“I’m feeling nervous…”
“Don’t be too tense. Just think of it as a few kind words, and relax.”
“What if I make a mistake?”
I cautiously placed my hand on Karina’s shoulder. She flinched, and I could feel her body shuddering.
Ignoring her reaction, I continued quietly.
“What does it matter if you make a mistake? Anyway, if you mess up, no one will notice. Almost no one would dare to criticize a Saint outright.”
At most, it would be some royal from the Empire, and even they would gossip behind her back rather than confront her directly.
If I poke the bear, I’ll just end up stirring up a hornet’s nest. No emperor, no matter how self-preserving, would want to go against the state religion and the continent’s largest faith.
“I’d even mimic a sneeze with Renny if it came to that.”
“Hehe. Thank you.”
“Karina, it’s time for you to change.”
I exchanged glances with Renny, who had appeared out of nowhere, and leaned against the wall. I couldn’t possibly follow them into the changing room since I wasn’t a woman.
“Well then, I’ll be right back.”
“Make sure to look forward to it. It’s an incredibly extravagant outfit.”
“…I’ll expect that.”
I waved goodbye to Renny and Karina as they entered the room and sat in an ordinary chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Is the festival about to start?
I had been so busy up to the festival that my eyelids felt heavy, but I couldn’t afford to doze off. After all, I was a guard knight for the Saint. If I did something suspicious, my future would likely become tiresome.
To be blunt, even if the higher-ups called for a replacement, no matter how important Karina was, she’d be in a tough spot. I wasn’t in a high position, and as a mere guard knight, I had no way to endure being forced into a corner with power.
…Thinking about it, I hope those damn royal family members don’t try to pick a fight with me since I look easy to mess with. They had already placed their people in Yeomyeong-gwan in the original story.
It’s amusing how the guy they placed there ended up becoming a double agent after being influenced by Karina.
Despite being kind of clueless, the imperial family still needed to be somewhat informed.
I was thinking of asking Sif to gather information about the imperial family. Whether she could actually get that information is up for debate, but even hearing surface-level rumors would be fine.
Using the fragments of memory I have, I could understand how things were going in the Imperial Palace.
…Of course, since the situation has changed significantly from the original story, I can’t be certain.
Just then, as I was organizing my thoughts, a familiar yet long-absent window popped up in front of me.
[New Mission]
– Safely spend the Feast of Saint Sabrina.
Reward: 3 Trait Points
…Wow, how blunt can you get?
I already knew this. But having a new mission pop up at such a random moment, especially one that hints at an incident, naturally put me in a bad mood.
…I just hope it doesn’t twist and turn like a rubber ball and bounce off in some unexpected direction.
Now that I’m reincarnated, I’d prefer things to flow along the original storyline. To make it easier to clear. Though, considering I’m being told to see the true ending from this point, it’s probably already doomed.
[Ugh, so boring. When do we get to enjoy the festival?]
“You’ll be able to enjoy it to your heart’s content soon, so hang in there.”
[That means I’ll just be stuck standing in the same place, huh?]
“That won’t be the case. You’ll have to move around a lot.”
[What, are we riding something?]
“We’ll take a carriage.”
[A carriage…]
Karina’s dedicated carriage arrived yesterday.
I heard it was sent by the royal family, so hopefully they didn’t pull any weird tricks. After the festival, maybe I should take a look at the carriage and make some modifications. I want to check it out right now, but we’ll be getting on soon, so that would be difficult.
But I wonder, if she’s a girl, how long does it take her to change? Time isn’t exactly on our side—
Just as I was gauging how much time was left by looking at the clock hanging on the wall, the sound of creaking hinges heralded the arrival of the person I had been waiting for.
I was taken aback by the sight of Karina as she walked through the door.
She was already the most beautiful woman in the world, and when she made an effort to dress up… the original story barely did her looks any justice. Wearing the veil I crafted for her, which revealed her face, she shyly asked me,
“How do I look?”
“…You’re beautiful.”
Do I even need to add an adjective? The sheer shock of her stunning appearance speaks for itself. Realizing I was probably making a dumbfounded expression, Renny ribbed my shoulder, snickering.
“So, what do you think? Unbelievable, right?”
“It’s shocking. In a good way, of course.”
“People will probably faint all over the place today.”
I blankly nodded at Renny’s words. Even someone like me, who treats women like rocks, couldn’t help but be affected; I wondered if anyone else would be able to hold up under this pressure. I see Karina’s face every day, too.
“We might need to have some priests on standby at the venue.”
“That would be quite the sight.”
Renny and I shared a chuckle as we took our places next to Karina.
“Renny, you push.”
“Why?”
“It’s safer if my hands are free during any surprise attacks.”
I’m confident I can handle just about any ambush unless something ridiculous like a meteor falls from the sky.
“Well, that’s true…”
Renny’s eyes went from my back to returning again. Did she notice the shovel I had slung over my shoulder? Sure, it’s a bit eye-catching. Most knights carry swords, after all. But I don’t know how to use a sword, so I was planning to proudly carry the shovel around.
…Of course, I made sure to have a sword that I crafted myself strapped to my waist.
“Then let’s get going.”
“Sure.”
“Please take care of us.”
“I’ll protect you without a scratch, even if a dragon attacks.”
“I’ll be expecting that.”
Karina gave me a dazzling smile in response to my boastful assurance.
I should have gotten a screenshot of this.
——————
“Karina! Show us your face!”
“Long live the Saint! Glory to Kalon!”
The voices of the crowd mixed together, causing the carriage to shake. I sat next to the coachman, quietly observing the surroundings. There were tons of people. A perfect environment for an assassin to slip in.
Could there be an assassin hidden in this crowd?
Or are they… waiting for a better time?
For now, all the security forces were mobilized to surround us tightly, so it might just make the assassin think twice about making a move at this moment.
[No strange magical flows detected.]
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Just talking to myself.”
Upon my reply, the coachman turned his head back to look ahead. The old man with liver spots, who was driving the open carriage, had been driving in this city for quite a long time.
I heard he was a devout follower of Kalon Church and had great skills that Merlin the principal had recognized.
Maybe that’s why he had a light heart attack when he saw Karina and got treated by the Saint’s healing magic just under an hour ago. And now, he was driving the carriage with a satisfied expression as if he had accomplished everything.
…He’s giving off a vibe like he’s ready to leave this world without any regrets.
Well, that’s not what matters now, so I’ll just focus on the escort. It won’t be long until the first duty of the Saint, riding around Kalon City in this not-so-fancy but elegant carriage, is complete.
“She’s beautiful!”
“The birds and puppies are happy too! Truly the Saint!”
“I’ve never seen such an emotional scene before…”
“I have no regrets in this life now…”
“Grandma?!”
Ah, there goes another person fainting.
Wait, is that person dead?
I attempted to suppress my grimace while watching the old man being carried away on a stretcher in the distance. Scary. It’s terrifying how just seeing Karina’s face could cause someone to drop like that.
Especially since it happens more often with the elderly, which made me even more anxious.
If young people faint, it’s one thing, but… if old people faint, it feels like it’s the express ticket to the afterlife.
“Hoho, people are genuinely thrilled.”
“It’s only natural for the Saint’s procession.”
“Knight, you don’t have to be polite with me. I’m just a mere coachman.”
“It feels a bit strange to drop the honorifics when you’re someone older than my grandfather.”
“Hoho. I’m not thinking of having any grandchildren at this old age.”
Even while talking, I kept glancing around. I had to show that I was a bit careless in my attitude while checking if there were any reactions from suspicious individuals.
…Still no signs.
We’re almost there.
“Hoho, it’s over now.”
I spotted the main gate of Kalon Academy in the distance. The guards stood at the gate, clad in ceremonial uniforms, their eyes sharp.
“Thank goodness. I was worried an assassin might show up.”
“Hoho, who would dare come out when their life is on the line on such a day?”
“…Who knows.”
“Blessings upon you, Karina!”
“Blessings!”
The arrival of assassins is pretty much confirmed, though.
I glared at a hooded man among the throngs of people.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.