TLS 01

Chapter 1

“Don’t worry too much, Mother. We have a capable teacher with divine power at our academy.”

At the director’s gentle voice, Noah, who was standing awkwardly in one corner of the director’s office, smiled awkwardly.

The child, held by his mother’s hand, was desperately trying to touch the things in the director’s office. The mother’s expression as she tried to stop the child was almost heartbreaking.

“Priest Noah.”

At the director’s words, Noah stretched out one hand.

Even though she did not touch the child’s body, the child’s actions gradually became calmer.

The child no longer tried to run around the director’s office with his whole body like before. Only his fingers were moving busily.

“Did you see?”

A smile appeared on the director’s face.

The child’s mother also smiled.

“Then I’ll leave him in your care.”

The director’s hand became busy as she filled out the documents.

That was the moment a new child entered Noah’s class.

After showing her ability, Noah was on her way back to the classroom when she met Priest Ludia from the class next door.

Ludia looked at Noah’s face and asked worriedly.

“Another new student is coming?”

“Yes. Haha……”

A twitch appeared at the corner of Noah’s mouth as she answered with a smile.

Ludia patted Noah’s shoulder with a pitying expression.

“Stay strong, Priest Noah. It just means you’re doing such a good job.”

“I-I guess so? Haha……”

Noah Kaplan.

She had short pink hair and turquoise eyes, and she was one of the few people with divine abilities in the small city of Soal.

There were many different types of divine abilities, and Noah was a Controller.

A Controller was a person who could use divine power to heal people’s bodies and minds.

But that was just a fancy way of describing it. In reality, Controllers were known as one of the most useless types of divine ability.

Since they could control another person’s emotions, their ability was most effective at negotiation tables.

Unfortunately, Noah was somewhat lacking in talent when it came to languages.

And because she did not know any other language besides the Ariel Empire’s language, there was absolutely no chance of her sitting at a negotiation table.

So she was following the path that Controllers who could not make use of their abilities as diplomats often took.

That was becoming a teacher.

The Ariel Empire had ordered temples to be built in each region in order to strengthen its state religion, the faith of Elohim.

And next to the temples, they built academies. Noah was working as a teacher at one of those academies.

“Teacher! They’re fighting!”

“Nothing ever changes……”

At the early-sounding cry, Noah used her divine power. The children who had been fighting stopped their argument and began sitting down one by one.

“Hey, let’s take a break and fight again later!”

“Of course!”

Noah’s Controller ability was mainly useful for calming down troublesome children or making children who desperately tried to stay awake fall asleep.

This small ability was quite convenient for a teacher.

However, it was a little…… no, quite a lot, lacking and insignificant for proudly telling others, ‘I have this kind of divine power.’

Noah lost her parents to the Demon Dragon Iksas at the age of seventeen and survived alone.

Ironically, her ability awakened at that moment, and thanks to it, she was able to receive two years of free education at the Divine Power Training Center in the capital.

Losing her family had been a very sad thing, but Noah decided to think positively. It was because she had met Professor Dina Ehrenberg there, who was like both her teacher and her mother.

Thanks to her recommendation, Noah was also able to easily get a job at this Soal Academy.

That had already been two years ago.

‘I’ll build up a little more experience here and then return to the training center where my teacher is.’

After working as a teacher at an ordinary academy for three years, one became eligible to take the professor examination for the Divine Power Training Center.

That was what Noah was aiming for.

Then, one day.

While soothing the troublesome children, including the transfer student, and spending another monotonous day going around like a squirrel on a wheel, the director called for her.

Since it was almost time to leave work, Noah thought the director was probably going to apologize for making her work too hard lately.

At least, that was what she thought.

Until she heard what the director had to say.

In her innocence.

“Yes?”

Noah’s eyes became round with surprise.

“Let me say it again. The religious order is recruiting Controllers because they say there aren’t enough Controllers for the Urbas subjugation.”

“Uh, wait a moment.”

Noah carefully asked what the director meant as she thought over what she had just heard.

“That Urbas…… is it the Demon Dragon Urbas that I know? You mean Controllers are also going to the Urbas subjugation force?”

A Demon Dragon slept in the Urbas region.

Usually, Demon Dragons were named after the region where they were located, so the Demon Dragon there was called the Urbas Demon Dragon.

The Urbas Subjugation Force had been formed to defeat that Demon Dragon.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Um…… Director, I’m sorry, but I don’t think Controllers would be very useful in subjugating a Demon Dragon.”

“Well, that’s not for me to decide, is it? Also, I understand that the details about the Urbas subjugation have been kept secret.”

“……”

“And regardless of what kind of ability they have, there are fewer than ten Controllers in the entire Empire right now. They say they are recruiting all of those Controllers, so I can only assume that they have some kind of plan.”

“Um…… Isn’t Urbas extremely strong?”

“They will be moving together with the Holy Knights and high-ranking priests, so you don’t need to worry about your safety.”

Noah’s hands began to tremble.

It was only natural for her to feel afraid. Urbas was the same species as Iksas, the Demon Dragon that had harmed Noah’s parents.

“Uh, I……”

After Noah repeatedly hesitated, the director’s voice became a little stricter.

“Priest Noah Kaplan? As I understand it, upon graduating from the Divine Power Training Center, you swore an oath of loyalty to the country.”

You are in a position where you have to obey when you are told to obey.

That was what she meant.

“……Yes.”

When Noah answered in a small voice, the director finally nodded with a satisfied look.

“Priest Noah, you are someone who makes people feel comfortable, so I believe you will do well and return safely.”

“Yes.”

Noah smiled awkwardly.

Right. Since she was a Controller with no great ability, maybe she would be able to return quickly.

Honestly, why would they use such a useless Controller like her to kill a dragon? They would probably make her sit in the rear and keep watch. So there was no need to imagine unnecessary things!

Noah scratched the back of her neck and left the director’s office.

The next day.

Noah woke up before dawn and boarded a luggage wagon. Only after traveling for five hours did she reach Ir, a city slightly larger than Soal.

There, she rented another carriage and arrived at the city of Theron, three hours away. After spending a day at an inn, she boarded a train that ran using magical power.

‘I still have to travel four full hours before I finally reach the capital…….’

Noah had once been near the capital. The Divine Power Training Center where she had received two years of free education was located on the outskirts of the capital.

But this time, since she had been summoned by the Imperial Family, she had to go all the way to the center of the capital.

Perhaps because of that.

Much later, when Noah arrived at the ‘real capital’ where the Imperial Palace was located, she became completely intimidated.

The scenery of the capital was impressive enough, but the Imperial Palace she saw before her was incredibly grand and magnificent!

Even though she was holding the invitation given to her by the director, Noah was nervous, worried that the knight guarding the gate might refuse to let her in and drive her away.

‘M-Maybe they’re going to tell me to just go home?’

So when the knight checked her invitation and said, “Welcome to the Imperial Palace, Priest,” Noah felt as if she were dreaming.

However, the knight asked Noah to wait for a moment. He said that he would soon bring someone else to her.

‘Huh?’

At that moment, she began to think that something might have gone wrong.

Sure enough, after a short while, an extremely handsome man wearing the robes of a high-ranking priest approached, accompanied by several Holy Knights who gave off an unusual atmosphere at a glance.

Noah looked around, wondering if there was someone else besides her.

But no matter how much she looked around, there was only her.

Frightened in advance, Noah quickly bowed to the priest in front of her.

“G-Greetings. I’m Noah Kaplan, a teacher at the Soal Academy.”

She planned to straighten her back after the other person answered, but for some reason, no answer came.

“Your Eminence.”

Perhaps the sight of Noah continuing to bow was too pitiful to watch, because one of the Holy Knights called out to the priest.

“Ah……!”

Only then did the priest open his mouth.

“Greetings, Priest Noah Kaplan. I am Gabriel Schulmann, a Controller belonging to the Central Religious Order.”

‘Gabriel Schulmann?’

Come to think of it, the handsome priest had silver hair. His eyes were blue like a clear sky.

Above all, even a country girl like Noah could not help but know that name!

That ‘Gabriel Schulmann’ was this person?

Gabriel Schulmann.

A Controller more famous than the Emperor himself, and a crazy political strategist. An unparalleled genius who had never once lost the upper hand at any negotiation table!

Unlike other Controllers, he was exceptionally capable, and he was also highly trusted by the Pope. There were even rumors that he might soon become a cardinal.

‘Ah! The Holy Knight called him Your Eminence earlier. Has he already become a cardinal?’

Why would such an important person come all the way out to welcome someone as insignificant as a country girl like her?

This wasn’t being rejected at the door.

It was a huge welcome at the door!

“It’s, it’s an honor, Your Highness.”

Noah was so overwhelmed that she accidentally called him ‘Your Highness.’

“I am not a member of the Imperial Family.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I’m sorry……”

“Cardinals are usually called Your Eminence. But I also became a cardinal only recently, so I’m not used to the title yet.”

“C-Congratulations!”

Noah’s face turned red as if it might burst.

She had already made a mistake from the very beginning.

If this highly respected person found out that even her ability was insignificant, he might regret coming all the way here to welcome her.

A cardinal.

He really was someone impossibly high above her.

“Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you like this. It is rare to see someone with pink hair, so I was a little surprised.”

“I-Is that so? Ahaha……”

“A precious Controller who even has such a distinctive appearance. It is truly a blessing from the religious order.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Gabriel elegantly held out his hand to Noah, who was flustered because she was not used to receiving so many compliments.

The moment Noah saw Gabriel’s outstretched hand, she remembered the proper etiquette for a high-ranking clergy member. She had learned it at the Divine Power Training Center in the beginning, but it had been four years ago, so her memory was unclear.

‘When a high-ranking priest holds out his hand, am I supposed to kiss the back of it……?’