Chapter 10. As Far as Fraud…

[To the Guardian of the North.
Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Thanks to you, the people of the empire can live safely.
I hope you continue your hard work.
Johann Jean Cedric Marseus]

Crunch.

The letter was mercilessly crumpled in Claude’s hand.

“This bastard…!”

“What does it say?”

Austin asked the indignant Claude. He was receiving wound treatment from a healing mage who had been waiting as soon as they passed through the castle gate.

“He says he looks forward to my continued hard work.”

As he spoke, Claude threw the completely crumpled letter that had become a round ball.

Austin, who picked it up after crawling awkwardly, unfolded the crumpled paper. Soon his expression subtly crumpled.

As expected, but…

“What do you think it means? Doesn’t it sound like he’s just lying comfortably in his cozy place?”

“Yes. It seems so.”

Austin didn’t bother to deny it.

How could there not be a single word about troop support?

But at the same time, he had been expecting such a reply. They had made several requests for support so far, but they had never received proper support even once.

And the reason for that was…

“Lord Claude, how about putting some effort into improving relations with His Majesty?”

“It seems you got hit on the head by a skeleton earlier and something’s wrong with your brain. Hey. Heal his head too.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Austin tried to explain somehow.

But Claude glared at him fiercely as if telling him to shut up.

“Are you telling me to bow my head and give in?”

“You don’t necessarily have to do that. Just a proper conversation…”

“I’m already doing as much as I can. It’s that bastard who’s acting like a fox.”

Even now, you’re calling the Emperor ‘that bastard’… Austin barely swallowed what he wanted to say.

The bad blood between the two began a very long time ago. For reasons that might seem childish in some ways, and simple in others.

“We should settle this properly.”

“It’s already known that His Majesty won, isn’t it?”

“It was a draw.”

Suddenly, a suffocatingly dense killing intent dominated the air. People around gave Austin looks telling him to stop provoking him.

Austin quietly closed his mouth.

And Claude clenched his fist, recalling his match with Johann.

“If only that damn Bone Dragon hadn’t appeared.”

The Bone Dragon, one of the highest-level undead.

While they were having a match that others evaluated as Johann having the upper hand, which was extremely unfair from Claude’s perspective, its roar echoed all around.

“That bony lizard bastard tarnished my reputation.”

“Wasn’t it originally to subjugate that bony lizard in the first place?”

Austin slightly opened his mouth again that he had closed.

Thanks to that, the air was about to freeze over savagely again…

“Your Grace.”

The butler, who had been watching the situation, carefully intervened.

Claude’s head turned.

He was very sensitive right now. So the words coming out of the butler’s mouth now had better be important business, or information useful to him.

Claude’s blood-red eyes turned towards the butler.

“What is it?”

“Well, please take a look at this first.”

As he spoke, the butler carefully handed over a newspaper.

The newspaper, actively published centered on Elmon, took several days to reach the north. Claude checked the date first.

“A week ago.”

He glanced at the butler and then turned his eyes back to the newspaper.

Among all these articles, which one should I look at…

Claude, who was inwardly voicing small complaints, soon began to focus. One headline caught his attention.

[Commoner Seraphina passes the purifier test after 8 years, who is she?]

“So a purifier has appeared…”

One of Claude’s eyebrows rose sharply.

“That’s right.”

“Your Grace, is that true?”

Austin stood up in surprise. The healing mage beside him chided him to stay still, but he was already busy reading the newspaper.

[…passed, but judging it still too risky to dispatch her to the battlefield, special training has been arranged at the Imperial Palace… will greatly contribute to the security of the empire…]

“Your Grace.”

Austin looked at Claude. His eyes were sparkling brightly.

“Yes.”

As if understanding the meaning, Claude nodded gravely.

In this land where the undead run rampant, one purifier was more useful than an entire knight order.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Elmon.”

“Don’t worry about here. We’ll guard it well.”

The two suddenly became very in sync.

“Prepare immediately.”

“Pardon?”

The butler asked back tactlessly. But soon he remembered how driven his lord was and immediately nodded.

Claude muttered as if reaffirming his resolve while watching the retreating butler.

“I’ll definitely bring this purifier to our side.”

That seemed to be the only way to satisfy him.

* * *

“Then when do we train the purification ability?”

I asked what I had been curious about all along upon hearing that sword training would start from tomorrow. I must have passed the test with terrible scores, so it’s strange that there’s no training for the purification ability which is the most important .

Isn’t something a bit odd?

But my doubt was quickly resolved by Johann’s next words. He said as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“According to the reports, your purification ability is certain.”

“R-Really?”

Phew.

That’s a relief.

“Of course, you wouldn’t know since your eyes were closed.”

“……”

“Ahahahaha!”

This bastard.

When I stared at him with a blank expression, Johann started laughing out loud, finding something very amusing.

“Is there any problem with my purification ability…?”

“No, there’s no problem at all. Hahaha! Just that your aiming skills need some improvement.”

I didn’t know why Johann was saying such things. It was later that I found out I had included even the priest within the range of purification. And even later that I had included Johann himself in the purification range as well.

Anyway, as I just stood there quietly not knowing what was going on, Johann calmed down on his own and continued.

“We’ll practice a bit with ghouls.”

“Yes.”

Agreed.

I didn’t think I would be as scared of ghouls as the previous Seraphina, but you never know until you face it. Now that I’m essentially Seraphina herself, her trauma might have settled in me as well.

“You lack courage.”

Johann began my evaluation based on the report. At the same time, his voice was filled with confidence that he could help me overcome all of that.

“In that sense, building up your physical strength and basic sword skills will be of great help to you. When your body becomes stronger, your courage will naturally be fulfilled to some extent.”

“I’ll do my best!”

“Your pure enthusiasm truly pleases me.”

As he said this, Johann looked at me with fond eyes.

Huh, what’s this?

When he looks at me with such expectant eyes, how should I put it…

It didn’t feel bad.

I even felt like I wanted to live up to those expectations.

Somehow feeling proud, I decided to really train hard from tomorrow. It’s strange how the human heart works; even though I was pushed so hard yesterday and today, just the fact that someone believed in me seemed to give me strength from somewhere.

“You could have sent someone, but you came to tell me about the training yourself. Hehe.”

“Ah.”

“……?”

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

What?

Didn’t you come to talk about training?

I just blinked blankly, not having any idea what Johann was curious about.

He, who had been standing at a distance until now, quickly came right in front of my nose. No, as if noticing that I hadn’t washed, he took a step back after coming all the way.

No, I really feel like my whole body has been beaten with a hammer, that’s why.

I’ll really wash tomorrow.

As I was feeling guilty inside, Johann opened his mouth.

“You won’t have time to go home for a while because there will be training every day.”

What.

So it is about training after all.

As I looked at him in confusion, Johann smiled as if to say that wasn’t it.

“It seems you have a close friend.”

“Ah. You mean Marc?”

“Yes. The guy who conspired with you this morning to defraud me.”

“Well, as far as fraud…”

My lips trembled.

When the real Emperor says such things right in front of me without sending even one lie, even though his tone was soft, I felt a chill in my heart.

I need to cover this up somehow.

With the sole intention of protecting that kind Marc, I spat out words like a machine gun.

“Marc always let me ride his horse whenever I volunteered for war. I’m used to that, so I did it without thinking much. I just did what I usually do! Really!”

“What you usually do?”

“Yes!”

“I see. So that’s how it is…”

Did the persuasion work?

I couldn’t be sure because Johann’s expression became strangely dark.

I looked at him anxiously, feeling like a fish on a cutting board waiting for judgment.

Soon Johann’s mouth opened slowly. And the words that came out were closer to talking to himself than to me.

He muttered softly while stroking his chin.

“It seems you’re closer than I thought.”

As he said this, Johann’s brow was slightly furrowed.