NOVPUBWhen Lucy, who had woken up from a long slumber, started training with her friends, Benedict thought it was an act to shake off her sorrow.
It was so overwhelming that whenever he thought about it, the sadness would consume him. The best thing to do when that happens is to prevent any space in his mind for thoughts, to just let it be.
Having gone through something similar in the past, Benedict understood Lucy’s feelings, and he decided to leave her alone until she could calm her sorrow.
He made excuses, saying that his intervening might only hurt her feelings.
“Isn’t it that you don’t know how to comfort the young lady, so you’re just fumbling around?”
The butler, who had been observing Benedict’s frustrated actions all day, couldn’t hold back his criticism any longer.
The sight of the once-improving person regressing to their old state after spending time alone with Lucy was too pitiful.
“...Butler, it hurts when you hit with the truth.” “Then you should let it go without needing to advise her.” “If it were that easy, would I be in this state?”
Benedict knew what was right. However, whenever he thought of meeting Lucy, the image of her crying alone in the mausoleum would come to mind, and his feet wouldn’t move.
“Whenever I recall that scene, I wonder if our good daughter only forgave her useless father out of worry for him.”
Benedict, with red eyes, hurriedly reached for a handkerchief. Seeing him, the butler’s gaze grew cold.
The sight of a man who had once instilled fear across the continent wiping away tears with a handkerchief smaller than his own hand was too pitiful to watch.
“Do you think the young lady is someone who comforts others with falsehoods, as you believe?” “Well, that...” “If the young lady hears this, I’m sure she would be very pleased.”
The butler’s voice now had an edge of mockery, but Benedict couldn’t retort.
Even he thought that he was disgusting, worse than his daughter, who was trying to overcome her grief without the help of her useless father.
He clenched the handkerchief soaked with tears tightly.
“What should I do?” “You already know the answer, don’t you?” “...” “I believe you will no longer run away to your desk. So please, repay my trust.”
After the butler left with words of unfinished business, Benedict, staring blankly at the papers on his desk, sighed.
He knew what to do. He knew that if he just treated his daughter the way he had been doing so far, it would be enough. But what should he do when that doesn’t happen as easily as he’d like?
Knock, knock. At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
From the sound of footsteps outside, Benedict knew immediately who it was.
The small footsteps he had heard when approaching earlier.
The soft humming, unconsciously slipping out.
The little hands that knocked on the door, making a tapping sound.
All these told him who was outside.
“Come in, Lucy.” “...How did you know? I didn’t say anything.” “I’d know if my daughter is coming.” “Ugh. That’s really creepy. Makes me want to run away.” “...Uh, uh.”
Benedict, receiving a disgusted glare from Lucy, didn’t know how to respond and blinked like a fool. Hearing his daughter’s words, he realized it might sound strange.
As his silence stretched, Lucy started to step back with an increasingly hostile look in her eyes.
“No. Wait! Lucy!”
Seeing her, Benedict quickly stood up from the desk and stopped her.
“What’s wrong?” “That! Anyway, I have no bad intentions! I swear!” “Do you expect me to believe that after looking at your creepy eyes, pervy papa?”
My eyes were that creepy?! Benedict, shocked, collapsed back into his chair, and the chair, unable to support his large frame, broke with a loud crack.
Even amidst that, Benedict displayed superhuman reflexes and managed to regain his balance, but he couldn’t do anything about the broken chair underneath him.
“Pfft. Puhahaha!”
As he stared blankly at the broken chair, he heard Lucy’s laughter and turned his head.
There was Lucy, holding her stomach and laughing so hard that she couldn’t stop, like someone who couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Watching her, a sight he hadn’t seen since before his wife left, he waited until Lucy finally lifted her head, and then quickly composed his expression.
“Sigh. Really. Papa is so useless, it’s hard to even tease you. When will you stop being so pathetic?” “Were... you not angry?” “Do I look like such a bad-tempered person? Was I really that person to you, fool papa?” “No, I didn’t mean it like that.” “Pfft. You’re overreacting to a joke. Fool. Fool papa.”
Only then did Benedict realize that he was being toyed with by Lucy and slumped his shoulders, letting out a sigh.
“Lucy. So why did you come to find this foolish papa?” “We should do the usual sparring.” “Sparring... you say?” “Yes. Why? Are you scared I’ll start winning? Are you getting nervous?”
Lucy’s teasing tone made Benedict smile lightly as he swept the papers aside.
He then approached Lucy and gently patted her head.
“...What are you doing? Your overly kind touch is making me want to puke.” “I’m just proud of you.” “Proud of what?” “I’m proud that my daughter is so much better than this papa, so I couldn’t help myself.”
With a voice full of laughter, Benedict said this and then lifted Lucy’s body, placing it on his shoulder.
“Are you really confident? This papa never shows mercy to anyone.” “Do you think that’s okay to say, papa? If you do, you’ll lose all your excuses later.” “Haha. If that happens, I’ll have to admit that this papa is useless. But it’s fine. That won’t happen.”
A few days after the new year had begun, and after receiving the pope’s favor, Feibi, together with Johan, was heading to the Allen estate.
Although Feibi could have immediately reached the estate using the church’s teleportation circle or a spatial mage, she chose to travel by carriage.
It wasn’t because she wanted to suffer. Nor was it because she didn’t want to trouble the church.
The reason she traveled by carriage, passing through various towns, was because she wanted to help those who might be struggling along the way.
There weren’t many skilled doctors or clergy on the continent, but there were plenty of people in need of them, so Feibi chose to travel by carriage to offer her help along the way.
As she examined the flower ring given to her by a child from a village they had visited the day before, she remembered the bright smile of the child who had said, “Thank you, pretty sister!” and smiled softly.
She was glad she had acted as usual, moving slowly. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to see the child’s smile. n𝚘𝚟𝚙u𝚋.co𝚖
“We should be arriving at Allen Estate soon.”
Feibi looked outside the carriage at Johan’s words. In the distance, the neatly built city walls came into view.
The Allen Duchy. It was the guardian of the kingdom’s borders and the place that kept countless nations from daring to invade the kingdom.
And now, the land where Lucy Allen, the person most precious to Feibi and her strong pillar of support, resided.
“Are you looking forward to meeting your old friends?” “Of course, Johan. Just thinking about meeting my friends makes me so happy.”
It wasn’t just Lucy who was there.
Her long-time friend, Joy Partlan.
Arthur Soladin, seemingly polite but often teased.
Frey Kent, who was reckless but honest.
She was finally able to spend time with her comfortable friends after spending so much time tense at the holy land. How could she not be excited?
“Ah. Johan. I have a question.” “Go ahead.” “You’ve spent a lot of time at the Allen estate, right? So, have you seen the training of the Allen Knights?” “Yes. I’ve seen it. Even I, who am often told I’m strict, could never dare ask the church’s paladins to endure the hardships that those knights go through.”
Johan thought back to the first year he arrived at the Allen estate.
Back then, seeing the harsh training of the knights, he thought they were making him endure it to pressure him.
However, that was just his misunderstanding. What seemed like mental-breaking training was just daily life for the Allen Knights.
He had been so shocked when he realized this.
As he recalled that shock, Johan smiled faintly and turned to Feibi.
“Why are you suddenly asking about this?” “My friends are training in the knights’ order.” “...What?” “Don’t I have to join them once I arrive at the Allen estate?”
For a moment, Johan thought he needed to stop her.
At that moment, he recognized that Feibi was someone worthy of the title of saint.
She would be essential to the church in the future.
But could he just watch her walk into hell like this?
His confusion must have been evident on his face, for Feibi lightly chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Johan. With the young lady by my side, what is there to fear?” “But...” “Besides, to be called a saint, don’t I need to endure some hardships first?”
Understanding Feibi’s resolve, Johan refrained from further discouraging her and continued his lectures on divine magic as usual.
After another day of travel, Feibi and Johan arrived at the Allen estate. After greeting the church, they headed to the Allen mansion.
From how much Johan was worrying, the Allen Knights’ training must be extremely difficult.
But Feibi wasn’t worried. She knew that the hardship would only contribute to her growth.
What she was truly looking forward to was meeting the young lady. The young lady who had such an expressive face. Feibi couldn’t help but wonder if she would be able to look at her properly.
“Johan. And... is she really a saint?” “Yes. She is. The Saint of the Church of the Holy Lord, Feibi. I’ve been invited by the young lady of Allen to visit.”
The guards at the mansion, upon seeing Feibi, widened their eyes in shock. But their surprise didn’t last long.
They quickly regained their composure and escorted Johan and Feibi to the knights’ training ground.
“Hahaha! You all look so much better now!”
What Feibi saw at the training ground were her friends, lying on the floor, and among them, Benedict, smiling without a scratch.
“Huh? What is going on here?”
Is this some sort of training? But they all look like they’re in terrible shape?
Feibi, stunned by the sight, was startled when a soft, warm hand grabbed her wrist.
“Too slow. Lazy, useless saint.”
“You... Young lady?”
“Come here. Even if you’re a useless saint with too much flesh, your divinity can still be of help. You’ll be useful.”
“...Huh? Huh?! Wait. Young lady! Please hear me out! Do you not hear me?!”
