My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 7

UM, SIR MICHAEL. BUT...

HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME?

I APOLOGIZE FOR CALLING YOU BY NAME WITHOUT A PROPER INTRODUCTION.

I HEARD THE CLERICS AND STAFF WHO COME AND GO HERE SAYING IT.

PLEASE FORGIVE MY DISCOURTESY.

DISCOURTESY? NOT AT ALL.

I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR NOT INTRODUCING MYSELF PROPERLY.

MY NAME IS IRENNE RODIAM.

I AM A 9TH GRADE PURIFIER.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

I AM MICHAEL.

YES, IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, SIR MICHAEL.

UM, SIR MICHAEL.

I COULDN'T ASK PROPERLY DURING THE NIGHT OF CONTRACTS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SO HECTIC, BUT...

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ME AS YOUR PURIFIER?

...SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU WERE BY MY SIDE, LADY IRENNE.

Pardon?

HUH? I AM SURE...

SIR MICHAEL OPENED THE DOOR,

ENTERED THE BANQUET HALL,

CAME TOWARD ME AT AN INCREDIBLE SPEED,

AND THEN SPECIFICALLY ASKED ME, DID HE NOT...?!!

...BUT IF I AM MISTAKEN, IT WOULD BE TOO EMBARRASSING TO ASK.

Everything happened so fast...

UM... BUT SIR MICHAEL,

IF THAT IS THE REASON, I THINK YOU CHOSE WRONGLY.

AS I TOLD YOU, I AM A 9TH GRADE PURIFIER, AND...

BUT DID YOU NOT SHOW ME THE LIGHT OF PURIFICATION AT THE NIGHT OF CONTRACTS?

TH-THAT WAS...! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF.

NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I TRY TO PURIFY AGAIN, A LIGHT LIKE THAT DOES NOT APPEAR.

IF YOU FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH ME BECAUSE OF THAT...

IT DOES NOT MATTER.

WE ARE ALREADY PARTNERS,

AND MY HOLY POWER WILL MAKE UP FOR ANY LACK IN YOUR PURIFYING POWER.

WE...?

...AM I IMAGINING THINGS?

SINCE EARLIER, HIS VOICE HAS SOUNDED STRANGELY GENTLER THAN IT DID IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE,

AND IT KEEPS POKING AT MY HEART.

IRENNE, PLEASE GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!

HE IS SOMEONE YOU WILL NOT SEE AFTER A FEW DAYS.

STICK TO THE PLAN.

RIGHT, ONCE I GET THAT INVISIBILITY RING,

I CAN LEAVE IN THIS LIFE WITHOUT TROUBLING SIR MICHAEL ANY FURTHER.

SIR MICHAEL.

YOU MAY THINK THIS IS RUDE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS HOW TO DIVIDE THE DUNGEON REWARDS.

YES.

PLEASE SPEAK FREELY.

I KNOW THAT YOU DONATE EVERY DUNGEON REWARD TO THE TEMPLE.

AS THE COMMANDER OF THE TEMPLE KNIGHTS, IT IS ONLY NATURAL,

AND I...

...DEEPLY RESPECT YOUR CHARACTER.

IT SHOULD BE FINE TO SAY THIS MUCH.

EVERYONE ON THE CONTINENT RESPECTS HIM, NOT JUST ME.

BUT I AM SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THE SECULAR WORLD, SO I NEED MONEY TO SURVIVE.

SO...

YOU MAY KEEP ALL THE REWARDS,

BUT COULD I OCCASIONALLY ASK FOR ONE REWARD FROM A DUNGEON I CHOOSE?

THAT IS...

ONCE A MONTH WOULD BE ENOUGH!

OTHER THAN THAT, YOU MAY DO EVERYTHING AS YOU WISH.

THIS IS MY SECOND TIME, BUT IT IS STILL FRIGHTENING.

I AM AFRAID HE WILL LOOK DOWN ON ME AGAIN...

...VERY WELL.

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, THEN I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE REWARDS AT ALL.

THANK... YOU, SIR MICHAEL.

THEN...

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU UNTIL THE DAY OUR PARTNERSHIP ENDS, SIR MICHAEL.

YES.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS WELL.

PERHAPS BECAUSE HIS WORDS CARRIED A TRACE OF KINDNESS

AND EASED THE WORRIES IN MY HEART,

OR PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE SOFT, WARM BLANKET I HAD NEVER USED BEFORE.

THAT NIGHT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY.

HERE IS THE LIST OF NEW DUNGEONS REPORTED BY THE SCOUTS OVER THE PAST WEEK.

WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE THE LIST OF EXISTING DUNGEONS?

YES, PLEASE.

I WAS WORRIED MY ACTIONS MIGHT CHANGE THE COURSE OF EVENTS AND EVEN AFFECT THE DUNGEONS,

BUT SO FAR, THEY SEEM TO BE THE SAME.

WHAT A RELIEF.

THE DUNGEONS ARE THE SAME,

AND THE PEOPLE AT THE FORTRESS ARE THE SAME TOO...

WH...

WHAT IS THIS...?!

OH MY, IRENNE! I AM SORRY!

I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU THAT I RAN OVER TOO QUICKLY AND BUMPED INTO YOU!

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

CAN YOU STAND?

THE DUNGEONS ARE THE SAME,

AND THE PEOPLE AT THE FORTRESS ARE THE SAME TOO.

...WILHELMINA.

MY OLD ILL FATED RELATIONSHIP WAS THE SAME TOO.