I Refuse To Be A Mage - Chapter 10

The middle-aged monk was slapped in the face once again, his expression growing increasingly ugly. If it had been an ordinary person, they would have already shut up in shame, but the monk could not and dared not.

The Church’s rules were strict and harsh to begin with. Once someone was considered to have a stain on their character, it would be very difficult to obtain higher positions—servants who served the gods must be pure and noble.

At this point, he could only persist to the end, hoping that the situation might take a turn for the better. “What evidence do you have to prove that you sold it? Who knows if you and he are in cahoots?”

Upon hearing this, Ji Chi looked at him in surprise. “Huh? So you actually need evidence? I thought it would be enough for me to come forward as a witness, after all…”

His gaze swept over the little undead. “There isn’t even anyone to testify that he stole anything, is there?”

The black-haired, black-eyed handsome youth’s face was full of confusion that didn’t seem fake. He looked at the monk with puzzlement and sincerity, as if patiently waiting for the monk to answer.

Brandon, who had been tricked by this expression several times before, felt no emotion in his heart and even wanted to loudly remind everyone not to be deceived by him—he was just a cunning bastard!

The monk broke out in cold sweat. “How can this be the same! He’s a dark creature!”

“What’s wrong with dark creatures? I think you don’t look bright enough yourself.”

Ji Chi missed the other party’s racial discrimination and returned it with appearance discrimination.

The monk clutched his chest and stepped back two paces, his expression grief-stricken, having suffered ×5 critical damage—his appearance indeed wasn’t the golden hair, blue eyes, and fair skin blessed by the God of Light. Because of this, he had long been stuck in the monk position, unable to advance an inch.

Are you this bad at arguing too…

Ji Chi sighed with disinterest, stepped forward to the little undead, bent down to pull out a shiny amulet from his arms, and waved it in front of the monk. “This is an amulet made by my roommate. He hasn’t packed up his stall yet, so if we go over now we might still find an identical one. This should count as evidence, right?”

The monk now deeply regretted provoking this big trouble. He didn’t want to continue wasting time with them and hesitated without agreeing.

Continuing this standoff wouldn’t benefit anyone. Although it was very satisfying to see the Church suffer, making too much of a scene wasn’t good for her either.

Saintess Coralie sighed softly and stepped forward, her gaze gently falling on Ji Chi as she said warmly, “There’s no need. Today was the Church’s mistake. I’m willing to take responsibility for my oversight.”

She bent slightly at the waist and looked at the little undead gently, without a trace of disgust in her eyes. “I’m truly sorry for misunderstanding you. It seems you really need light elements, don’t you?”

Saintess Coralie removed a transparent crystal ornament from the hem of her holy robe, slowly infusing light elements into it. A large amount of extremely pure light elements filled the crystal, casting gentle radiance over the entire street.

When the fine crystal could no longer bear any more light elements, Saintess Coralie’s face became somewhat pale. She closed her eyes to recover briefly, then raised her hand to draw a magic array on the little undead’s dirty blanket to prevent the elements from dissipating.

“This way you won’t be hurt.” Saintess Coralie placed the crystal filled with light elements into the blanket and gave the little undead a small smile.

The little undead looked at the bundle hesitantly for a long time, but still slowly accepted it, then quickly disappeared into the bustling street.

This left behind a group of onlookers praising with double standards.

“She truly deserves to be called a saintess… She’s so kind.”

“Yes, so gentle even to the undead. If only she could become my…”

“What are you thinking! Don’t think such things!”

Seeing the matter resolved, Ji Chi didn’t want to linger. He nodded to Saintess Coralie as acknowledgment, said goodbye to Brandon, and headed toward the equipment district.

By this time, more than ten minutes had passed since the agreed time. Evan was definitely still waiting for him foolishly at the original spot.

Ji Chi hadn’t intended to make contact with Saintess Coralie so soon. This wasn’t like an online game with save files—Saintess Coralie’s behavioral patterns were no longer fixed and unchanging. Being too aggressive would only make her suspicious.

But what Ji Chi didn’t notice was that after he left, Saintess Coralie’s gaze lingered on his retreating figure for a while before she lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

A person who doesn’t discriminate against dark creatures… could he be useful?

Saintess Coralie glanced at the monks and believers clustered around her and slowly clenched the money pouch in her hand.

****

“Sorry, I got held up by something on the way.” When Ji Chi arrived at the market entrance, Evan had already been waiting there for who knows how long.

Evan looked up and saw Ji Chi without any sign of anger, instead full of understanding. “You got so absorbed in shopping that you forgot the time, haha! I do that kind of thing often too!”

Ji Chi gained a deeper understanding of his good temper and sighed. “Are all you Church people this extreme?”

Evan: “What?”

Ji Chi told him about what had just happened.

After listening, Evan suddenly stopped walking.

Ji Chi also stopped and looked at him puzzledly. “What’s wrong?”

“You said—” Evan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “you encountered the Saintess of Light Coralie?!”

“Yes, what about it?”

“What about it?! Ahhhhh—” Evan collapsed and shook Ji Chi’s thin shoulders, “She was actually that close to you?! She actually talked to you?! And smiled at you?!”

“Damn it, why didn’t I go with you ahhhhh—”

A vein popped on Ji Chi’s forehead as he calmly tried to reason with him. “If you had left, what about the light amulets?”

“Who needs amulets when there’s a saintess?!”

Ji Chi looked at him with very complicated feelings. I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, Evan. I misjudged you.

By the time Evan finished buying the materials for making amulets in a daze, it was nearly dusk. The crowds on the street gradually thinned out, and the number of dark creatures like undead and demons began to increase.

The two didn’t linger on the street and called a man-drawn carriage back to the academy.

As soon as Evan returned to the dormitory, he flopped face-first onto his bed without making a sound. Ji Chi could even see his background filled with shadows.

“Come on, you just missed one encounter. Maybe someday you’ll be able to meet her often.” Ji Chi consoled him helplessly.

He was quite certain that Saintess Coralie was hiding some secret, which was also part of the hidden quest content. He was also certain that the saintess needed someone’s help, and he would do his best to find opportunities to approach her. They were bound to meet again.

Ji Chi was comforting Evan with facts, but what he didn’t expect was that this day would come so quickly.

****

That night, at the Saint Trilley Cathedral convent.

Saintess Coralie waved her hand, dismissing the nuns who served her, and slowly pushed open her room door herself.

In the spacious room, only a few magical lamps in the corners were glowing, and the entire room was still shrouded in hazy darkness.

Saintess Coralie was accustomed to this. She didn’t continue lighting the magical lamps but simply walked step by step toward the inner part of the room.

Suddenly, she stopped and silently looked at a dark silhouette standing by the window.

“Teacher Sheryl, what brings you here?” Saintess Coralie asked softly.

Former Saintess Sheryl, who was now responsible for teaching Saintess Coralie, turned from the pitch-black rose window to gaze at Saintess Coralie in the light and shadow. “You went to Central Street today?”

Saintess Coralie lowered her eyes and smiled somewhat sarcastically. “What? Does this also not fit the image of a saintess?”

Sheryl didn’t get angry but continued looking at her. “Did you really lose your money pouch?”

Saintess Coralie stiffened, clenched the corner of her clothes, and stood there silently without answering.

Sheryl’s eyes, hidden in the darkness, were filled with sadness. “You still won’t give up?”

Saintess Coralie suddenly raised her head and looked at her almost viciously. “Why should I give up? Because of your cowardice? Because you gave up first? I did nothing wrong in this matter! You did nothing wrong either! No one did anything wrong! So why should we choose to compromise?”

“Because you have a pure light constitution, you’re a natural-born saintess…”

“I don’t care! F*ck being a natural-born saintess!” Saintess Coralie violently tore off the white robe symbolizing holiness, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it. She laughed wildly with satisfaction. “Don’t let me catch the weakness of these bastards, or I’ll definitely make them regret being born!”

Sheryl watched this scene without any surprise. She just quietly closed her eyes, hiding a tear at the corner of her eye, and said softly, “Don’t be so reckless anymore.”

Sheryl placed a broken summoning scroll in her hand on the windowsill. Ignoring Saintess Coralie’s darkening expression, she passed by her and walked toward the door.

Suddenly, Sheryl stopped and turned her head slightly. “You don’t need to risk drawing the Church people away anymore. Starting tomorrow, you don’t have to study at the Church.”

Saintess Coralie didn’t react immediately. After staying quiet for a while, she answered hoarsely, “Then where will I go?”

“Saint Trilley Combat Academy—Magic Division.”

****

The next afternoon, Magic Division.

“Starting today, a student will transfer to Class S and train magic together with everyone.” Professor Joseph stood on the podium and announced with a grave expression.

“Oh—” Since today was only the second day of classes and all the classmates were new, the little mages didn’t show much interest in the transfer student.

Professor Joseph looked at these indifferent little brats and sneered inwardly. You say “oh” without even knowing who the new student is? Please maintain this composure when she comes in.

Professor Joseph’s lips curved in a mean smile as he called toward the door. “Saintess Coralie, from now on you’ll study in Class S.”

When he said Saintess Coralie’s name, the little mages in the class still hadn’t reacted, at most thinking the name sounded somewhat familiar.

When they looked up and saw the smiling girl in a white dress on the podium, almost everyone was stunned.

The Saintess Coralie who came to class wasn’t wearing her usual ornate and complex holy robes, but the white nun’s dress embroidered with exquisite patterns still made her look solemn and sacred.

She smiled as she looked over the classmates, pausing briefly on Ji Chi before speaking warmly. “My name is Saintess Coralie. Please take care of me from now on.”