My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 37

A CLUSTER OF LIGHT, LIKE GOLDEN GRAINS OF SAND...

FOLLOWING ITS FLOW LED ME TO A WOMAN.

IS THERE A KNIGHT HERE DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMING A PAIR WITH HER?

SHE LOOKS...

...RATHER TROUBLED.

WONDERING IF SHE'D FOUND HERSELF IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION,

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO APPROACH HER WHEN—

E-EXCUSE ME, SIR MICHAEL!

PLEASE FORM A PAIR CONTRACT WITH ME!

SHE TOOK MY HAND.

FROM THE MOMENT WE LEFT THE BANQUET HALL TO SPEAK IN PRIVATE

UNTIL WE REACHED THE CARRIAGE,

I WAS CAPTIVATED BY A STRANGE, INEX- PLICABLE SENSATION.

WHERE HER HAND HAD TOUCHED MINE,

A PLEASANT, REFRESHING COOLNESS, LIKE DIPPING MY HAND INTO CHILLED SEAWATER,

AND A BURNING HEAT AND ACHE, AS THOUGH I WERE BEING SCORCHED BY FLAMES,

PLEASE, GET IN.

AH, YES.

SURGED THROUGH ME ALL AT ONCE.

DESIRE AND SANCTITY...

HOW COULD TWO SENSATIONS SO UTTERLY INCOMPATIBLE

EXIST WITHIN ME AT THE VERY SAME TIME?

COULD THIS WOMAN TRULY BE, AS THE SCRIPTURES DESCRIBED,

THE GODDESS'S INCARNATION?

YET ALL I DISCOVERED THROUGH OUR CONVERSATION

WAS THAT SHE WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ORDINARY HUMAN WOMAN...

ONCE I REALIZED I'D FALLEN PREY TO A FLEETING DELUSION,

I FELT A PROFOUND DISGUST WITH MYSELF.

EVEN IF ONLY FOR AN INSTANT,

HOW DARE I MISTAKE A MERE HUMAN WOMAN FOR AN AVATAR OF THE GODDESS?

ESCORT THE LADY IN THE CARRIAGE TO THE PURIFIERS' QUARTERS.

YES, SIR.

TO THE GODDESS,

AND TO THAT WOMAN AS WELL,

WAS THAT NOT AN UTTERLY PROFANE THOUGHT?

UNFORGIVABLY PROFANE...

SIR MICHAEL,

YOU'RE LEAVING THE FORTRESS FOR YOUR FIRST SUBJU- GATION TODAY, AREN'T YOU?

YOU SAID THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ME TO ACCOMPANY YOU TO THE DUNGEON,

BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST SEE YOU OFF...

PLEASE TAKE CARE AND RETURN SAFELY. DON'T GET HURT.

IF I WERE AN ORDINARY KNIGHT...

WOULD SHE PURIFY ME?

COULD SHE BE GRANTING ME PURIFICATION?

KISSING HER FAIR NECK,

LIFTING HER SLENDER LEGS OVER MY SHOULDERS,

SINKING TO THE DEEPEST DEPTHS,

BURYING MYSELF...

...AS I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE,

YOU NEEDN'T CONCERN YOUR- SELF WITH ANY OF THIS,

SO PLEASE DON'T GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO COME HERE.

PARDON?

IT'S FINE. IT REALLY ISN'T ANY TROUBLE-

IT IS A TROUBLE TO ME.

LADY IRENE'S SEEING ME OFF CAUSES UNNEC- ESSARY DELAYS TO MY DEPARTURE.

SO PLEASE, I ASK YOU TO STOP.

EVER SINCE I MET YOU, I...

YES...

HAVE FOUGHT WITH ALL MY MIGHT TO KEEP MYSELF FROM LOOKING

AT EVEN A SINGLE STRAND OF YOUR SILVER HAIR SWAYING GENTLY IN THE SPRING BREEZE,

YET, NO MATTER WHAT I SAID,

WHETHER BENEATH THE BLAZING SUN,

AMID TORRENTIAL RAIN POURING OVER FALLEN AUTUMN LEAVES,

ON DAYS FILLED WITH CRASHING THUNDER,

OR IN BITTER BLIZZARDS THAT CUT TO THE BONE,

EVERY SINGLE DAY I DEPARTED, YOU CAME OUT WITHOUT FAIL—

THE SOONER I LEAVE,

THE SOONER SHE'LL GO BACK INSIDE...

STANDING IN THAT EXACT SAME SPOT TO SEE ME OFF,

1 FORCED MYSELF TO 1GNORE YOUR SILHOUETTE...

SiR MiCHAEL!

AND WHENEVER,

BY SOME CHANCE, OUR SKIN BRUSHED AGAINST EACH OTHER—

...LOOK DOWN UPON ME, O GODDESS...

...AND PROTECT ME FROM THE PROFANE DESIRES WITHIN ME...

...GRANT ME THE STRENGTH... TO RESIST THEM...

AND... PLEASE...

...DELIVER ME FROM THESE DESIRES...

LOCKING MYSELF INSIDE THE PRAYER ROOM,

RECITING PRAYERS IN AN ABYSS OF SHAME AND HELPLESSNESS,

PRAYING THAT THE GODDESS MIGHT GRANT MY WISH,

EVERY SINGLE DAY, I WISHED TO BE MARTYRED ON THE SPOT.

SIR MICHAEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS SUBJUGATION.

WE'LL PROCESS YOUR REWARDS PROPERLY AND DELIVER THEM TO THE GREAT TEMPLE.

IS LADY IRENE ALSO RECEIVING HER SHARE OF THE REWARDS AS SHE SHOULD?

PARDON?

I MEAN MY PAIR, LADY IRENE RODIAM.

AH, YES.

YOU MEAN THE LOWEST-TIER PURIFIER WITH WHOM YOU FORMED A NOMINAL PAIR.

OF COURSE. SHE COLLECTS HER SHARE FAITHFULLY EVERY TIME, WITHOUT FAIL.

GIVEN HOW SUBSTANTIAL THE REWARDS YOU BRING IN ARE, SIR,

SHE MUST HAVE AMASSED QUITE A FORTUNE BY NOW.

I HAVE A PERSONAL USE FOR IT,

SO I'LL TAKE THIS AMETHYST.

WHAT? AH...

OF COURSE, SIR MICHAEL.

...WHEN WE ENTERED THE DUNGEON TOGETHER PREVIOUSLY,

I'D TRIED SO HARD TO AVOID LOOKING AT HER

THAT I ONLY NOTICED HOW THIN HER CLOTHES WERE

THAT I ONLY NOTICED HOW THIN HER CLOTHES WERE

HER SHARE OF THE REWARDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED PROPERLY WITHOUT ANY ISSUES,

SO COULD HER CIRCUMSTANCES BE SO DIRE THAT SHE COULDN'T EVEN AFFORD PROPER WINTER CLOTHING?

THE PURIFIERS' QUARTERS SHOULDN'T BE THAT IMPOV- ERISHED, EITHER.

ALTHOUGH I'D NEVER VISITED THEM MYSELF,

I'D BEEN TOLD THEY WERE AS COMFORTABLE AS NOBLE ESTATES.

I'D PUT MY MIND AT EASE, BELIEVING SHE WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND YET...

AS HER NOMINAL PAIR,

SURELY THERE'D BE NO HARM IN SENDING A BRIEF LETTER TO INQUIRE AFTER HER WELL-BEING...

I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL.

SIR MICHAEL!

WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE PURIFIERS' QUARTERS?

PLEASE DELIVER THIS LETTER TO MY PAIR, LADY IRENE RODIAM.

AH, YES. RIGHT AWAY.

ALONG WITH A BRIEF INQUIRY ABOUT HER HEALTH IN THE BITTER COLD,

I SENT A LETTER ASKING WHETHER I MIGHT VISIT HER QUARTERS,

YET EVEN AFTER CLEARING MORE THAN TEN DUNGEONS,

I NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY FROM HER.

RATHER, BY THE TIME I REALIZED THAT SHE,

WHO HAD ALWAYS STOOD IN THAT EXACT SAME SPOT, WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

IT WAS ALREADY FAR TOO LATE.