Chapter 58
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Marteng's Challenge
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Once Emily, who had received instructions from Philomel, withdrew, Rguin—who had been in cat form—returned to his human shape.
"Can we trust that human? Even if she's submitting now, she'll betray us at the first opportunity."
"It won't be easy for her to betray us if she thinks about Nanny. Besides, Lexion said he's taken measures to prevent any contingencies. I don't know what they are, though..."
Lexion approached with a smile at Philomel's response.
"Come to think of it, Phil doesn't know my specialty yet."
"Your specialty...?"
"Every mage has their own field of expertise. What do you think mine is? Take a guess."
"Hmm..."
Philomel pondered seriously.
Jeremiah, who had earned the nickname "Young Master of Frost," specialized in ice magic. So what about Lexion...?
"Fire magic?"
"...Don't judge by hair color."
"Ahaha, you caught me."
Lexion shot Jeremiah a light glare after he let out a snicker, then spoke up.
"The only fire magic I know is Fireball, which I learned at ten. My real specialty is this."
He tapped his temple with his finger.
"The mind?"
"That's right. I know a few pretty useful spells."
Lexion stuck out his red tongue.
"For example, drying up the tongue of anyone who speaks forbidden topics."
"...Permanently?"
Goosebumps rose on Philomel's arm.
"Good comprehension."
Jeremiah interrupted.
"Just kill them. You're making a mountain out of a molehill."
"You don't get it. If a mysterious death occurs in the palace, mages will be the first investigated. Why risk a murder charge?"
"Or maybe you're just not skilled enough to do it."
"I can't talk to idiots."
"What? You little...!"
"..."
Philomel just stayed silent.
Two days passed after that, but no rumors surfaced about any of Ellensia's maids suddenly having their tongues shrivel up.
It seemed Emily intended to follow Philomel's orders for the time being.
The instructions Philomel had given were simple.
She was to become Philomel's eyes and ears, gathering information about Ellensia. In other words, act as a spy.
Her conscience pricked her just a little, but she'd steeled herself for this when she decided to stay in the palace. Her instincts told her she couldn't uncover the book's truth by walking the straight and narrow.
She was on her usual walk back to her room.
In front of the state guesthouse, Philomel ran into a familiar face.
A shabby-looking man spotted her and approached with a cheerful grin.
"Princess!"
"...Marteng."
It was Marteng, her former guard knight.
"Wow, long time no see, Princess. Oh! You're not a princess anymore."
"So what brings you here?"
"What else would a guard knight come for? To escort you, obviously."
"...Me?"
Philomel frowned, squinting one eye at his baffling words.
"Of course. Even if the real princess shows up, you're still my only lord."
Marteng thumped his chest with a straight face and an innocent smile.
Philomel was dumbfounded.
'What a joke. He's only here because no one else would take him.'
Marteng Science.
He was the younger brother of Viscount Science, once a promising knight, but his inherently lazy nature had reduced him to a mediocre one.
She'd forgotten he even existed since he hadn't been around, but apparently, he'd been detained along with the other palace servants who had attended her.
'The others being released is good news, but this guy would've been better off staying locked up.'
She'd kept him around out of necessity, but Philomel despised Marteng.
His slovenly demeanor had disgusted her from the start...
"Just a princess in name only."
"Threw a tantrum in front of all those nobles because she wanted to see the festival."
At nine years old, she'd overheard him badmouthing her and the maids with the other servants, fueling her loathing even more.
'It still pisses me off thinking about it.'
Philomel declared coldly.
"No need for an escort. Go home."
"Pardon?"
"You're fired from your guard knight position. Find another job."
"Why?!"
"Dereliction of duty."
"When?!"
"You chatted constantly with other servants during work hours, showed up late reeking of hangover, got beaten by younger knights and skipped regular spars, and worst of all, you didn't even notice when I disappeared."
As Philomel ticked off his offenses on her fingers, Marteng's mouth fell open.
Ignoring him, she added brightly.
"Plenty of witnesses. Want me to call them?"
Th-th-that... This is unfair!"
"What's unfair?"
"You knew all this and looked the other way!"
He wasn't wrong.
Philomel had overlooked his faults until now, even covering for him at times.
Clutching his head, Marteng cried out in injustice.
"Why blame me now?!"
Why? Because...
'You're the easiest knight in the palace!'
At nine, she'd driven out her nanny and maids but kept Marteng for the sake of escape.
Common sense dictated that shaking off a professionally trained knight would be near impossible.
But with Marteng, she could slip away during his slacking off.
"You weren't like this before! You trusted and followed me!"
Unaware of her scheme, Marteng had deluded himself into thinking the princess liked him enough to cover his mistakes.
"You even said I was like an uncle to you!"
With everyone, even the emperor, constantly suggesting she change guards, she'd lied a lot.
She regretted saying the uncle bit, though.
'Shouldn't have said I relied on you more than anyone.'
Philomel clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Why the change?!"
The moment Marteng stepped forward to grab her shoulder—
Shing. The sound of a blade drawn from its sheath rang out, and
"Wanna die?"
A sword blocked his path.
"Jeremiah!"
Philomel stared at the man who suddenly appeared from hiding. He wore a necklace concealing his true appearance, but it was definitely Jeremiah.
'I told you not to come out of the room!'
Marteng, who had reflexively jumped back, glared with bulging eyes.
"Wh-who the hell are you?! A knight? That's not knight uniform. How'd you get into the palace?!"
"None of your business."
"Wh-what?! Princess Philomel! Who is this snot-nosed kid?!"
"Well..."
Comrade-in-arms? Guest? How to explain?
"New guard knight? You found a replacement already?"
Before Philomel could deny it, Jeremiah answered.
"Yeah. I'm her new guard."
Why are you going along with this?!
"From now on, I'm in charge of her protection. Scram."
Jeremiah replied in a frosty tone.
A moment later.
Philomel looked up at Jeremiah and sighed.
"Jeremiah... Why'd you lie like that?"
"I'm going to be your real guard knight, so it wasn't a lie."
Jeremiah answered nonchalantly.
Marteng, who had been fuming at the "new guard" claim, calmed a bit and made a proposal that wasn't really one.
"Let's settle who's fit to guard Princess Philomel with a duel!"
He boasted he could toy with Jeremiah like a child if he wanted.
Since Jeremiah accepted, the two were now heading to the palace training grounds Marteng had chosen.
"Do you really want to be my guard?"
"Gotta earn my keep. You needed a guard anyway, right?"
True. Emperor Justis had been sending knight rosters via messengers daily, pressuring her silently.
She'd promised the emperor to keep a guard by her side even if she dismissed other servants. He wouldn't budge on that, so she'd had no choice.
Having Jeremiah as her guard would be convenient in many ways, but...
There was one problem.
"Jeremiah, are you knighted?"
In response, he silently pulled a knight's insignia from his pocket.
"So you've been ordained as a magic knight."
Unlike regular knights who underwent nearly a decade of training, magic swordsmen could be recognized as knights quickly if their background and skills were vouched for.
It was because talented individuals proficient in both magic and swordsmanship were sorely needed.
She knew he was a magic swordsman, but hadn't realized he held full knight status. It wasn't in Princess Ellensia either.
Upon arriving at the training grounds, they spotted Marteng warming up.
"Princess Philomel! I'll prove no one matches me. You coward stealing someone else's spot—let's fight with real swords like true knights!"
Not wooden training swords, but real blades? Philomel wanted to stop it, but Jeremiah drew his first.
"Be careful. He used to be pretty capable."
Jeremiah snorted at her whisper.
"Leave it to me."
And the match proceeded in a way that made her worries seem unfounded...
"Urk!"
"Argh!"
"Guheok, kuhak!"
It overwhelmingly favored Jeremiah.
Marteng could barely dodge with his sluggish movements—the result of years of laziness and heavy drinking.
Eventually, he dropped his sword, collapsed, and yelled, "I surrender! I surrender!"
But the sword speeding toward his throat didn't slow.
'Danger!'
Philomel shouted instinctively.
"Jeremiah!"
It stopped. At her cry, Jeremiah swiftly withdrew his blade as if nothing had happened.
'Jeremiah... If I hadn't stopped you, you would've killed him.'
There were a few onlookers around the grounds. She couldn't let him become a murderer in front of them.
In any case, the position of guard knight to the former princess and honored guest Philomel now belonged to the mysterious young magic knight.
Jeremiah had demonstrated his prowess by toying with the princess's former guard like a child in front of everyone.
Afterward, he was summoned by the palace guard and questioned about his entry and unauthorized weapon, but he managed to get through it somehow.
The outer palace had looser access than the inner one, but it was largely thanks to Count Polan, who had pulled strings at Philomel's request.
He had initially expressed concern that Jeremiah was an unknown knight.
However...
"Truth be told, he's a precious connection I made during my disappearance. A righteous man who offered help to a stranger like me and drove off assailants. If I wish to continue that bond... would that be too greedy?"
Philomel had dramatized the story of how Jeremiah saved her from a con artist, and Count Polan readily agreed to support him as her guard.
He even promised to persuade the emperor himself.
Connections really were the best.