Chapter 51: The Danger of the Eldritch Godness and the Witch

Claudia grinned eerily at me.

"Do you still have something to say? I’ll hear you out, if only as a formality."

I kept my expression blank as I spoke. Honestly, I’d rather not get involved with Claudia. Sure, she was the one who took my first kiss, but ever since then, she’s done nothing but cause trouble.

"It would be a shame if the Null Star Wisdom Cult were to halt their pursuit. Truly. I still want to know more—what you are, how your knowledge, your intellect, your ideology will guide us."

As she spoke, Claudia stepped closer.

"What if I asked you to stop?"

"Asked me? You? Begging mere humans, when we must be beneath your notice? Would an elephant plead with an ant to 'make way'? And even if it did, would the ant oblige?"

"Then what if I ordered you?"

"That changes nothing. If you wish to impose your will, you must force it upon others."

"I don’t like resorting to violence."

No one ever listens to me. Some Eldritch Godness I am—what a joke!

"Very well. I’ve thought of something amusing—something that might even entertain you."

"Whatever it is, I doubt it’s anything good."

"Who can say? Consider it my gift to you, Iris… or should I say, Ililith? You are greatness incarnate, the ideal we strive toward. We have always awaited what you bring—past, present, and future. Hee hee hee…!"

With that, Claudia vanished into thin air again.

"I’ve got a bad feeling about this…"

Who should I even talk to about this? Maybe Elizabeth and the others from the Rosenkreuz Society could handle it?

"Either way, I should probably consult them. Better safe than sorry."

Still lost in thought, I headed out to buy gifts for Frieda and Emilia—a high-quality fountain pen for Frieda and a unisex winter scarf (meant for couples) for Emilia.

I hope they’ll both like them!

With the gifts safely purchased, all that remained was to wait for the Golden Festival.

But before that, I decided to consult Elizabeth and the others about Claudia’s ominous warning.

"Elizabeth, do you have a moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss."

I approached her in the classroom.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Well, it’s about a certain witch…"

"I see. Let’s move somewhere else."

With that, Elizabeth led me to the student council room.

Today, it was empty—no Klaus, no Felix. Strange, considering the Golden Festival was approaching; surely the student council had work to do.

"You mentioned a witch. Has the Witch Association made contact?"

"Yes. Claudia approached me and left what sounded like a… threat. Something about causing trouble around me."

"Hmm. Claudia von Winterstein. The abhorrent Queen of Witches herself…"

Elizabeth fell into thought.

"How much do you know about her?"

"Just that she’s a huge pain…?"

"To a Divine Being like you, I suppose even a high-ranking witch is little more than a nuisance. Hardly a threat."

"N-no, she is a problem! More like… a massive inconvenience."

"For ordinary humans, being targeted by a witch like her is far worse than a mere ‘inconvenience.’ They’d be driven to madness, forced to endure fates worse than death. But I suppose that’s beneath your concern."

"…Is that so?"

I mean, Claudia’s never tried to kill me. She just keeps messing with people around me, and that’s the annoying part.

"Then her target this time isn’t you, but those close to you?"

"Given her past behavior, probably."

"Even a high-ranking witch would be foolish to confront a Divine Being directly. So yes, the humans around you make logical targets. Though it’s unusual for a Divine Being to interact with humans as you do—treating them as friends."

Elizabeth studied me carefully.

"Why do you, a Divine Being, pretend to be human? Why engage with them as equals?"

"Because that’s what matters to me. Even if it looks like I’m just playing human, this is important to me. That’s all I can say."

"I see. Frankly, even hearing that, I still don’t understand you—no, not you, but the Divine Being you are. To comprehend you might be tantamount to standing at the brink of madness. Perhaps it’s better this way."

"A grotesque pest mimicking human speech and behavior." That’s how Professor Matthias once described me. But I have no intention of dropping the act and embracing the true, deranged nature of a god.

"Let’s return to the matter at hand. We need a plan for Claudia’s next move."

"What should we do?"

"First, we warn those at risk. Aside from the School Investigation Team, who else is close to you?"

"Frieda isn’t part of the team, but she knows a little about my true nature."

"Then we include her. Anyone else?"

"Just my parents, I guess…"

"The Marquis and Marchioness of Lauenstein are, regrettably, beyond our protection. They’ll have to defend themselves."

"Claudia seemed on good terms with them, though."

I doubt she’d harm Father and Mother.

"Then we’ll gather the others, reveal your true nature, and urge caution. This means telling Emilia and Prince Leonhard as well. Are you prepared for that?"

"Yes. There’s no helping it now."

At this point, hiding out of self-preservation was pointless. I’d be leaving the academy in December anyway.

Besides, neither Emilia nor Leonhard seemed the type to blab about my identity. Probably.

"Then let’s summon them."

And so, the time had come to unveil the truth.

……………………