“Two priests who reside in the Lord’s Castle left with th……”

I didn’t even listen to Ganael’s sentences until the end.

I ran into the bathroom, cleaned myself, and then put on some comfortable shirt and pants before wearing my boots.

I just had warm milk and three pieces of chaussons aux pommes for breakfast.

Ganael, who saw how little I ate, looked as if he might start crying at any moment.

I got ready almost instantly and stood in front of the young boy and Benjamin.

“I’ve packed everything. Drinking water, snacks, painkillers, clean cloths, extra clothes, emergency dagger. The crystal bell is over here. I also put the headdress in there just in case.”

I picked up the bag that went across my chest as I spoke.

Ganael looked pale and Benjamin seemed quite concerned as well.

The two of them were saying things like, ‘his Royal Highness and Dame Sarnez did that because they care about you,’ but they could not actively stop me.

I did my best to relax my face that was continuously getting stiff from anger.

‘Even if I’m weak, how could you guys go without me? I’m the two of your priest partner!’

“Your highness, what about a guard? You cannot go by yourself.”

“It’ll be fine because I have Sir Johann.”

Ganael opened and closed his mouth without being able to say anything at my answer.

I knelt down to hug Demy, Rhea, Perry, and Tithé.

Demy must have read my thoughts as he pushed on my stomach and whined.

‘Yes, how could I trick our boss?’

“You guys stay in the castle. It might be even more dangerous than during the Great Clearance.”

– Screeeech

“Sorry. Can you stay here and protect our friends? Look after Tithé as well. You can do it, right?”

– Whimper……

Demy’s black bean-like eyes teared up.

It made me weak but I could not get myself to tell him to come with me.

It could not be helped even if someone pointed out that I was doing to them exactly as Christelle and that crown prince bastard had done to me.

Even if they had amazing abilities, they were little animals that could not speak human language.

I clearly remembered how Rhea and Perry had been hiding in the corner of the reed field shaking in fear near the end of the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts.

It would be different if I was in a situation with no choice, but I could not take the divine beasts as weapons and take them with me.

I was their temporary guardian after all.

“I leave it to you, Demy.”

I shook hands with him and looked at Percy who was sitting on the back of my hand.

The chimney bird tilted his body and made eye contact with me.

“Percy, you can’t come with me because you are a divine item. You know that, right?”

– Pipi.

“Yeah, I won’t repeat myself since you are the smartest bird in the world.”

I tickled the little guy’s chest and then got up.

I did make a deal with Percy but I was not his master.

Furthermore, the one who warned me that something might happen if all of the divine items gathered together was none other than the Ark of the Wind Deity.

A serious incident might happen if Percy headed toward the Jungle where the rest of the divine items were gathered.

“I’ll be back soon.”

– Aarf

Tithé let out a short cry.

I left the divine beasts and walked down the hallway before peeking into Lady Isabelle’s room.

It seemed as if Eva was still not awake.

She was young and, unlike me, didn’t have experience with things like this, so she could not go with me.

“Please take good care of Eva.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Where is Sir Johann?”

“……He is probably in the lobby.”

Benjamin answered in a low voice. I quickly headed toward the lobby of the tower.

I was a bit disappointed that Sir Johann did not stop the two main characters, but I decided to think that it was for the better.

I would not have had a strong person to guard me if he left with them to the jungle.

– Tap, tap, tap!

“Good morning, Sir Johann.”

“Hello, your highness.”

I jumped the last set of steps two at a time.

Sir Johann, whose white hair was neatly tied down as usual, placed his hand over his chest and showed his respect.

The staff who were filling Tithé’s water tank with new water also bowed.

I bowed back and quickly approached the Holy Knight and rattled on.

“I must ask you for this because you came as my guard. Please take me to where Dame Sarnez and his Royal Highness are right now. I packed everything I need and all we need are two horses. If we ask Lord Blanquer,”

“Your highness, I must apologize as I am unable to do as you requested.”

Sir Johann cut me off in a cool tone. I was at a loss for words and looked up at him.

Ganael and Benjamin quietly sighed as if they expected this.

“Your highness, do you remember when I said that there are a lot of things you don’t know about Holy Knights?”

“Yes. Why are you suddenly bringing that up, Sir Johann?”

“This is one of those things.”

His mint-colored eyes gently curled up.

“It is understandable because you were taught by her Eminence. You should have learned that being by your partner’s side is the greatest duty of a priest and it is true. You can tell based on her Majesty and her Eminence’s relationship. It is different because their relationship is through a celestial covenant, but it is similar.”

“……”

“However, a Holy Knight’s mentality is overwhelmingly complicated and inconsistent. The way we think is different from priests.”

I tightly clenched the strap of my bag. This was an unexpected development and I did not have time to waste like this.

I needed to find a knight left in the castle to accompany me if he was not going to cooperate with me.

I said excuse me and tried to walk past him and the door when-

– Tap

Sir Johann moved at a speed I could not even see and got in my way. I looked at him in shock.

“Sir Johann.”

“There is a difference in how much, but all Holy Knights are obsessed with their priest. They act overbearing to get ether from their priest but they also put their lives on the line for their priest. They also easily make irrational decisions.”

“Please move. I will cancel my request for you to come as my guard.”

“As a result, they frequently headed into battle while leaving their partners, who have no fighting abilities at all, in the rear.”

“……”

His eyes became as dark as a storm. I could not say anything.

I knew that he was talking about the Warring Era right now.

However, I got chills on my back and goosebumps all around.

It felt as if he was saying that if time flowed and a war broke out as it did in the original, the two of them would leave me behind and head into war.

That was the development I had wished for half a year ago. However……

“I will be useful. I am an Archbishop. I can say with confidence that the quality of my ether is the highest in the entire continent. I may not have any fighting abilities, but I can defend and I survived the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts without any major injuries.”

But I did not feel that way now.

I did not want those punks to get hurt or be in danger when I was not around.

‘Damn it. I’m not even the main character. It shouldn’t matter that my situation changed in half a year.

People can change their minds!’

“Please let me go.”

“Dame Maartje Zijlstra accompanied crown princess Elise to the Imperial Palace, right?”

It was a completely unrelated story. I scowled but nodded my head.

Sir Johann continued in a cold voice.

“Your highness, I’m sure you know better than I do, but Dame Zijlstra is a religious figure. Yet she swings around her axe and is as strong as most swordsmen or mages. That is because she is a battle priest.”

……I didn’t know. This was my first time hearing that Maartje was something like a battle priest.

I clenched my teeth as I slowly started to understand what Sir Johann was trying to say.

He smiled awkwardly.

“Your highness, I cannot let you go because you are not as strong as her. His Royal Highness ordered that I stay here to protect you and the castle.”

*

‘Fuck.’

– Ruuuumble!

The ground started shaking from the mountain range side again.

It didn’t continue to a full earthquake this time but I saw a white flash of light from the distant sky.

I sat on the window ledge, hugged the divine beasts, and grumbled. It had been a while since I had felt such a sense of helplessness.

Of course I knew that being in the back was beneficial for my survival.

I had no plans of doing things beyond my level and dying an early death.

But still…

“Your highness, you only ate two plates of steak et frites? Our chef’s is the best in the Empire.”

Eva, who was drinking some café au lait at the tea table, pouted.

She knew the reason, but she seemed upset that I did not eat my usual amount for lunch.

I smiled bitterly and apologized. Our young Duchess immediately changed the target.

“It’s the same for you, Vice Captain Élisabeth’s future hubby. The young Countess-nim is a Grade 8 swordswoman. Is there a need for such a look on your face? She will return without a scratch. All of the priests at our castle are healing priests.”

Ganael, her same aged friend seated on the other side, became shocked and opened and closed his mouth without being able to say anything.

At least the young boy’s complexion looked better than earlier after Eva consoled him like this multiple times.

I chuckled and looked out the window.

“……”

What I’m trying to say is that I knew better than anybody else that Prince Jesse was a supporting character in QNW.

I just had to clap and say, ‘I see, you’re amazing,’ whenever the two of them go somewhere, gain some experience, and return after leveling up.

They would never die since they are the main characters and it would probably be rare for them to return with serious injuries as well.

My head knew that I was worrying for no reason but my heart was frustrated to the point that I could not eat very well.

‘I feel like I sent my kids to play by the water.’

“Like I said, I am going to leave.”

Of course, it was concerning that I was terrible with directions.

I also knew that the soldiers here would not show me any goodwill as I was the prince of the hostile kingdom on the other side of the border.

It was even understandable that this seemed like an obsession.

‘But still, this is a bit……’

“Your grace. To do this all of the sudden,”

“What do you mean all of a sudden? I told the Duchess that I was going to leave last night as well.”

I quickly turned my gaze. There was a commotion outside.

The knight and soldiers guarding the rear of our tower seemed to be trying to dissuade someone.

An old woman wearing plain archbishop attire was with her attendant, servant, and a bunch of baggage handlers, trying to leave.

I could hear much better once I put my ear against the slightly open window.

“Your grace, we would not have stopped you if you left at that time. However, the Lord’s Castle is currently closed off and nobody is allowed to leave until the Duchess-nim says that it is safe. The path is dangerous, madam.”

“I’m sure it would still be safer than the guest room. The light fell and I almost died!”

She waved her Holy Staff around and raised her voice. Ganael, who had approached the window at some point, whispered to me.

“That is Archbishop Eugénie Kessié. Yesterday, in the plaza……”

I suddenly recalled an image after hearing the young boy’s comment.

‘This is crazy business. I will be leaving.’

The old woman who had pulled her jacket over her shoulders and snapped at the Duchess… I blinked my eyes.

“She never left?”

“I don’t know what she is thinking, but… She is that person, your highness. She is also the Archbishop who refused to meet you in Sérénité.”

My jaws dropped on their own.

The first time I went around my territory, I wanted to meet the Archbishops of Sérénité and the entire Southwestern Archdiocese.

However, she rejected it saying she was busy. Benjamin had explained that it was probably because she was keeping me in check.

‘That was this grandma?’

“Please move. My ward is waiting for me.”

“Your grace!”

The knight who was placed in a complicated situation chased after her.

His figure disappeared but I could still hear him desperately asking her to please stay inside.

I was listening to it as if it had nothing to do with me before I quickly snapped back to my senses.

‘Jackpot. This means that there is no knight in the back right now.’

“Hey kids, it is your turn to perform.”

I buried my face into the bundle of red pandas and whispered in a sullen voice.

Ganael and Eva both flinched.

*

“That’s perfect. Our esteemed divine beasts are truly the best. Oh wonderful messengers of the Almighty God, I will continue to serve you with everything I have.”

– Kiiiiiii!

– Squeak!

– Kyuu.

Rhea, Perry, and Demy appealed their greatness one after the other.

I nodded my head like a car air freshener and hung my leg over the window.

I grabbed the bag I packed just in case, confirmed that the vines around me were firm, and took a few deep breaths.

Benjamin, who heard the news and came over, stood next to Ganael and watched me.

Eva had gone down to the lobby first. It was so that she could distract Sir Johann.

“Please don’t worry. I will place a Divine Oracle on a soldier and safely enter. I will not go all the way up to where they are fighting and just check from a distance. I will come right back if the two of them seem okay.”

I had no desire to act foolish and end up a nuisance.

I was planning on running away as quickly as possible if things seemed off.

“Please be careful, your highness.”

Benjamin tightly held the vine tied to the bedpost and pleaded.

I gave him a thumbs up, smiled, and descended the wall of the tower without any hesitation.

Jung Yeseo will return in < I quit my job and ended up as a noble young lady in another world 2 >.

– Tap!

My descending speed was pretty fast but my experience doing this twice in the army helped.

Mm, the tip of my nose is twitching.

– Tap!

“Alright, I’m all the way d……!”

“Your highness.”

‘Mommy!’

I felt my body go stiff and stopped 5 meters in the air.

I started shaking after hearing the breeze-like voice. My neck felt as if it was creaking as I turned.

“I’m sorry, your highness. I could not trick him. Sir Johann is extremely cunning like a white fox!”

Eva, who was being carried by the Holy Knight, flailed as she shouted.

‘Damn it, I’m back to square one!’

—
Translator’s Comments

Sir Johann is indeed a difficult boss to overcome.

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