## Chapter 821 – Winter in the Capital

“Why aren’t you eating? Surely you’re not suggesting you can’t stomach food bought by this Saintess?”

Goddamn it, is there any place in this world more uncomfortable than this?! The Saintess is subtly roasting me while pretending not to.

All my hopeful predictions have gone completely awry.

She says she’s fine, but she’s radiating disappointment, so what can I do? I can only huddle here and wait for the storm to pass.

“No, it’s not that… Yes, I’ll eat.”

The table was laden with delicacies of every kind. It was practically a buffet, but it was all just window dressing. Normally, I’d be chowing down with gusto, but I know the mood.

There’s no way I can enjoy this meal. I don’t even know why she ordered all this food in the first place.

“You should eat.”

She keeps telling me to eat, so… I picked up the nearest biscuit and shoved it into my mouth.

—Munch, munch.

I chewed it immediately, but I couldn’t really taste it. All I could think was that it was crunchy and tasted like it had been seasoned with sugar. I’d rather have the hardtack I ate to death in the army.

“…”

I chewed the biscuit in silence.

—Haa.

The Saintess just kept smoking and staring at me. Like she was throwing food to an animal and watching it indifferently.

The cool feeling emanating from her sharp eyes made my stomach churn. Seriously, I thought I was seasoned when it came to dealing with strong women… but the Saintess is different.

Is it because she’s the Saintess of a major order and my boss?

“You’re eating very well.”
“…”

The Saintess suddenly said that.

“You must need the energy, the way it’s going down your throat so smoothly. Yes, our philandering Paladin needs to eat a lot and use even more energy to make this world a little better. Catching demons, catching heretics. It’s all good. Seeing you eat without hesitation makes this Saintess’s heart feel at ease.”
“…”

I stopped eating.

“Saintess, I’m sorry. It’s hard to eat when you keep saying things like that.”

I couldn’t stand her indifferent, flattering tone. So I told her it was hard, and the Saintess changed her expression as if she’d heard something unexpected, and crossed her legs the other way.

“Oh dear. I’ve put the Paladin under pressure.”

—Slide.

It looked like she was naturally about to reveal what was underneath.

“This Saintess has put pressure on the Paladin, who discovered the Spirit Realm’s invasion early and saved lives in the future. Even during a meal.”

God damn it.

“Then, since you can’t eat, shall we start talking about the original purpose?”

She stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, picked up the bottle of alcohol in front of her, and opened the lid. Then she slowly started pouring it into a glass.

—Pouring.

A spicy scent wafted out. I wondered if she would pour me one too, but she didn’t. The Saintess filled her glass and downed it in one shot.

She didn’t even pour me any booze.

—Gulp, gulp.

I could clearly hear the sound of the alcohol going down.

Was it because of that? It felt like her white neckline and collarbones were being emphasized. And the cleavage just below… was heaving slightly. The Saintess didn’t seem to care about exposing herself at all.

Even while showing me her skin like that, she didn’t show any reaction. Normally, I would have thought it was just her usual teasing, but today it felt different. A little.

“Haa…”

Anyway, the Saintess, who had emptied her glass in an instant, put the glass down on the table and sighed.

“Yes, cultural differences should be respected. But still… the more I think about it, the more amazed I am. Seven people… how is it seven people? Isn’t that too many?”

You can say that again.

How is it seven people?
Even I find it hard to believe.

Elise once pointed out something similar to me. When I told her it was five people, she got really worried and angry. Religious people must all have similar sensibilities.

Religious people have a negative view of polygamy.

“…”

Anyway, I lowered my head because I didn’t know what to say, and the Saintess suddenly said in a soft tone.

“Raise your head.”
“Yes.”
“Paladin. This Saintess is not angry at all. Since I’m not angry, I’m certainly not blaming you either.”
“…Aren’t you really angry?”

—Glare.

The Saintess glared at me for a moment when I said that.

“…This Saintess is not angry.”

Then she looked into my eyes and continued.

“If I was angry, would I treat you like this? This daring outfit, too. Yes, this is a token of trust. This Saintess trusts and believes in the Paladin very much.”

That refugee-like outfit has such a meaning.

“You’ve always been like this, and the Paladin has shown this Saintess enough results. Not only in terms of work, but also in terms of your usual behavior, I’m very satisfied.”

I’m just that good. Work is work. Social life is social life. These are the elements that make up Kim Kat.

“That’s why this Saintess was very shocked.”

Shock.

“…Is that so.”
“Don’t you think so too, Paladin? Not just any workplace, but in the `Order`. And if the Paladin, who this Saintess in the position of Saintess trusted and used, was such a philanderer. Wouldn’t you think it’s very shocking, even if you were the Paladin?”
“…That’s right.”

I admit it.

“Of course it’s shocking.”

I nodded.

“The fact that the Paladin’s private life is so promiscuous may be shocking, but it’s not a sin. What can I do if that’s the culture? If you grew up knowing that as common sense, you can’t argue about right and wrong.”

—Pouring.

The Saintess started pouring alcohol again.

“That’s right… that’s what it is.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“Yes?”
“What did you just say? Say it again.”
“I… I said that’s right.”
“Yes… that’s what it is. Good. I understand the Paladin’s thoughts very well.”

What.

“The philandering Paladin didn’t do anything wrong. You just acted that way because you’re a Mirkeshain, right?”
“That’s… well.”

—Thud.

The Saintess, who had downed another shot, slammed the glass on the table roughly and started asking questions like she was interrogating me.

What the hell…! I can’t figure out what you’re thinking! I’m sure you’re angry, but I don’t know what the problem is…!

What is this?

I need to know that to say something.

“…As you said, in our Mirkesha, polygamy was extremely natural. Strong warriors, whether men or women, have many spouses.”

I naturally spoke based on what I had seen in the library the day before yesterday.

“I left there, but that was still common sense. I see that the Karga nobles also have multiple marriages. So I thought it was natural. As I said before, I only recently learned that this is something to be criticized.”

The Saintess nodded as she listened to me.

“So the philandering Paladin, who became a strong warrior, took all the women he met without restraint as his wives?”
“…Yes.”
“You’re keeping the tradition very well. It’s really amazing. Very excellent. If the Paladin’s family in his hometown saw this tragedy… no. If they saw this situation, they would give you a very big celebration.”

The Saintess kept nodding and pouring alcohol endlessly. She had already emptied one bottle. She said she wasn’t very strong with alcohol… but a new bottle is already coming in.

“Certainly, if it’s a man like the Paladin, women would line up. Do you pick the women you like from those women and make them your wives?”
“…”

Did I pick them?

No.

“You’re silent.”
“…”

I have nothing to say.

“Paladin. This Saintess is not asking about the Paladin’s private life. As a superior, I’m asking the Paladin, who will continue to work in the Order with me, to find out in advance about any problems that may arise. I wouldn’t normally ask these questions. But I’m asking because it’s necessary. Don’t you know?”

That’s also true.

The Saintess hadn’t really asked me these personal questions before. There have been a few times, but this is the first time she’s asked in depth. And of course… we’ll continue to work together in the future.

“Yes… I can say that.”

I nodded.

When I think about it, the circumstances of how I got so many wives are a bit surprising, but I can’t explain all of that, so I just said yes.

“Then I’ll ask you more questions.”

The Saintess just kept drinking while looking at me who answered that.

“Is there a purpose for making so many wives? Ah, maybe that’s it. Thinking about the characteristics of the Mirkeshains… is it to spread the Paladin’s offspring more?”
“…It’s embarrassing, but yes. That’s right.”
“Hmph.”

I can answer this for sure.

The reason I have so many wives is because Claudia told me to, but the fundamental purpose is to spread my offspring a lot. About a hundred, as Claudia wants.

If that happens, I’ll build a country.

“Really, haa…”

The Saintess sighed.

“Yes… since you lived in that land, it’s only natural that you value that the most… offspring… more offspring…”

She sighed and brought a new bottle of alcohol and poured it into her glass. She’s just drinking it straight.

“It must be very hard? Seven wives.”

It’s not that hard. Rather, my wives are having a harder time every night. In just about an hour, I can send all seven of them out of their minds.

“…”

Just when I couldn’t answer, the Saintess reacted as if she had remembered something.

“No, wait.”
“Yes?”
“So how many children do you have now?”

I don’t have any yet.

“…Since you have seven wives, you must have at least five.”
“I don’t have any yet.”
“What, what?”

The Saintess’s eyes widened for a moment.

“Yes?”
“You don’t have any?”
“Yes.”
“You have seven wives and you don’t have any children yet?”

It’ll be a while before they give birth. At least until I become stronger than Karin or Claudia, I’ll start making plans. It’ll take at least a few years.

“I need to focus on work right now. I don’t have any plans yet.”
“What is this…”

The Saintess seemed confused. Is there something shocking about not having children?

“Hmm…”

The Saintess, who avoided my gaze for a moment, covered her mouth while acting like she couldn’t sit still.

“Ugh…”
“Saintess?”

This is a more intense reaction than when I said I had a lot of wives.

Why?

“You don’t have any yet… is that so… what? No, wait.”
“Yes?”
“Wait. Let’s just go over this, Paladin.”
“Tell me.”

What the hell is this.

“So you don’t have any plans to have children yet, but you indiscriminately increased the number of wives first? Hmph, geez. That means you’ve been thinking about increasing the number of wives a lot since you were strong.”

That’s kind of the same feeling.

“Don’t you like women too much, Paladin.”

The Saintess, who couldn’t sit still, became serious.

“You’re a born philanderer.”
“A, a born philanderer…”

The conclusion keeps coming to this.

How long do I have to be nagged?

“I might be in danger too? I was teasing you without knowing that the Paladin is such a serious philanderer.”
“…”
“Do you even think about that when you look at this Saintess?”

The Saintess, who frowned for a moment, asked while taking an action to cover her chest. No, if you keep nagging me like this, I don’t know what to say!

There’s no way I would!!!!

“Say something. I wish you would. Then this Saintess will trust and use the Paladin, right?”
“Oh, Saintess! Please. I was wrong! Please forgive me because it’s definitely not like that!”