episode_0072

Yannick, who had been watching Gilbert leaving the parlor with a grave expression as usual, this time turned to his master.

Cold eyes and a tightly closed mouth that makes it impossible to tell what they are thinking at all.

Even his face was devoid of a smile, as if the skit earlier was a lie.

Only now, Yannick had returned to the original Seraphina that he was familiar with.

“Her Highness the Princess. There is one thing I would like to ask you.”

“Yannick. Yeo must have said that that title is prohibited inside the academy.”

“Sorry. Seraphina.”

Yannick bowed his head and asked for forgiveness. It was a mistake that could not be corrected, as was typical of him, but Seraphina’s unique energy made Yannick automatically say the title to convey.

Seraphina was such a suitable person for the position of Royal Highness that if you weren’t conscious of it, you would call her without thinking.

I guess this is the quality of a king.

Yannick could only nod inwardly.

” was done. So what do you want to ask her? If you were the usual Yannick, you would have swallowed all your doubts.”

Although he sometimes gave advice, it was rare for Yannick, who believed that loyalty meant not going against the will of his master. Normally, rather than questioning her actions, one would try to understand their meaning, but since it was the first time in quite a while that she was asked about her intentions, Seraphina was intrigued.

“Why did you say that to Sir Gilbert a moment ago?”

“When you say that… what do you mean?”

“Seraphina’s time is being given as a reward.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant.”

Instead of answering, Yannick looked at his master quietly drinking cold tea.

Originally, Seraphina was a thorough and charismatic leader who controlled her subjects. The intimidating feeling that made ordinary people cringe just by getting close made them feel like they were under a curse spell.

That was the whole reason she was designated as the next emperor. Because it was natural for Princess Seraphina to stand above someone.

But at some point, Seraphina became the way she is now. Unlike before, when I had no idea what a joke was, I began to joke often and make frivolous jokes.

It was the same a little while ago. He was telling jokes that were previously unimaginable, so casually.

Considering her status within the empire, such jokes had to be avoided even in private situations. Even if it was just a trivial word, the moment Seraphina said it, it was bound to be talked about.

And in politics, such trivial things accumulate and exert their power. That was the beginning of everything that gave justification and opportunity to attack.

Because of that, Yannick could not hide his wonder. It was impossible to imagine that Seraphina, who is known to have a deep mind, would have overlooked something that even he could easily think of.

If so, there must be some reason.

Yannick was curious about that.

“Yannick. What kind of man do you think Gilbert Lionheart is?”

“It is…”

Yannick felt a sense of déjà vu at the question of Seraphina, who was quietly drinking tea. He had certainly heard this same question. When I thought about when it was, it was definitely during the entrance mock competition for new students at Demeia Academy this year.

At that time, Yannick harshly criticized Gilbert, calling him ‘disrespectful, dishonorable, and a lousy man.’ It was an objective evaluation without any hint of self-interest, combining the reputation that had been made so far and the information received from the Imperial Intelligence Department. If there was a mixture of opinions, it was only a feeling of disgust towards the idiot from an aristocratic family who was behaving poorly.

But now, several months later, I heard the same question, but I couldn’t give the same evaluation. Gilbert’s actions after entering Demeia Academy were 180 degrees different from what he had done before.

Did I say it was disrespectful?

The one who takes the lead in subduing the imperial family’s enemies more than anyone else?

Did you say you don’t know honor?

The man who never backed down in the face of countless enemies?

Did I say it sucks?

The one who defeated all his enemies and stood alone?

Yannick shook his head.

The status of the exclusive disciple of the First Sword of the Empire and the only priest of the First Princess of the Infractus Empire. He was awarded the title of knight as an academy member, and was not lacking in anything, including the ability to block dozens of giant god soldiers alone.

Of course, if you try to find fault with a political perspective, the bad reputation of the past could be a hindrance. There were quite a few high-ranking nobles who remembered his foolish behavior and gnashed their teeth.

However, Gilbert, who brilliantly prevented the attack on the Academy, was now being hailed as a hero. While it was being used as excellent propaganda to quell public sentiment, there was a risk that it would be destroyed if it engaged in politics that had no benefit whatsoever.

Yannick gathered his thoughts and cleared his throat. He felt Seraphina’s eyes waiting for an answer.

“Sir Gilbert is a faithful subject of the Empire, a man of honor who does not back down even in the face of numerous enemies, and a courageous man who greets the enemies of the Empire before anyone else.”

“You are evaluating it differently than before.”

“Because of his narrow-mindedness, he did not know Sir Gilbert properly.”

“No, everyone does that.”

Seraphina, who was rubbing the lip of the empty teacup with her hand, soon called a maid standing nearby and filled it with black tea. As reddish-colored tea water filled the teacup, I put a few sugar cubes in it and stirred it with a teaspoon.

As she watched the hard sugar dissolving in the warm black tea, she gently placed the teaspoon in the teacup.

“Yannick.”

“Yes, Seraphina.”

“Women like talented people. I think that the light that their talent gives off, like the stars that twinkle in the night sky, is truly beautiful.”

“I know. Serafina, aren’t you always passionate about discovering talent?”

“Okay. Because they will come together one by one and become the cornerstone that supports the empire. As a woman, I can’t help but like talented people.”

Seraphina has always been thirsty for talent. As he was born with outstanding talent, he knew very well how far a talented person could achieve, so he recruited talented people without considering their status.

In some ways, it was almost like an obsession, but there was only one reason she did it. It was for the empire.

“The most important thing to her is the empire. The development of the empire is the only goal and direction of Yeo’s life. How can leisure neglect talented people?”

“Then…”

“Gilbert is a rock among rocks. At most, less than half a year had passed since he entered the academy. But look at him. He is already leaving a deep mark on the empire. This would only be possible for those with heroic spirit. He will be the one to change the landscape of the continent in the future.”

Seraphina savored the black tea and closed her eyes. When I closed my eyes, I naturally remembered the first time I saw Gilbert.

Seraphina, who inspected new students every year to attract useful talent to her faction, did not miss this year and attended the entrance mock competition. Needless to say, I had higher expectations than ever, especially since it was known that many new students with great talent were enrolling.

Certainly, as rumored, the level of this year’s freshmen was higher than last year. Everyone had extraordinary skills in handling the Giant God Soldiers, and there were also some new students who wanted to be recruited into the faction.

However, due to customary practices, she was unable to attract all the talented people, so she began to sift through the good and bad, and shortlisted a few as final candidates. I found him when I was confident that if I could attract even one of them to my faction, it would be a successful recruitment.

Gilbert, known to the world as the count’s bastard.

He stood out by demonstrating the most outstanding Giant Soldier piloting skills among the freshmen, and eventually defeated all of the commander cadets to win the final championship. Even Seraphina was surprised by his behavior, which did not fit with the nickname he had previously displayed.

I guessed that what he had shown so far was just an appearance to deceive others, and I suspected that the reason for deceiving was to threaten the safety of the empire.

As she was in a position where she had to watch out for something, she decided to keep an eye on Gilbert by her side. One day, when Brianna came to me asking to become her exclusive disciple, the reason I agreed was also based on that intention.

However, he acted differently from her concerns. Not only did he prevent the Resistance’s terror attack on the Academy, but he also made a remarkable contribution by being at the forefront of the operation to eradicate the Resistance.

Moreover, in this attack on Demeia Academy, he single-handedly blocked dozens of giant god soldiers and even protected all the cadets and guests who visited the academy.

Although Seraphina did not completely trust him due to her personality of always thinking ahead, she felt quite a deep sense of trust. More than anything, I felt like I couldn’t lose him, so I was forming this closeness.

“So you’re being rude to Sir Gilbert?”

“If you can attract Gilbert with actions like this, you can do anything.”

Yannick closed his eyes, as if he was impressed by Seraphina’s calm words. It was the greatest happiness and pride for Yannick, who considered himself a loyal subject, to serve a lord who held a nobler position than anyone else but was willing to put down even himself when necessary.

You have doubts about what the princess is doing.

Yannick blamed himself for having blasphemous thoughts and once again burned his loyalty to Seraphina.

“Of course, it is also true that a priest suits a woman’s taste.”

“Yes? Princess… what are you doing…?”

“There is also a personal preference.”

At the sight of Seraphina smiling and drinking tea, Yannick’s loyalty from a moment ago faded and he became slightly dizzy.

You must be kidding, right?

But Yannick could swear that this was the first time he had seen Seraphina tell a joke like this.

***

Brianna, who was handling the work piled up due to the academy attack incident, suddenly checked the time. By now, Gilbert had finished his audience with Princess Serafina. As I was processing the documents, I seemed to have lost track of time.

After Brianna finished and organized the agenda she was handling, she picked up the teapot to make some tea. My family had just sent me some herbal tea leaves that were good for stabilizing the body, so I thought it would be a good time to brew the tea now.

I think it took some time for Gilbert to recover after he broke his limit, but I was thinking of making him some tea just in case he felt angry.

smart

When I finished making the tea, I heard a knock on the door. It seemed like she arrived within the time she expected.

“Master. This is Gilbert.”

“Come in.”

I cautiously opened the door and motioned to Gilbert, who came in, to sit down. After seeing Gilbert sitting at the reception table, Brianna poured herbal tea into two cups and placed one in front of Gilbert.

“It is a herbal tea that is good for body stability. If you drink it, it will reduce recoil beyond the limit.”

“I will eat well.”

Brianna burst into laughter as she watched Gilbert drink his tea.

I guess I should say that the fact that he doesn’t have any questions is what makes him unique.

“What good things are you doing? You have a softer mood than usual.”

“Well… there is no teacher who wouldn’t be happy with his student’s growth.”

Brianna calmed her expression in response to Gilbert’s question. It seemed like his expression had relaxed without him realizing it.

“Are you in better shape than that?”

“As you can see, it’s fine. I wasn’t injured.”

“I know that. But that day you clearly crossed the line. No one can guarantee what problems will arise.”

marginal area. It was a different concept from the breakthrough that all practitioners, whether practicing martial arts or magic, desperately wanted. It was a very dangerous act of forcibly exceeding a level that was not yet permitted by using talent to open a gap.

No one could know what kind of repercussions would come in return if one were to break through in a situation where physical and mental growth was lacking.

Brianna has seen too many people who could have made a mark in history stumble into marginal territory and suffer permanent damage. She also had the experience of stepping into a marginal area and recovering from it, so she was keenly aware of the dangers of the marginal area.

“It’s a marginal area…”

“That’s why he was able to use the Winter Sword’s secret powers during the attack on the Academy. Because it is the limit area that allows you to demonstrate divine power that literally goes beyond your limits. However, from now on, I will prohibit you from setting foot in the restricted area. The limit area allows you to exert strength beyond your current level, but the rebound on your body and mind is severe. If you make a mistake, you could end up in trouble.”

“I will not use it as much as possible.”

” It’s not that I don’t use it as much as possible. What I am saying is that it is absolutely prohibited.”

“Okay.”

It was only then that Brianna relaxed her stern expression after hearing the confirmation. The anxiety that my precious student might fall into the limit and destroy his body was somewhat alleviated. In any case, the higher the level, the more difficult it is to step into the limit area. It was never easy to force oneself to open oneself up and advance to the next level through one’s talent.

With Gilbert’s talent, he will soon surpass his current level, so this level of warning will be enough.

“Is that what you called me to say?”

“That is the biggest, but not everything.”

There was one more reason why Brianna called Gilbert aside from prohibiting the limit.

She looked again at her student who was looking at her bluntly.

He had blond hair that looked like it had been coated with melted gold, somewhat fierce-looking eyes, and piercings on his ears that were uncharacteristic of a noble.

It wouldn’t be strange to be called a fool if you only saw this, but Brianna was confident that she knew her student better than anyone else.

Gilbert was a swordsman with a greater desire for the sword than anyone else, and a true knight who could never ignore the danger of others.

He saved himself from death during the attack and remained alone, never backing down against dozens of giant god soldiers. After dealing with all the giant soldiers, he moved to protect the cadets and subjects who could not evacuate, disregarding his own life in the process.

That was dozens of giant monsters, which was too much for a cadet who had just started to shed the tag of a new academy student. Nevertheless, Gilbert did a very difficult job as a first-year cadet and did it very well.

Even Brianna, who was stingy with praise because she was wary of Gilbert’s pride, couldn’t help but praise him.

“Road.”

“…Please tell me.”

Gilbert looked at Brianna, who had mentioned the nickname in a soft voice. I was surprised to see this for the first time since I became Brianna’s exclusive student. It looked quite different from Brianna, who had a cold expression even in Tactical Combat.

How could I not be embarrassed when I saw an expression on his face that even I had not seen before?

Gilbert swallowed dry saliva.

“As a teacher, there is no one who does not rejoice in the growth of his disciple. How could one not be happy that the student is heading in the right direction? I am very proud of you moving forward straight. I hope that we will continue to move forward without deviating from the middle path.”

“Okay.”

Is it because I cleared the death route that was unavoidable in Tactical Combat?

Gilbert clenched his fists, looking at Brianna with a benevolent smile. Trying to prevent her death was an action taken to minimize damage to the academy. Personally, I had a strong desire for Brianna to live.

How can you hate Brianna, who is willing to sacrifice her life for the cadets?

I had done my best during the attack because I wanted to save her, but now, seeing this smile, I felt like I had received all my reward. As much as I worked hard, it was very rewarding.

“large. In that sense, try to set aside some time next week.”

“It’s not difficult… but is there a reason?”

“The student worked hard enough to be called a hero, but as a teacher, I have to give him a gift. There will be a grand awards ceremony soon, so I will buy you something to wear at that time.”

“Are you saying this, Master?”

“Okay. As a token of your hard work, I will buy you something delicious.”

The sight of Brianna clearing her throat as if embarrassed and drinking herbal tea was no more familiar than her soft smile.

Gilbert couldn’t help but be dumbfounded when he saw that. Still, it wasn’t a bad suggestion, so I slowly nodded.

But isn’t this almost a date?

Gilbert, who was drinking herbal tea with Brianna, soon shook his head.

Oh no way.