[Scarlett's PoV]
Piers and I were at the place where Raul hid our crystals. He had buried them under a tree shaped like the letter "K," near the Eagle Clan's basecamp.
"Have you found them?" I asked Piers, who was still digging.
"Yes… I can see the red crystal and a few others of different colors," replied Piers, as he started pulling out the crystals.
The island seemed very quiet now. It appeared that their hunt for Raul still wasn't over. What could be causing them so much trouble in defeating just one man?
"Hmm… We have a total of 190 points, combining the Captain's crystals with the ones we gathered yesterday," Piers said after counting the crystals.
"Is that so?"
I guess these points should be enough to secure our position for the next stage.
Attention… Attention… The time for the first exam stage has ended… Your artifacts will activate shortly, transporting you back to the main ship.
I heard Master Erina's loud voice.
It seems this exam is coming to an end…
"Do you think that man is alright?" I asked Piers.
"Huh? Why are you asking about the Captain? Didn't the two of you have a huge argument before?" Piers asked, confused.
"No, it's just… there's something I want to ask him."
Soon after, a magic circle appeared around us. My vision darkened, and a blue light started surrounding me.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself already on the main ship, far from the island.
---
[3rd PoV]
In the underground mines, just after Ariel had struck Raul with her unique magic, causing his defeat, the remaining people were speechless.
Elena, Brian, and Valeria looked at Ariel with disbelief.
Not because she had defeated Raul, but because Ariel had never used AoE (Area of Effect) magic in her entire life. Yet here she was, the sweet, kind-hearted woman who despised violence, using magic to take someone down.
"Ariel! You did it! You beat that bastard!" Brian exclaimed, rushing over to her.
However, Ariel's expression showed neither joy nor sadness. She simply wore a neutral face.
Brian reached out to hold Ariel's hand, but the platinum-haired woman avoided his touch.
"Ariel… What's wrong?" Brian asked, clearly confused.
"Nothing, Brian," Ariel replied calmly. "Let me heal your wounds, and the others'."
Brian stood still, puzzled by her response. Previously, Ariel had no issue with physical contact, but now he felt something different in her aura.
After healing Brian, Valeria, and Elena, they began discussing what to do next.
"Umm… Isn't the exam ending today?" Brian asked.
"Yes… but we won't take first place since we gave half of our crystals to pay the Eagle Clan to hunt down that pervert," Valeria said, a little annoyed by the realization that they wouldn't secure first place.
"What's important is that we achieved our goal, right?" Elena said optimistically. "In the end, we defeated Raul and avenged our fallen comrades."
Hearing Elena's words, their expressions showed satisfaction. Their struggles over the last three days hadn't been in vain.
Attention to all remaining students. The first exam stage is over. You will now be teleported back to the main ship.
"That's Master Erina's voice."
"It's finally over…" Valeria said, sounding exhausted.
Ariel remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
A magic circle surrounded their bodies, and soon they began to vanish, with darkness filling their vision.
When they opened their eyes, the four of them were back on the main ship. Other students were already lined up, waiting for their return.
"Huh, what's going on?" Ariel asked, surprised to see the crowd in front of her.
"I don't know," Elena said, equally confused. "Why are you all gathered here?" Elena asked.
The crowd of students smiled.
"What are we doing? We're here to celebrate your victory over that rotten noble!" one of them exclaimed.
"Huh? How did you know?" Ariel asked, surprised.
"If I'm not mistaken, the students here can see the artifact signals of those still alive on the island," Valeria said, pointing to a large stone not far from the crowd.
"Is that so…?" Ariel muttered.
The students invited them to come down from the ship to have fun on the beach. The instructors allowed them to rest and play on the island for two days before heading off to the second exam stage.
"For Ariel, who defeated the noble, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
They celebrated, lighting bonfires and playing in the water. Ariel, the star of the day, was surrounded by friends, praised for taking down Raul with her magic.
Meanwhile, a man with black hair watched Ariel from afar, smiling with pride.
Shortly after, the instructors announced the final point rankings for the first exam stage.
Raul's team took first place with 190 points, Eric's team came second with 140 points, and Taz, Viera, and Tianna's team took third with 120 points. Ariel, Brian, and Valeria's team ranked 40th with only 20 points.
Their low ranking was due to sharing their points with the other fallen team members. Nevertheless, they still qualified for the second stage.
"In the end, he took first place," Valeria said with disappointment.
"Tch, who cares? The important thing is that we taught him a lesson, right?" Geralt said, unconcerned about not being in the top ten.
"Geralt's right. A person's strength isn't measured by how many points they have!" Brian added.
Valeria looked at the two men with irritation, but she was too tired to lecture them.
"Well… We better prepare for the next stage," Ariel said with a smile.
The three of them nodded in agreement. There were still two stages left before the survival exam ended.
---
Holy City of Notre Dame—Headquarters of the Temple of Goddess Diana
Four Cardinals walked through the grand cathedral's hall, discussing candidates for the next Saint to replace Saint Josephina, who had passed away six months ago.
"Markus, have you found the four candidates for the Saint?" asked Cardinal Nicholas.
"My team recently found some suitable ones from various lands," said Cardinal Markus, pulling out a paper from his pocket. "There are two candidates in the Empire, one in the Weimar Kingdom, and the last in the Tsardom of Slavia."
"We need to conduct the Saint selection trial soon so we can refocus on eradicating the Heretics," said Cardinal Zeno, the bald-headed man.
The Heretics were groups or organizations that opposed the teachings of Goddess Diana. If left unchecked, their existence could undermine the faith's influence.
"We recently lost one of our Holy Knights in battle against one of The Masquerade," said Cardinal Carlos, the large man.
Last month, one of the seven Holy Knights fought a Masquerade member, resulting in both of their deaths. The Cardinals were also preparing a suitable replacement for the Holy Knight's position.
Cardinal Markus handed the paper to Cardinal Nicholas, who read through the details about the Saint candidates.
"Rose de Bagartina, Maria di Canossa, Agatha von Freidburg, Anastasia Romanova."
Yet, among the four names spoken by Cardinal Nicholas, Ariel's name was not mentioned as a candidate for the next Saint. This signified that Raul had once again altered the course of the world's future, deviating from the original game's storyline.
---
In a cave in the Republic of Venetia, six mysterious figures wearing masks similar to Raul's gathered to discuss something.
"Keeper, have you found a replacement for the new Fool?" one of them asked.
"Not yet, Puppeteer. But I have detected a Masquerade mask being worn somewhere in the Empire," replied The Keeper.
They were part of the Heretic group mentioned earlier by the Cardinals. This time, they were discussing a replacement for The Fool, who had recently been killed by one of the Holy Knights.
"So, once the mask is worn again, you'll be able to locate the wearer, Keeper?" asked a woman whose mask only covered her eyes and nose.
"Yes, Dancer. When that time comes, we will recruit the wearer into our group," said The Keeper. "If they refuse, we will kill them to retrieve the mask."
Who are these six individuals? What is their goal? Why do the people of the Temple of Goddess Diana seek to eliminate them? And what will happen to Raul—the inheritor of The Fool's mask that they mentioned?