CHAPTER 80…………………………………………….
“I saved the person I was supposed to save. That’s all you need to focus on.”
“…….”
“Ella, do you remember the oath you swore?”
“Of course I remember.”
It was the oath all knights were required to recite upon being formally appointed.
She had memorized it carefully to avoid mistakes, so it still lingered clearly in her mind.
There were minor variations depending on the noble house, but the core remained the same.
“I will always protect those I must protect and strike down those I must strike….”
This was the oath used by knights of the House of Duke Rusean.
“Protection comes first. Striking comes after.”
Irenes muttered.
“What could be more important than a person’s life?”
“That’s true.”
Laseil replied softly. It seemed like her mind was finally starting to ease.
“This might sound a little arrogant, but I assure you—even if we had caught the dark mage, we would have regretted it.”
“Because we couldn’t protect Risena?”
Laseil thought that was likely true. No matter what, there would have been some form of regret.
“Better to regret not catching the dark mage than to regret after someone gets hurt, right?”
“That’s right.”
Laseil smiled faintly. She suddenly realized they had been worrying over something so simple for far too long.
“Then we should probably head inside…”
“Oh, Iren. If it’s okay, would you like to have a meal at the lord’s castle before leaving?”
“Can… I join?”
Irenes looked at Laseil in surprise at the sudden offer.
“It should be fine.”
The kitchen always prepared more food than needed anyway. Often, extras were distributed to the villagers. Moreover, Yujirena, Luzea, and Elian were welcoming to guests.
“Then I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
Irenes answered pleasantly, even if she worried it might be a bit rude.
“Which way should we go?”
“This way.”
Meals at the lord’s castle were always served in the first-floor dining hall. It was spacious far beyond the number of people it served.
“Milady, is it alright if guests join?”
“Sir Sieren? Of course, that’s fine.”
Irenes sat at the table, still awkward. Being invited to a meal on short notice was a first for her.
“Um… did the plates just move on their own?”
Invisible maids were serving them, which added to the strangeness.
“Or did I just imagine it?”
“You saw correctly.”
“……”
Irenes froze mid-serving in silence.
“…Is this… what kind of meat is it?”
“Pork. Or would you prefer chicken?”
“No, this is fine.”
“If I’d known guests were coming, I would have prepared more!”
Behind Laseil, Jane grumbled. She seemed annoyed she hadn’t heard in advance.
‘It’s already plenty.’
In addition to chicken with sauce, there was glossy roasted pork. Salad, stew, cold dishes, bread, and butter were served together. Dessert included a mousse cake. Nothing was lacking.
“By the way, Sir Sieren, I’m curious about something.”
Yujirena, who had spent the whole minute spreading butter on bread, spoke up.
“When did you start calling Sir Jaen by his nickname?”
“Huh—cough!”
Irenes coughed a few times before managing an answer.
“Since we went to the social club together… or, actually, even earlier through letters…”
“Is that so?”
“I thought… we might even get engaged.”
“Cough!”
Irenes coughed again.
“I—I wasn’t thinking about that… I didn’t mean to…”
“I have a question too!”
Elian called out brightly, clearly wanting to tease Irenes.
“What do you think of Laseil?”
“A good person, right?”
“Is that all? I’m a little disappointed…”
Elian, resting her chin on her hand, looked toward Laseil.
“Laseil! You? Be as specific as possible.”
“He’s a good person.”
Laseil answered simply, then continued a moment later.
“First, his spirit as a knight is worthy of respect, and his skill with the sword is exceptional. His movements are so flashy you can barely follow with your eyes. Though from a ducal house, he’s not arrogant and treats everyone politely. His eyes are the color of amethyst, which is beautiful, and his hair is always well-kept, so it looks great when it flows. He listens and understands others well…”
“Um, um, wait a moment.”
Irenes hurriedly interrupted, asking Elian in a quiet voice,
“Are you trying to make fun of me?”
Her ears had turned red. Apparently, Irenes was surprisingly weak to compliments.
“Not at all.”
Elian laughed lightly and brushed it off. Irenes, however, could hardly smile.
“Then isn’t it your turn, Sir Sieren? Laseil said so much, it would be rude to skip…”
But Elian didn’t seem ready to stop. Irenes wondered if she should intervene, then spoke.
“Well, Sir Jaen…”
Without pausing to breathe, she continued:
“You studied classical swordsmanship but reinterpret it in your own style—it’s truly impressive. I admire your courage; you remain unshaken by most things. You maintain a confident demeanor while balancing not being rude. Your eyes are emerald, which I think is beautiful… do I have to keep going?”
Irenes’s face flushed red as she suddenly realized what she had been saying.
“How much more should I say?”
“Until Laseil is satisfied?”
“I-I’m satisfied.”
Laseil quickly interjected. It had been embarrassing hearing it, and her face was probably quite red by now.
“What a strange pair you are…”
Elian muttered with a sigh, clearly baffled.
A dark mage appeared in the territory.
The traces of magic the dark mage left were identical to what Irenes had seen before.
So there was only one thing to do.
“We’ve arrived!”
She went up to the imperial court to report. It was too important a matter to use a communication artifact.
After briefly thanking the driver, Irenes got out of the carriage.
“Phew…”
She should have been used to this by now, but she still couldn’t get comfortable. She exhaled heavily and made her way toward the audience hall.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has.”
After a brief greeting to the guards, she reached the door. It led to the audience hall.
‘Perhaps the reception room would have been better.’
Both rooms looked similar, but the feeling was entirely different. The dense decorations of the audience hall likely contributed to that.
“Irenes Sieren, Captain of the 3rd Imperial Knight Order. I request an audience.”
“Enter.”
The heavy-looking door slowly opened. Soon, the emperor inside appeared.
“Blessings of the empire and the sun…”
“Skip it, skip it. You’d rather not say it anyway, right?”
The emperor waved his hand with a small smile.
“Sit. I’ve heard your report.”
Irenes awkwardly sat opposite the emperor. No matter how much she saw it, the structure of the audience hall never became familiar.
“The dark mage has appeared.”
She got straight to the point without pausing. Irenes nodded slightly and reported everything from what Laseil experienced earlier in the day to the traces left in the forest of the territory.
“Hmmm.”
The emperor showed little reaction. He simply sipped his tea with a contemplative expression, which made Irenes even more tense.
“Are you sure the House of Duke Rusean has nothing to do with this?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think the marquess houses would agree with that.”
‘Marquess houses?’
There were three marquess houses in the empire. Simply saying ‘marquess house’ made it unclear which one was meant.
