The atmosphere inside the carriage froze in an instant.
Scarlet, a hulking figure who Yona had to look up to, strode towards her, divine aura billowing out from under his visor like a misty breath.
“Um, uh, well…”
Yona stammered as she stepped back, her gaze fixated on the morning star strapped to Scarlet’s back. Although the spikes were currently retracted, it was clear that they would spring out the moment Scarlet unsheathed it.
“Speak up, Miss Yona. How do you know about the characteristics of the lich and the existence of the life compound? And what about that tattoo on your arm? Those letters give off a very ominous vibe.”
Scarlet slowly bent down to peer into Yona’s face, his piercing gaze burning through her as cold sweat dripped down her forehead.
“What’s the meaning of this, Holy Knight?”
Suddenly, Alex stepped forward, yanking Yona behind him. His expression was far from pleasant.
Seeing Scarlet’s intimidating presence aimed at Yona made Alex feel a twist of anger in his gut. No matter how abrasive Yona was, she was still a girl. Only Alex knew her true nature. Besides, it just didn’t look good for a fellow Holy Knight from the same cathedral to bully someone who was new to the team.
“Step aside, adventurer. Information about high-ranking demons is only known to insiders of the cathedral. I need to understand how Miss Yona knows this, as a member of the 13th Special Holy Unit.”
“It’s you who needs to step aside, Holy Knight.”
Alex growled, brandishing his hammer. An adventurer can never show weakness. After all, it’s a profession that feeds on pride. If he showed even a hint of vulnerability, he would be immediately looked down upon.
Moreover, the hand of Yona gripping Alex’s clothing was trembling violently. To think of throwing her out like that—what nonsense was that?
Kaiyak stepped forward behind Alex. Even if his axe was twisted and had missing teeth, it was far more important to uphold Alex’s pride.
And protecting Yona was even more crucial.
Kaiyak bared his teeth and growled, as if spitting out his words.
“Yona is also from the priesthood, Holy Knight. She’s the one who brought Rubina back here, doing the job of your cathedral!”
James also stepped forward, subtly pointing at Yona.
“Looks like the Holy Knight can’t tell right from wrong. What do you plan to do if Miss Yona knows something from the cathedral?”
James bared his teeth in a mischievous grin. His eyes, however, didn’t smile at all; they bore the fierce, wild gaze typical of orcs.
It was just like that.
“Sis, sis…”
Rubina, who was munching on cookies next to Vigrind, rushed over and grabbed Yona’s hem.
Yona, whose face had turned pale and was dripping with cold sweat, looked down at Rubina and forced a smile.
“Alright, let’s stop right there, Sir Scarlet.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Ludvik stood up and said.
Scarlet shot a glance at Ludvik, but that was all.
His gaze was still fixed on Alex, or more precisely, on Yona, who was hiding behind him.
“Let’s stop there, Sir Scarlet. Although Yona is a healer, she has grown up in the Cathedral all her life. Moreover, I was the one who told her about the possibility of being a lich.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned strange.
Ceres had never told Yona such a thing, but there was no need to bother pointing that out.
“…You could’ve mentioned that sooner, Elder. I’ll inquire about the leak of that information later. Now, what about that tattoo on your arm?”
“That’s just a tattoo. It’s like an old victory charm passed down among adventurers.”
“How would you know that, Elder?”
“Because I’m the one who had it engraved.”
Ceres was spouting lies smoothly without even moistening her mouth.
However, Yona couldn’t just blurt out, “That’s not the case,” so she kept her mouth shut.
“…Is that so?”
With that, Scarlet turned around.
Well, more accurately, he attempted to turn around.
And in that moment, Alex grabbed Scarlet’s shoulder.
“Questioning is one thing, but that’s a discussion between you and Elder Ceres. You should apologize to Yona first, don’t you think?”
Alex’s face was filled with rage.
His face was flushed red with simmering anger as he held onto Scarlet’s shoulder.
“If you’re part of the Holy Knight Brigade, you ought to behave like a knight. With that tin can on your head, you can’t see a thing. Don’t you think it’s right to apologize to Yona first? If you can’t tell your front from your back, I can personally help you remove that tin can.”
“…How rude. What if you break something and can’t speak properly?”
“I could crumple that tin can of yours before you break anything.”
“You clearly can’t tell the difference between heaven and earth.”
“I seem to do a better job than you at that. At least I know when I’m wrong and that I should start with an apology. Even a down-and-out adventurer knows that; how could a proud knight not?”
Alex smirked, twisting his mouth into a grin.
“Don’t they teach that at your Cathedral?”
“This brat—!”
– Clank!
– Clank!
It was in an instant.
Before Yona could intervene, and with her face now pale as a sheet, Scarlet swung his mace at Alex.
However, before anyone knew it, Alex had drawn his shield, covering his head, so the mace hit the shield instead.
Moreover, at some point, the hammer that Alex was holding had struck Scarlet in the side.
Two metallic sounds rang out, and the mood inside the carriage was plummeting to an all-time low.
“Wow, so you’re only tough against the slowpokes like the dead, huh? I think my shield skills are better than yours.”
Alex smirked as he provoked Scarlet again.
Without any blessings or anything, and not facing the undead, it’s true that the Holy Knight’s strength loses a bit of shine. Still, Alex moved with a speed that seemed a bit odd.
And it was only Kaiyak and James who noticed this.
“This punk…!”
Just as Scarlet was about to raise his mace again.
“Stop, stop it.”
A voice as cold as ice split the two apart.
Ceres’s voice, filled with magic, carried a sense of authority, allowing the two heated combatants to cool off a bit.
“What are you doing in someone else’s carriage? Sir Scarlet, I told Miss Yona about this, so what are you doing? You’re an adventurer and a healer, but Miss Yona has also received proper education at the Cathedral. If you keep pushing it any further, I won’t be quiet.”
Ceres’s voice was as frigid as frost.
Her eyes, staring down Scarlet, were burning with fury.
It was clear that the current situation arose from Scarlet’s overreacting, so the responsibility was firmly in his court.
“Apologize to Miss Yona. If not, I will formally send a letter of protest to the Pope. Not as the head elder of the Kapatia branch, but as the regent of Kapatia Port. I will make sure to inform Miss Yona, the savior of Kapatia Port, of the rude behavior Sir Scarlet has shown.”
Scarlet lowly grumbled and withdrew his mace.
Alex shrugged as he put the hammer back at his waist and stowed the shield again.
He turned around and bent down to meet Yona’s gaze.
“Yona. It’s okay.”
“Uh, uh… yeah, yeah…”
Tears were brimming in Yona’s eyes, which had been trembling.
As the tears threatened to spill over, Alex gently wiped them away with his finger and smiled.
“You’re so scared, what kind of man are you? Don’t cry, Yona. I told you I’d protect you.”
*
Scarlet reluctantly apologized to Yona, and Yona accepted the apology with reluctance.
At this point, Alex considered abandoning the escort and heading straight to the community, but he couldn’t shake the worry about Rubina. So, reluctantly, the carriage was heading toward Semek.
It was a priority to investigate what had happened in Semek, how it happened, and who was behind it all.
Furthermore, since Ceres had sneakily taken Yona and the adventurers to convey a deep apology and request assistance this time too, it was hard to refuse.
Thanks to that, the carriage was headed towards Semek.
It was getting dark, and after everyone finished dinner, it was finally time to hit the hay.
Yona and Alex were sitting on the roof of the carriage.
“…Why did you do that?”
Although her voice had returned to normal, the tone was anything but calm.
In her dreamy voice, Alex gazed at the stars in the sky, then turned to look at Yona.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re weak.”
“Why are you suddenly picking a fight?”
“Ah, no. It’s not a fight.”
“I get it, I get it.”
He was probably referring to why she confronted Scarlet like that. Alex twitched his nose.
For a moment, he wondered if she was asking out of genuine curiosity, but knowing Yona, she probably was— she wasn’t the type to probe people for her own benefit like those scheming folks.
“…I just wanted to.”
“What do you mean ‘I just wanted to’?”
“Hey, if I don’t protect my companion, who will? Isn’t that obvious?”
Yona didn’t respond to that. She just quietly stared at the night sky without saying a word.
Alex waited, expecting her to say something, but after a while, he too just looked up at the stars.
“…Wow.”
“Huh?”
Alex was starting to doze off when Yona’s voice broke through his sleepy haze. Rubbing his eyes, he turned back to Yona, who was looking at him with a mischievous grin.
“Thank you.”
“What for now?”
“For protecting me.”
“Yeah, you should totally say thank you.”
“Next time, I’ll make sure to protect you.”
Yona grinned, showing her teeth like a playful child. Alex couldn’t help but share a bright smile back.
Though they were smiling brightly, the atmosphere was still awkward.
“You’re always protecting me. To me, you’re a way better companion than the Saint or the Priest.”
“Really now? You’re saying some sweet things, aren’t you, our little potato?”
Yona suddenly hopped up and sat next to Alex.
Sitting cross-legged, the slit in her nun’s robe revealed her bare legs, prompting Alex to tug her skirt down to cover them again.
“How can you say such pretty things? You little potato.”
Yona’s hand gently ruffled Alex’s hair, the texture still smooth as silk.
“What’s rough? You’re like a half-baked hero or something.”
This feeling was really nice.
Finally, Yona felt at ease.
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