Chapter 54. Clever Wordplay

It was a compromise at an appropriate level.

Johann, displeased with the content of the official document, let out a low groan.

What’s the point of being an Emperor?

There’s nothing he can do as he pleases.

His grand plan to bring Seraphina back proceeded amidst clever wordplay. Johann searched for words that could somehow keep her by his side, while Ionia and Jesuf added words to somehow send her to the dispatch locations.

For example, it went like this:

When Johann wrote ‘only when support is deemed necessary, the Imperial Family will decide based on the severity of the situation’, Ionia inserted the word ‘as needed’ in between.

And in the clause about Seraphina’s multiple dispatch requests, where Johann wrote ‘the Imperial Family will decide’, Jesuf crossed it out vigorously and rewrote ‘it is conditional that there be maximum cooperation between the parties’.

Not to be outdone, Johann added ‘Violation of this will result in the exclusion of the relevant area from dispatch locations’, and had to fight against Ionia and Jesuf’s clamor to delete it, arguing it was too harsh.

It was exhausting.

Who knows how many hours were spent drafting a single-page official document.

Alone in his office, Johann surrendered himself to the rare moment of tranquility.

He closed his eyes tightly as if tired, for a moment.

The corners of his mouth slowly curved upward.

Still, he had secured her primary residence.

“Elmon.”

He savored the city’s name in his mouth, eyes still closed.

“Seraphina’s primary residence is Elmon.”

He had never particularly attached meaning to city names before.

It wasn’t bad.

Thinking of her imminent return, Johann found himself laughing out loud without realizing it.

* * *

Clop clop clop.

Sylphid ran like the wind.

I was riding alone towards the North.

“Ah, really.”

A curse rose to the tip of my tongue.

Because of that damned single page of an official document, my fate had changed.

I initially thought to use Mihail as a shield to stay in Sahar a bit longer, but now it seemed I’d be called to the Grodes Mountains at the drop of a hat.

To cooperate as much as possible when called to another place while I’m at a dispatch location. If not, that area would be excluded from dispatch locations.

This was the part that forced Mihail to let me go.

No matter what anyone said, all purifiers active on the continent belonged to the Imperial Family, and their whereabouts were to be determined by the Imperial Family.

Anyway, because of that clause, I was set to frequently travel between the North and the East from now on.

The moment I saw Mihail’s expression as he crumpled the document, I sensed it.

He would do whatever it takes to call me back to Sahar again.

And…

‘Claude really needs me.’

The Grodes Mountains do have quite a lot of undead, after all.

“Haah……”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Had Johann foreseen this future? Is that why he gifted such a swift horse?

Ha.

That bastard.

He just wrote that I’d be stationed in Elmon.

Who does he think he’s fooling?

All that talk about talent, talent, and he turns out to be someone who can’t bear not working people to the bone. Just look at how he sent this scrap of paper right after confirming how I was doing in Sahar.

Sylphid ran swiftly.

As I rode across the vast plain, I shouted,

“Was it so hard for you to bear to see me relaxing?!”

My anguished cry spread far and wide.

But the wind that blew from somewhere seemed to mock me, quickly snatching away even that sound.

* * *

I returned to the white world once again.

I had to accept this fact as I passed through the walls of Hilton. Just a short while ago, I was in a hot desert, but now everything around was covered in snow.

“Miss Seraphina, you’ve arrived!”

Kiel, the butler of Hilton Castle, welcomed me.

“Mr. Kiel, have you been well?”

“We’re always the same. You don’t know how long we’ve been waiting for your arrival, Miss Seraphina.”

Kiel grasped my hand tightly and said something terrifying.

“His Grace was threatening to tear Sahar in half if you didn’t come by tomorrow.”

“Haha. What perfect timing.”

“Actually, he was going to leave a week ago, but just then an official document arrived from the Imperial Palace.”

They received it here too, huh.

I just smiled.

“Everyone joined forces to persuade His Grace to wait just ten more days.”

“That was an excellent decision. Hahaha……”

I answered with my soul half departed.

To be honest, I can’t say I didn’t have any desire to deny that I had returned to this harsh land, but truthfully, I was more physically exhausted from riding non-stop over a long distance.

“I need to rest a bit.”

First, to my room.

As I was trudging up the central staircase, the entrance to the hall opened roughly.

Bang!

At that sound, I reflexively turned around.

“Purifier Seraphina.”

“……Your Grace Denhague.”

Long time no see, you bastard.

Are you happy to see my face?

Honestly, I didn’t think I could muster any kind words.

I was exhausted, but surely he wouldn’t drag me to the Grodes Mountains right away? Looking at his current state, it seemed possible, so I put strength into my eyes as if to warn him that I wouldn’t stand for it. It was a kind of warning.

“You’ve come back all tanned. Seems you’ve been living the good life.”

Thankfully, there was no talk of extermination.

But it was troublesome to be treated as someone who had been idly playing around.

Even a worm will squirm when stepped on!

“I wasn’t just playing around, you know?”

But my impertinent remark shriveled up after just one sentence.

“You think I don’t know the situation over there?”

“……”

Gulp.

The coldness emanating from Claude was intense.

Right.

I had gone on desert expeditions twice to deal with the durahan legion, and hadn’t wasted a single day with purification training… but still, it was no comparison to the Grodes Mountains.

Claude spoke as he climbed the stairs.

“You’ll only need to go to Sahar occasionally from now on.”

“But the official document says maximum cooperation is a condition.”

“You’ll be in the mountains, what can you do? There won’t be anything more urgent in Sahar than here.”

“If we get excluded from the dispatch locations…”

“Purifier Seraphina.”

As I kept talking back, Claude called me in a stern voice.

Instinctively feeling that I should stop pushing, I swallowed hard.

He continued.

“Your station is right here, in Hilton.”

Hmm…

Isn’t that wrong?

I was supposed to stay in Elmon unless something happened…

I was about to talk back once more, but Claude was faster.

“Do you understand?”

When I hesitated to answer, he urged in a chilling voice. At the same time, Claude’s steps came to a halt right in front of me.

Cold and solid red eyes.

Claude looked down at me with that bright red gaze reminiscent of a winter fortress.

Feeling my spine tingle, I straightened my back. Then I answered in a disciplined voice.

“Yes, I understand.”

Well, come to think of it.

The undead will keep appearing in the Grodes Mountains, so of course this would be my main station.

There’s no time to go all the way to Elmon.

Humans are adaptable creatures.

I quickly accepted the reality and changed my mindset.

“…ing.”

He said something then.

His voice was too soft for me to hear, so I opened my eyes wide, requesting him to repeat.

Claude, seemingly displeased about something, looked down at me with narrowed eyes before speaking again.

“Fainting.”

“Fainting?”

“Yes. There are… high-level undead appearing there too, aren’t there?”

“Ah.”

It is a major spawning ground for durahan, after all.

But fortunately, I hadn’t fainted in Sahar.

“Don’t worry.”

I said with a broad smile. I raised one arm at an angle, as if showing off my muscles, to display my vigor.

“Sir Andantino trained my purification abilities. I learned a few spells.”

“……”

“I won’t be fainting anymore.”

“That’s good news.”

Claude’s expression hardened at the mention of Mihail, but in any case, my improvement was good news for him too.

Even back then, I had turned skeletons and liches to ashes in one go, but now that I could control my abilities with spells, wouldn’t I be even more helpful in this land?

I lowered my gaze, scanning Claude’s chest, stomach, and legs before looking back at his face.

Returning to the castle in this state means he just finished an extermination, right?

“How was this extermination mission?”

The question popped out before I knew it.

Honestly, I’m human too, so how could I not be worried?

No matter how great of a hero Claude is, he’s not immortal. He’s throwing his body into battle with all his might, to the point of getting this dirty all over.

Claude just stared at me without answering.

Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?

Feeling awkward, I averted my gaze and scratched my cheek.

“Uh, well. There’s something called a summoning scroll, right?”

“……?”

Glancing at him, I saw Claude looking at me as if wondering why I suddenly brought that up.

You see…

Even though Sylphid is a great horse, it’s still tiring for me to travel such long distances back and forth.

“If you could summon me when it’s urgent, I could help immediately with the exterminations.”

“Ah.”

Hey, I’m not finished talking yet.

But Claude waved his hand as if there was nothing more to hear.

“Summoning scrolls are not an option.”

“Why not?”

“It takes over a year to make just one.”

“What?!”

It takes that long?

Then it must be incredibly precious!

I was inwardly shocked. No, actually shocked enough to faint.

I couldn’t understand what was going on in Johann’s head to just give away something so valuable. At the very least, if he was going to give it, shouldn’t he have added an explanation like, ‘This is worth so much, so don’t use it carelessly, only use it when absolutely necessary, only in emergencies,’ or something like that?

“Besides, they’re too expensive.”

Then Claude continued.

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

Right.

It’s precious, so of course it would be expensive.

I understand that too.

Still, to say such a thing to someone who was just trying to help…

“Your effort of riding here on horseback is much cheaper.”

What the hell?