30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 202

"-Miss Hayes Roche, you’ve applied for the history department. Is that correct?"

The woman with golden bobbed hair and striking blue eyes nodded immediately.

"More precisely, I have a deep interest in theology. My dream is to trace the miracles of the Great Light and follow in Their footsteps during Their earthly manifestation. I believe that the history department, with its extensive records and rich traditions, is the ideal place to achieve that goal."

"Oh."

The professor conducting the first interview for the history department let out an impressed hum.

Passionate students were always welcome in academia. Enthusiasm was a critical trait in the field of archaeology, and he was already considering asking if she had any interest in becoming a graduate student.

However, an interview alone couldn’t reveal everything about a candidate.

"So, let’s see how you do in the debate round."

"...Thank you!"

Unlike the swordsmanship or magic departments, practical evaluations for academic fields were primarily conducted through debates.

That meant she had effectively passed the first interview, and her face lit up with joy.

"I do hope you perform just as well in the practical exam."

Normally, the practical portion was held first, followed by interviews, but this year, the process had been reversed. It wasn’t unheard of—the format and sequence changed every year.

The professor, satisfied with his potential future graduate student, left first. The girl, still glowing with happiness, exited the interview room shortly after.

From there, she naturally made her way to the restroom, and once inside—

"—Too easy."

The smile vanished from her lips.

Her expression turned cold.

A smirk of contempt replaced her earlier excitement, and she realized just how smoothly things were going.

'So much for the Royal Academy being thorough and cunning. Turns out, they’re just naive.'

She had prepared extensively.

Yet, she hadn’t even needed half of her plans. Everything was proceeding far too smoothly, and she had no reason not to be pleased.

Still, one thing nagged at her.

'I never expected to run into a Class-1 Priority Threat this soon...'

Hayes Roche recalled the knight standing atop the platform.

Even while standing still, his sheer presence had overwhelmed an audience of thirty thousand.

'...Ihan Turtle.'

Most of his information was already etched into her mind.

[Age: 30]

[Place of Birth: A rural village between the central and western regions. Sold into slavery by his parents at a young age. His whereabouts remained unknown for fifteen years.]

[Reappeared as a mercenary in a small southern company. The unit was soon wiped out due to a betrayal by a noble house from Briton, leaving him as the sole survivor.]

[Reported the betrayal to the Mercenary Guild, leading to the annihilation of the noble family. He then settled in Pendragon and became a soldier. Soon after, war broke out.]

[One of the few survivors of the Southern Unification War, which had the highest casualty rate of any conflict in the last 300 years. Distinguished himself enough to be personally knighted by Transcendent Baltar Grace.]

[For three years after becoming a knight, little information was available. However, recent investigations suggest he is the same person as The Heartbreaker, the most feared 'Mage Hunter' and 'Slaver Executioner' in the South.]

[Even if he isn’t The Heartbreaker, his ability to stand against a Demon King-class fiend confirms he is an exceptionally dangerous combatant.]

[Ranked as a Class-1 Threat on the ten-tier scale. If confrontation occurs, maintaining a friendly relationship is a priority. If hostility arises—]

‘...Evacuation is strongly advised.’

"Hah, they weren’t exaggerating."

Hayes let out a dry laugh.

Recalling the intelligence her organization had gathered, she couldn’t help but agree.

Having seen him in person, she understood—he was a threat.

A monster beyond reason.

‘Not even the temple has someone that terrifying... oh.’

...Actually, that wasn’t true.

There was someone like that.

But ‘they’ were on her side. That made all the difference.

Having such a monster among the enemy, however, was downright horrifying.

She seriously considered following orders and fleeing immediately.

There was no way she could handle him.

That is, unless...

'At night, the situation changes.'

With the blessing her organization had given her, her [Mystic Power] would make her nearly invincible under the cover of darkness.

Especially against men.

"Huuh..."

Hayes took a deep breath, weighing her options.

And then, she made her decision.

'I’ll proceed with the mission.'

Given the nature of her assignment, passing the exams was non-negotiable.

'Escape is off the table. I’ll continue taking the tests.'

Running wasn’t necessarily a bad option, but if she fled now, she would lose everything.

And the organization... wouldn’t have any use for a failure.

Being deemed disposable was worse than death.

Even if that knight suspected her, there was no way he could do anything to an applicant.

...Right?

Hayes was certain—

That knight was bound by honor.

As an instructor, as a knight, he couldn’t harm an examinee.

She was sure of it—

—Click.

"......."

"I’ll ask the questions. Every time you take more than a second to answer, I’ll pull the trigger without hesitation. But don’t worry. You won’t die immediately."

"Wh... Who are you...?"

"The Incubus Factor won’t let you die so easily, will it? ...The one you stole from me."

"You’re...!"

"Nightmares don’t die easily from gunshots, do they?"

The cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of her head.

A woman, her voice calm yet unnervingly unstable, stood behind her.

Judia Pierre’s eerie golden eyes glowed with chilling malice.

Hayes broke into a cold sweat.

"Y-You’re making a mistake, Father Pierre. This will only cause you trouble."

Though momentarily shaken, Hayes quickly regained her composure.

Even with a gun against her skull, she refused to back down.

That alone proved her sheer nerve.

But—

"You don’t seem to understand your situation."

BANG!

She had picked the wrong opponent for a battle of wills.

An Inquisitor.

They didn’t waste time on emotions or negotiations.

They were the temple’s assassins, trained to eliminate anything that defied the Light.

The trigger was pulled without hesitation.

Hayes’s head should have exploded.

"Khh...!"

...But it didn’t.

It looked like it would, but it didn’t.

Not because the bullet was weak.

But because bullets alone couldn’t pierce a Nightmare’s skull.

"A Nightmare’s body is fluid. It exists, yet it cannot be touched—an enigma of flesh and shadow."

"Urgh...!"

"That’s why most physical attacks are ineffective. They regenerate and adapt."

Click.

Judia Pierre spoke matter-of-factly, but despite her calm tone, her eyes burned with rage.