Chapter: 353
The moment I heard about Phoebe’s church duties, I gave up on taking her along.
Thinking about it, this is a really busy time for the church. The New Year is just around the corner.
December, when the new year begins, is an important period for the Church of the Lord, packed with numerous events, so it’s only natural for Phoebe, who represents the church, to spend her time in the holy land participating in those events.
During summer vacation, there weren’t many obligations, so she could have relaxed, but now it’s a whole different story.
With that thought in mind, I focused on the divine presence dwelling within Phoebe.
Not long ago, she had received the divine gift, and she quickly became accustomed to the new power.
She had always shown overwhelming talent in handling divinity.
With her own skills, efforts, and the assistance from Johan, it didn’t take long for her to learn how to wield the divine powers of the Lord.
Even now, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about her on the surface.
While I, as the apostle of the Lord, could feel the warmth of the pathetic god’s presence, others wouldn’t have a clue.
People like Joy and Arthur, who were nearby, probably couldn’t tell how much Phoebe had changed.
So even if Phoebe headed to the holy land now, very few would notice her transformation.
The problem lay with those few people.
As I memorized each of those variables, I reached the conclusion that it was okay to drop my worries.
The scoundrels who deserve to be called garbage wouldn’t guess Phoebe’s changes anyway.
And considering that Phoebe herself had grown somewhat, with Johan supporting her, it would help.
Besides, that Pope fellow is sure to appreciate Phoebe’s transformation.
There’s no way anything can happen if that guy, who holds absolute power in the church, cares for Phoebe.
…Still, it’s better to have some safety measures in place, just in case.
Standing up, I handed a ring to the blushing and flustered Phoebe.
She stared at the ring on my palm dazedly before slowly lifting her head.
“U-Um, Lady, what is this?”
‘It’s a gift. Don’t you like it?’
“What? You think I don’t want the gift you gave me? Then I can’t help it. I’ll take it back.”
As I pretended to take it back, Phoebe hurriedly grabbed the ring in her hand.
“W-Well, of course not! I was just curious about what this ring is!”
‘It’s a communication ring. Just in case.’
“It’s because the pathetic saint has a friend who’s a bit foolish, right? You’re worried she might do something strange, so you’re giving her a communication ring?”
It was one of the small items I purchased when I went to the auction house a while ago.
In the game, it was just junk, but in reality, it seemed rather useful, so I held onto it.
The magic circle inside might be small, making communication like the crystal impossible, but it should be good enough to contact in case things get dangerous.
“Lady, you’re worrying about me…”
Phoebe gently held the ring with both hands, bowed her head, and gave an exceptionally bright smile.
“Thank you so much! I’ll cherish it!”
No, it’s not like you need to cherish it that much. It’s not expensive enough for that.
“Lucy! Lucy!”
Seeing Phoebe so happy, I was rather startled when Frey, who had moved beside me, tugged at my sleeve.
“What about me?”
…You? Why?
“I’m the fool, you know? I cause trouble often. You should worry about me.”
So you’re jealous just because I’m giving a gift to Phoebe?
Hmm, I do have a present I bought for Frey’s birthday in my inventory.
Along with other items she might like.
I thought that if I tossed her something suitable, she’d smile brightly, but it would be boring if I just handed it over, right?
‘You want a present that badly?’
“What? Idiot swordman. You want a gift, huh? Hehe. Hmm. What to do? It’s a dilemma.”
“Yup! I really want one!”
‘Nope. I won’t give you one.’
“But I hate it~. I’ll never let you off!”
“You aren’t giving it? So you really won’t?”
…Huh? Why are her eyes getting all shiny?
No.
No. No. Wait a minute.
I didn’t intend to make you cry!
I just thought it would be fun to tease a little.
Sniffle.
Ah! Wait just a moment!
Here, Frey. This is your gift.
It’s something you can adorn the hilt of your sword with.
According to Possell, it wouldn’t get in the way when swinging your sword, so there shouldn’t be any issues.
“…A gift.”
As if the recently teary-eyed mood was a lie, Frey beamed and grabbed my gift, attaching it to her sword with a grin.
Hah, I was trying to tease Frey, but now it feels like I’ve been the one who got teased.
But since she’s happy, who cares?
“Joy, why are you so quiet? I thought you’d jump in there too.”
“I already received a gift a while ago. Just the grace of having my first friend, you know.”
“…Hah. That’s something.”
*
In the Alrn territory.
It’s one of the areas bordering the arrogant Tercha Empire, which has labeled itself an Empire.
The land, where war raged for years after the Tercha Empire declared an invasion several decades ago, had recovered to the point where it was difficult to find traces of the conflict.
Having accepted Lucy’s invitation, Arthur arrived at the city where the people of the Alrn family lived and felt a renewed sense of admiration for Benedict Alrn while witnessing the cheerful faces of the townsfolk.
The reason people could smile without even a hint of unease despite having experienced war is clearly because Lord Benedict is present in this city.
With the knight hero, who changed the course of war, residing here, everyone seems to have forgotten their worries.
What a profound feeling it is to be trained in that esteemed family.
Ever since he witnessed that man facing a dragon, he hasn’t once forgotten his admiration and longing for him.
Even the first time he took up a sword, it was to follow in that hero’s footsteps. As long as he holds a sword, that respect inside him shall never wane.
…Though, seeing how Benedict appeared during his time next to Lucy Alrn was rather unsightly in plain terms.
But if one looks on the brighter side, isn’t that just a part of being human?
As Arthur reminisced about those moments when Benedict had been all smiles, sulking, and begging at his daughter’s feet, he shook his head, trying to forget the unpleasant memories.
“Ugh. So this day has finally come.”
While he did this, Joy, who had been by his side, started complaining non-stop.
Just like how he got dragged into taking part in the training of the Alrn knight order due to Lucy’s schemes.
Initially, he offered her some comfort, but now, looking at Joy’s drooping shoulders, he raised an eyebrow.
“At this point, just give up and brace yourself. We already requested permission from Duke Partran, didn’t we?”
“Still, I don’t like it!”
The three people who decided to train in the Alrn knight order had to ask for permission for quite a long leave.
It’s fine for Arthur, who’s just an empty prince, but for Joy and Frey, who are valued members of their respective families, it’s not something they can just decide to do on a whim.
That’s why Joy had been banking her last hope on her father.
She wished he’d say, “I want to, but my father won’t allow me,” but unfortunately, Duke Partran only expressed praises for Joy’s desire to train in the Alrn knight order without discouraging her.
“I can’t believe my daughter wants to experience that hell. She’s grown up so much.”
Hell. Duke Partran’s words, tinged with a hint of disgust, confirmed all the stories Lucy had previously told.
“I’m not someone who idolizes knights, you know.”
“It’s alright. Lady Partran, you’ll grow stronger as much as it’ll be tough.”
“Lady Kent, I repeat, I don’t want to be that strong.”
“It might help you support Lucy.”
“…Ugh.”
Before long, Frey dismissed Joy’s complaints with sound reasoning, and the Alrn family came into view.
In a mansion that felt modest for a noble territory, the first to greet the three was a man who introduced himself as the commander of the Alrn knight order.
“I’m Possell. I’m a lucky man who secured this position thanks to the grace of the head of the family.”
“…Is that Sir Possell? The one who single-handedly charged through the enemy lines during the war?!”
“It was only possible because the opponent’s army was disorganized. It’s truly embarrassing how exaggerated the stories have become.”
No matter how much the other two shot him stunned glances, Arthur excitedly engaged with Possell, and the three soon followed his guidance to meet Benedict.
When he spotted the trio’s faces, he widened his eyes, lifting his head from behind a desk piled high with documents.
“Welcome! Lady Partran! Lady Kent! And the Third Prince!”
Despite Benedict’s expression being filled with the melancholy of realizing his daughter had found a friend, the terrifying air that used to surround him as the “fang of the kingdom” was nowhere to be found.
Still, Arthur knew that Benedict hadn’t weakened in the slightest.
The strength he had gained from long training was something he could feel.
An overwhelming power that seems to flow endlessly. To say he had weakened is laughable.
It’s a reminder of how little the court idiots know about the outside world.
As Arthur’s admiration for Benedict rose, it was rather strange how Benedict treated him with a chill compared to the warmth he showed Joy and Frey.
The perceptive Arthur could guess what that demeanor meant.
He probably thinks I’m interested in Lucy Alrn.
Though I’d like to shout that it’s definitely not the case, if the overly soft-hearted Sir Benedict were to protest against his daughter not getting along with me, I probably would get scolded instead.
Hah. What can I do? I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything for now.
Mentioning it would only cause trouble.
“I hope you gain a lot from this training.”
With those words settled, the three stepped out of the office, received guidance to their training rooms, changed, and headed toward the training grounds of the Alrn knight order.
“It’s eerily quiet here.”
I mean, not a single knight or soldier is in sight. Are they preparing for our arrival?
Posing Arthur’s question was Possell, who had come pulling a cart.
“They’re training by running around the territory for stamina. They’ll be back soon.”
“…Wait a moment. Are you saying they’re covering the entire territory of the marquis?”
“Haha. What are you talking about?”
“Right?”
“If so, they’d need a few days of just running. That’d be too much for warm-ups. During training, they only jog a few laps around this area.”
“…What?”
That sounded ridiculous, like a far-off dream, truly.
While Arthur was frozen at the absurdity of it all, Frey and Joy appeared behind him.
“Um, Sir Possell, where’s Lady Alrn?”
“She’s training with the other knights. She should be approaching soon. Ah, there she is. The lady should be at the back of the line.”
Following Possell’s gaze, Arthur turned to see the line of knights, muttering to himself.
“Why does the ground shake every time one of them steps?”
“It’s because they’re using magic tools to increase their weights. Just think of it as each one balancing a horse on their shoulders.”
“…And they run at that speed?”
“Haha. Normally they’d be faster. They’re just fatigued now.”
While pondering their current condition, Arthur suddenly realized that the weights on the knights’ limbs resemble what was brought in that cart earlier.
“Sir Possell, just to confirm, what’s in the cart?”
“Correct. It’s meant for proper warm-ups before proper training. Here, take this.”
“…Huh?!”
The moment Arthur received the magic tool offered by Possell, he staggered under a weight far exceeding his expectations.
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