episode_0166

Episode 166

Official knights are assigned lodgings located right next to the knight corps. Of course, it is not mandatory. Among the noble knights, there were those who lived in great mansions.

However, this does not apply to Rika. Although life at Orbin Monastery has improved, it is nothing compared to the knights’ lodgings, and above all, they cannot be made to commute outside the castle gates every day.

I went out to pack Rika’s luggage and she headed to the monastery.

Rika’s room was barely organized. I guess I didn’t know it would move so quickly. Rika hurriedly started packing her things into her suitcase.

“But it will be over soon. Because I don’t have a lot of things.”

It certainly was. Life in the monastery was poor, and there probably weren’t many opportunities for Rika to have anything of her own. The first thing Rika folded neatly and put into her bag was a set of clothes.

“Those clothes…”

“Yes, this is the first thing the princess gave me.”

It was truly an ordinary piece of clothing. Clothes that commoners also commonly wear but then throw away when they become old and worn out. However, Rika’s attitude towards those ordinary clothes seemed to be like treating them as a treasure that could not be found anywhere else in the world.

Somehow, my heart aches a little. I spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Can’t I throw away those clothes now? In the future, you will have the opportunity to wear much nicer clothes. I’ll buy you as much as you want.”

Rika quietly looked at the clothes folded in the bag. Then he said to me.

“If it is an order, I will do so. But I want to cherish it. No matter what happens…”

Although her tone and expression were the same as usual, it somehow felt to me like Rika was pleading. I simply could not refuse that plea.

“Oh, no, no, that wasn’t the command I just gave. Rika does whatever she wants.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did Rika begin to move again, as if relieved.

It didn’t seem like Rika really had much to take care of. I just packed that set of clothes and another set of clothes that seemed to have been given to me at the monastery. Next, I took out a strange statue from the bedside drawer.

“What is that?”

“This item was carved by a boy who lives here. He said he was a dragon… who lost his parents to bandits. No matter how much I look at it, it doesn’t look that way.”

It definitely has wings or something. Although it looks closer to a winged golem than a dragon.

At that time, someone knocked on the door. Thump, thump, it was a rather rough knock.

“Who are you?”

When I opened the door, there was a clumsy woman standing there. With several gang members.

“Boss! Is it true that you are leaving here?”

“I told you not to call me that, Rebecca. Yes, indeed. Because I was officially knighted yesterday.”

“The article… It’s great, but it’s too sudden! I couldn’t even have a farewell party!”

“Of course, I regret that too. But don’t worry. I will come see you often. Of course, it will work after I get used to the job.”

Rebecca also turned her eyes to me, who was standing in the back. Of course she knew me.

“Princess…! Please take good care of Boss Rika! Even though he seems blunt, he is actually a very nice person!”

“Yes! He saved the monastery from bad guys several times, and even kindly taught us how to use weapons!”

Of course, I know very well what kind of person Rika is. I walked up to Rika, casually crossed my arms, and said,

“I see. I think you know how kindly the people at the monastery have treated Rika so far. But don’t worry. Rika will be able to do well in the Knights.”

“Yes, please!”

Rebecca and her group stood with expressions of regret on their faces and then forced themselves to take a step back. Even after they withdrew, several more visits followed.

Everyone expressed deep regret over Rika leaving. The boy who gave the statue that Rika mentioned actually cried. Among them, there were people who tried to give them money or food.

Knock, knock, knock. It looks like another visitor came to say hello. When I opened the door, Reelia was there.

“Ah, the princess is here too? First of all, congratulations on becoming an official knight, Rika. Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. Thank you so much, saint.”

Even without my knowledge, it seemed like a secret bond had developed between the two. I spoke to Leelia with regretful eyes.

“Reelia, you are welcome to come see Rika and me at any time. You are also my benefactor… so there is no need to feel burdened.”

Leelia smiled and shook her head.

“Still, if you visit suddenly, it may interfere with the mission of the Knights. Of course, if the princess invites me, I will come anytime.”

“Yes. Someday, the three of us together with Rika will pile up a mountain of dessert and eat it.”

Leelia nodded vigorously. Leelia quietly entered the room and came next to me. It seemed like he wanted to stay with Rika until she left the monastery.

Packing was completed quickly. The last thing I put in the bag was a set of knives that seemed to have been given to me as a souvenir by the mercenaries.

“This is it. Then, let’s go, princess.”

Rika lifted the bag with ease. Considering the size of the bag, there was quite a bit of empty space left inside.

However, compared to when she left Changgwan, Rika’s bag was much more filled. The insignificant miscellaneous items in the bag can be said to be the spoils of a short but hard life here. Including the clothes you gave me.

While going to the main gate of the monastery, the people who had come to visit Rika were watching her go from afar. The moment I waved to them and was about to leave, a horse-drawn cart arrived in front of the monastery.

The man on the cart asked me as I came out of the monastery.

“Is this Orbin Monastery?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Aha, I see. Princess Sarah of Castle Lustier sent a gift to the monastery people. No, wait, aren’t you Princess Sera? Ah, you came first and were waiting for me.”

what?

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what the man was saying. Of course, I have never sent a cart like this before. There were many small boxes loaded on the back of the cart.

“Princess, did you prepare all this?”

“Oh, no, I don’t have anything like this… You there, show me the shipping documents!”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

The man bent down and took out a scroll from his side pocket. I opened it and saw that it had my signature and the royal seal on it.

It is not uncommon for a cart like this to come to Orbin Monastery. This is because a cart loaded with aid supplies arrives regularly every month.

But this is done in the name of the church. There was nothing to be sent in Sarah Lustier’s name.

“…What’s inside the box?”

“Well? It was also… it just said it was a gift. I can’t open it and check it individually, and I shouldn’t.”

It’s just as the coachman said. It would be crazy to open something that even has the royal seal on it.

In that case, you have no choice but to open it yourself. I took out a box from the cart and held it in my hand.

It’s quite heavy. It also seems to smell sweet. When I shook it, I could hear a rustling sound from inside.

“Princess, I will do it.”

Rika, who must have sensed that my expression was unusual, took the box. Then, without taking my eyes off the inside, I carefully opened the lid.

When the box was opened, what was inside was an ordinary cookie. The one with raisins in it looked quite appetizing. But I couldn’t help but be shocked when I saw it.

Because black magic full of malice was overflowing from those cookies.

“Give it to me, Rika!”

Before we knew it, Reelia came running and snatched the box from Rika’s hand. A dazzling divine power was released from Reelia, who held the box with both hands. The black magic that had been stirring in the cookie was soon completely purified.

“What the hell is this…”

The coachman looked just bewildered by this series of commotion. I asked him.

“Who received this delivery request and when did you receive it?”

“Yes? A request came in directly from the royal family this morning. I also received the documents from him. I-I wonder if there’s any problem…”

“No, it’s nothing. Now that the work is done, can you hand over the shipping documents to me?”

“Uh, documents for completed cases are stored so that there are no problems in the future… but what are you talking about?”

“There will be no harm to you. I promise in Lustier’s name.”

“Ah, I understand. If you say that much…”

After receiving assurance in the name of the royal family, he nodded and handed over the documents.

“Rielia, what type of curse is this?”

“…It is at a level that can cause direct harm to the body. However, it is the type that only activates when eaten directly. Cookies are just cookies… If all of those boxes contain curses… it would seem that many shamans were mobilized.”

While listening to Leelia’s explanation, I sighed deeply.

A royal seal, a cookie imbued with a large amount of black magic, and a curse powerful and malicious enough to cause harm to the body. I couldn’t think of any other answer.

“No, this is probably… the work of one person.”

I squeezed my trembling hands. The royal documents he was holding in his hand were all crumpled.