## Chapter 774 – Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament

“Yes… I see. Well, the Holy Maiden and the Paladin have that kind of relationship. There’s really no problem with it.”

Holy Maiden Kadia and I, Kim Kat, are more than just boss and subordinate; we’re Justus comrades bound by trust.

Basically, like a close older sister and younger brother.

I don’t know how old the Holy Maiden is, but she’s definitely older than me.

Anyway, after saying that, the Holy Maiden took out another cigarette and silently puffed away. After finishing it, she looked around a bit, then her gaze settled on the liquor bottle at the end of the table.

“…The bottle is a bit far.”
“I’ll get it right away.”
“No, I, the Holy Maiden, am the one treating you, so I should do it myself. Sit down.”
“Okay.”

The Holy Maiden stopped me and got up to go to the end of the table. The sofa was long, and so was the table. When the chef set things up, they put everything except what we were drinking right away at the far end.

“…”

The Holy Maiden grabbed the bottle and seemed like she was going back to her seat, but suddenly, she started walking towards the seat next to me.

“Huh? Holy Maiden? Are you coming next to me?”
“Is there a problem?”

Well, no, but…

“There’s no problem.”
“Whether it’s across from you or next to you, it’s the same. This time, I’ll pour you a drink myself from next to you. The Paladin deserves such honor.”
“Oh, in that case, I’ll gladly make room for you next to me.”

I immediately scooted over a bit to make room, and the Holy Maiden very naturally sat down, crossed her legs, and snuggled up to me.

As she snuggled up, she grabbed my shoulder and said,

“First, let me ask you. How does it feel to sit next to the Holy Maiden?”

I’m not the one who sat down, you are.

“Inhumanly glorious. Who else in the world gets to sit next to the Holy Maiden? I’m really glad I became a Paladin.”
“Since you say it’s so glorious, I, the Holy Maiden, am very pleased. Well then, feel free to put your arm around my waist if you want.”

Her face flushed, and a provocative smile returned.

I really like this kind of thing.
This sister should be a queen, not a Holy Maiden.

“How could I dare to touch the Holy Maiden’s body so carelessly?”

But it’s okay because it’s me; if she played these kinds of mischievous pranks on someone who couldn’t tell the difference, it could be a big problem.

No, is she only teasing me like this because she knows I’m okay with it?

“Hmph, if you’re a Paladin, you have that right, don’t you? You’ve done so well so far. Not only did you annihilate the heretics… but this time you even investigated clues about the demons’ plot. It’s a very great achievement. Most Holy Knights can’t do that.”
“Hehehe, that’s true.”

Every time I hear these words, I feel relieved thinking about Hilde.

Yes, I can live like this because Hilde is here. I always feel love and gratitude. And seeing her absorb Fusion Confucianism, she’s just too cute.

“Well, it’s a joke. It’s fun to tease the Paladin. If you really put your arm around my waist… I would have been quite embarrassed.”
“You know me so well. So please change your hobby of making those kinds of jokes.”
“A woman who is a Holy Maiden has the right to do as she pleases.”

—Creak.

After saying that, the Holy Maiden opened the bottle of liquor she had brought. There were all kinds of liquor. This one was blue, so for a moment I thought I was looking at Powerade.

It felt like a mana potion.

She immediately grabbed a glass, and the Holy Maiden poured the liquor. Then I poured her one, and after toasting again, we drank together.

—Gulp.

This… is it a bit sweet?
But my esophagus is burning.

“By the way… the Paladin is very large.”

After emptying her glass, the Holy Maiden said that while grabbing my wrist.

“Your arms and wrists are quite thick… and very firm. Yes, a man should have this kind of taste. Very trustworthy. With a body like this, you can definitely win the martial arts tournament easily.”
“Hehehe, I feel so motivated with this kind of support. Who else in this world gets this kind of support from the Holy Maiden? I’m a lucky guy.”

Now I have no choice but to win.

If I lose after this, I’ll be so embarrassed.

“Hmph, of course you should think that way. Right now, the Paladin is receiving an excessive… no. I can’t say it’s excessive. You have enough qualifications. So, the Paladin is currently enjoying tremendous glory that matches your qualifications.”
“Oh, but you really seem to like hearing those words.”

Is it a drinking habit?

“I like it very much. Isn’t that why I keep making the Paladin say them?”
“That’s true, but you seem to be doing it even more today.”

It’s a bit much today.

“A lot, huh… was I a bit excessive today?”

She tilted her head and asked.

“Yes. A little. Weren’t you doing it a lot while treating me like this?”

There’s a bit of that atmosphere.
Is it related to the reason she called me?

“I see.”

The Holy Maiden chuckled at my words and continued to drink while speaking.

“…Actually, the treat might have been an excuse.”

A very serious tone.

“Today, I might have just been holding onto the Paladin, who I can call comfortably, and forcing you to praise me in order to relieve my stress… you could say that.”

The Holy Maiden’s face was quite flushed. She said she was weak with alcohol, so is she getting drunk now?

She seems to be in a slightly sentimental state.

Of course, I know she has various difficulties usually.

And the atmosphere today was quite strange.

“M-Me, I fell into such a plot!! That’s too inhuman!!!”
“Hehehe, just kidding. Just kidding. The Paladin’s reaction is always fun to watch.”

So I matched her tone and threw a joke, and she burst out laughing.
She called me to relieve her stress!

“Hehehe, I’m originally very good at this.”

She had a very happy-looking smile. Well, it’s only natural since she has Kim Kat, the world’s best entertainer, next to her in a drunken state.

“As expected, the Paladin… seems very familiar with women.”

The Holy Maiden, who was laughing, said while pouring liquor into my already empty glass. If there’s anyone more familiar with women than me right now, tell them to come out.

Kim Kat has seven wives.

So you can say I’m an `expert` on women’s hearts.

“I’m as familiar as the skillful Holy Maiden.”
“No, I’m not familiar at all. I just seem that way on the outside. Didn’t I explain that?”

I couldn’t just leave her glass empty, so I poured liquor into the Holy Maiden’s glass as well.

“Men are always lining up, but… there’s never really been anything like that. There’s no doubt that I’m pure.”
“Well… the position of Holy Maiden definitely doesn’t leave you much time.”

The doctrine says romance is free, but she’s probably been too busy every day to have the opportunity. That’s why she’s saying this. Is she wasting her beauty…? No. She’s using it well.

It’s just that she has almost no freedom as a person.

“But shouldn’t you start preparing soon? It would be painful if you just suffered in that high position your whole life.”
“That’s true. But as long as I have the divine power bestowed by Verde, I can’t step down from this position.”

—Clink.

The glasses clink.

“Ah. You mean that.”

Balance, was it?

Holy Maiden Kadia is living proof that the heavenly gods who do not intervene with anything other than divine power are still watching over humans.

She definitely told me last time that by being granted a kind of divine power, the Holy Maiden can feel the balance of evil in a way that feels like scales.

A power that is higher than divine power.

“It only feels vague, but there’s no doubt that I was chosen by the god Verde. Therefore…”

—…

She took a sip and continued.

“As long as I feel this… I am destined to confront the existence of evil. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t have personal desires. I’m also human, so what’s hard is hard, and what’s painful is painful.”

Has she been having a hard time recently?

“And of course… I have desires and wants, and there are also things I want.”

She always seems cheerful, but she was feeling pressure somewhere in her heart.

—Here, Kim Kat, an expert on women’s hearts, caught the inhuman worries that the Holy Maiden was harboring.

The Great Demons are plotting in Pandemonium. The damage from demons is already increasing rapidly.

The evil threat that had been lurking beneath the surface is now slowly rising to the surface.

The descent of the Great Demon Andromalius was a very big event. Recently. So, relatively recently, these kinds of events have been popping up.

Originally… it was a very rare and special event, but as time goes by, the demons are moving again. It’s not known whether that movement will become full-scale, but it can’t be denied that the threat is taking concrete form.

“…I think this is the first time I’ve said these things to anyone.”

The Holy Maiden, who put down her glass, looked at my face.

“That must mean I trust the Paladin that much.”
“So I’ll take it as an honor. Holy Maiden. Just, don’t worry too much. Not everything that happens is your responsibility. Just because Verde gave you that power doesn’t mean you have all the responsibility for the human world.”

Anyway, she must have been worrying a lot about this.

As the Holy Maiden said, the reason she dragged me out here today under the guise of buying me dinner was probably to relieve the personal stress that came from those worries.

That’s why the atmosphere was strange.

She’s probably feeling responsibility, pressure, and worry about the Gonijia incident that I reported last time.

—Justus comrade and expert on women’s hearts, Kim Kat.

Can never just stand by and watch the Holy Maiden suffer.

“How can one person be responsible for the entire human world? So don’t feel too burdened and just take it easy. In the first place, if the world was going to be swayed by the sense of responsibility of just one Holy Maiden, then that world is just a son of a bitch. But the world isn’t like that. It’s going to keep going somehow. Of course, it’s true that it’s going better because you’re here, but well, you don’t have to take all the responsibility, that’s what I’m saying.”

I also let my mouth run a bit for the Holy Maiden’s sake since I had some alcohol in me. The Holy Maiden is pushing herself, but she doesn’t have to. She can live a little more relaxed.

“…”

The Holy Maiden, who was staring at my face and listening to my words, was silent for a moment.

“Heh, hehehe… ah. Yes. That’s right.”

Soon she burst out laughing.

“I was expecting a little comfort, but you’re saying it better than I thought. Just how much interest do you have in me, Paladin, that you know my suffering so well?”
“Hehehe, of course, I’m interested as your Paladin. And above all, didn’t I just reveal that I’m quite familiar with women? I know the Holy Maiden’s heart very well.”

Again, Love Cheonma Kim Kat.

Is an expert on women’s hearts.

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s it… well, anyway, I feel a little stronger now that you’ve said that. I haven’t been able to sleep for the past two days because of thoughts about the demons.”

I knew it.

“Thanks to you, I’ll be able to sleep relatively well tonight. As expected, the Paladin is very useful. You’re taking responsibility for my stress as well as my sleep, isn’t that literally… taking care of my bedchamber?”
“No, how did it turn out that way again?”
“Hmph, just kidding.”

Anyway.
I’m full now, and I can’t drink any more alcohol.

The Holy Maiden seemed to feel the same way, and it was becoming an atmosphere to get up.

“…”

Somehow, the Holy Maiden was looking into my eyes as if asking for my opinion. Should we get up now? As I wiggled my body thinking that, the Holy Maiden closed her eyes.

“…”

No, but you can’t sleep here.

“Holy Maiden. You can’t sleep here, let’s go back to the Great Temple first. Then sleep.”

The Holy Maiden opened her eyes as if she had come to her senses when I said that.

“…What?”
“Let’s get up. I’ll see you off.”
“No, wait…”

I got up from my seat like that.
Let’s go back now.

When I got up, the Holy Maiden got up hesitantly, and I immediately grabbed her coat and veil, put them on her, and slowly walked to the door while supporting her.

“…”

She didn’t say anything, probably because she was tired.
She was just entrusting her body to my support.

I was wondering if I should pay, but no one came, so I went straight down. The Holy Maiden must have already done it.

When we came outside, the Holy Maiden said.

“Hoo… Paladin.”
“Yes.”
“Come back in two days… I’ll write you a recommendation letter. With that, you’ll be able to participate in the martial arts tournament.”
“Hehehe, thank you! As expected, you’re taking care of me until the end!”
“…”

The Holy Maiden stared at me for a moment, then sighed once and said.

“Haa… Let’s make this kind of meeting again next time.”
“I’d be honored. Well, I’ll see you off to the Great Temple first. You seem quite drunk.”
“I’m not that drun—”
“Your face is very red, uh.”

Is it because we came outside?

The Holy Maiden’s flushed face had returned to its original state. Did she sober up a bit after getting some air? Well, even if she’s weak, she’ll have strong recovery power.

“Isn’t your face back to normal?”
“Well… ah. Wait. No.”

The Holy Maiden touched her face for a moment at my words and was silent. Then she exhaled with difficulty and came next to me.

“Haa… It’s hot. My face feels hot, and my head is a little dizzy…”
“Well, anyway. Let’s go together. I’ll support you.”

I supported the Holy Maiden like that and returned to the Great Temple.

I really enjoyed the meal and drinks today.

I thought I was receiving a reward, but who knew I would end up praising and encouraging the Holy Maiden while giving her counseling. She was teasing me by exposing herself a bit too much, but that was all an expression of stress.

But it wasn’t bad.

Doesn’t that mean she trusts me enough to say these things? She trusts me, so she said those things while making those inhuman exposures and jokes.

That’s a very happy thing as a Justus comrade.

Yes. Let’s get a recommendation letter, register for the tournament, and then definitely win.

For me, my women, the honor of the Order, and Holy Maiden Kadia.