Chapter 74

Spring had come at last, following a long and punishing winter, but it wasn’t all sunshine and blossoms. Once the cold lifted and warmth returned to the land, wild animals and magical beasts, long dormant in hibernation, began to stir and roam freely.

Matthias’s earlier claim, that lower-class magical beasts tended to follow in the wake of higher-class ones, had proven true. In Eisenwald, where such creatures had once been rare, reports of sightings began pouring in almost as soon as early spring arrived.

The mercenary bands stationed in the region over the winter leapt into action, energized like fish returned to water. But true beast hunters were specialists, and few in number. The surge in magical beasts had far outstripped what the available forces could manage.

“Matthias was assigned to the advance unit?”

“I imagine it’s because of his achievements in the Prove campaign,” Malena replied. “They likely gave him priority because of that.”

Magical beasts couldn’t be left unchecked. It would only invite disaster. Blair had begun organizing a suppression force, recruiting from among the knights. Though freshly knighted, Matthias had a proven track record in handling magical beasts and had been included without hesitation.

As if I haven’t already barely seen him lately.

This wouldn’t be a quick mission. Realistically, Odelliana wouldn’t see him again until summer. And by then, the barbarian tribes would be in full mobilization, just as her own preparations would reach their most critical point.

The thought of parting ways now, possibly for the last time before civil war, left her uneasy. But the beasts couldn’t be ignored. Matthias, capable of doing the work of a hundred men, was more than suited for the task.

He had the strength to take down mid-tier beasts on his own. Without a doubt, he would stand out during the campaign. There were few stages on which a newly minted knight could prove his worth. In that sense, this mission might even be a boon. Odelliana forced herself to accept it and swallowed her disappointment.

Just then, Malena steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, and my lady, have you heard the news? They’ve found another body. Decapitated.”

Odelliana frowned, her expression darkening.

“…Another one?”

“They say it was another mercenary from the capital. That makes three now.”

A string of murders had been unfolding in recent days. The bodies had been left in well-traveled areas, deliberately placed as if the killer were absolutely certain they would never be caught.

“Why only mercenaries?” Odelliana asked, her brow furrowing. “And weren’t all three victims from different companies?”

“Yes,” Malena replied. “At first, people assumed it was a turf war between rival groups. But after looking into it, the investigators found no connections between the victims. They were from different regions, different affiliations. No grudges either.”

“Hm…” Odelliana murmured, tapping a finger lightly against her armrest.

“The atmosphere’s getting grim,” Malena said, lowering her voice. “Just to be safe, I think you should pause your visits to the orphanage and avoid going outside the castle for a while.”

“But I already have an appointment,” Odelliana said calmly.

“Today?” Malena blinked. “Where are you going?”

“Pretty far,” Odelliana replied. “I’m heading to the outer districts.”

“What?” Malena said, clearly alarmed. “You’re going out now, in the middle of all this unrest? And you weren’t even going to tell me?”

“I just did,” Odelliana said with a small smile.

“You should’ve told me earlier!” Malena exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t,” Odelliana said, “because you’re not coming with me.”

Malena narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean I’m not needed? Absolutely not. I’m your attendant and your bodyguard. I can’t let you go alone.”

“There’s no need to worry,” Odelliana said, waving a hand dismissively. “I have a different escort today.”

“Who?” Malena asked suspiciously.

“Matthias,” Odelliana replied, casually brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

At that, Malena immediately fell silent. The protest that had been building in her expression vanished in an instant.

“Well then,” she said, stepping back stiffly. “Safe travels.”

Odelliana let out a peal of laughter. “You still don’t like Matthias, do you?”

“It’s not that I dislike him,” Malena said with a grimace. “He just makes me uncomfortable. Honestly, aside from you, I doubt anyone finds it easy to be around him.”

“Why?” Odelliana asked, her amusement still lingering.

“Because he never lets anyone near him,” Malena replied flatly. “Except you.”

“Not even you?” Odelliana asked, tilting her head.

Malena sighed. “Even when it’s just work, he doesn’t say more than the bare minimum. And if I ever showed up during one of your meetings, I feel like I’d disappear the next morning and no one would ever find the body.”

Shaking her head, Malena turned away as if even imagining it made her skin crawl. Then she offered a polite bow.

“Please take care out there, my lady.”

***

“Over here, Matthias.”

Odelliana waved from where she sat on a wooden bench. At her call, Matthias, who had been waiting at a distance, immediately hurried over.

“It’s been far too long, Master,” he said, coming to a stop in front of her.

“You’ve been doing well, I hope?” she asked, looking up with a faint smile.

“I have,” he replied with a nod.

“I hardly get to see you these days,” she said, a note of wistfulness in her voice.

In the past, there had at least been the occasional moment to catch a glimpse of him in passing. Sometimes he would stop by briefly, or force time out of his packed schedule to visit her late at night. But this year, both of them had been drowning in responsibilities, and even those fleeting encounters had become rare.

“You’ve been busy?” she asked.

“…It’s been hard to find time,” Matthias admitted, his gaze dropping for a moment.

“I didn’t pull you away from anything important, did I?” she asked gently.

“Not at all,” he replied at once. “I’ve been assigned to escort you today. The captain gave me direct orders to guard the Saint with diligence.”

Odelliana sighed and pressed her fingers lightly to her forehead at the mention of the title.

“Why does everyone insist on calling me something so exaggerated?” she muttered.

“It’s not exaggerated in the slightest,” Matthias said, his tone firm. “You cared for the orphanage all throughout last winter.”

She fell silent, her gaze drifting past him.

It hadn’t been as noble as it seemed. Her regular visits to the orphanage had stemmed less from altruism and more from pragmatic concern. She had calculated the benefits of performing visible good deeds.

Winter was the cruelest season, one that brought death in droves. Illness spread easily, and the Lord of Eisenwald’s public image could suffer if the situation was neglected. The orphanage, home to the sick and impoverished, was particularly vulnerable. It wasn’t uncommon for the desperate to turn to theft or violence when pushed to the edge.

By intervening early, she had simply ensured stability. It had never been about mercy.

That was why the title “Saint” felt not only ill-fitting, but heavy. She had neither earned it nor wanted it.

“Please, don’t you start calling me that, too.”

“Do you dislike being called a saint?” Matthias asked, watching her with quiet curiosity.

“I dislike having that word follow me around like a name tag,” she replied. “It’s uncomfortable. I’m not some pure, kind soul who deserves to be revered. I don’t want to carry the weight of a title I didn’t earn.”

…There’s too much blood on these hands for that name to belong to me.

“If it displeases you,” Matthias said with a small nod, “I won’t call you that.”

“Good,” Odelliana said softly, then stood and held out her hand. “Let’s go.”

Matthias stepped forward without hesitation, his hand closing around hers. With quiet formality, he escorted her to the waiting carriage.

Once she had climbed inside, he mounted his horse and took his place beside the window.

“You’ve already received a warhorse?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes,” he answered. “The lord himself gave it to me.”

“My brother?” she said with a blink. “Why?”

“I was the only one among those selected for the advance unit who didn’t have a horse,” Matthias explained.

She nodded slowly. That made sense. Blair, ever soft-hearted, must have felt uneasy about assigning such a young knight to the advance unit. Yet given Matthias’s performance in the Prove campaign, removing him from the lineup would have been difficult to justify. Gifting him an expensive warhorse was likely Blair’s way of expressing both apology and support.

Once the carriage began to move, Matthias rode alongside, keeping close to the window. Odelliana slid it open so they could speak more easily as they traveled.

“You’re heading out on deployment soon, right?” she asked, resting her elbow on the windowsill.

Matthias gave a short nod, his displeasure unmistakable. “I’ll be away for about three months.”

“That’s why I borrowed some of your time today,” she said gently. “Three months is a long time not to see you. I wanted to make at least one good memory before you leave. Besides,” she added, her tone lightening, “there are a few things I want to check while we’re out.”

“What kind of things?” 

“I thought I’d look into those incidents everyone’s been talking about,” she said, folding her hands in her lap.

He didn’t reply right away.

“There’s been a string of murders,” she continued. “Bodies turning up without their heads. The streets are tense, and all the victims were mercenaries from the capital. You’ve heard about it, haven’t you?”

“I have,” he replied slowly. “But why would you get involved? Shouldn’t that be left to the investigators?”

“I have a hunch.”

Matthias turned his gaze to her, curiosity glinting in his eyes. Odelliana leaned her chin into her palm and smiled, a little too knowingly.

“I’ll tell you more when I’m sure,” she said. “Honestly, the investigation’s just an excuse. I came out today to spend time with you. So you don’t need to worry about anything. Just enjoy yourself.”

“…So this isn’t official business?” he asked.

“The excuse is official,” she replied with a smirk. “Reality is, I’m slacking off.”

Matthias raised one hand to his mouth, his fingers brushing across his lips as if to hide the smile that crept over them. Behind the curtain of his long, refined fingers, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted, climbing toward cheeks that had begun to flush.

“So this is precious time you’re devoting entirely to your humble disciple?” 

“That’s right,” she replied without hesitation.

Her simple, matter-of-fact answer sent a ripple through him. All the noise, the doubts, the frustrations clouding his mind seemed to fall away in an instant, leaving only her.

With a quiet, satisfied smile, Matthias straightened in the saddle and spoke with newfound clarity.

“Then I will escort you with everything I have, Master.”