Four days had passed.

Not quietly.

Word of Charlotte's return to her rightful role as Saint had spread through Valon like wildfire, and every street Noel crossed made it clearer:

the city was changing.

Students in uniform whispered outside dorm entrances. Sisters in white robes exchanged excited smiles as they passed. Acolytes ran errands with renewed energy, speaking Charlotte's name with awe.

And beyond the academy walls, in the city itself…

People talked.

"She visited the West Orphanage at dawn."

"I heard she healed an elder's leg near the river quarter."

"No—listen—she personally carried supplies to the small chapel by the market!"

"I saw her helping a crying child by the fountain. She even stayed to pray with them."

Everywhere Noel went, he heard it.

The Saint was no longer a distant figurehead tucked away in temples.

She was walking the streets, speaking to citizens, touching lives one by one.

Charlotte had thrown herself into her calling with everything she had.

And the world responded.

Noel stood near one of the academy balconies, leaning on the railing as he watched the morning bustle below. Selene rested her chin on her hand beside him; Elena leaned forward with her elbows on the rail; Elyra stood just behind Noel, arms crossed but smiling softly.

Noir was curled around Noel's shoulder like a tiny shadowy scarf.

'They really love her,' Noir murmured in his mind.

"Of course they do," Noel said quietly. "She's doing what no Saint has done in decades."

Elena nodded. "She's been everywhere. Even the professors won't stop talking about her."

Selene added, "Some of the younger sisters were crying in the hallway this morning. They said they'd never felt so hopeful."

Elyra flicked her hair, thoughtful. "This will spread beyond Valon. People talk. Faith travels faster than letters."

Noel exhaled… and then—

A translucent window appeared in front of him.

[Mission Complete!!!!]

[Do not let the Holy Church fall into despair — SUCCESS

Reward Available: Claim?!?!?]

Noel didn't even blink.

"…Figures," he muttered. "Ahead of schedule again."

"Noel?" Selene asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he called back casually. "We completed the mission."

Silence.

Selene's eyes widened… and then she smiled.

Not the tiny, stiff smiles she used to force.

A real one.

Noel raised an eyebrow. "You're smiling a lot more lately."

Color rushed to Selene's cheeks. "I–Is that… a bad thing?"

He shook his head. "No. It looks good on you."

Selene covered half her face with her hand, flustered. "…Idiot."

Behind him, Elena whispered to Elyra, "She's getting better at this."

Elyra nodded approvingly.

Noir flicked her tail from Noel's shoulder. 'Dad made Selene blush. Again. Mission double complete.'

Noel ignored that and tapped the glowing window.

"Alright… claim."

The system shimmered — and a folded cloak materialized in his hands.

Dark. Lightweight. Woven with faint, living mana lines.

A protective relic.

Noel stared at it.

"…This is it? Seriously?" He sighed. "Okay, yeah, I know this mission wasn't exactly life-threatening, but just a cloak?"

Elena leaned in. "Is it at least good?"

"I don't know yet," Noel muttered. "But for a system reward… kinda underwhelming."

Before anyone could tease him further—

Noel's stomach twisted.

Hard.

"…Oh, come on—"

Selene blinked. "Noel?"

He straightened instantly, cloaking himself in dignity he absolutely did not have.

"I— uh— need to go. Right now."

He handed the cloak to Elyra, who caught it with a raised eyebrow.

"Noel?" Elena asked. "Are you—"

"Fine! Totally fine! I'll be right back."

And with that, Noel turned around and sprinted toward the bathroom down the hall, practically kicking the door shut behind him.

Noir sighed dramatically on his shoulder as she leapt off just before he ran. 'I swear, Dad… your timing is incredible.'

Noel sat there, elbows on his knees, staring at the tiled floor while trying to pretend this was not the most undignified moment to receive a divine mission reward.

The system window pulsed softly in front of him.

[item Identified]

Name: Veil of the Silent Sentinel

Type: Armor – Cloak

Grade: Unique

Description: A mantle woven from condensed mana threads. Adapts to the wearer's presence, concealing movement and absorbing killing intent. The stronger the enemy's hostility, the harder it becomes for them to strike true.

Status: Bound to User – Noel Thorne

Traits:

• Hostile Veil: Reduces detection from enemies actively seeking to harm the user.

• Silent Guard: Slightly diminishes incoming physical and magical damage when the user is caught off guard.

• Sentinel's Pulse: Reacts to lethal intent by reinforcing the cloak's mana barrier for one heartbeat.

Noel blinked.

"…Okay. That's not bad."

Actually — it was ridiculously good.

Just not what he wanted.

He leaned back against the cold wall, letting out a quiet sigh.

"What I needed," he muttered, "was mana core progression. I'm still stuck at seventeen percent to Archmage."

Noir's voice poked gently into his thoughts. 'Maybe the system thinks you're not ready yet.'

"Or maybe it just hates me.

He rubbed his face.

Archmage wasn't just a rank.

It was survival — especially with the Northern Isles looming ahead.

His mind drifted back to the shard they found in the Holy Capital.

A harmless crystal used as fuel.

Sold everywhere.

Traded across continents.

Except it wasn't harmless.

It carried the First Pillar's mana.

Noel's jaw tightened.

"If those shards are spread all over the world… and no one knows what they actually do…" He swallowed. "…this could get really bad."

They'd found only one.

How many others existed?

How many were already powering lamps, machinery, enchantments?

'Dad,' Noir murmured softly, 'don't spiral. We will find the truth.'

"I know. But the novel didn't mention this. At all." He stared at the floor. "So is this tied to the penultimate act? Or something that never got revealed…?"

He wished the system would give him the next mission already. Something to anchor him. Something to push toward.

But nothing came.

Just silence.

"…Great."

He stood slowly, flushing the toilet because dignity required it, even if nothing about this moment had dignity at all.

"We'll have to handle things here first," he muttered. "Then… the Northern Isles."

Noel stepped out of the bathroom, shaking off the last threads of unease. Cool hallway air met his face — a welcome contrast to the cramped, overthinking-filled silence he'd just escaped.

He adjusted his shirt, rolled his shoulders once, and with a flick of his wrist stored the cloak into his Dimensional Pouch. The Veil of the Silent Sentinel dissolved into a thin ripple of mana and vanished.

"Later," he muttered. "I'll test it later."

Noir stretched across his shoulder like a smug, living scarf.

'Good. You already look less miserable,' she commented.

"I wasn't miserable."

'You were spiraling. That counts.'

Noel ignored her and started walking. The academy's corridors were quieter than usual — early midday, most students were either in lecture halls or crowding the plaza to gossip about the Saint's rounds through the city. Even here, faint echoes of conversation drifted through the windows: Charlotte's name spoken with reverence, excitement, awe.

Noel couldn't help a small smile.

She'd done it — stabilized a continent's faith in under a week.

But now he needed to stabilize his thoughts.

He passed by a row of tall windows. Sunlight reflected against the polished floors, casting gold across the stone walls. Everything looked normal… deceptively normal.

'Dad,' Noir murmured, 'what's next?'

"No clue," he admitted. "No new mission. No deadline. Just… waiting."

'You hate waiting.'

"I really do."

He paused as a few first-year students passed him, whispering excitedly about Charlotte healing someone in the Lower Ward that morning. One girl noticed him and gasped — but Noel gave her a nod and kept moving before she worked up the courage to ask for a signature or something equally embarrassing.

He headed toward the Class S dorm wing.

Just before he reached the main lobby, Noir flicked her ear.

'Your heart feels lighter,' she said knowingly.

"Maybe," he muttered. "Maybe I'm just relieved this part is done."

A breath.

A small exhale.

"…Three days left. And then something else is going to happen. I can feel it."

But for now?

He straightened his posture and pushed open the door.

The next phase would begin soon — but at least he'd cleaned up, stored a unique cloak, and survived Noir's commentary.

One crisis at a time.

The door swung open into the Class S common hall — polished floors, tall windows, and the familiar morning buzz of elite students preparing for lecture.

Charlotte stood there waiting with the others, already in her academy uniform, hair tied neatly with a soft ribbon. Elena leaned beside her, adjusting her gloves; Selene stood with her usual calm detachment; Elyra twirled a small mana crystal between her fingers, shimmering with idle magic.

All four turned the moment Noel stepped in.

Charlotte beamed. "Perfect timing!"

Noel blinked. "You're… ready for class?"

"Of course," Charlotte said cheerfully.

He stared at her. Then at the other girls. Then back at her.

"…Seriously? After everything you're doing — the speeches, the doctrine change, the entire continent talking about you — you can just go to class like normal?"

Charlotte placed a hand on her hip, radiant with absolutely unjustified confidence.

"Noel," she said lightly, "I'm the Saint. The leading figure of the entire Holy Church." She tilted her head, pink hair swaying. "Do you really think I can't handle attending a lecture?"

Noel had no response.

He looked at her — the girl who had just reshaped faith across continents.

Then at Selene, who could freeze an army.

Then Elena, who could heal and break walls equally well.

Then Elyra, heir to the richest magical dynasty in existence.

Four girls.

Four terrifying, powerful, influential girls.

All of whom were dating him.

Noir flicked her tail smugly from his shoulder.

'You look pale, Dad. Realizing your life choices?'

Noel exhaled.

"…Right. Of course. You can handle anything."

Charlotte stepped closer, smiling brightly as she tugged gently on his sleeve.

"Then let's go together."

The four girls fell in beside him without hesitation — a formation so natural it seemed rehearsed.

And as they headed toward the lecture hall, Noel couldn't help thinking:

These might actually be the four most influential young women in the world — and they expect me to keep up.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.