33. Gwen (3)
33. Gwen (3)
It seems Gwen didn't rise to her position solely through brute force.
"No matter how much the Adventurers, Amber-nim, and our Knights Order patrol this place, that Monster is extremely dangerous, so the Orphanage is in significant danger."
Gwen's words.
The Orphanage is in significant danger.
From Gwen's perspective, she meant that danger was approaching the Orphanage, but it sounded different to me.
Like, 'The existence of the Orphanage itself is dangerous.'
As Gwen said, the Orphanage is quite dangerous.
Not from my perspective as the Queen, but from a human's perspective, this place is quite dangerous.
Gathering orphans whom no one would care about even if they died, raising them, and then offering them to monsters.
That's the situation. Even I can see that's dangerous. On top of that, it's not just humans here.
Right now, there are dozens of creatures roaming just beneath this Orphanage, and every night, we're even collecting all the corpses that appear in this slum where there isn't even any light.
"So... this is my objective, but I would like to live here for the time being. Ah, of course, there is no problem even if you refuse. It's just that I have a strong desire to protect this place. Saint-nim. No, ever since Lea-nim came here, so many things have changed. That's why I want to protect this place even more."
Wow... I might just fall for her.
I really wanted to refuse, but after seeing Gwen's attitude and resolve right in front of me, I changed my mind.
Besides, I have no reason to refuse. It would be a bit strange if I did.
It's not just some ordinary person asking; it's the Knight Commander of the knights responsible for the city's safety.
She's saying there's a monster threatening the city nearby, and she wants to stay here for a while to keep us safe—how could I refuse?
"I understand. Gwen-nim. I'll be counting on you for the time being."
"Thank you for your consideration!"
"Not at all. If anything, I'm the one who should be grateful. You're doing this to protect us."
And so, Gwen decided to stay at our Orphanage for the time being.
I was flustered, but I thought of this as an opportunity.
Gwen, who is right in front of me, is one of the things I want in this city.
She was someone I wanted to possess from the start. But after talking to her like this, it became even clearer.
I became convinced that there is no human in this city I want more than this woman.
While thinking about how to make Gwen mine, I opened my mouth.
"I'll show you to your room."
==
Gwen, having been given a room on the second floor of the Orphanage, took off her armor to rest for a moment and sat on the edge of the bed.
'Lea-nim. She must have been very startled.'
Just a moment ago, while we were talking, I mentioned that a monster was near the Orphanage, and I saw Lea look startled at the news that the Orphanage and the children were in danger.
She was pretending to be calm on the outside to not show it, but after spending a long time attending useless parties with various nobles and having many conversations, I've become more confident than anyone in reading people's expressions.
Gwen noticed that Lea was quite, very startled when she heard the Orphanage was in danger.
With Lea-nim having no combat ability and so many young children around, it's understandable that she would be startled and worried.
'I must find that monster for sure so that Lea-nim doesn't have to worry.'
While taking a short break, she reflexively grabbed the sword she had placed beside her and stood up at the sound of a presence outside.
'ㅡ!!!'
There wasn't even the sound of footsteps.
It wasn't just a simple presence.
A chill that made goosebumps rise all over her body was felt in an instant.
"Gwen-nim. Are you there? It's Amber."
At the voice from outside the door, Gwen instantly released the mana she had wrapped around her body and the grip on her sword.
'Was I mistaken?'
She had clearly felt an overwhelming presence, the kind you'd feel from a massive entity, coming from outside.
"Please, come in."
Gwen opened the door, and in front of her stood Amber, holding a steaming cup of tea.
"Here, have a cup of tea."
"Ah, thank you."
"I heard you'll be staying here for a while starting today."
"Please, sit down here for a moment."
"Thank you."
She picked up the teacup Amber handed her and sat at the table in the room together.
As Gwen took a sip of the tea Amber had given her, she was surprised by how much more refreshing and crisp it was than she expected; her head cleared up, and even her body felt rejuvenated, causing her to exclaim involuntarily.
"...!"
Gwen savored the tea thoroughly before opening her mouth.
"It's delicious... I'm surprised."
"I'm glad."
Gwen was genuinely surprised by the taste of the tea Amber had given her.
It was far more delicious than any tea she had ever had before.
From the moment it entered her mouth and touched her tongue, to when she swallowed it, as it went down her esophagus and into her stomach, there wasn't a single point of discomfort, and even the aftertaste was clean.
It wasn't just good in taste.
It felt like it was relieving both her physical and mental fatigue. She even felt a sense of regret that there wasn't much tea left.
"May I ask what the name of this tea is?"
"This tea was made by Lea-nim herself. I don't know the name of the tea either."
"Ah... that's a shame."
"I heard from Lea-nim that the reason you are staying here for a while is because you think there is a monster near the Orphanage. Is that correct?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"If it's alright with you, may I help you?"
"You, Amber-nim?"
"Yes."
"That monster is truly a dangerous one. It's a monster that even I would find it difficult to guarantee victory against."
"If that's the case, isn't it even more dangerous for you to do it alone? Why are you, Gwen-nim, trying to find such a dangerous monster all by yourself in the first place?"
"That is..."
"Besides, aren't you the Knight Commander, Gwen-nim? If so, acting alone like this clearly means there is some kind of problem... am I wrong?"
"You are not..."
Gwen couldn't answer anything to Amber's words.
Many people say that Medherun City is a city more solid and prosperous than any other, but in reality, it is rotting from the inside.
With countless trade and countless merchants, they call it a city of trade, but it is also a city overflowing with slaves, refugees, and vagrants.
In the underworld known as the slums, truly horrific things are happening, and they aren't even managing it.
No, they are preventing anyone from trying to manage it.
Even with the position of Knight Commander, moving to correct the crimes happening in the slums is blocked by those above.
Every time I ignored them and acted, the only thing that came back was damage to the Knights Order.
That is why I respect Lea even more, as she is the one making this slum somewhat beautiful.
"Do not try to shoulder everything alone. Surely, there must be someone by your side, Gwen-nim, whom you can trust. For me, that person is Lea-nim. If there is a monster near here that could threaten such a Lea-nim, I want to help as well. And you've been subtly thinking of me as weak because I was a B-rank Adventurer until recently..."
Thud.
Shing!
As soon as Amber stood up, Gwen reflexively drew her sword and aimed it at Amber.
"You'll be in big trouble if you think of me as just an adventurer."
"Amber-nim. What on earth is your identity? How do you have this level of power... This is likeㅡ"
It wasn't a mistake. This is S-rank power.
And not just any S-rank power, but it was like the killing intent of an S-rank monster.
A killing intent that seemed to say it would kill what was in front of it.
The intensity of the killing intent she just felt was enough to make Gwen momentarily hallucinate that she was dying.
Just from the killing intent alone, goosebumps rose all over her body, and she was breaking out in a cold sweat.
S-rank Adventurer.
A rank that only a few exist in a single nation, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them legends.
Even Gwen's master was an S-rank Adventurer.
S-rank Adventurers are managed directly by the state, which provides them with support and requests.
The power and influence of an S-rank Adventurer are so great that one can even gauge a nation's power by how many S-rank Adventurers it has.
'Just how many things have happened for a person to be able to exude this kind of killing intent?'
"I am just an ordinary adventurer. I am simply an adventurer who works harder than anyone else to protect Lea-nim."
"I don't think this power is something that can be obtained simply by working hard..."
"I think so too. So, how about you work with me?"
"With this level of power... I would actually like to ask for your help."
"I'll be counting on you, Gwen-nim."
"I'll be counting on you, Amber-nim."
==
I need one more maid.
While Amber is following Gwen around to monitor her, the person who helps me has disappeared.
The people who can help me with peace of mind are Erina, Yui, and Narim, but these three are beings who shouldn't show their faces at the Orphanage.
Then, should I pick one from the Orphanage?
If I were still a man, I would just do everything myself, but I have already become corrupted.
Since Amber has been helping me with everything by my side 24 hours a day, I've become someone who doesn't want to do anything out of laziness if someone doesn't help me.
'Come to think of it, there was that child named Niv whom Gwen brought in recently, right?'
When I first saw her, she was just a girl who looked unappetizing, but after washing up and gaining some weight, she turned into a girl who looked better than I thought.
On top of that, she's of a certain age, speaks well, and is even smart, so she was a woman who would likely be a special treat if she learned magic.
'I should keep her by my side until this matter is over.'