please rest well, Mom."Anna then slowly closed her eyes. Richard, looking visibly exhausted, surveyed the burnt-out house and said."Let's move to another place to talk.".***Leaving the burnt wooden house, Richard headed to Charles's house.It was close to Simon's house, and next to Charles's house was an empty building used as an annex. They decided to stay there for a while. "It was a sudden request, but thank you for accommodating us, Lord!""Not at all, my Lord! You can stay as long as you wish. I cleaned it thoroughly last week, so it should be spotless!"Richard, having spoken with Charles, entered the building.Anna, her entire body tightly wrapped in black bandages, lay asleep on the bed. Simon and Lete sat in front of her, their faces filled with worry."Please tell us, Father."Simon said with a firm expression."What happened to Mom?""......Yes."Richard closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Then, with a serious expression, he said."Anna has become the Saint of Purification."
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