Chapter 84

Chloe stood there with her mouth agape, unable to process what was happening before her eyes.

This phenomenon was far too staggering to be written off as mere “cultivation.” The sudden revelation of the girl’s inhuman beauty, too, was beyond her comprehension.

As she stood there speechless, the maid next to her came to her senses and, alongside the janitor who had rushed over, began to shake the candidate named Elma back and forth.

“Elma…! You! You, you, you…!”

“What did you do to make the arena shatter like this!?”

It seemed that even they were unable to form coherent sentences. Being accused in broken fragments, Elma took on a slightly puzzled expression.

“Eh…? I only behaved exactly like everyone else…”

“You see this half-destroyed arena and feel no doubt at all!? Even though plants are sprouting everywhere, bursting through the earth and crushing the cobblestones!?”

“Well… my father, Gluttony, used to completely demolish buildings all the time, so I figured a mess like this could be renovated in a few hours. Besides—”

To Chloe’s horror, the girl then turned toward her, looking up with a slightly pleading gaze.

“Normally, if you sing from the heart, plants grow well, don’t they?”

They don’t!

For the first time in her life, the concept of a “straight-man retort” took root in Chloe’s heart. However, due to her own timid nature—and the overwhelming beauty of Elma’s staring eyes—Chloe could only manage a frightened stammer.

“Is… is that… how it is… I wonder…?”

She was on the verge of tears. What on earth was she getting dragged into?

Ignoring Chloe’s inner turmoil, Elma leaned in to peer intently at the pot. She let out a sigh of admiration at the magnificent Alloro tree—which had grown even larger after taking a “stray hit” from Elma’s singing voice.

“Splendid. Without getting the other weeds and plants involved, only the Alloro has grown so grandly. And this branch structure, the shape of the leaves, the texture of the bark—I can feel an organic worldview here, akin to the essence of a BONSAI that composes a microcosm.”

“U-um…?”

She seemed to be receiving praise, but she had absolutely no idea what most of those words meant.

“Actually… this wasn’t really my singing voice, it was… more like it just reacted to your Elixir and your song… probably…”

“Elixir?”

As Chloe forced the point through her stammers, the other girl tilted her head in confusion. When Chloe added that it had been in the glass vial, the girl finally let out an “Ah” of understanding and began to scan the ground.

It appeared that her cloth bag, which should have been tucked away, had been flung somewhere by the impact of the shattering cobblestones. Looking around, several other candidates had completely lost their strength or had their feet caught in roots, falling onto their backsides.

Right then—

“Ky—Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

A high-pitched scream rang out, causing everyone to turn quickly.

There, surrounded by several followers, was the flashy girl—Chloe’s half-sister, Luana. She was pale, collapsed on the stones, unable to move. More accurately, her legs were being ensnared by something like a vine growing out of a rectangular slip of paper.

“What is that…?”

“Looking at the shape of the vines, it appears to be a portion of the World Tree. I feel as though I’ve seen it before.”

Elma calmly picked up on Lucas’s muttered question.

“I believe they say it possesses mystical power; in the old days, paper made from its fibers was used for contracts and the like. Due to over-harvesting, it was designated as an endangered species and is now strictly protected, supposedly only found deep within the Great Forest.”

“Why would something like that be here?”

“I wonder.”

Elma started to tilt her head, then muttered an “Oh.”

Right next to where Luana had fallen sat the medicine vial, which had only been lightly capped. The contents were almost gone—and looking closely, the rectangular slip of paper was soaking wet.

It was obvious to anyone that the document, made of World Tree fibers, had undergone abnormal growth after being doused in the medicine, partially reverting to its original form.

“As expected of my Big Brother Greed.”

“So, that’s an illegal contract made from the World Tree.”

From the corners of the paper, writhing World Tree vines were extending, attempting to bind the ashen-faced Luana.

Lucas suddenly remembered that his current role was that of a janitor. Offering a quick “Excuse me,” he stepped forward and swiftly peeled the vines away.

“I will be taking custody of this on behalf of the management, strictly for the purpose of arena maintenance— …Hm? ‘Whore’s Disease’?”

“Wa… wait! Give that back!”

Lucas’s brows knit as he spotted the disturbing term written across a section near the base of the vines that still retained its shape as a slip of paper. Ignoring Luana’s attempt to stop him, he scanned the contents of the contract right there on the spot.

“…What is the meaning of this?”

His voice dropped low, driven by the chivalrous instinct to protect the weak. Luana gasped, her breath catching in her throat.

At that point, the other janitors and organizers, finally snapping out of their stupor, began to swarm onto the stage. Among them were Raul and Gino, who had rushed over out of concern for Chloe. They cast awe-struck glances at the plants gathered around Elma’s pot before turning their eyes toward Luana, who was still entangled by Elma’s handiwork.

Exposed to their collective, harsh scrutiny, Luana seemed to spiral into a panic. Her face contorted, and perhaps out of sheer desperation, she began to shriek from her position on the ground.

“What do you think it means!? I—I simply wrote down the facts! I’m just making sure that stray cat over there doesn’t accidentally become a Saint…!”

“…What did you say?”

Realizing that the slur was directed at the pale, trembling Chloe, Raul and Gino’s faces instantly hardened.

However, that seemed to be the final snap for Luana’s composure. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and she spat as she hurled her insults.

“A stray cat! A stray cat, I say! Chloe, the daughter of that filthy whore who stole my father from me and my mother! The mere fact that I share blood with such a girl is revolting, yet she thinks she can be a Saint!? But… but God was watching. That’s why that vixen was discarded by my father, and why she contracted that hideous illness. The Whore’s Disease!”

“Whore’s Disease…?”

The crowd, which had been watching the raving Luana with stern eyes, wavered at her final words. Such was the power of that name; it was a term that pulled a visceral sense of loathing from the people.

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Luana pushed her advantage, her voice growing even more shrill.

“Yes, that’s right, the Whore’s Disease! A punishment from God given to unchaste harlots—a terrifying sickness that steals one’s sight! Do you think God would allow the daughter of a wench with such a disease to become a Saint? No, He never would! That is why I, as a good believer and a citizen, took measures to stop Chloe’s insolence—and that is what that contract is for!”

As she made her claim, she seemed to convince herself of her own righteousness. Her demeanor gradually shifted to one of arrogance, while Chloe turned deathly pale.

The students and spectators looked between the two with confusion. It was clear that Luana had forced a contract upon Chloe, the top candidate, to impose some sort of restriction. It was undeniably despicable, especially considering the use of illegal World Tree fibers—a shameful act for any candidate.

But, if Chloe’s mother really suffered from that hideous disease—the “Divine Punishment” known as the Whore’s Disease…

“Ch… Chloe. Is it true…!?”

Gino eventually spoke up, his voice hesitant. Chloe gripped her fists, her eyes brimming with tears, causing Gino to recoil into a grim silence. A moment later, however, he found his resolve and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“—Even so! Trying to threaten someone into obedience like that… that’s the most cowardly thing I’ve ever heard! Chloe isn’t to blame! The one who caught that disease… was her mother, and only her mother…”

“He’s right.”

Raul nodded firmly. Standing as if to shield Chloe, he glared at the crowd with a sharp, noble gaze.

“The mother’s illness and Chloe should be considered entirely separate matters. The ones whose actions deserve scrutiny are Luana and the mother—”

“Is that so?”

A cool, quiet voice rang out through the arena.

The sound slid effortlessly into the ears of everyone present. As people turned in surprise, they saw the stunningly beautiful girl standing there, her rich black hair flowing over her shoulders. She turned her head slightly and addressed the plain-looking janitor holding the contract with a detached tone.

“Den… Mr. Janitor, I suspect you might be knowledgeable on the subject, so I ask: is this ‘Whore’s Disease’ a type of venereal disease?”

“…I find it regrettable that you assume I am an expert… yes, quite regrettable… but yes, it is.”

The janitor emphasized his disclaimer for some reason before giving a nod.

“It is a disease where the limbs fester and vision fails, eventually leading to blindness. Since it supposedly only manifests in women and is difficult to treat even with healing arts, it is referred to by that derogatory name here in Aurelia. I only know this as a matter of general knowledge, I should add.”

“I see.”

Elma breezily ignored his defensive follow-up and gave a solemn nod.

“In that case—I can only say that this is truly the absolute lowest.”

The crowd flinched at her low, definitive tone. Gino and Raul, suddenly incensed, stepped in front of Chloe and shouted at Elma.

“What do you mean by that!? Are you saying this is Chloe’s fault!?”

“If you intend to insult her, we will not stand idly by.”

“Eh? Oh, no.”

She brushed off their hot-blooded posturing with ease, only to drop an absolute bombshell.

“The one at fault isn’t Chloe or her mother. It is, of course, the husband—no, the flea-dropping of a man who used her mother and then threw her away.”