A few days later, in the evening, Ciel returned from the "sacred place."
To summarize what Ciel said briefly, it was revealed that those who had achieved all three things had existed in the past, and they were never forced to serve the Illumi religion.
"Just, I don't understand it now. But if you're troubled about serving the Illumi religion, it's better to keep the ability to see fairies, hear voices, and see doors a secret," Ciel added.
"...Who said that?" asked Althea.
"The Sacred Sword. Well, it's a bit different from speaking, but... it's like it speaks to your mind?"
"Yes, it truly exists... The Sacred Sword, that's Lord Sol, right? Did Lord Sol himself say it's better to keep it a secret?"
"Yeah. Indeed, there is 'potential,' and it's 'a waste,' but... because everyone's happiness is different, you see. Regardless of whether there is 'potential' or not, everyone is a beloved child, so he said he wants them to be free and happy as they wish."
Upon hearing Ciel's words, Althea fell silent.
It's not that Althea dislikes serving the Illumi religion. Rather, now that she knows that the Illumi religion's Lord Sol, Lord Clair, and Lady Stella, whom the Illumi religion worships, are the origins of the beloved "Two Maidens" story, she's somewhat interested.
But...
Actually, a few days before Ciel's return, Althea had been summoned by Regalus. Although Siegfried was also present, it seemed that Regalus knew about Althea hearing "something" and seeing "doors" since her childhood. And both of them advised her to keep seeing and hearing a secret and that they didn't want her to cease being their sister.
The price of her newfound interest, learned before class, was too great for Althea, who had been loved and raised by her family within the territory.
Ciel spoke to the silently troubled Althea.
"Althea, if you're troubled, I think it's better to keep it a secret for now. When you feel like it's okay to say, then say it."
"...Is that really okay?"
"Yeah. Because if you were to say 'I can see and hear,' then there might be no other path left, right? That's... not what the Sacred Sword wants."
"Not what it wants...?"
"He said he wants everyone to be free and happy as they wish, right? If others decide the path for Althea who's troubled, then it's not freedom, and it's uncertain whether she'll be happy, right?"
"..."
"When Althea wants to say it, she should say it. Because... it's freedom."
With a smile, Ciel disappeared.
"Freedom... When will I announce it, my freedom..."
Alone in the room where Ciel disappeared, Althea muttered.
After much agonizing, she decided not to announce it now.
Honestly, she's still wavering. She wondered if not saying it would be a betrayal to the Illumi religion and, ultimately, to her idol, the Two Maidens.
What pushed Althea forward was a letter from the Pope. It arrived the day before the second history class.
"Congratulations on your enrollment.
Perhaps, every time you gain knowledge at the academy, you'll be troubled. I took up my pen thinking so. Miss Monclair, it's wonderful to be honest, but it's not necessarily right. Only the results know whether it's right or not. I believe you should reveal your secret when the time is right. Actually, since that night, I haven't told anyone about your true magical power. Neither to His Majesty nor to the Headmaster. Generally, this goes against being honest. However, I'm still on the papal throne. I believe this is the will of Lord Sol.
Please, don't be confined to being honest, but think about what you want, and enjoy your limited time at the academy freely."
And the next day after she made up her mind, the second history class by the Headmaster began.
The class was conducted in a questioning format from the beginning.
Students raised their hands, asked questions, and the Headmaster answered. For some reason, the history teacher participated on the questioning side alongside the students, but no one questioned it.
The questions ranged from the Headmaster's favorite type of woman to the sacred place and Lord Sol's sword.
As the class progressed into its latter half, a student asked about the criteria for selecting the Headmaster and the Pope.
After a moment of thought, the Headmaster responded, "There are no specific selection criteria. Anyone serving the Illumi religion is given that authority. If we were to speak of criteria, it would be serving the Illumi religion, I suppose."
"Do you mean that from among the tens of thousands of bishops and priests worldwide, everyone is chosen?"
"Yes, everyone. Once every three years, there is a three-day period for selections."
"Do bishops and priests from various countries' churches gather in the Principality of Ecclessiastical Congregation of Sacraments during that time? ...In my memory, there was always a priest in the nearby church."
Another female student asked this time.
"They don't gather in the Principality. Ah... Those chosen are brought to the kingdom without any choice...," the Headmaster answered with a smile.
"If they don't gather, how do you choose them?"
"How... Hmm, how should I explain it? I am originally from the kingdom... Bishops and priests in the kingdom enter the northern cave during those three days. As they progress inside, they come across the sword of Lord Sol being enshrined, and they hear... or rather, it speaks to their hearts. They are instructed to bring back something placed in front of the sword."
"...What is that something?" asked the teacher among the students.
"That is a secret," the Headmaster replied with a smile.
"So, if they enter the kingdom's cave, they still have to come to the kingdom, right?"
"That was the case for me... However, the current Pope is from the Kingdom of Terran. He said that in his country, a 'beautiful door appeared.' When he opened the door, it was a cave. And he was surprised to find himself in the northern cave of the kingdom after bringing back something similar to what I did."
The more they heard, the more intrigued everyone became by the mysterious phenomenon.
Sitting in the corner of the classroom, quietly listening to the conversation, Althea gripped her hands tightly. She felt like she might tremble if she didn't hold on tightly.
As I thought... Seeing the "door" is peculiar...
Thinking this, Laila, who was sitting to her right, gently wrapped her hand around Althea's.
When their eyes met, Laila just smiled without saying anything, but Althea felt the tension that had been making her tremble slowly melt away thanks to the warmth of her hand.
Afterward, questions to the Headmaster continued, and when the bell finally rang to signal the end of the class, as if remembering something, the Headmaster directed a question to the students.
"By the way, does anyone in this class see or have seen fairies?"
As he said this, the Headmaster glanced around the entire classroom, as if looking at each student.
Althea, who had been attending the class quietly in the corner, thought their eyes met... but just then, Kaera, who was sitting to her left, spoke up.
"I've only heard rumors about fairies, but do they really exist? What do you think, Miss Althea?"
Feeling relieved but also puzzled by Kaera's unexpected question, Althea replied, "Um... I wonder. Oh, but I have heard about it before. Someone talked about seeing them."
"Really? Who, who?"
As Kaera eagerly engaged in conversation, Althea found herself saying, "It seems there aren't any this year," with a slightly disappointed expression as the Headmaster left the classroom.
