Yes, you heard right.
Silvia, a Candidate Saintess of the Goddess of Light, would be kidnapped by a believer of that same goddess.
It sounded incredibly ironic and absurd.
In the original game, although the high-ranking members of the Holy Church of Light had not officially announced Silvia's status as a Candidate Saintess, her pure Light-attribute magic displayed during the Placement Exam—far exceeding that of an ordinary believer—should have been enough for that deputy professor to realize Silvia's special status.
Yet, she went through with the kidnapping anyway.
The game never explicitly explained the deputy professor's specific motive even after the event ended, and the Holy Church of Light imposed a gag order on the matter.
Because of this, the mainstream theory in the player community was that it involved a faction within the Holy Church of Light opposing Silvia—specifically, the faction of the current Saintess.
It was highly likely that the current Saintess used the name of the Goddess of Light to convey false information or instructions to this devout but perhaps paranoid deputy professor, inducing her to commit such a reckless act.
Consequently, most players believed this event was not only a key node for raising Silvia's affection but also a hint to the player:
The Holy Church of Light, which seemed to be on the same side as the protagonist, was not a monolith and could even become a potential enemy in the future.
Looking at the late-game plot of the original work, this was indeed a form of foreshadowing and a warning.
But Greg had his doubts about whether the current Saintess had actually ordered it.
According to the original plot, around Chapter Three, players would meet the current Saintess.
The impression she gave was indeed one of paranoia, fanaticism, and even a bit of hysteria; her faith in the Light had reached a point of near-distortion.
However, Greg had developed an intuition through multiple playthroughs: while that Saintess was crazy, her faith was genuine—pure to an extreme, even.
She might use extreme measures to purify heretics or the unclean, but framing another God-blessed under the goddess's name?
That seemed subtly contradictory to her twisted but honest logic of faith.
Greg was more inclined to believe the true mastermind behind this was someone from another faction within the Holy Church of Light, or perhaps... another force hostile to the church trying to stir up trouble.
And that deputy professor was likely just a pawn being used.
"Sigh..."
Greg let out a helpless sigh, his gaze fixed on the ceiling of the tent as if he could see through the canvas into the void of darkness.
"Digging for the truth behind this feels like too much trouble; there's too much involved... and most importantly—"
His voice took on a hint of frustration.
"This matter was originally supposed to be stopped and resolved by that damn gray-haired brat!"
According to the original plot, when Silvia was kidnapped, Victoria lived in the dormitory room right next to her.
It was Victoria who first noticed the anomaly, tracked the clues, and ultimately rescued Silvia, which significantly deepened their bond.
This was a scene belonging to the Hero.
However, the reality was that Greg had secretly visited Victoria again last night.
He learned from her that because her shoulder injury was quite serious, she would need at least three more days before being discharged.
This meant that when the kidnapping event occurred tomorrow night, the protagonist Victoria, who should have been there, would perfectly miss it because she was stuck in a hospital bed.
Thus, there seemed to be only one candidate left for the role of the hero saving the beauty.
He had to step up himself.
"Whatever... Silvia did accompany me to clear the first layer of the dungeon and almost ran into danger... even if the process was a bit warped, she did help in the end. I'll just consider this as returning the favor."
Greg scratched his head and quickly convinced himself.
Moreover, he knew exactly how the script of the event would unfold.
He knew the timing of the deputy professor's kidnapping, the method, and even the temporary location where Silvia would be hidden.
To minimize trouble and avoid too many unplanned entanglements with the heroines—which might lead to the plot completely breaking down—Greg decided to take the most direct and efficient approach:
He would secretly resolve the problem before the deputy professor successfully took Silvia away.
This way, he would save Silvia while keeping the impact on the plot to a minimum.
"Well then..."
Greg closed his eyes, going over the steps for tomorrow's operation one last time in his mind.
"Time to get some rest and recharge. I'll wait for tomorrow night... to act."
Since he had been busy lately, the sound of steady breathing soon filled the small tent, blending into the eternal silence of the dungeon's shallow layers.
...
Glory Cael Magic Academy, Faculty Housing Area.
Unlike the collective dormitory buildings where students lived, the academy provided formal faculty members with detached, single-story buildings in a quiet area on the west side of the campus, taking into account academic privacy, independent research space, and their status.
These houses were uniform in style, featuring small front yards and appropriate distances from each other, ensuring both privacy and a sense of community.
Currently, in one of these houses numbered 7B, the light shining from the study window stood out in the deep night, carrying an unusual sense of tension.
The interior was simply furnished, matching the tidiness expected of a scholar.
Bookshelves against the walls were packed with various magic texts and documents, and unfinished papers and notes were spread across the desk.
The air was filled with the scent of old pages and cheap ink, mixed with a faint, stifling quality because the owner, in her agitation, had failed to ventilate the room.
Audrey Hope, a Deputy Professor in the Department of Magic History, stood before the desk.
She was about thirty years old, her face still refined, but long hours of desk work and overthinking had etched fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Her brown hair was pulled back into a meticulous bun, and she wore a slightly worn, dark brown professor's robe.
However, there was no scholarly composure or authority on her face right now; only a nearly humble longing and a deep, restless anxiety.
Her gaze was not on the documents on the desk but was locked onto the center of the tabletop.
There sat a bird.
It was a pitch-black crow, slightly larger than a normal one, its feathers gleaming with a dark luster that seemed to absorb the light in the room.
Most eerie were its eyes, which weren't the usual round shape for a bird but were slightly narrow, with two points of extremely ominous, dark red light flickering deep within the pupils.
It stood quietly on the desk, tilting its head as it watched Audrey with those non-human eyes.
Facing this bizarre bird, Audrey, despite being a deputy professor, held herself extremely low, her hands tensely clasped in front of her, her knuckles white from the pressure.
"If... if I do as you say... will my son... will he really... really gain magic talent?"
Rate on N.U.
