episode_0045

Upon hearing the words of the female soldier with turquoise hair, my mind momentarily went blank.

This was because I simply couldn’t grasp how to respond to her bold and shameless answer.

Of course, I could infer the reason why she made such a statement upon seeing me.

Objectively speaking, it was an unbelievable achievement.

A mere maid without proper professional training, not even a noble capable of using magic, had defeated a Goblin King.

Although I wasn’t in perfect condition due to being sealed within a monster sealing scroll, and strictly speaking, it wasn’t a straightforward victory, considering all factors.

Yet, despite all this, the female soldier’s claim was undeniably reasonable and correct.

Even I would have been astounded if Isabelle had claimed to have slain a level 5 goblin one day.

Therefore, it was only natural to understand her assertion…

“But, what if it’s true?”

The fact that I had past experience and a usable iron poker as a weapon by my side.

The monster being sealed meant it was relatively weakened.

All these coincidences culminated in the defeat of the Goblin King that day.

As a result of that event, Lillith managed to raise her level from 2 to 5, achieving a remarkable feat.

Moreover, she did it solely by herself, without any help from others.

Receiving around 150 full experience points without any dispersion was evidence of this.

Hence, the female soldier with turquoise hair was essentially accusing me of perjury.

Verifying the public record according to her statement seemed unnecessary…

“Hold on, isn’t it unnecessary for the defeat of the Goblin King to be attributed to me?”

Certainly, at that time, it was impossible to conceal the act, as it was spectacularly executed, and everything had concluded between my recovery and rising from the church.

Objectively, there was no benefit in claiming credit for this achievement.

In fact, it was almost detrimental to avoid drawing attention to it.

While the fact that I defeated the Goblin King had been reported to Harold, and people like Isabelle and Katarina were vaguely aware of it, reducing the scale of the rumor would serve no purpose.

Since I wouldn’t be working at Blackwood Manor forever and would eventually seek a different profession as a free individual, having such a conspicuous and alien achievement unnecessarily draw attention from others was a potential drawback.

“I may overlook the fact that you tempted the Lord to profit from the Goblin King’s materials. However, the stigma that our Lord left the Goblin King’s extermination to a mere maid and stood idly by…”

“Emilia, that’s enough.”

“But, my Lord. Since it must be included in the record journal, we should accurately document the facts…”

“I said stop.”

“…Yes.”

The woman who continued to voice suspicions based on rational deductions towards me, and Emilia, was calmed down by Ser, who sounded slightly irritated.

It seemed that the main reason I was summoned here was due to her objections.

“…I apologize for the delayed introduction. This is Emilia Reinhardt. She is a senior soldier in the Blackwood Guard and also serves as my aide.”

“Oh, hello, Miss Emilia…”

“…Yes, Lillith.”

“She is my aide, so she is involved in the annual record journal writing process. And during the review process, she couldn’t just overlook the incident of the Goblin King’s extermination that I had noted.”

“Of course, I think it’s a natural suspicion. Even I would be startled if one of my maid colleagues mentioned they would rid themselves of the Gallgorenny.

“…Thank you for understanding, Lilyss.”

While Emilya continued to gaze at me with cold eyes, Ser wore a slightly puzzled expression.

As they cautiously speculated about the nature of their relationship, Emilya’s words resurfaced.

“Commander Ser has shared his credit with other members on several occasions in the past.”

“Really?”

“There have been instances where after completing joint operations where Commander Ser’s contribution accounted for over 80%, he only took about 10% of the credit and distributed the rest among lower-ranking soldiers. Or there were times when he covered up mistakes made by other members by claiming them as his own.”

“…Don’t speak unnecessarily, Emilya.”

“Until now, I’ve overlooked the sharing of credit among fellow comrades as it boosts morale within the Blackwood Guard. However, regarding this matter, I cannot simply let it slide.”

“Emilya…”

“Commander Ser… or rather, how can you distribute your credit to an ordinary maid who hasn’t even received military training! Especially when you allowed a civilian maid’s combat in front of you without intervening! As your aide and record keeper, I cannot overlook such a stain on your reputation!”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Yes, under these circumstances, it makes sense for Ser to summon me all the way here. Perhaps there are discussions better left outside.

Ser, who has been the security chief of the Blackwood Territory Guard until now, seems to manage his unit by widely sharing his credit or covering up subordinates’ mistakes with his own actions.

And that knowledgeable-looking woman, Emilya, must have disapproved of his lenient behavior so far.

In that state, while organizing records, my act of punishing Gallgorenny must have caught their attention.

The accumulated resentment seemed to burst out from the fact that he shared credit with a mere maid, not even a fellow comrade.

“I understand what you’re saying, Emilya.”

Well, ultimately, if I just yield my credit, the problem will be resolved.

Already struggling as a debt-ridden maid, there was nothing good about making enemies unexpectedly.

“I, too, felt a bit burdened by the credit for punishing Gallgorenny with this fragile body. It would be more appropriate to yield the credit to a splendid knight like Sir Ser than to an ordinary maid like myself.”

“…Lilyss?”

“So, I agree as well. On the fifteenth day of the fifth month last year, the credit for punishing Gallgorenny shall be transferred to Sir Ser…”

Thus, just as everyone was smoothly proceeding without anyone needing to blush…

…suddenly, a person’s figure blocked my path and took a step forward.

“Maid, hold on.”

“Edan, sir?”

Approaching Emilya with a slightly improved gait, likely influenced by his ongoing swordsmanship training, Edan met her gaze and asked in a somewhat chilly tone.

“Your name is Emilya, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The words you just spoke, can you fully take responsibility for them?”

“……Yes?”

“Just as you mentioned, it feels like someone is accusing my maid of lying.”

…What’s with this unsettling atmosphere?

For some reason, the security office around Edan suddenly began to feel tense, enveloped in an ominous mood.

In that ambiguous situation, Edan continued speaking while maintaining eye contact with Emilia.

“Lilith Rosewood is my personal maid. I, Edan Richard Blackwood, the heir of the Blackwood Ducal Family, have her as my personal maid.”

“….”

“Moreover, she is the servant I trust the most. However, you are now claiming that my maid, whom I trust so much, is lying?”

“Young master?”

“Daring to stand so confidently after insulting my personal maid, it seems you might be on par with some noble lady somewhere, aren’t you?”

…No, why is he suddenly like this again?

It was a situation where everything could have ended smoothly if I had just conceded publicly, but Edan unexpectedly approached Emilia and started creating a hostile atmosphere.

Emilia, who had been looking at me calmly just moments ago, was now visibly flustered, cornered in a moment.

“…No, young master. I was just…”

“Are you personally witnessing and asserting this? The incident where Ser Kye punished Galgomni, and the maid intercepted that incident.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“In that case, I can’t understand why you’re making such claims. What you’re doing right now seems like threatening my maid, trying to intercept the incident just because you are a higher-ranking soldier.”

“….”

“If that’s the case, conversely, it also means that I can dismiss you from the guard just because you are the heir of the Blackwood family without any issues.”

“….!”

“….!”

Edan’s sudden harsh remarks surprised not only Emilia but even me.

…Isn’t this going too far over a small mistake?

Moreover, being a senior soldier meant having a considerably high rank among soldiers, even serving as the aide to Ser, a knight appointed by Blackwood, indicated undeniable competence.

To think of punishing someone in such a position just because their maid received some insults?

‘…Isn’t this too severe?’

Momentarily, a doubtful thought crossed my mind, but upon reflection, the situation didn’t seem that strange after all.

Rather than surprising with unexpected accusations, offering a chance for explanation itself was quite lenient compared to the in-game judgments.

Having recently undergone etiquette training and become unusually well-behaved, it was a fact that Edan’s core was rooted in the Luminoir Academy’s judgments.

Whenever any aspect of those judgments surfaced, it wasn’t that odd.

…And looking at the current situation, although it felt somewhat inconclusive to call it a judgment.

At least, Edan currently held a minimum justification even when wielding his power.

Unlike the in-game judgments where he needlessly tormented Lilith.

‘Is he preparing in advance for seizing power?’

The transition of power causing disturbances was an inevitable phenomenon in any territory, not just Blackwood’s domain.

Especially in Edan’s case, it was an objectively known fact that he lacked in many aspects compared to Harold.

While no one knew how well this kid would turn out by the time he inherited the Blackwood domain, it was undoubtedly clear that he would fall short of matching the current Sword Master’s stature.

If he thinks about that part, Edan wouldn’t be unable to understand his current behavior.

By meticulously visiting each foundational facility in the Blackwood Territory like this and creating an intimidating atmosphere, it would minimize the noise that would arise when Edan inherits the territory later on.

I’m not sure if this is a thought that could come out of the head of a kid who received etiquette education for just about a year.

Well, etiquette education for high nobility doesn’t just stop at knowing how to behave properly; it also includes advanced knowledge like rhetoric and social skills, so considering that possibility, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

…And honestly, besides that, nothing else really came to mind.

It just didn’t seem right to leverage authority against someone who had risen to the rank of a senior soldier just because their maid received some flak, no matter how much I thought about it.

From the start, our relationship wasn’t deep enough for Edan’s child to protect me even at the risk of danger.

“….”

“….”

Tension filled the security office.

In an uneasy atmosphere where the eruption time was unknown, Emilia quietly lowered her head as she watched Edan’s reaction and replied.

“I apologize, Young Master Edan. I foolishly made insulting remarks about your exclusive maid.”

“…But I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

“…I will sincerely apologize to Miss Lillis as well. My simple judgment caused irreparable harm to Miss Lillis.”

“Oh, no…. It’s a situation that can easily be misunderstood….”

Originally, I had planned to just bow and leave to resolve things amicably, but receiving an apology from the other side left me feeling bewildered.

Although it wasn’t going in the direction I had anticipated… anyway, the testimony-related matters seemed to have been resolved fairly well.

“Emilia.”

“…Yes, Young Master.”

“There won’t be a second chance, so refrain from making the same verbal mistake again.”

“…I apologize.”

Anyway, it seems to have been resolved well… right?