Chapter 13. Dispatch

Rustle.

The sound of paper turning echoed through the Emperor’s quiet office.

Documents were piled like mountains around Johann. Despite what must have been an overwhelming workload, he silently reviewed and processed the large and small matters occurring throughout the empire one by one.

How long had he been concentrating like that?

Johann briefly took his eyes off the documents and leaned back deeply in his chair.

Tired, he pressed his eyelids firmly with one hand, then suddenly curled up the corners of his mouth slightly. He remembered Seraphina running with her eyes tightly closed.

“Really. She’s just so cute.”

Muttering words that would make anyone who heard think he was crazy, Johann slowly raised his eyelids. His face was so lively that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been tired just moments ago.

“It’s lunchtime.”

After checking the time, he gazed out the window, pondering.

It was the time when training would be in full swing.

But she should still eat.

Maybe I’ll casually ask about the training progress while eating together.

“I could use a short break too.”

“Your Majesty.”

“……?”

Johann slightly furrowed his brow at the voice that came from outside the door.

Why Jesuf’s voice? Shouldn’t he be training with Seraphina right now?

Johann reflexively stood up. Instead of telling Jesuf to come in, he walked to the window.

It was empty. There was no one in the garden.

Click.

“What’s going on?”

Johann immediately asked Jesuf as he opened the door and entered. Jesuf replied with a dumbfounded voice.

“What do you mean, what?”

“Seraphina. Where did she go?”

“Ah. I was just coming to report about that.”

What report?

A question appeared on Johann’s face.

“She successfully performed the moves she had been practicing excellently, so as a reward, we ended training early today.”

“Who decided that?”

“Pardon?”

Jesuf retorted in disbelief. He was not only Johann’s subordinate but also the commander in charge of training many knights. He had been exercising this level of discretion for vacations.

“Vacation… is not allowed?”

A stupid sound flowed from his mouth. Soon, Jesuf narrowed his eyes, sensing something strange, and started to argue.

“Shouldn’t there be a reward when a knight shows results?”

“Seraphina is not a knight. She’s a purifier.”

“Isn’t she currently receiving knight training to learn basic self-defense? This is all because Your Majesty insisted so strongly…”

Jesuf stopped mid-sentence. As he spoke, something felt off.

“Your Majesty.”

“What.”

“Let’s send her to the battlefield right away.”

“…She doesn’t seem ready yet.”

Jesuf narrowed his eyes as he watched Johann speak like he was stalling. He had almost been fooled at first, or rather had been completely fooled until now, but thinking about it, this training made no sense.

To avoid losing the purifier who appeared after years? To give her minimal preparation?

He might have deceived the entire empire, but he shouldn’t fall for it himself.

“There’s no better training than actual combat.”

“What if she dies?”

“This isn’t like you, Your Majesty. You, who raised the current Imperial Knight Order through actual battles and experiences.”

“Back then… well, with the undead suddenly rising, there was no time for training.”

Another plausible excuse.

But Jesuf didn’t miss Johann’s momentary confusion.

He pushed, like he was driving in a wedge.

“We can assign a reliable knight to accompany her.”

“……”

Unable to find words to retort, Johann anxiously moved his lips. He was flustered by how suddenly articulate this guy had become.

“It was strange from the beginning. You told us to train her where you could see.”

“That’s…”

“I said I’d give her a vacation until tomorrow, so I’ll let her play until then.”

“What? Tomorrow?”

So there will be no one in the garden until tomorrow?

Johann frowned, barely swallowing the words that were about to burst out. He had spent the past month enjoying the occasional glance down at the garden while working…

Click.

“Your Majesty, I’ve sorted out the urgent documents you need to review today.”

At that moment, Ionia appeared without knocking, carrying a stack of documents. Both men turned their heads simultaneously.

“What’s this? If you two are in the middle of a serious conversation, should I excuse myself?”

Despite sensing the strange atmosphere, Ionia boldly crossed between them and placed the stack of documents on Johann’s desk with a thud. Then she turned to face the two.

With a face that seemed to say ‘Shall we go right away?’, she tilted her head slightly while looking at Johann. But the words that actually came out of her mouth were different from her expression.

“These are reports about the undead appearing in various parts of the empire. You need to review them today and decide on additional troops to dispatch to each region. However, please prioritize areas where purifiers are not active.”

After rattling off her business-like speech, she looked at Johann with a face that seemed to say ‘Ask if you have any more questions.’

But it was Jesuf who spoke up.

“You see? How important purifiers are?”

“Ahem.”

Watching Johann clear his throat, Ionia quickly caught on to something and her eyes lit up.

“You’re talking about Miss Seraphina. Have you finally prepared yourself to dispatch her?”

“Prepared myself?”

Johann showed signs of discomfort, as if to say ‘What are you talking about now?’ He didn’t feel particularly good about his subordinates seeming to see through him better than he knew himself.

Ionia casually added an explanation.

“Since it’s been so long since a purifier appeared, you’ve been cherishing her like some treasure, so we left it alone for a while, but it seems you’re finally ready to let her go.”

“What nonsense are you talking about, Ionia? I was simply trying to cultivate a purifier who would be helpful for the empire’s security.”

“Yes, yes. So, are you dispatching her?”

They were like rhinoceroses charging for Seraphina’s dispatch.

Johann muttered in a half-resigned voice.

“You heartless lot. She’s so scared she can’t even open her eyes…”

“Now she glares at you while swinging her sword just fine. Of course, she does the same to me.”

“……”

Johann couldn’t find words to retort to Jesuf’s sharp comment.

Ah…

It’s probably right to send her.

But why does it feel so uncomfortable and uneasy?

There’s no reason to be this reluctant…

“What about Seraphina? Even if she goes home, she’ll eat before leaving, right?”

She made such a fuss about how delicious the palace food was.

To Johann, who was unconsciously showing regret like he was trying to grab onto his trouser leg, Jesuf answered as if it was out of the question.

“She ran out excitedly earlier.”

* * *

“Mmm, ha… So good!”

The vitality of the bustling streets filled my lungs.

Savoring the feeling of escaping from the luxurious prison called the Imperial Palace, I inwardly screamed with joy at the freedom given until tomorrow.

“What should I do first?”

But I also felt a bit dazed by the sudden freedom.

For the past month, I had gotten used to training from morning to evening on a tight schedule, so the suddenly given free time felt awkward.

I rolled my eyes for a moment and decided on a destination.

“I should go to the bank first.”

No matter what anyone says, today is my first payday.

I had to go to the bank.

I wandered the streets like a hyena, clutching the bankbook I had received from a finance department employee earlier.

Hehe.

‘I wonder if it’ll show about 100,000 shillings…’

It was a completely different world, so it might not have much meaning, but if I had to convert it, it would be about 100 million won in Korean currency.

When I was panting like a dog with sandbags every day, I thought I couldn’t do it, but thinking about checking my first paycheck, it seemed doable.

“What business do you have today?”

An employee greeted me as I entered the bank.

“I want to check my balance and… make a withdrawal too.”

“Yes. Please come this way.”

It’s my first paycheck, so I should withdraw some money to play today, right?

It was a moment when the initial plan to tighten my belt and save everything except minimal living expenses was slightly loosening.

As I sat at the counter, the employee across the table asked for my bankbook.

I fumbled in my pocket and took out the bankbook. Here, if you don’t bring your bankbook, you have to go through quite a complicated procedure for identity verification, so it’s better to bring it if possible.

The employee’s pupils suddenly dilated as he checked the ledger with a bored face. But he quickly composed his expression and updated the transaction history and balance in my bankbook.

“…You said you wanted to make a withdrawal too?”

There was a hint of envy in his voice.

How much could it be for him to envy like that?

Unable to contain my curiosity, I leaned forward slightly to look at the bankbook under the employee’s hand.

Wow, jackpot!

98,000 shillings…!

I unconsciously felt my nostrils flaring.

Come on.

Calm down.

Let’s maintain our dignity, purifier.

“How much would you like to withdraw?”

“50 shilli…”

Wait, wait.

What can I do with that money?

Eat, do some light shopping, I need to buy some clothes too, and I need to think about various things to do until tomorrow…

“300… no, 500 shillings please.”

The amount gradually increased.

Once I saw 98,000 shillings in the account, 50 shillings or 500 shillings didn’t seem much different. The balance would be either 97,950 shillings or 97,500 shillings anyway.

“Alright. I’ll give you 500 shillings.”

When the cash sparkled before my eyes, the slight guilt I had felt about withdrawing too much completely disappeared.

I’m going to do everything I want during this vacation!

I quickly pocketed the money and left the bank.

Who knows what might happen today.