"Feibi! You’ve finally arrived!"
As soon as Joy saw Feibi’s face, she broke into a wide grin.
That smile was a mix of excitement at seeing her friend after so long, but also an eager anticipation of the reactions her friend might show.
Even Feibi couldn’t be immune to the harsh training of the Allen Knights!
The thought of hearing complaints from the saint was too enjoyable.
Was this how Lucy felt when she invited us here?
She knew it wasn’t a good attitude, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
Heh. It looks like it’s starting with a spar against the Allen heir.
Joy couldn’t help but recall the first time she had faced Benedict.
She had thought that after consistent training in the knights' order, she was familiar with combat, but she had been struck by Benedict from an unseen angle, knocked out in a single blow.
While Feibi might be more familiar with actual combat than she was, even she would have no choice but to struggle against an opponent like Benedict, an exception to the rule.
Lucy would definitely be flustered.
With this mischievous thought in mind, Joy watched Feibi, but unfortunately, things did not unfold as she expected.
Despite being suddenly thrust into the sparring, Feibi performed far beyond just one role.
She stood at the back, supporting the line as expected. It was natural, considering she was not just a saint, but an exceptional cleric who wouldn’t fail in her duties.
What truly surprised Joy was how Feibi went above and beyond with ease.
“Thank you! Saint, you saved me!”
The moment Feibi saw a vulnerable position in the line, she instantly conjured divine magic to protect her allies.
“Hah! Were you prepared for this?” “Joy! The spell!” “...Yes! Right away!”
Feibi anticipated and responded to Benedict’s ambush even before Joy could react.
“Useless saint!” “Understood!”
Even without Lucy explaining the plan in detail, Feibi intuitively created a variable using her own magic.
Throughout the spar, Feibi wasn’t the fragile saint many might expect; instead, she moved like an experienced veteran in the front lines.
Joy, unable to witness her friend’s struggle, felt both disappointed and, on the other hand, couldn’t help but admire Feibi.
This was why Feibi was so highly respected by other clergy.
With the addition of the remarkable cleric, the group felt much more stable and secure, but still, the wall that was Benedict was simply too high to overcome.
Even if they were well-prepared, facing a monster like Benedict, who few across the continent could rival, left them lacking.
“Not even graduated from the academy, and yet this level! The kingdom’s future is bright!”
After Benedict left, leaving the group to catch their breath, those who had stood opposite him began to slump to the floor one by one.
They had exhausted every bit of their strength in enduring against the monster that was Benedict.
At this point, Feibi was no different. Leaning against the wall, she too slumped down, struggling to catch her breath.
“Stupid papa, so childish. The big guy trying his best to defeat his daughter, seriously?”
The only exception was Lucy. With her inherently superior stamina, despite taking on the toughest role in the spar against Benedict, she remained calm and composed.
“How is that my papa? So annoying.”
Just as Lucy expressed her genuine frustration, a loud thud sounded from afar.
It was a huge sound, but the only one startled by it was Feibi.
Those who had recently stayed at the Allen estate could easily guess who the source of the noise was.
“Useless saint.”
Feibi, startled, immediately turned her head toward Lucy’s voice.
“Not bad, you’re moving better than I thought. Guess you’re not just full of flesh after all?”
Lucy’s voice, as always, was taunting, but Feibi couldn’t focus on it. Her thoughts were completely distracted by the bright smile Lucy wore.
She had admired her through the crystal before, but seeing it in person, the sight was even more awe-inspiring. Even her sweaty appearance somehow looked sacred.
It was frustrating to realize that until now, she hadn’t been able to see that for herself.
A hint of jealousy stirred in Feibi, but then she realized that the divine presence within Lucy had changed.
The warmth of the divine had become softer, and it seemed to have grown more abundant within Lucy. Moreover, it felt so much more natural for the divine energy to flow through Lucy’s body now.
She must have grown even more in my absence. Truly, like an apostle of the Holy Lord.
“Useless saint. Have your ears gotten fatter?”
“...Ah. Sorry, young lady. I was thinking about something else.”
“You’re thinking of something else when someone as cute as me is right in front of you? So arrogant. Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you’re all that.”
Even with Lucy pouting, Feibi didn’t get flustered.
After all, after dealing with the dark forces at the Holy Lord's Church recently, Lucy’s complaints felt rather endearing.
Lucy, seeing that Feibi remained calm, seemed displeased and stared at her for a moment before suddenly pinching her cheeks.
“You cheeky saint. So arrogant.”
“I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
“Yeah. Lucy. Let the saint go. Instead, come play with me.”
While Feibi and Lucy were chatting, Frey, now having recovered some strength, waddled over and pushed her cheek up against Lucy’s.
Lucy, seeing Frey’s action, silently stared at her before playfully tugging Frey’s cheek.
“Ouch! Ouch!” “You told me to do it, you perverted inspector.” “...Lucy, you’re bad.”
Watching the scene, Feibi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Days after Feibi’s return, Benedict finally brought up that he wouldn’t be able to continue sparring.
“There’s a schedule with the people from Allen and nearby nobles.”
Benedict explained that he didn’t want to go, but Feibi wasn’t bothered by that.
There had been too many times she had been beaten by Benedict, so this time, she wasn’t going to let it slide.
Successfully getting Benedict to retreat by using her sharp wit, she gathered her tired friends.
Now that they couldn’t spar with Benedict, there was no reason to stay at the Allen estate any longer.
Everyone complained about losing their rare rest, but when Feibi mentioned the next plan, their expressions changed.
“You’re going to raid a dungeon?”
“Is there a chance to escape this hell again?!”
“Shall we bet again?”
Perhaps because the previous dungeon raid had been relatively easy, the three people who participated with her previously showed excitement at the thought of going again.
They thought that facing real battle was much better than the hellish training of the Allen Knights.
Feibi silently watched her friends, who were clearly overjoyed.
This dungeon visit had a very different purpose from last time. Last time, they went to improve their skills for dungeon raiding, but this time, it was all about manual labor.
I wonder if their faces will still look that happy after spending twenty hours a day in the dungeon, hunting monsters.
<Do you realize your expression looks quite wicked right now?>
‘Oh, really? Maybe because I’m thinking wicked thoughts.’
<...Could you be a little more modest? >
‘Do I have to? We’re related anyway!’
After a brief silence, the old man sighed and muttered in a somewhat complex tone.
<It’s the first time I’m relieved by your insolent tone.>
‘What do you mean by that?’
Thank goodness for the Mesugaki skill! I’ve suffered so much because of this damn skill!
“Lady Allen. Can I join this time too?”
Just as Feibi was about to question the old man, Jackal quietly interjected from the side.
It seemed that he hadn’t forgotten how he was left behind last time, and his eyes carried an earnest desperation.
“You want to join me again?”
“Yes! I don’t want to be left behind in this hell again!”
“You seem really desperate. You look like a stray dog. So pitiful.”
“Well... then...”
“But what should I do? There’s no room for a second-rate noble like you this time either. Hahaha. Looks like you’ll be alone again. It’s your fate.”
It was unfortunate, but since Feibi had returned, Jackal no longer had a place.
He was far down the priority list due to his questionable relationship and unimpressive performance as a character.
Seeing Jackal collapse again with the news, Feibi seemed concerned, so she carefully spoke up.
“Umm... young lady. Couldn’t we go together anyway? Even if the number of people exceeds the limit, we can always rotate.”
“Useless saint. Don’t pity a discarded dog. There’s a reason dogs are abandoned.”
“...Is that so?”
Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.
It wasn’t that Feibi didn’t feel bad for Jackal. However, the reason she couldn’t take him along wasn’t just efficiency—it was because someone else was already willing to take him.
Back when they had visited the Burrow family, Karia had already said she would take Jackal with her and make use of him. If he went with her, Jackal could escape this hell.
What awaited them at the destination might be a worse hell, or perhaps something similar to this one.
“Employer! Long time no see.”
Coincidentally, the night Feibi decided to visit the dungeon, Karia came to the Allen estate.
After meeting with Benedict and chatting about various things, she came over to Feibi and told her about an incident between Queen Consort II and Heishan.
“At first, they were both really awkward with each other. But once they started talking, they quickly became close again.”
Since Queen Consort II had already been willing to lower her head, and Heishan understood Queen Consort II’s position, they didn’t really have to “reconcile” and just chatted in a warm atmosphere.
“Thanks to that, I was able to make a smooth deal with her.”
Karia’s tone, as she spoke about how she had gotten other information besides just the movements of Queen Consort I, sounded slightly ominous.
Queen Consort II, it seems, has become a fool.
There was nothing I could do. How could someone become a fool in front of a person who could read emotions and thoughts from mere gestures?
Truly, I’m lucky that Karia is on my side. If she had been on the opposite side, I can only imagine how badly things would have gone.
“By the way, I’ve got some information from the academy professors who are allied with Queen Consort I. They’re moving actively within the academy. I’m not sure about their exact goals, but you should be cautious.”
Karia handed over a note with the names of a few professors, most of whom were already on my radar.
The names matched people who had cooperated with Queen Consort I in the main storyline.
Including Luca’s name.
Seeing that, I chuckled quietly and handed the note back to Karia.
“Don’t you think it’s better for you to keep this?”
“Lady. Aren’t you being a bit too reckless? Do I look stupid enough to fall for these kinds of trash?”
The more events like this happen, the more welcome they are. They mean more opportunities for me to grow.
So what I need to focus on now isn’t worrying about the movements of those professors, but growing strong enough to overcome any hardships that come my way.
“By the way, did you find out about the dungeon I mentioned?”
“I sent my apprentice to handle it. You’ll be free to use it until the end of the break.”
“Really?”
“But, employer, what are you going to do there? They say the monsters are abundant, but the rewards are lousy, so people avoid it.”
“Can’t you see? The trash monsters swarming there are exactly what I need.”
It’s perfect for manual labor.