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Chapter 9
Among Sol’s subordinates, it was Sir Rocsita, the star of “Ooooh!”, who had to run all the way to the school just to inform them of Yurian’s sick leave. He was certainly a capable knight, but thanks to the clueless auxiliary club, he often ended up in trouble.
Fortunately, the distance to the school wasn’t too far, so running there wasn’t a huge challenge. The problem lay elsewhere.
Rocsita, unable to hide his emotions, often blurted out unnecessary things and wasn’t very skilled at lying. As a result, he found himself sweating nervously in front of the principal’s desk, receiving both the principal’s kindly expression and his suspicious gaze at the same time.
“Teacher Yurian is sick? Just like that, suddenly?”
“Yes. It’s nothing life-threatening, but it’s a rare illness, so we need to consult a specialist, which means traveling a bit further. It will likely take at least a month.”
“So, suddenly like this?”
The principal had many questions he wanted to ask, but his pride as an educator prevented him from saying, “It’s curious that you suddenly get sick at the end of your contract.” Instead, he studied Rocsita carefully from head to toe, wondering if this was the same man who had witnessed Teacher Yurian’s melodramatic scene in the middle of the shopping district yesterday.
Rocsita didn’t appear to be financially struggling, though perhaps rumors had exaggerated things—he wasn’t exactly the kind of strikingly handsome man who could abandon everything and elope. The principal seemed almost as if he wanted to read Rocsita’s mind, staring deeply into his eyes for a long while before finally sighing and approving the sick leave.
“If you’re unwell, you must rest. I trust that Teacher Yurian isn’t the kind to say one thing and then secretly go for an interview at another school in a neighboring town.”
“Don’t worry, Lady. She’s not that kind of person.”
“‘Lady’? I was under the impression Teacher Yurian was a commoner—”
“Haha, oh, is it that late already? Then I’ll take it that you’ve granted permission and leave!”
The principal caught Rocsita’s slip with a sharp glance, causing him to flee the office in panic. A formidable figure with the physique of a bear, the principal’s eyes were as predatory as a bird of prey or a serpent.
“Phew, almost messed up again.”
“Excuse me, sir!”
As he stepped out, a child with deer-like eyes approached and tugged at his coat. The word “sir,” delivered with utter innocence, struck the twenty-one-year-old Rocsita like a blow.
“Gah! S-Sir?”
“Sir, is Teacher Yurian sick?”
“Well, she’s not too sick, but she’s not completely fine either. She’s moderately unwell. And I’m not ‘sir.’”
Rocsita had been a frail child. His parents had raised him like a precious jewel, fearing he might break if handled roughly, feeding him everything good for his health. That’s why he now appeared so burly. Despite his outward appearance, he was delicate and sensitive at heart.
But the children, blinded by concern for their teacher, didn’t respect his gentle inner nature.
“If she’s moderately sick, when will she get better, sir? Our family sells medicine; I can give her something.”
“Our family sells meat! Eating well when you’re sick helps you get better.”
“Our shop is a fabric store, so it doesn’t matter for sickness, but if needed, we can help too, sir!”
Bombarded by three rounds of “sir” from these squirrel-like children, Rocsita clutched his chest and sank to his knees. The cruel but pure-hearted children gathered around, asking worriedly, “Sir, are you okay?”
“Haha… it seems you all really care for the teacher. Do you like Teacher Yurian that much?”
“She’s a bit lazy, but she’s a good teacher.”
“Yeah, yeah! When we couldn’t understand a problem no matter how many times we tried, she told us that giving up is also a solution!”
“She doesn’t assign so much homework that it interferes with helping at home!”
Huh? A good teacher—indeed?
“My dream is to start my own business instead of taking over my parents’ shop. Other adults opposed it, but the teacher said since she herself left her family behind, no one can predict the future, and that encouraged me. I really liked that.”
Well, it didn’t matter. The children all smiled while talking about her. One tall boy even blushed slightly. Seeing this, Rocsita realized that Yurian was truly loved.
Children are surprisingly perceptive and quickly recognize those who genuinely care for them. Someone who receives infinite love from children cannot be a bad person.
Exactly! Like Sir Edgar, there must have been some misunderstanding if someone called them a criminal!
Rocsita reassured the children that Teacher Yurian’s illness would pass soon and left the school. His heart was ready to face any challenge, whether knightly or otherwise—at least, until then.
“Do you know anything about the light that appeared on the outskirts of the village last night?”
Upon entering the shopping district, his bold courage vanished like smoke. Men in pristine white knight uniforms were conducting inquiries around the shops. At the forefront was a black-haired man Rocsita knew very well.
No, who among the continent’s knights wouldn’t know him? Black hair, red eyes, almost demonic in appearance, wielding immense holy power, atop the Paladin order.
The Black Fox… here?!
Rocsita quickly hid. The “Black Fox” was none other than Gray Carbon, the youngest Paladin Grand Master ever, who wielded holy power almost like an aura.
Technically, “Black Fox” was more of a derogatory nickname used by the order, meant to imply that his ever-smiling face was suspicious.
“As you know, our purpose is not to punish sinners, but to assist them. As knights who serve God, we avoid threats and guide all sinners toward the right path with understanding and compassion.”
“We follow the Paladin’s will!”
Today too, Gray Carbon smiled brightly. Hidden behind a nearby wall, Rocsita accidentally met his gaze for a brief moment. His narrow red eyes sent chills through Rocsita’s entire body.
Rocsita, what on earth did you say?
That morning, Sol had suggested simply having lunch and departing, but Rocsita returned from the school looking deep in thought. Whispering knights had moved the departure time up, forcing Yurian to hastily pack a few outfits into her bag and board the carriage.
When asked what had happened, Sol awkwardly smiled and said it was nothing, there was no need to worry. Yurian was tightly wrapped to conceal the scar on her forehead, making her look like a ghost in a cloth bundle.
“Are you comfortable? Oh, I’m sorry about the shabby carriage. Given the urgency, we prioritized mobility. Once we reach the city, we’ll arrange an eight-horse carriage.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Really, it’s fine. Eight horses? How would that even work? The horses would trip over each other.”
Even the emperor used a four-horse carriage at most. With eight horses, the road would be too narrow. Surely some of the clever horses would slack off while pretending to pull harder.
As they joked, Sol’s tense face relaxed. The carriage was narrow enough that their knees almost touched, and it held only the two of them. Yurian had persuaded Sol not to ride a horse to avoid her robes being blown away by the wind. With his large frame, the carriage looked almost like a toy.
