The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

83 – 83. Pursuit (2)

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From Noble mtl dot com

The Emperor’s suspicions were spot on.

As the afternoon approached, the priests of the Saintly Empire began to question the Saintly Party held in honor of Maximilian.

The war enthusiast might be a cultist.

Having obtained information, the Saintly Empire moved extensively to investigate the truth.

Although the time spent on the battlefield was short, the war enthusiast was an official member of the Saintly Party. The speculation that such a figure might be a follower of a false deity enraged the priests who followed Beatrice.

“We have received information that the Saintly Party occasionally visited the Hohenberg family. Was the war enthusiast accompanying the Lady at that time?”

“No, I have never witnessed the war enthusiast.”

“Have you ever mentioned the war enthusiast, perhaps?”

“My brother is a very reserved person.”

I have no idea whatsoever.

This is the first time I’ve heard of it.

Should I feel like a politician now?

It felt strange to remain indifferent like a blockhead.

The priests, who couldn’t extract any information from me, sighed heavily and retreated. As the interrogation started like questioning a witness, it seemed as if they gave up their persistence as they left.

“Eddanant, are you enjoying the journey of self-discovery?”

“Not at all.”

A girl with flowing silver hair entered the reception room, giggling.

I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

“Although the priests will continue to be a nuisance, please do your best to cooperate faithfully. That’s how much the Saintly Empire trusts Eddanant. As you gain trust from the priests, the suspicions toward Eddanant will gradually dissipate, right?”

“…Fine, I got it.”

Should I expect the unexpected?

The shocking truth that the wielder of the Holy Sword was actually an apostle of the disaster deity.

There is a saying that to hide a tree, choose a forest.

I nodded in agreement with Javelin’s argument to cooperate with the priests to gain the trust of the Saintly Empire.

“Puff! Ahahahaha!”

“As the person involved, I’m not finding this amusing at all. I hope this unnecessary commotion passes quickly.”

Lively laughter filled the reception room.

I sighed at the sight of the saint laughing with her bright white teeth exposed.

“I’m really relieved that your memories have returned.”

“…They haven’t fully returned. Just bits and pieces.”

It wasn’t triggered by any specific action.

I had long suspected that Jevlinne might have been the young novice priest I met back then.

It was undoubtedly the same person.

Though still unable to shake off my confusion, I chose to believe so.

It was due to Jevlinne’s devoted efforts to protect me more than anyone else.

If it was merely a formal relationship, would Jevlinne have gone to such lengths to help me? She had assisted me even while deceiving the Holy Kingdom and risking her own success. That’s why I eventually broke down the walls of distrust and fully accepted Jevlinne.

“By the way, you’ve changed a lot. Especially…”

I reached out my hand.

And touched her hair, as beautiful as white silk.

“How do you like it? Isn’t the silver hair stunning? I put in a lot of effort to receive compliments when we meet later…”

“The dark hair was beautiful too.”

How did the alluring dark hair transform into dazzling silver strands?

Her eyes underwent the same transformation.

Eyes once tinged with darkness now formed a clear wall of silver.

Could it be the influence of being chosen by the white dragon of the Holy Kingdom?

In the past, Jevlinne had a face full of scars. But now, she boasted a flawless, beautiful appearance akin to a white jade.

It was a realization.

The manifestation of one’s Guardian completely altering the appearance of the Guardian user.

Perhaps it was only natural that I had struggled to accept Jevlinne’s true identity. The drastic change in appearance was almost like a reversal.

“Why? Did you lose your mind because I’m too beautiful?”

Jevlinne teased, her head cocked to the side, bursting into laughter.

She must have waited a long time for this moment.

Surely, she had eagerly anticipated the revelation of her true identity.

It was too late to notice.

Merely a misconception.

Could it be that the young novice priest and the saint were the same person?

Regret filled me for distrusting my own intuition and rejecting Jevlinne’s kindness.

“I told you. You were beautiful even back then.”

“Ugh!”

“But your height hasn’t changed at all. Didn’t the Holy Kingdom feed you?”

“It did grow! About 2 inches…!”

Two inches.

In the end, she had only grown 5 cm in the past 3 years.

Unfortunately, the Holy Kingdom seemed solely focused on the beauty of the Guardian’s appearance.

“…You really haven’t grown at all.”

“W-What are you talking about?!”

I slyly glanced at a slightly rounded part of her body instead of the flat ground.

In response, Jevlinne hastily covered her chest with both hands, her face turning red. Shocked by the blatant teasing, she blushed deeply and protested.

“How dare you mock the First Saint of the Holy Kingdom… Even if I were to be sentenced right now, it would not be enough of a punishment!”

“I was just stating a fact. Truly, the Holy Kingdom is known for being closed-off and strict.”

“Argh! Anyway, you’re so cheeky!”

“It’s just a joke, just a joke.”

The passage of time is truly wondrous.

Who could have predicted that the young novice priest I met back then would become the First Saint of the Holy Kingdom?

Not even the gods could have foreseen it.

Life is more dramatic than anything else.

Like a series of curves without limits.

“You even recognized me as a Guardian. How on earth did you figure it out? I was getting worried about your obsession…”

“There are ways to recognize everyone. Don’t underestimate a woman’s intuition.”

I boasted of concealing my true identity as thoroughly as possible.

As if to prove it, all the nations, including the Holy Kingdom, still hadn’t uncovered the warlike nature of the Guardian of Light.

How,

How did they manage to figure it out?

I gazed at Jevlinne, full of questions.

However, the silver-haired saint, with a serene expression, remained silent in response to the question.

“Well, now that we’ve reunited, that’s that.”

“It was delayed by some trivial matters, but anyway, whether in the past or now…!”

Feeling the discord in Jeblin’s muttering, I turned my head with a sense of unease.

There was no argument to make.

Facing the person in question, I showed an endless contemplation.

With a humble gesture, I apologized to Jeblin. In response, Jeblin smirked mischievously and quickly brushed it off.

* * *

The ceiling just before collapsing.

The wall covered with vines growing haphazardly like spider webs.

In the hunting lodge owned by the Hoenberg family, a dark-haired man with flowing locks appeared.

Clack.

He raised his hand to the rusty chest.

Slowly, as he opened the chest, a worn-out suit of armor was revealed.

It was so worn out that it could hardly be considered junk. However, before the user placed it in the chest, it seemed to have been meticulously polished, as it gleamed faintly.

“If Edan has already left for the wastelands.”

“…Father.”

“Before leaving, Edan said something. That the son as cold as ice would reveal his face.”

“……”

As he pondered deeply in regret,

The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man entered.

“You’ve completely become bald now.”

The gleam reflected off his shaved head was more dazzling than the polished armor. Looking at his father, who had weathered the storms of time, he spoke with a hesitant voice.

It must have been tough on his mind all this time.

Certainly, that must have been the case.

Wasn’t he the one who sowed the seeds of disaster in the peaceful Hoenberg family?

“…I’m sorry, Father.”

“Apologize to Edan. He took care of matters. That’s what I mean.”

“……”

“I understand. You left because you trusted Edan. But it was a hasty decision. It would have been better if you at least gave some explanation.”

Maximilian, the unparalleled hero recognized by all the kings of the continent.

However,

Unfortunately, his personality did not match.

Rough and hasty.

His dictatorial nature always led to friction.

If it hadn’t been for Beatrice taking charge of the situation, Maximilian’s dictatorial nature would have likely caused the disbandment of the saint party even before reaching the halfway point.

“Rue is doing well. She’s as lively as Lady Beatrice.”

“That’s a relief.”

From Noble mtl dot com

Regret is a weakness.

Hesitation on the battlefield always leads to death.

That’s why one must never harbor regrets.

The reason he left the Hoenberg family without a word, even suppressing emotions forcibly and cutting ties with his kin, was to rid himself of regrets. That’s why, while suppressing his emotions, he couldn’t rid himself of the only regret, Rue.

Rue, the travel companion and mascot of the saint party.

Thinking of Rue, who was as resilient as a dandelion in the fierce winds, Maximilian smiled faintly.

“The saint who left for distant lands must be worried. Do your best in her care. Before being the eldest son of the family… you are a warrior guarding the saint.”

“Yes… I will protect her with my life.”

No reproach,

No blame was directed at him.

There was only genuine paternal concern.

As the father’s rough hand patted his shoulder, his stern expression wavered endlessly.

The missing Princess Santa, appearing in this chapter.