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CHAPTER 40.
Just Give the Order
“Wait, just a second—Ansel… lot…! Aaaah!”
I knew what Anselot was trying to do, but no matter how fiercely he attacked, that didn’t magically awaken my powers or let me use the pendant’s strength.
“Take slow, deep breaths. Try to feel the pendant’s pulse.”
Anselot explained gently… while aggressively attacking me.
“How am I supposed to take deep breaths in this situation?!”
“If you ever really need that power, the situation will be far more dangerous than this.”
Even as he spoke, Anselot didn’t let up with his barrage.
“Ugh, ugh—how am I supposed to feel a pulse?!”
“Deep breaths.”
“Hoo, ha, hoo, ha!”
Gripping the red pendant tightly, I tried my best to follow his instructions and focus on it.
Focus, focus, focus…
And then, suddenly—
Thump!
I felt it—the pulse of the pendant.
Flash!
A red light radiated from the pendant, forming a barrier around me.
“…!”
The threatening white energy Anselot had conjured vanished instantly.
I blinked in confusion at what I’d just done, and then broke into a wide smile.
“I… I did it!”
Anselot chuckled at my excitement.
“Now I can finally relax.”
He approached and offered his hand like a proper escort.
“Well done, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.”
I gently laid my hand on his and responded.
Just as we were about to leave the training grounds together—
“Your Highness!”
Someone came running toward us in a hurry.
“Are you all right?!”
“Sir Klaus?”
The always-composed Klaus stood before me, panting hard.
“Some knights passing by heard strange noises coming from the training grounds where Your Highness was…”
Klaus stiffened as he caught sight of the devastated training ground.
Then, clenching his fists, he glared at Anselot.
“Was he the one who endangered Your Highness?”
“No, Sir. Prince Anselot and I were merely sparring.”
“This looks nothing like a regular sparring match!”
Klaus raised his voice.
And true—cracks and broken flooring everywhere. It was clear this wasn’t an ordinary session.
‘Well, it wasn’t normal… Not even sparring, really. More like I was dodging nonstop attacks.’
Unlike Anselot, who remained pristine, my clothes were torn, dirty, and crumpled from being thrown around.
So it wasn’t unreasonable for Klaus to misunderstand.
‘And honestly, it was kind of dangerous…’
But I couldn’t exactly tell him the full truth.
“No, really, I’m fine…”
“Your Highness, I am now your knight. If anyone threatens your safety, it is my duty to eliminate them.”
Klaus said through gritted teeth.
A scoff came from beside us.
“Eliminate?”
Anselot’s lips curled in mockery as he looked at Klaus.
“You? Eliminate me?”
Wow… even though it wasn’t directed at me, that was seriously obnoxious.
And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so—Klaus’s eyes twitched.
“Seems the Prince of Luenhart lacks manners.”
“Oh? How’d you guess?”
Their glares clashed, practically sparking in the air.
“Enough, both of you!”
I couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, stopping their childish argument before it escalated further.
They both shut their mouths at once.
“Sir Klaus, you came looking for me?”
“Yes. Regarding the oath I swore to Your Highness yesterday…”
“All right. This isn’t the best place to talk—wait for me in the parlor of the Third Princess’s Palace. Anselot, you may return now.”
“…If that’s your command, Princess.”
Anselot raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction but obeyed.
After washing up and changing into fresh clothes, I headed to the parlor.
Klaus was already seated, sitting up perfectly straight.
Very different from Anselot, who had lounged with a teacup in hand.
“Did you wait long?”
“I greet Her Highness, Third Princess Louisvel Azester.”
Klaus stood and bowed politely.
‘He really is the opposite of Anselot…’
I thought that without meaning to and shook my head. Why was I thinking about Anselot now?
“Your Highness…?”
“It’s nothing. Please, sit.”
I gestured for him to sit, then took the seat across from him.
Now that we were settled, I noticed that neither his name nor favorability meter appeared above his head.
Piya must have turned the system off.
Seyra brought out fresh tea and sweets.
As we sipped tea, I brought up what had happened.
“I really appreciate what you did in that pocket dimension. But it was reckless.”
“…”
“I told you—I don’t want to hide behind you and be protected.”
“…It wasn’t protection.”
After a long silence, Klaus finally replied.
“It was loyalty and devotion to my lord.”
“But at the time, I wasn’t your master.”
At that, Klaus only smiled faintly, without a response.
And honestly, I knew the truth.
Klaus would have done the same for anyone in my position.
He’s a man who embodies the spirit of knighthood—protecting the weak.
If it hadn’t been for him, I might not be here unscathed.
Even if I hadn’t died, I probably would’ve been seriously injured.
‘Still, even so…’
Even so, I never wanted to see someone sacrifice themselves for me again.
The powerlessness and guilt I felt when Klaus shielded me and got burned by that corrosive liquid—it had devastated me.
“Don’t ever do that again. I don’t want you getting hurt for my sake.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“That’s an order.”
“…I’ll try.”
His refusal to give a clear answer was so typical of him—it made me chuckle.
“Sir Klaus. Like I said before, I’m leaving to prove my worth as a hero. I’d like you to come with me.”
I placed my teacup on the table and got to the point.
“You don’t need to ask, Your Highness. Just give the order.”
Klaus answered with a gentle smile.
“If it’s my lord’s command, I’ll gladly obey.”
That evening, Piya returned sniffling.
“Why are you crying, Piya?”
—Piya got scolded…
The tiny baby bird recounted what had happened with a gloomy expression.
—There was a limit to the rewards I could assign for sub-quests, but I didn’t know that and made a mistake…
Piya had gotten excited over giving me my first sub-quest and accidentally offered more XP than allowed—even more than the main quest.
‘But it was Anselot who encouraged her to do that…’
He said he’d “take care of” Piya—and now it seemed he’d provoked her into giving that quest, knowing she’d get in trouble.
Even if it was for the sake of discussing the system, I still felt guilty that Piya got punished.
“I’m sorry, Piya.”
—No, Lady Lulu. It’s not your fault. I was the dumb one who messed up…
Piya drooped, her little body trembling.
‘No, Piya… You’re not dumb. Just… a bit too innocent, and you fell for Anselot’s tricks.’
I consoled her in my heart and gently petted her soft feathers.
“Still… Don’t overdo it, okay?”
Piya chirped sadly and sobbed all night.
The next day, I got a reply from the temple in the capital, Brillanta.
They must have been anxious too—because of the oracle the saint in the Taal Kingdom received.
I’d expected it to take at least a week, but they responded immediately.
I headed to the temple for the next quest.
In front of witnesses, I declared myself the chosen one of the oracle and received the high priest’s blessing, completing the quest quickly.
[Main Quest: Proof of the Hero (2/2)] complete!
‘If only all quests were this easy.’
【Radiant Swordmaster】 Lv.29 Louisvel Azester
§ Blessed §
I stared in awe at the name display above my head.
The blessing from the priest was amazing.
‘If this is what a priest’s blessing does… what kind of power does the Pope’s hold?’
Right before facing the Light Dragon for the final proof, I’ll need to meet the Pope.
And deep down… I was just a little excited to meet him.
High on a towering throne—
A man sat with a bored expression.
His long black hair trailed all the way to the floor.
Pale and almost inhuman, he emanated an eerie, divine presence.
“Princess Louisvel Azester.”
The man finally parted his lips for the first time in ages.
His seductive voice spoke her name aloud.
“Louisvel Azester.”
Not long ago, the Brillanta branch administrator had reported the awakening of a new player.
The name was unfamiliar.
He tapped his finger idly on the armrest—a habit when deep in thought.
“Did I ever grant authority to a Louisvel Azester?”
Divine authority—his power spread through the world and infused many.
Even if he hadn’t granted it directly, it wasn’t unusual for someone to awaken it on their own.
Still, something felt off.
Right after reporting, the administrator was killed by a Bug.
A new one was dispatched, but no anomalies were detected.
Bugs were always a plague in his world—this wasn’t the first time one had killed an administrator.
But the timing was… suspicious.
The man slowly rose from the throne.
He had spent too long simply watching this world unfold.
“…It’s time to see for myself.”
And for once, a little amusement didn’t sound so bad.
