Chapter 53 – 53. Permission

I peeked at the document Elesis was reading and hardened my expression. Inside it was written information about a person I didn’t want to recall.

A story about Ludwig’s bloodline.

Elesis, who was trying to hide the documents as if she was looking at something, cautiously asked me when she saw my expression getting serious.

“…… Is something going on?”
“That—it looks like a recent document.”
“Yeah…… Why are you interested?”

Elesis said that and handed me the documents. But I shook my head and refused. I didn’t want to read the details. Underneath it, personal opinions about Carlos’ death would be written, and there would be information about the witch he met then.

When I thought of the witch at that time, I would think of Ludwig, whom I killed with my own hands, and even after a long time had passed, I did not want to recall memories that made me feel depressed.

“Okay. What if you are interested?”
“I didn’t know you would be interested in something like this……Even if you ask, I can’t grant you this.”
“Why?”
“Because we need an instructor to train apprentice paladins. If you get some sleazy corrections, they’ll ignore you without me needing to say anything.”
“Did your disciple just say that he was a barrister?”

Margaret quickly intervened and glared at Elesis as if threatening, but Elesis also glared at Margaret with her eyes wide open as if she could not concede this time.

“Yes. I know his skills very well as I have seen him firsthand. As a disciple of the witch, he seems to have the ability to kill monsters, but fighting against people is different. Dealing with people is in some ways more difficult than dealing with monsters……”

“You can do it.”

“Hey, like I said before, this isn’t something you can say you want to do—”

“I might try it.”

I looked at Elesis. She was looking at me and tilting her head as if she was serious, but this time she was serious.

If Carlos was killed by a witch and his lifeline was cut off, I could connect him instead.

I am the ancestor of Kalos and the father of all paladins. It’s because I learned directly from Ludwig.

‘If I can atone for my sins like this…….’

It was just an act of self-consolation, but I thought Ludwig wouldn’t hate it too much.

After hearing my words, Elesis let out a heavy sigh and shook the bell in her seat to call for her attendant.

Towards the attendant who opened the door and entered, Elesis pointed at me and commanded.

“Take him to the training ground. Ask Lord Toben to test you.”
“Exam… Are you talking?”
“Yes, since you say you want to become an instructor, check your skills.”

Although the attendant put on a doubtful expression, he took me straight to the training ground.

* * *

“Nice to meet you. Brother I heard you asked for a test.”

After a while, a paladin trudged toward me as I warmed up and waited in the training ground. It was a man who could tell from the way he walked that he was quite disciplined.

After a careful nod, he approached me to excuse me and began to massage various parts of my body. He even tilted his head as if he was puzzled.

“It’s small, but it’s so hard and firm…… It looks like you trained very hard.”

“Yeah, what…….”

“Good. If you write that training method for our paladins, even God will be very pleased.”

Saying that, Toben smiled and returned with two wooden swords mounted on the wall. He handed one to me, and held one for himself.

Having said that, Toben asked me.

“If you have learned anything other than swordsmanship, please tell me now.”
“I know how to use a sword roughly.”
“I’m glad. Then please come.”

Saying that, Toben assumed a posture that covered his entire upper body with his sword. A posture like a bull with the tip of the sword pointed like a horn.

Thanks to learning the sword from Ludwig, he knew what that stance was called. He knew very well how to break the posture and how to counterattack the technique that broke the law.

He was no different from a beginner who had no choice but to respond after seeing the opponent’s swordsmanship because he hadn’t mastered everything, but it didn’t matter if the technique was a beginner or the physical was a monster.

The fear of technology is revealed when you don’t know its existence, it’s because it didn’t work to the opponent who knew the technology.

“Going.”

Since it was a sparring rather than a real battle, I swung my sword at Toben after declaring that I would go in advance. The action of cutting the opponent’s sword. Toben saw my sword and moved his wrist and moved the tip, but I could see it and move it.

Just as you can never lose if you can change your move after seeing what your opponent will do in rock-paper-scissors – you cannot lose when you know what your opponent is using.

Tuk- Toben, whose sword had been thrown out in vain, looked at me with an expression of disbelief and began to open his eyes.

“What is this…… I can’t believe it. Can we look at the defense this time?”
“Sure.”
“Then I will go.”

After saying that, he casually blocked Toben’s sword and attacked at the same time. A feast of artistic swordsmanship in which attack and defense are performed at the same time.

Seeing that, Toben looked at me for a while and started to let out a sigh.

“How is it?”
“Hmm…… I do not know. It’s okay to say it from a defeated position, but rather than feeling like a master, it’s like something different…….”

However, as he himself said, it must have been embarrassing to say after losing, Toben nodded and acknowledged me.

“Good. Still, this level of skill should be enough to teach apprentices. I hope to go along well. Instructor.”

“What can I call you?”

“You can call me Sir Toben.”

I lightly shook hands with Toben, who reached out, and left the church. Classes officially started the following week.

* * *

After sending John away, Toben headed to Elesis’ office. After knocking on the door in front of him and waiting for a while, I heard Elesis’ voice telling me to come inside.

As I opened the door and entered, I saw Elesis wrestling with the papers. Seeing that, Toben thought he was glad he didn’t take that position.

“Sir Elesis, the test is over.”
“How was it?”
“Okay…… He seems to have basic skills, but as far as whether he can teach them well to children…….”
“If you have the skills, that’s enough. Don’t you know the circumstances?”

Saying that, Elesis looked at Toben. Toben nodded as if he understood.

Recently, a witch ran rampant and killed dozens of paladins. Each one of the Paladins was a very luxurious resource, and considering how difficult it was to raise them, it was a huge loss that couldn’t be explained in words.

In such a yard, the instructors who were supposed to raise new paladins were assassinated one by one. The victims all took on the form of non-human monsters, which the church took as a warning from the witch.

So, now that no one wants to take on the Holy Knight instructor position—even if their skills are questionable, one instructor is a pity.

“Anyway, it looks like you have a grudge. I’m recommending you to become an instructor…… I didn’t know anything about it.”

“You have a grudge? What do you mean?”

“Isn’t that the meaning of recommending someone for a position where he might be assassinated?”

Elesis burst out laughing at Toben’s question. Being assassinated by the same witch? At least, Elesis didn’t think so.

‘That guy is an assassin…….’

There is no way that a guy who is being loved by at least two witches will be assassinated. The witch next to her wouldn’t be a decoration.

What to worry about is not that John is assassinated, but how to deal with a fight between witches.

“War or be careful.”
“War, what is that…….”
“Anyway, there is such a thing.”

Elesis said that and kicked Toben out. With the momentum to take over the bundle of papers any longer, Toben quickly ran out of the office.

* * *

“No! No way!”

At the words that the Paladins instructor wanted to do, Master reacted violently. It was like the main characters in a drama who said they couldn’t allow marriage until dirt got into their eyes.

I looked at him and lowered my voice.

“But…… The favor must be repaid.”

“What kind of grace is grace? You don’t have to feel guilty about him. What he taught you was the price of choosing to kill him!”

“It’s not something that can be divided that hard….”

“No what! What I said is absolutely right! Even the witch who attacked you in the first place and John’s attacking you can’t be forgiven even if they die a hundred thousand times, but killing the paladin and his son is understandable.”

“Why…”

“You’re a paladin. We are witches.”

Hearing Master’s words that it was okay to die because the dead were the instructors raising the Paladins, he could get a glimpse of the deep-seated resentment between the church and the witches.

Master didn’t tell me what had happened to her in the past, but it was clear that she resented the church very much.

“But…… I have already decided to do it.”
“Don’t do it.”
“And what if Margaret and I are wanted as witch-followers?”
“I will protect you.”
“We can’t depend on Master forever.”
“You can depend. Until when.”

Seeing Master continue to oppose me, I had no choice but to use a special move. A special move that Master would never deny.

“If you don’t allow it, I will run away with Margaret.”
“…… What?”
“If I run away with Margaret, who uses space magic, no matter how much Master-nim won’t be able to come after me, right? Like that, the two of us will run away to some uninhabited island and live happily ever after.”
“…… I’m serious? John?”

Master’s eyes are dyed black. I was horrified to see that, but it was time to be courageous like a man.

“Yes. I am serious.”
“—Yes, okay. Sun.”
“Yes?”
“A paladin or something, try that.”

Evangeline stuck her mouth out and gave her permission for me to assume the instructor position.

I wondered if it was too sudden for her, but I hugged her and turned round and round, saying that good is good.

“Kyaaaaagh!?”
“Thank you! Master!”
“…… Yohan, let me do that too.”
“Beatrice? Come here too!”

I hugged the two of them and spun around, and after spinning hundreds of times, I sat down on the sofa feeling dizzy.

I wandered around I think I’m going to vomit.