My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 22

...THIS SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH.

THE PRINCESS'S EYES SHOULD NOT REACH AS FAR AS TO THIS ROOM.

UM... ARE YOU FEELING ALL RIGHT?

AH, YES!

YOU WENT THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF HELPING ME ALL THE WAY HERE, SO IT WOULD FEEL RUDE TO JUST SEND YOU AWAY.

IF YOU DO NOT MIND, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A CUP OF TEA WITH ME?

LADY IRENNE...

...THE TRUTH IS, YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT ME AND BROUGHT ME OUT, WEREN'T YOU?

...YES, THAT IS RIGHT.

I WAS WATCHING, AND BEFORE I KNEW IT...

YOU REALLY DID NOT NEED TO DO THAT...

PRINCESS CECILIA SURELY WAS NOT PLEASED.

THE PRINCESS IS A PERSON WITH IMMENSE INFLUENCE,

SO YOU MAY END UP IN AN AWKWARD POSITION LATER...

AND YET, FOR ME...

...THANK YOU.

Gasp!

AH, NO, I...

I JUST...!

I JUST...

IRENNE!!!

MISS REINA?!

WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

TRULY... IF NOT FOR YOU... SNIFF....

WAIT A MOMENT. CALM DOWN A LITTLE, REINA.

HOW DID YOU GET THIS WOUND...?!

I THINK WE SHOULD GO INSIDE FIRST.

I WILL BRING TOWELS TO CLEAN THE WOUND AND A BLANKET, IRENNE.

YES, THANK YOU! CYNTHIA!

NOW, SIT HERE.

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED?

DID YOU PERHAPS ENTER THAT HIGH GRADE DUNGEON?

NO, WE GAVE UP ON THAT HIGH GRADE DUNGEON, JUST AS YOU ADVISED, LADY IRENNE.

INSTEAD, WE WERE ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE FORTRESS AFTER SUBJUGATING A MID GRADE DUNGEON WITH OTHER PAIRS, WHEN...

H-HEY, OVER THERE!!!

PLEASE REQUEST SUPPORT FROM THE FORTRESS!!!

I-IT IS NOT AN ORDINARY HIGH GRADE DUNGEON!

A GRIFFIN LIKE I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE...

NO!!!

THE GRIFFIN CAME OUT OF THE DUNGEON!!!

EVERYONE, FALL BACK BEHIND ME!

AN UNRECORDED SPECIES GRIFFIN SUDDENLY APPEARED...

FELIX BARELY MANAGED TO BLOCK ITS ATTACKS AND BUY TIME.

YOUR WARNING HAD BEEN WEIGHING ON MY MIND, LADY IRENNE,

SO WE HAD TRAINED TO FIGHT GRIFFINS.

AND THANKFULLY, BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE...

SIR MICHAEL!!!

HOW MANY PEOPLE REMAIN INSIDE THE DUNGEON?

S-SEVEN.

THREE OF THEM ARE ALREADY... SNIFF....

IF YOU HAD NOT WARNED US IN ADVANCE, MISS IRENNE,

FELIX AND I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE DIED IN THAT DUNGEON.

TRULY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW I CAN EVER REPAY THIS GRACE.

IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO, PLEASE TELL ME!

GRACE? I DID NOT DO ANYTHING THAT GREAT.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM TRULY, TRULY GLAD YOU TWO ARE SAFE!

HERE, HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF TEA. YOU ARE STILL TREMBLING, REINA.

THANK YOU... BUT...

WHO IS THE KIND PERSON WHO BROUGHT ME THE BLANKET?

AH, MY NAME IS CYNTHIA MYERS.

I AM A 4TH GRADE PURIFIER.

I AM REINA ORTEGA.

I AM A 2ND GRADE PURIFIER,

AND LIKE LADY IRENNE, I CAME TO THE FORTRESS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.

IT SEEMED THE TWO OF YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION, SO I AM SORRY FOR BARGING IN.

NOT AT ALL. I HAD JUST CAUGHT MY BREATH THANKS TO LADY IRENNE HELPING ME TOO.

HELPING YOU? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO YOU TOO, LADY CYNTHIA...?

AH, WELL... AT THE GATHERING TODAY...

PRINCESS CECILIA DID SOMETHING AWFUL AGAIN?!!

"AGAIN"?

YES. I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO THE PRINCESS'S GATHERING A FEW TIMES BEFORE TOO!

BUT EACH TIME, SHE WOULD MAKE LOWER GRADE PURIFIERS OR LADY IRENNE THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION...

AND SUBTLY SPEAK ILL OF THEM AND TEAR THEM DOWN, SO IT WAS EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE.

TO BE HONEST, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM A SUBJUGATION TODAY BECAUSE I DELIBERATELY AVOIDED THE GATHERING...

I SEE.

LADY CYNTHIA IS NOT EVEN THAT LOW GRADE A PURIFIER, SO WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT?

THE PRINCESS'S CHOSEN SACRIFICE WAS SURELY SUPPOSED TO BE ME...

THAT IS...

PROBABLY BECAUSE I AM AN ODDITY.

MY PARTNER IS A FEMALE KNIGHT.

A FEMALE KNIGHT?!

I COME FROM A MARQUIS FAMILY IN THE KINGDOM OF SOLBEISI.

WHEN A HIGH GRADE DUNGEON SUDDENLY APPEARED, WE COULD NOT STOP IT IN TIME,

AND MOST OF MY FAMILY'S PEOPLE, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE OF THE TERRITORY, LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE MONSTERS' ATTACK.

EVEN THE FEW SURVIVORS MET MISFORTUNE AT THE HANDS OF BANDITS.

HEHEH, A NOBLE YOUNG LADY BLESSED BY THE GODDESS AS SPOILS.

MY LUCK IS KILLER TODAY!

NOW, COME HERE QUIETLY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET HURT!!!

MY LADY!

LADY CYNTHIA, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!

THE ONE WHO SAVED ME, THE LAST SURVIVOR,

WAS MY CURRENT PARTNER... AND MY FORMER MAID, ORIANA.

MY FAMILY, TERRITORY, WEALTH... I LOST EVERYTHING,

BUT WE SWORE TO RELY ON EACH OTHER AS SWORN SISTERS AND SURVIVE TOGETHER UNTIL THE END.

IN THE EYES OF OTHERS, INCLUDING THE PRINCESS, THE TWO OF US MUST HAVE SEEMED DISPLEASING AND GROTESQUE.

I THINK SHE INTENDED TO SOMEDAY MAKE US A LAUGHINGSTOCK AND HUMILIATE US TERRIBLY...

I KNEW ALL THAT, BUT I COULD NOT REFUSE THE PRINCESS'S INVITATION.

THE PRINCESS HOLDS THE FACTIONS AND INTERESTS OF THIS FORTRESS FIRMLY IN HER GRASP THROUGH HER GATHERING.

I THOUGHT THAT IF ENDURING A LITTLE HUMILIATION COULD GUARANTEE ORIANA'S SAFETY AND LIVELIHOOD,

THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH.

BUT...

NOW THAT I HAVE SEEN FOR MYSELF HOW DEEP THE PRINCESS'S MALICE GOES, IT SEEMS ALL OF THAT WAS USELESS.

MY HOPE THAT I COULD MEET OTHER PEOPLE AND BELONG WITH THEM WAS ONLY A VAIN DREAM TOO.

NO, CYNTHIA!

THAT IS NOT TRUE!

I WILL BE YOUR FRIEND, LADY CYNTHIA!

FORGET EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TODAY!!

ME TOO!

LET PRINCESS CECILIA SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE LIKE HERSELF!

...LADY... IRENNE...

MISS REINA...!

Why are you crying again~

I AM GLAD.

I WAS ABLE TO BE OF SOME STRENGTH TO LADY CYNTHIA.

AND REINA SURVIVED TOO!

THERE IS STILL A MOUNTAIN OF PROBLEMS AHEAD,

BUT FOR NOW, I SHOULD FOCUS ON ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAVE TO SOLVE TONIGHT.

I CAN DO THIS!

LADY IRENNE, MAY I COME IN?

Y-YES!!

COME IN, SIR MICHAEL!!

WELCOME!

U

SIR MICHAEL...? ARE YOU NOT COMING IN...?