Chapter 80
[“Kyaa! Fresh air!”]
Where exactly?
Evelyn let out a short laugh at the Holy Sword’s voice as soon as she stepped out of the Hero’s space.
For some reason, it felt like she would be able to hear the Holy Sword even outside the ruins now.
“Have you finished your training?!”
As she opened her eyes to the musty smell, she immediately felt the gaze of countless eyes on her.
The knights and mages who had been training were all staring at her.
“Damian, it’s been a while.”
Evelyn smiled brightly at the greeting from the knight commander.
“Your Grace, you might want to rein in your energy a bit.”
Damian spoke cautiously, looking somewhat burdened.
“Energy?”
Only then did Evelyn notice that everyone looking at her had gone pale.
She drew her energy back inward, and only then did Damian let out a faint sigh of relief.
“You’ve reached a new level of mastery.”
Damian looked at her in awe.
He couldn’t help but wonder—just where and how did she train to come back this completely transformed in just a week?
“What kind of training do you even do?”
“Noise-defense training?”
[“Noise?! How dare you!”]
Her mind was still being assaulted. Ever since leaving the personal training chamber, the Holy Sword hadn’t stopped talking for even a moment.
“Ahem?”
“If you get beaten up enough in the personal training room, you get stronger.”
Damian’s eyes flashed with the question, ‘Beaten by what?’—but he held his tongue at her next words.
“I’ve brought back a new training method for all of you, so don’t worry.”
At Evelyn’s words, the knights’ faces turned even whiter.
The good times were over.
“Is it the mages’ training time now?”
“Yes. The Tower Master also arrived recently.”
At Damian’s reply, Evelyn realized the time had come to face the sealed formation.
They had said the evil god’s seal was in a large lake halfway up the snowy mountain.
[“We’re finally going to see that pitch-black bastard?!”]
‘Yes. But could you please stop reading my thoughts?’
[“I can’t help it! You’re thinking so loudly!”]
The Holy Sword grumbled that it didn’t want to know either.
Chatting with the Holy Sword, Evelyn stepped out of the ruins and took a deep breath.
The inside wasn’t exactly stifling, but staying in the same space had clearly built up some fatigue.
“Evelyn?”
She moved straight to the Grand Duke’s bedroom to wash off the discomfort—but then heard a familiar voice calling her.
“What are you doing here at this hour?”
There shouldn’t have been anyone here, yet Elliott was standing in the room—specifically in front of the teleportation magic circle to the ruins.
“Were you going to the training grounds?”
“Your face looks worn.”
His reply didn’t match her question.
“That can’t be right.”
She had gotten stronger. If anything, her body should have become clearer of impurities—not more worn out.
It had been the same when Elliott returned from his own advancement. After reaching a higher level, he had seemed to shine even brighter.
The household staff who had known him since childhood had blushed and clutched their chests at the sight of him.
“Your complexion actually looks worse. Did something happen?”
Evelyn tilted her head, noticing the sharp and slightly haggard look on his face.
“I never knew that waiting for someone could be so excruciating.”
His voice sounded almost tormented, and Evelyn instinctively reached for his forehead.
No fever.
Was he sick somewhere?
“I was just away training. What could possibly happen?”
“That lunatic—who knows what he might try to do to you?”
Elliott’s smile made Evelyn pause. The faint smirk tugging at his lips felt foreboding.
“I already promised to be careful, and Neran gave me quite the scolding, too. From now on, I’ll really prioritize my safety.”
She recalled their conversation before she entered the training chamber. During her spar with Neran, she had tried to block his sword with her arm and ended up getting heavily scolded.
Tap.
Evelyn looked up as she felt his hand on her cheek.
Was that wrong? Elliott was looking at her with a peculiar expression.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
Elliott quickly turned away and placed his hand on the teleportation circle.
“Get some rest today. Let’s spar tomorrow.”
Just moments ago, he had been so affectionate—now he was cold as ice. Evelyn blinked in confusion.
What was that?
As she watched him disappear, she pulled the bell cord to summon her maids.
‘Too much.’
No matter how he thought about it, it was too much.
Elliott recalled Evelyn’s golden eyes as she looked intently at him.
Ever since she threw herself into danger for that child, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Was it because she reminded him of his late parents? That thought had crossed his mind, too.
Was death really so insignificant?
If she could give her life so easily for someone else, what were those left behind supposed to do?
The sorrow that follows noble sacrifice doesn’t just go away.
He had agreed to help the Hero not only to protect the North, but because he shared a belief: no one should be sacrificed for the sake of everyone else.
That belief included himself, of course—but if necessary, he was ready to risk his life for the Hero.
“You’ve arrived? Did you meet Lady Evelyn? She seems to have become even more amazing.”
When Elliott entered the training grounds, Damian and the knights flocked to him.
He wasn’t in the mood to talk, but he forced himself to speak.
“We must grow stronger too. We can’t fall behind.”
“Of course! Leave it to us!”
The knights responded with thunderous spirit.
An evil god. Such a being had once felt impossibly distant—but watching the Grand Duke and Duchess grow stronger made them feel that perhaps it was possible to fight.
“Let’s begin training.”
At Elliott’s command, the motivated knights moved into position.
Throughout the training, Elliott had to fight off the endless thoughts of Evelyn swirling in his mind.
Meanwhile…
“Tinya. Where are you going?”
Tinya frowned when she recognized the speaker.
“Tom. Please leave.”
Ever since that misunderstanding with Lady Evelyn, Tom had become enemy number one in her book. No matter how much she openly showed her distaste, he kept trying to get closer to her.
“How many times do I have to say I don’t like you that way?!”
“People will misunderstand!”
Tom responded, clearly frustrated, but Tinya wasn’t backing down.
“I like younger men!”
“So do I! I mean—I like younger women!”
“You pervert!”
Tinya scurried away from him as if escaping danger.
“Why do you hate me so much?!”
Tom shouted, brimming with injustice. Tinya widened her eyes.
“Hmm…”
To be honest, she didn’t really hate him. She just… didn’t care.
If not for the misunderstanding, she wouldn’t even look twice at such a rough, country-looking man.
She would’ve ignored him even if he tried to speak to her.
“I just hate that Lady Evelyn might misunderstand. I want to serve her for a long time and never leave her side.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to be friends. I didn’t think things would spiral into rumors like that.”
He apologized sincerely, which made it awkward for Tinya to stay angry.
“But why me?”
“I’m curious about life in the capital, and I figured learning more about Lady Evelyn would help me take better care of her horse.”
“That’s what this was about? Then you should’ve just said so!”
Tom was in charge of the Grand Duke and Duchess’s horses. Horses in the North were notoriously temperamental and difficult to handle.
“I’m currently training a new one for Lady Evelyn.”
The horse from the capital was still adjusting to the North. Even though the Grand Duke had given her one of his best, it apparently wasn’t enough.
He had gone and bought all the best-bred horses in the North. With the sudden increase in horses, Tom and the stablehands were swamped.
“Really?”
“Why would I lie? I need to understand Lady Evelyn to properly care for her horse. Want to come see?”
“Can I?”
“You’re her maid—why wouldn’t you be allowed?”
Tom said confidently. If something happened when Tinya visited the stables, that was exactly what he was hoping for.
He felt a pang of guilt at the eagerness in her eyes—but this was all for the good of the North.
Hadn’t Seril recently had a close call too? She had recovered safely, but he wanted to prevent anything else before it happened.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to the horses that might become Lady Evelyn’s new companions.”
Tom led the excited Tinya to the stables. The servants who saw them walk off together lit up.
Wait a second—wasn’t Tinya avoiding Tom?
When did they get so close?!
Watching this unexpected development, the servants couldn’t help but smile.
