Chapter 42

Johann Orubran, this is the greatest blunder of his life.

Even if the doctor says that the two wounds are completely sealed, the pain etched into his body is heavy and erodes him.

Despite being entrusted with the important task of protecting His Majesty by Prince Eric, he has ended up in this state...

If Lord Reia hadn’t been there, who knows what might have happened...

He didn’t feel any difference in strength compared to Nash and Garcia. Rather, he even felt that he was superior.

That’s why he had let his guard down. The surprise attack he received was a result of his own mental weakness.

Garcia’s blades had pierced him deeply, and he had sustained quite serious injuries.

However, thanks to Lord Reia’s healing magic, he only needed to show the doctor the wounds as a precaution and was able to finish the treatment.

Now, he is returning to the palace, but his steps have never felt so heavy...

“I have no face to show Prince Eric.”

“Johann, what are you talking about? Your face is still attached to your neck. Linsha, I’ve seen people without faces, and they caused a much bigger commotion.”

When Johann inadvertently spoke his feelings aloud, Lady Linsha, while munching on an apple from a bag, told a terrifying story.

The great kingdom of Ren, which had become a land of demons due to the intense succession dispute.

Lady Linsha, born as the twelfth princess, had been involved in factional struggles since she was old enough to understand.

A daily life where the people around her were demons was the norm.

Living such a life, Lady Linsha never let her guard down.

If she had been there instead of him, Garcia would have surely received a punch from her.

“I envy Lady Linsha. ...My heart is weak. I thought I had trained my mind, but my vulnerable side was exposed in this critical moment.”

Now that he knows he has a mental weakness, it’s inevitable that his suitability as a guard will be questioned.

If he could live with the constant battlefield mindset like Lady Linsha and always maintain a strong sense of vigilance, he could fulfill his duties as a guard...

He couldn’t help but envy her.

“Johann is stronger than anyone. The other day, you climbed a tall tree to save a kitten that couldn’t get down. Linsha, when I climbed tall trees, I was usually pushed off, so I never thought about saving anyone.”

Lady Linsha, trying to comfort him, recounted the story of how he had saved a kitten stuck in a tree in the palace courtyard the other day.

No, anyone could have done that.

What is she trying to say with this story? Hmm. What is Lady Linsha trying to convey...

—Still, I don’t understand.

“Lady Linsha, I understand that you are trying to comfort me. ...But, where in this story is there a part that shows I am strong?”

He couldn’t help but ask.

Despite feeling down, he was drawn to Lady Linsha’s story and ended up asking a question.

How many years has it been since he became colleagues with Lady Linsha?

When they first met, she was always emanating a killing aura, but now, even though she doesn’t forget her constant battlefield mindset, she has a calm expression.

“Ah, I made a mistake. I meant to say Johann is ‘kind.’ In the kingdom of Ren, the kindest people are considered the strongest. If you’re not strong, you can’t be kind.”

“Hmm. Kindness being synonymous with strength. That’s an interesting perspective. But, what I need now is straightforward power. Like Lady Linsha, who is always aware of the battlefield—”

He understands what Lady Linsha is trying to say.

She is saying that there are various types of strength.

But what he needs is more direct strength.

“Then, you need special training. Linsha, I’ll train with you to make you stronger. In the kingdom of Ren, Linsha learned a lot from her teachers.”

It seems that the “teacher” who trained Lady Linsha was a renowned martial artist in the kingdom of Ren.

She has been training since childhood and, despite being royalty, has achieved a master-level strength at a young age, largely due to this “teacher.”

“That’s very kind of you! I’ve been interested in the training methods of the kingdom of Ren! When we get back to the palace, let’s start at the training ground—”

Just as he was about to express his gratitude and joy at Lady Linsha’s warm words, he realized her fist had caught his stomach—

“Huff, cough—!!”

He was mercilessly blown away.

To be caught off guard in the middle of a conversation...

Lady Linsha is even more ruthless than Garcia.

It’s his own fault for letting his guard down...

“Haha, as expected of Lady Linsha. You’re trying to give me a wake-up call for my mental weakness. This kind of training is exactly what I need.”

“I’m glad you’re happy. Linsha, from now on, I’ll punch you unexpectedly at any time, so try to dodge. My teacher used to swing a stick at me even when I was sleeping, so after a while, you’ll only think about knocking people out.”

“...No, that’s a bit much.”

He decided to give up on Lady Linsha’s training.

After all, he can’t afford to have his duties as Prince Eric’s guard be compromised.

Hmm? Come to think of it, what was he worried about? Hmm. I’m not sure...

He realized that his heart was already at ease—.