TILPO 01

Chapter 01

“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 had been standing awkwardly in one corner of the director’s office, smiled faintly.

The child was clinging to his mother while desperately trying to touch the things in the office. The mother’s expression as she tried to stop him was almost heartbreaking.

“Priest Noah.”

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

Even though she didn’t touch the child, his movements gradually began to calm down.

The child no longer struggled to run around the director’s office with his whole body as he had before. Only his fingers continued to fidget busily.

“Did you see that?”

A smile spread across the director’s face.

The child’s mother smiled as well.

“Then I’ll leave him in your care.”

The director hurriedly began filling out the paperwork.

A new child had just entered Noah’s class.

After demonstrating her ability, Noah was on her way back to the classroom when she ran into Priest Ludia from the neighboring class.

Ludia looked over Noah’s complexion 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 sympathetically.

“Stay strong, Priest Noah. It just means you’re doing such a good job that they keep sending you more students.”

“Th-that must be it, right? Haha…”

Noah Kaplan.

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

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

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

That was the fancy way of putting it, anyway. In reality, Controllers were known as one of the most useless types of divine ability users.

Since they could manipulate a person’s emotions, they were most effective at negotiation tables.

Unfortunately, Noah was somewhat lacking in linguistic talent.

And since she didn’t know a single foreign language besides the language of the Ariel Empire, there was absolutely no chance of her ever sitting at a negotiation table.

So, like many Controllers who couldn’t make use of their abilities as diplomats, she had taken the path they commonly followed.

She had become a teacher.

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

And next to each temple, they built an academy. Noah worked as a teacher at one of those academies.

“Teacher! They’re fighting!”

“Nothing ever changes…”

At the sound of the urgent cry, Noah used her divine power. The children who had been fighting stopped their quarrel and began taking their seats one by one.

“Hey, let’s take a break and go at it again later!”

“Of course!”

Noah’s Controller ability was mainly useful for calming down troublesome children or putting children to sleep when they desperately tried to stay awake.

Such a small, mundane ability was quite convenient for a teacher.

However, it was somewhat… no, very inadequate and unimpressive if she wanted to boast to others, ‘This is the divine power I possess.’

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

Ironically, that was when her ability awakened, 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 incredibly painful, but Noah decided to think positively. After all, that was where she had met Professor Dina Ehrenberg, who had become both her teacher and someone like a mother to her.

On her recommendation, Noah had also been able to easily find a job at the Soal Academy.

That had already been two years ago.

‘I’ll gain 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 in circles like a squirrel on a treadmill, Noah was called by the director.

Since there wasn’t much time left before the end of the workday, 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.

Naively so.

“Yes?”

Noah’s eyes widened in shock.

“Let me repeat myself. The Church says they’re recruiting Controllers because there aren’t enough of them for the Urbas Subjugation.”

“Uh, wait a moment.”

After turning over what she had just heard in her mind, Noah carefully asked what the director meant.

“The Urbas… You mean the Demon Dragon Urbas that I know, right? So you’re saying that Controllers are also being sent with the Urbas Subjugation Force?”

The Demon Dragon sleeping in the Urbas region.

Demon Dragons were usually named after the regions where they resided, so the Demon Dragon there was called the Urbas Demon Dragon.

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

“Yes, that’s right.”

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

“Who am I to judge that? Besides, I understand that the details regarding the Urbas Subjugation have been kept confidential.”

“…”

“And regardless of what their abilities are like, there are fewer than ten Controllers currently in the entire empire. They’re recruiting every single one of them, so I can only assume they must have some sort of plan.”

“Um… Isn’t Urbas incredibly powerful?”

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

Noah’s hands began to tremble.

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

“Uh, I…”

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

“Priest Noah Kaplan? As I understand it, graduates of the Divine Power Training Center swear an oath of loyalty to the nation.”

You’re in a position where you have to obey when you’re ordered to.

That was what the director meant.

“…Yes.”

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

“You’re someone who puts people at ease, Priest Noah, so I trust you’ll do well and return safely.”

“Yes.”

Noah smiled awkwardly.

Right. Since she was a Controller with such a useless ability, maybe she would be sent back quickly.

Honestly, why would they use a useless Controller like her to hunt a dragon? They’d probably just make her sit in the rear and keep watch. So there was no point imagining unnecessary things!

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

The next day.

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

There, she rented another carriage and traveled another three hours to reach the city of Theron. After spending a night at an inn, she boarded a train powered by magic and set off again.

‘I still have to travel another four whole hours before I finally reach the capital…’

Noah had once traveled as far as the outskirts of the capital. The Divine Power Training Center where she had received two years of free education was located at the edge of the capital, after all.

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

Perhaps that was why.

When Noah finally arrived at the ‘real capital,’ where the Imperial Palace was located, her confidence immediately plummeted.

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

Even though she was holding the invitation given to her by the director, Noah was nervous, afraid that the knight guarding the entrance would turn her away and throw her out.

‘W-what if they just tell me to go home?’

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

However, the knight asked Noah to wait for a moment. Apparently, he was going to bring someone else to meet her.

‘Huh? Wh-what?’

At that moment, Noah began to wonder if something had gone wrong.

And sure enough, after a short while, an incredibly handsome man wearing the robes of a high-ranking priest approached, accompanied by several Holy Knights who gave off an unmistakably formidable air.

Noah looked around, wondering if perhaps someone else was supposed to be here besides her.

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

Already frightened, Noah hurriedly bowed at the priest standing before her.

“Ah, h-hello. I’m Noah Kaplan, a teacher at the Soal Academy.”

She intended to straighten up once the other person responded, but for some reason, no answer came.

“Your Eminence.”

Perhaps the sight of Noah continuously bowing was too pitiful to watch, because one of the Holy Knights addressed the priest.

“Ah…”

Only then did the priest finally speak.

“Hello, Priest Noah Kaplan. I am Gabriel Schulliman, a Controller affiliated with the Central Church.”

‘Gabriel Schulliman?’

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

Above all, even a country bumpkin like Noah couldn’t help but recognize that name!

That ‘Gabriel Schulliman’ was this man?

Gabriel Schulliman.

A Controller more famous than the Emperor himself and a mad genius when it came to politics. An unparalleled genius who had never once lost the upper hand at any negotiation table!

Unlike other Controllers, he was exceptionally talented, and he also enjoyed the Pope’s tremendous trust. There were even rumors that he might soon become a cardinal.

‘Ah! The Holy Knight called him Your Eminence earlier. Does that mean he’s already become a cardinal?’

Why would such an important person come all the way out here to welcome someone as insignificant as a country bumpkin from the countryside?

This wasn’t being turned away at the door.

It was a huge welcome at the door!

“I-it’s an honor, Your Highness.”

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

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

“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry…”

“Cardinals are usually addressed as ‘Your Eminence.’ But I only became a cardinal recently, so I’m still not accustomed to the title.”

“C-congratulations!”

Noah’s face turned bright red, as though it might burst at any moment.

She had already made a mistake right from the start.

If this exalted person also found out that her ability was worthless, he might regret coming all the way here to greet her.

A cardinal.

That was an unimaginably high position.

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

“I-is that so? Ahaha…”

“It is a blessing from the Church that such a precious Controller possesses such distinctive features as well.”

“Th-thank you.”

Unaccustomed to the repeated compliments, Noah fumbled awkwardly until Gabriel elegantly extended a hand toward her.

The moment Noah saw Gabriel’s outstretched hand, she remembered the etiquette for high-ranking clergy.

She had learned it at the Divine Power Training Center in her early days, but it had been four years ago, so the memory was hazy.

When a high-ranking priest extended his hand, was she supposed to kiss the back of it…?