“Wait, just a moment, Ansel… ot…! Ahh!”

I understood Anselot’s intention, but it wasn’t like I could magically awaken right away and use the pendant’s power just because he relentlessly attacked me.

“Slowly take deep breaths and try to feel the pendant’s pulse.”

Anselot kindly explained while simultaneously attacking aggressively.

“How can I take deep breaths in this situation!”

“If a situation arises where Lady needs that power, it will surely be much more urgent than now.”

Anselot continued his attacks without resting even while explaining.

“Eek, hiiieee! How do I feel that pulse thing!”

“Deep breaths.”

“Hoo, ha, hoo, ha!”

I gripped the red pendant tightly and took deep breaths as Anselot instructed, concentrating on the pendant to the best of my ability.

Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate……

And in an instant.

Thump!

It felt like I could feel the pendant’s pulse.

Flash!

A red light emanated from the pendant, creating a barrier around me.

“…!”

The threatening white auras created by Anselot disappeared in an instant.

Unable to immediately grasp the result I achieved, I blinked a few times before belatedly shouting with a bright smile.

“…I did it!”

Seeing me rejoice, Anselot laughed.

“I can relax a bit now.”

He approached me and extended his hand as if to escort me.

“Well done, Lady.”

“Thank you.”

I answered, lightly placing my hand on top of his.

Just as Anselot and I were about to step out of the training grounds,

“Your Highness!”

Someone came running this way with urgent footsteps.

“Are you alright!”

“Sir Klaus?”

Klaus, who was always composed, panted before me.

“The knights passing by said the sounds coming from the training ground where Your Highness was didn’t seem right at all…”

Klaus flinched and hardened his expression upon seeing the wretched state of the training ground’s interior.

He soon clenched his fists tightly and glared at Anselot.

“Did this person endanger Your Highness?”

“No, Sir. Prince Anselot and I were merely sparring.”

“How does this look like ordinary sparring!”

Klaus raised his voice.

As he said, the training ground with cracks and broken parts all over didn’t look like it had gone through ordinary sparring at all.

‘Well, it wasn’t ordinary sparring… no, it wasn’t even sparring. I was just running away from a one-sided attack.’

Moreover, unlike Anselot’s neat and tidy appearance without a single hair out of place, my clothes were badly wrinkled and dirty from running around and rolling on the ground.

So it was understandable for Klaus to misunderstand.

‘In fact, it was a little, no, really dangerous…’

But I couldn’t honestly tell him what happened inside the training grounds.

“No, I’m really fi-”

“Your Highness. I am now your knight. If there is someone threatening Your Highness’s safety, it is my duty to punish them.”

Klaus spoke through clenched teeth.

Then, a cold scoffing sound flowed out from the side.

“Punish?”

Anselot curled the corner of his lips as if provoking Klaus.

“Me?”

Wow… even though he’s not talking to me, it’s really unpleasant…

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as Klaus’s eyes twitched.

“It seems the Prince of Ruhenhart lacks manners.”

“Wow, how did you know?”

The moment I felt sparks flying between Anselot and Klaus as they glared at each other,

“Both of you, stop it!”

Unable to watch any longer, I shouted to prevent their immature bickering from escalating.

Anselot and Klaus’s mouths shut simultaneously.

“Sir, did you come looking for me?”

“Yes. About the matter I pledged to Your Highness yesterday…”

“Good. It will be difficult to talk in this state, so wait in the reception room of the 3rd Princess Palace. Anselot, you can leave now.”

“…Well, if our princess commands it.”

Anselot raised an eyebrow as if displeased but obediently followed my words.

After returning to the princess palace, thoroughly washing up, and changing clothes, I headed to the reception room.

Klaus was sitting with his back straight, waiting for me.

It was a completely different sight from Anselot, who had been sitting with his chin propped up, sipping tea.

“Did you wait long?”

“Greetings to Your Highness, the 3rd Princess Luibel Azester.”

Klaus immediately stood up from his seat and bowed to me.

‘His appearance is really different from Anselot’s.’

I thought that absentmindedly, then shook my head, wondering why I was thinking about Anselot.

“Your Highness…?”

“It’s nothing. Sit.”

I sat across from Klaus after inviting him to sit.

Only then, above Klaus’s head who took a seat, neither his name nor favorability appeared.

It was because Piya had turned off the system before leaving.

As we sat down, Seira brought out new refreshments.

I drank tea with Klaus and discussed yesterday’s events.

“I’m really grateful for what you did in that place. But it was too reckless.”

“…”

“I told you. I didn’t want to hide behind Sir and receive protection.”

“…It wasn’t protection.”

Klaus, who had been silently listening to my words for a long time, answered in a slow voice.

“It was loyalty and devotion towards my lord.”

“But Sir wasn’t even my knight at that time.”

Klaus smiled silently as if he had nothing else to say to my point.

I actually knew.

Klaus would have acted the same way regardless of who he was with.

Because he was a man who understood the spirit of chivalry to protect the weak better than anyone.

If it weren’t for Klaus, I couldn’t guarantee my safety now.

Even if I didn’t die, I might have been seriously injured somewhere.

‘But even so,’

But I never wanted to see someone sacrifice themselves for me again.

Because the helplessness and apologetic feelings I felt at that moment when Klaus embraced me and got burned by the corrosive liquid instead made me too sad.

“Never do that again. Sir mustn’t sacrifice yourself because of me.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“It’s an order.”

“I’ll try.”

His persistent refusal to give a definite answer made me chuckle because it was so like him.

“Sir Klaus. As I said before, I will leave to prove myself as a hero. I’d like you to come with me.”

I put down the teacup I was holding on the table and brought up the main topic.

“Your Highness doesn’t need to ask me. Just command me.”

Klaus answered with a gentle smile.

“If it is my lord’s order, I will gladly obey.”

[This is the timeline separator]

That evening, Piya returned in tears.

“Why are you crying, Piya?”

-Piya got scolded.

The baby bird, smaller than the palm of a hand, recounted what happened with a gloomy expression.

-There was a limit to the rewards for side quests, but Piya didn’t know that and made a mistake.

Piya, excited about giving me a side quest for the first time, had set a larger amount of experience points as a reward than the main quest.

‘But the one who incited that was Anselot…’

It seemed that after I removed Piya, he deliberately incited Piya to lead the side quest and made her get scolded.

It was to discuss the system, but I felt sorry for making poor Piya get scolded.

“I’m sorry, Piya.”

-It’s not something Lady Lulu needs to apologize for. It’s because Piya was stupid and made a mistake.

Piya trembled with her energy drained.

‘No, Piya. You’re not stupid… You’re just a little more naive than others and fell for Anselot’s trick.’

I comforted Piya in my mind and stroked her head feathers.

“Still… don’t overdo it.”

Piya cried and sobbed all night long.

The next day, a reply came immediately from the temple in the capital city of Brillanta.

They must have been in a hurry because of the oracle received by the saint of the Taal Kingdom.

I thought it would take a week, but seeing them send a reply right away like this.

I headed to the temple for the remaining quests.

After proclaiming in front of people that I would be the owner of the oracle, I quickly completed the quest while receiving blessings from the priest.

[Main Quest: Proof of a Hero (2/2)] Completed!

The quest completion window popped up amidst people’s blessings and cheers.

[SYSTEM] Quest success!

[SYSTEM] You have acquired 3500 experience points.

[SYSTEM] Your level has increased! (Lv.19)

[SYSTEM] You have acquired 10 skill points.

[SYSTEM] Quest completion rewards have arrived in your mailbox.

‘It would be great if other quests were this easy too.’

[SYSTEM] You have entered a blessed state. (Remaining duration: 30 days 00 hours 00 minutes)

[SYSTEM] Due to the blessing effect, your stats have increased by (Level +10, Attack Power 30%, Defense Power 30%, Strength 30%, Vitality 30%, Agility 30%, Intelligence 30%).

[SYSTEM] While the blessing effect persists, the duration of drugs is increased by 1000 times.

【Radiant Swordmaster】 Lv.29 Luibel Azester

§Blessed State§

I exclaimed while looking at the name window above my head.

The effects of the priest’s blessing were tremendous.

‘If a priest’s blessing is already this amazing, I wonder how much more incredible the Pope’s blessing would be.’

I had to meet the Pope right before going to slay the Divine Dragon for .

Inwardly, I was a little, just a little bit excited to meet the Pope.

[SYSTEM] You have completed the scenario !

[This is the timeline separator]

High upon a throne.

There sat a man with a bored expression.

His long, long black hair grew down to his feet.

His pale complexion and chilling aura, as if he weren’t human, made him feel like an even more mystical and fearsome being.

“The 3rd Princess of Azester.”

The man parted his lips that had been sealed for a long time. An alluring voice flowed out from between them, chanting a woman’s name.

“Luibel Azester.”

Some time ago, the manager of the Brillanta branch reported the awakening of a player.

It was an unfamiliar name.

The man tapped the armrest with the tip of his index finger.

That was a habit he showed when lost in thought.

“Have I ever bestowed my power upon Luibel Azester?”

The power of god.

That power, which spread throughout the man’s world, permeated and spread among people.

So even if the man didn’t directly bestow his power, it wasn’t strange for someone to manifest that power on their own.

But there was a subtle, nagging feeling.

The manager who reported the news was killed by a bug immediately after.

A new manager was dispatched afterwards, but no particularly unusual circumstances were discovered.

Bugs were always a headache that gnawed at his world.

It wasn’t the first time a manager had fallen victim to a bug.

However, the timing was a bit too coincidental, wasn’t it?

The man slowly rose to his feet.

He had been observing this world for far too long.

“It would be good to check in person.”

A rare amusement wouldn’t be so bad.