## Chapter 850 – Black Knight
The next day.
I woke up early, finished preparing to go out, and stepped outside. I dressed comfortably. I didn’t need to wear the armor set except when going to the Great Temple.
ㅡRustle.
I took out the map the Saintess had given me just yesterday, checked the location, and headed that way.
“Ugh.”
My pace was so fast that I arrived quickly, even though it was quite a distance. The meeting place was in front of a bar at this intersection. Was I too early? The Saintess hadn’t arrived yet.
So, I leaned against a wall and waited.
“…”
Winter was slowly coming to an end.
The snow piled on the streets had been cleared, but white snow still covered the roofs, and the icicles hadn’t completely melted, so water was dripping down.
Still, water was flowing over the stone-paved floor, probably because a large amount of snow was melting somewhere. It was very shallow, so I wouldn’t get too wet, but it made a splashing sound and water splattered.
My calves would probably get wet.
Now that I was out, I should get a meal and go back early. The Saintess had called me out to rest, so I couldn’t just keep sticking around without being considerate.
ㅡClick-clack.
As I was thinking that, I started to hear the sound of shoes. I turned my gaze that way, and sure enough.
The Saintess was walking over.
“Have you arrived?”
She was covering her body with a pure white cape that came down just below her hips, wearing the hood attached to the cape, and even wearing a white mask.
This was like a celebrity avoiding paparazzi.
To match, she was wearing glossy white high-heeled long boots, and since the shoes covered her calves, her pure white thighs were completely exposed, making it feel like she was wearing a “no pants” fashion.
Anyway, even if she covered herself up like that, people who knew her would still recognize her.
ㅡShuffle.
Soon, the Saintess came and stood next to me.
ㅡWhoosh.
She must have put on perfume, because a refreshing scent wafted over.
“…Did I make you wait?”
“I didn’t wait long. More than that, you seem to be very good at hiding your identity?”
“It’s tiring when too many people recognize you.”
“Then let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Oh dear. Must you starve? Let’s leave right away.”
“Yes.”
The Saintess started walking first, and I followed behind her.
ㅡClick.
As she was walking in front of me, she suddenly stopped and looked at me.
“…”
“Saintess?”
The Saintess stared at me for a moment, then smiled as if she couldn’t help it, shook her head, and said.
“Heh, oh dear. Did you perhaps want to hold my arm? I’ll allow it.”
Then she reached out her arm.
What a terminal case of princess syndrome.
“Hehehe, no, what are you talking about? It’s alright.”
“To miss such an opportunity. There’s no need to refuse.”
“It’s alright.”
Anyway, starting with that, I walked along the street with the Saintess, chatting about this and that. The topics of conversation were about heretics and demons, things like that. We also talked a bit about Shurdic and Mirkesha.
ㅡClick-clack.
ㅡThud-thud.
But as I was walking, I suddenly felt something was off.
“Uh, Saintess.”
Realizing the odd feeling, I immediately stopped the Saintess.
“What is it?”
“Weren’t we going straight to the restaurant? It seems like this is a different direction?”
Looking at it, this wasn’t the direction of the restaurant.
Had the Saintess mistaken the way?
“Ah, we’re not going to that restaurant. Going to only one place all the time will get my face known.”
“Is that so? Then where are we going today?”
The food there was pretty good.
ㅡSmirk.
The Saintess looked at me with a provocative smile.
“A quieter place.”
“Is there a quieter place than that restaurant?”
Unless it was a soundproof room made by a crazy person with a fanatical obsession with noise, completely immersed in the delusion that aliens were attacking his soul with sound waves, it couldn’t be quieter than that restaurant.
“The Saintess’s residence.”
“Yes? Your residence?”
“Surprising?”
The Saintess’s residence?
“No, didn’t you say last time that you were staying at the Brass Heaven Society convent?”
“Wh-What?”
When I asked that, the Saintess, looking unusually flustered, took a step back and said as if she had been shocked.
“Hmm, hmm… For the Paladin to know the Saintess’s abode… how shocking. Would you mind walking a little further away? It’s not that I’m not happy, but it’s a bit…”
“Oh my, Saintess, you’re so good at joking. As if I would forget that.”
“Heh, just kidding.”
“You scared me half to death.”
Her jokes have increased.
She came back towards me and said.
“Well, certainly, until now I was staying at the convent. But the Saintess needs a personal space rather than such a group living environment. I’ve only realized that recently. If I stay at the convent, I get called out even in the middle of the night.”
Oh my goodness.
“Ah.”
What, they call the sleeping Saintess? The on-site dormitory is a disaster like this. Even though it’s my break time, they just call me because I’m nearby, so I can’t rest properly. Certainly, the Saintess would need a residence.
“It’s the first time the Saintess has brought a man into her house.”
The Saintess, with a provocative smile, came closer to me and said that. Certainly, if I was the first, then I was the first, but… does this mean I’m being invited to the Saintess’s house today?
I was just thinking of tearing into some meat at the restaurant.
“If we were to convert this honor into money, how much would it be?”
The Saintess, with her terminal case of princess syndrome, asked as expected, and I answered immediately.
“I think you could buy a few mines.”
“No, only that much?”
The Saintess’s eyes wrinkled for a moment.
“Aren’t a few rare metal mines super expensive?”
“Wh-What? Heh, hahaha… Ah, I thought you meant iron mines. Certainly, that would be an appropriate price.”
When I quickly corrected myself, the wrinkles disappeared and a smile appeared. As expected, women like compliments about their appearance, no matter what.
Like that, I walked side by side with the Saintess again.
But this was a situation where the Saintess had invited me to her house. Not just treating me to a meal, but suddenly inviting me to her house?
ㅡTsupat.
Claudie’s words flashed through my head… Could it be? Certainly, if there was something like this, Claudie could misunderstand.
“Ah, wait a moment.”
As we were walking, the Saintess stopped and bent over.
“…”
Looking at her, she was retying her shoelaces. Was she planning to tighten them? Because of her posture, the back of her thighs seemed to be completely exposed, so I stood there and shielded the Saintess. She was too defenseless.
“…Done.”
The Saintess was about to stand up, having tied them all.
ㅡStumble!
“Ah!”
At that moment, the heel of her high heel slipped and she was about to fall, so I used my reflexes to catch the Saintess.
“Oops, Saintess. Be careful. High heels are dangerous.”
“Ugh… Ah… Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
This level of reflexes is nothing to me, who has already become a superhuman.
ㅡClatter!
“Get out of the way!”
Right then, a carriage that had been running from over there charged towards us. Looking at the trajectory, it wouldn’t hit us.
But.
ㅡSplash!!
As the carriage passed, a splash of water erupted.
There was an unusual amount of water pooled around here.
“Asura Bloodshed Fist.”
ㅡWhoosh!!
I immediately made a fist with the hand opposite the one holding the Saintess and created a fist wind to eliminate the flying water splash.
“Hey!! If you splash someone with water, at least apologize!!”
“…Paladin. It’s alright.”
Despite my shout, the carriage disappeared into the distance. The Saintess said it was okay, so I let it go, but normally I would have gone and extorted money from them.
“Are you not wet anywhere?”
“Ah… I got a little wet.”
Looking at her, the hem of the Saintess’s cape was wet, probably because some water had splashed on it. I had definitely blown away all the water splash, but it seemed like a lot had splashed, and it was completely soaked.
“Oh dear.”
The snowmelt had a lot of dust mixed in, and black stains had appeared on her pure white clothes.
This was a big problem.
“Is this really okay?”
“Hmm… It’s not great, but since we’re going to my residence, it probably doesn’t matter too much. Let’s go quickly now.”
“Yes.”
Let’s walk quickly.
* * *
The Saintess’s house, which we arrived at like that, was built in a neighborhood that looked expensive at first glance, and the building itself looked incredibly expensive. To live alone in such a luxurious mansion? It was truly astonishing wealth.
“It’s a good place, isn’t it? I bought it a long time ago as an investment, but somehow it didn’t sell, so I just decided to use it myself.”
“You lived here until it sold. Why did you live at the convent?”
“Isn’t it far? It’s more convenient to commute from there. As I said, until now I didn’t really feel tired, so I never thought about having a personal space.”
The Saintess took out a key from her pocket and immediately opened the front door.
We went inside.
“Take off your shoes.”
“Yes.”
The inside was very spacious. And overall, the interior was decorated in red and gold, making it feel very luxurious.
Did she like decorating the house?
“Wow, this house looks amazing?”
“If you’re a woman sitting in the position of Saintess, you have to live with that much dignity.”
“Indeed, as you say.”
I took off my coat and put it on my arm as I spoke. I was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt inside. Was the temperature inside the house appropriate?
ㅡSqueak.
As I was following the Saintess, she opened the door to a certain room. Naturally, when I went inside, I saw a red bed.
“…”
It was a medium-sized room.
A room that was just the right size to sleep comfortably alone.
A bright red carpet was laid on the floor, and a luxurious red duvet and pillow were placed on the bed with red sheets. In the center of the room was a round table. There were two chairs, and soft sunlight was coming in from the window with a slightly see-through curtain.
“Haa…”
When she entered the room, the Saintess took off her cape. I wondered if she would come out in her underwear, but she was wearing a white blouse that fit her body line and pants like hot pants.
“Today, the Saintess will personally treat you.”
The Saintess, who took off her cape like that, swept her flowing blonde hair back and looked at me. Wait, but wasn’t this the master bedroom?
“Ah, yes. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Of course you should be looking forward to it.”
“But isn’t this the master bedroom?”
“Is there a problem?”
There were many problems.
Was it okay to bring a strange man into the master bedroom?
“Ah, perhaps.”
The Saintess, looking at my face, tilted her head slightly with her unique provocative smile.
“Our Paladin isn’t having impure thoughts, is he?”
“Do I have something to be punished for? Of course not.”
“Of course. The Paladin declared last time that he doesn’t think of the Saintess as such an object.”
She did say that.
It felt like she was slightly offended by that.
ㅡNod nod.
The Saintess nodded as if she was satisfied with what she had said. I couldn’t grasp her emotions at all.
“Then wait here for a moment.”
“Wait here?”
Was I supposed to wait here for the food to come out?
Ah, but like this, the Saintess wouldn’t be able to rest, would she?
A lot of labor goes into preparing food.
I guess I’ll have to do the dishes.
“Even so, your body got a little wet, didn’t it?”
But the answer I heard was beyond my expectations.
“I’ll go wash up quickly, so rest for a moment.”
Yes?
What?
“You’re going to wash up?”
“My waist and hips are a little damp. It’s uncomfortable, so I should take a shower.”
“…”
No, even so, I’m here…
“Well, even if you were to peek, I would forgive you if you were the Paladin, but you would lose my trust, so I hope you don’t do that.”
“No way.”
“Just kidding.”
ㅡSqueak.
The Saintess, who said that, opened the door and left. ㅡClick. The door closed immediately. Suddenly left alone in the Saintess’s master bedroom, I slumped down on the floor on the spot.
“…”
Claudie’s words captivated my spirit.
ㅡThe Saintess wants me.
Could it be that the Saintess…?
Looking at the situation, it felt like that without lying. Even if I accepted that she had invited me to her house with no one else around, she was leaving me in the master bedroom and going to wash up… No. She was going to take a shower? Just looking at the feeling, it felt like she was trying to seduce me, but seeing how blatant it was, I had other thoughts.
But looking back, she had played jokes that seemed to seduce me in this kind of feeling several times when we were out together.
“…”
The words that the Saintess wanted me… started to bother me extremely.
What if that was real?
No.
It was speculation.
She was acting freely because she trusted me.
Still, since there was such a thing as “what if,” let’s try to make an assumption as Claudie had told me.
“…”
Time passed in such a heavy atmosphere.
ㅡTrickle trickle.
I felt like sweat was flowing down my back. My heart started beating faster and faster… and I kept leaning towards that kind of thought.
ㅡSqueak.
Soon, the Saintess opened the door and came in.
“Did you wait long?”
“…No.”
ㅡPure white towel.
The Saintess, with only a pure white towel wrapped around her body, walked slowly towards me with her rich and brilliant golden hair hanging down. Looking at her, it seemed like she had dried her hair in the meantime… More than that, her chest was big and her skin was pure white. The beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes was probably talking about the Saintess.
“…”
ㅡHalt.
The Saintess, who had been walking while looking at my eyes, stopped in place.
ㅡFlung.
Suddenly, she spread the towel she was wearing with both hands and showed me her body, making me almost faint.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t worry, I’m wearing clothes.”
“Ah.”
Looking at her, she was wearing a pure white mini dress that clung completely to her body and revealed all her lines. Because of the clothes, the cleavage of her full breasts was very blatantly exposed.
Seeing that it was made of silk, it was for indoor use…
ㅡWhoosh.
Suddenly, the Saintess threw the towel at me, turned her body, and approached the door. There, she bent over for a moment, stuck her butt out towards me, and came back with something.
Looking at it, it was a bucket.
A bucket full of ice.
Of course, there was a bottle of liquor that looked incredibly expensive inside.
“Sit down.”
ㅡThud.
She put the bucket on the table.
“…Yes.”
I got up and sat in the chair, and the Saintess also sat opposite me. That mini dress made of silk… No matter how I looked at it, there was no big difference from what she wore when she slept.
Could it be…!
Was she really seducing me as Claudie had said…?
“…Saintess. Your clothes look a little too comfortable.”
“Isn’t this the Saintess’s house? It’s okay to wear comfortable clothes.”
That’s true, but.
“Well, and… it’s okay because it’s the Paladin.”
