I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

The Battle Bishop of Lost Hope.

Julie bit her lip, trying to stop her jaw from dropping, and took in the entire situation with wide eyes.

An unbelievable power that could only be described as a miracle, like a supernatural gift bestowed by Lost Hope.

Recovery.

Countless tortures had left their mark on her body, and fear had already broken her spirit.

But the moment she saw the Yohaiden knights’ bodies recovering after eating a piece of bread,

Her head went ice cold.

‘There is no recovery magic in this world… I know that for sure.’

Even if there were a few mages who could use magic, they couldn’t cast recovery spells.

There were only well-made potions, carefully blended with medicinal herbs.

Even the most renowned mage in the Empire, the Imperial Physician, couldn’t do it.

He was just better at identifying the cause of injuries because he was more knowledgeable about herbs and could better sense mana than others.

He couldn’t heal injuries with magic.

The doctrines of Lost Hope clearly stated this point.

A Dark Mage, who had driven the Empire to the brink of destruction long ago, had cast a great dark magic.

Due to the [Eradication of the Holy], the very concept of ‘recovery through magic’ had vanished from this land.

Direct magic, as well as reagents with magical effects, were no exception.

Lost Hope, in order to demonstrate this point, had artificially created and displayed a recovery spell.

That day, the hostage with a deep wound in his stomach was subjected to the forced recovery magic. He instantly transformed into a grotesque, lumpy mess of cells, let out a horrifying scream, and died.

‘That’s why Lost Hope… grants the divine power to not get hurt in the first place.’

So, this bread mixed with the elixir had to be some kind of trick.

‘Then… what is it…?’

Julie felt a sense of duty to uncover the secret of this strange power.

If the opportunity presented itself, she had to inform Lost Hope of this information, even at the risk of her own life.

It was the only atonement she could offer for her loose tongue.

However, after Duke Yohaiden’s warning.

The White Tiger Knights walked in silence, dragging their feet as if they were being dragged away as hostages.

It was impossible to get any information from them, and Julie suppressed her impatience.

And then it was dinner time.

The Yohaiden Knights took out their rations and started preparing their meals.

Half of them guarded the perimeter, while the other half ate, and when they were finished, they switched.

It was common knowledge that the best quality information was leaked during the moment of relaxation after tension.

Once food entered the stomach, the mind and vigilance would loosen.

Julie heightened all her five senses and focused.

Now was the chance to uncover the secret of the recovery.

Crackle, crackle—

The sound of sparks flying from the bonfire where firewood was burning.

The soup, which had various ingredients thrown into a large pot placed over it, bubbled.

The white steam rising from the hot soup carried a delicious smell and rose into the air.

“Gulp.”

Julie swallowed the saliva that came out reflexively at the smell.

“Phew… It’s exhausting just walking without a word. You didn’t get your bread ration today either?”

Julie’s eyes narrowed at the voice of the cook stirring the soup so it wouldn’t burn.

“Yeah, they said they’re only giving it to those who aren’t fully healed yet…”

“Well, that’s understandable… It’s precious elixir bread… There’s no way they’d have a lot.”

A voice filled with deep regret.

“I tried that bread yesterday. Now I feel like I can’t eat any other bread.”

“Ah, me too… If only I could have just one more bite…”

“Come on. Come on. What are we going to do, poop out something more expensive than that bread after eating it again?”

“I know, I know. I was just saying.”

There was no useful information yet.

But a crucial conversation was bound to come out soon.

‘By the way, is it that delicious…? Ha… I’m hungry.’

Just as Julie was increasing her concentration.

Growl—!

A loud sound erupted from her stomach.

The sound was so loud that the cooks stopped their conversation and turned their heads towards Julie.

She was caught staring at them.

‘Oh, shoot! They caught me secretly gathering information…! What if they tell the hero…?’

Julie’s face hardened.

“…Hey, is that bitch glaring at us because she’s hungry?”

“…Ha. With drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. I guess even a butcher who killed people with a smile gets hungry.”

Julie’s face flushed red at their sarcastic remarks.

‘T-That’s not it! That’s not true!’

Still, being misunderstood like that was better than them knowing she was gathering information.

Thinking quickly, Julie hesitated and moved her lips.

“I-I’m hungry…”

The cooks scoffed, as if they didn’t believe her for a second.

“Ha. Well, well. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to say that with a straight face. I guess being trash from a trash group means you’ve already sold your conscience.”

Clack—

If it weren’t for the hero, these guys would already be lying dead at her feet, their insides spilling out.

The fact that they were still alive and insulting Lost Hope made Julie’s veins bulge.

“Hey… Don’t bother talking to her.”

“Hey, hey. Let me go. That bitch almost made me break my marriage promise.”

The man, his face contorted with rage, strode towards her.

But Julie calmed down instead.

If she provoked them a little more, they were bound to blurt out various pieces of information.

Now was the time to think about the future, not her pride.

She lowered her body further and let out a small voice through her slightly parted lips.

“Prisoner… Please treat me as a prisoner… Please… I’m so hungry…”

“Prisoner treatment? This goddamn bitch!”

Normally, these were people she could crush with a single finger, but

Not now.

Currently, Julie couldn’t move her body freely.

She could barely walk, even with all her might.

Unable to use the power of Lost Hope, she was now just an ordinary woman.

However, Julie wasn’t afraid of anything.

There was only one thing she feared.

Zeke Clayman.

The man who called himself a hero.

“What are you doing here?”

At that moment, Julie felt her body stiffen at the low voice that suddenly came from beside her.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her heart pounded in her chest.

Could a single voice really make someone tremble in fear like this?

Julie kept her gaze fixed on the ground, afraid to meet his eyes.

It wasn’t just Julie who froze when Zeke appeared.

The two Yohaiden knights were the same.

“…H-Hero…?”

“I asked what you were doing.”

In front of Zeke Clayman’s cold, dark eyes, they cowered like herbivores.

“W-Well, that is.”

“…That bitch! She demanded to be treated as a prisoner and asked for food!”

It was the cook who had been picking on Julie earlier.

“Prisoner treatment?”

“…Yes! She shamelessly demanded to be treated as a prisoner and ordered us to give her food with insults and threats!! To think that the one who tried to kill us would say such a thing. It’s just absurd!”

“Hmm, I see…”

Zeke stroked his chin as he listened to the cook.

Emboldened, he went on to falsely accuse Julie.

“She even dared to badmouth the hero!”

Julie’s face turned pale.

She had only provoked them to get information, but she never thought it would backfire like this.

Now, that horrible torture awaited her once more.

The mere thought of it sent chills down her spine and made her knees weak.

“Huu… “

A moan escaped her tightly shut lips.

However,

Zeke’s next words made her eyes widen.

“Well, I don’t really like lies, but…”

“…Y-Yes…?”

“Did this woman really curse at me?”

“…”

Julie looked up at Zeke with trembling eyes.

“W-What are you…?”

But Zeke didn’t even look at Julie and continued speaking to the cook.

“My ears are quite good, you see. I heard her demand prisoner treatment. I also heard her ask for food. Of course, she wasn’t as confident or as threatening as you said.”

“…”

The cook clenched his fist as Zeke pointed out his lies one by one.

He seemed deeply offended, as if he felt betrayed.

Zeke nodded understandingly at his reaction.

“I’m not really trying to reprimand you, so don’t make that face. I know how much you detest this woman. I apologize for overhearing your personal matters, but are you getting married soon?”

“…Yes.”

“Then I hope this will appease your anger.”

Zeke took out a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the cook.

The cook accepted the gold coin with trembling hands.

He immediately knelt and prostrated himself.

“…Uh, uh. I-I can’t accept this! I-I’m sorry! Hero! I-I dare to make a false report to the hero!”

“No. I’m not angry. And I understand why you said that. Just take this as my apology for not being able to soothe your heart right now. And I will be taking care of this woman from now on, so please spread the word.”

“Y-Yes! Y-Yes, sir!!”

After settling the situation, Zeke lightly grabbed Julie by the hair and dragged her into the forest.

“Aah! Let go! Let go of me! Let me go!”

Julie grabbed at the ground with her feet, but Zeke’s brute strength was too much for her, and she was dragged away.

The two cooks stared blankly at the forest where Zeke had entered before opening their mouths.

“Um. It doesn’t seem like the hero has any intention of forgiving that woman either…?”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

“But why… why did he do that to me…?”

“…I think I know why he did that…”

The knight’s voice was filled with unconcealable awe.

“Why?”

“Didn’t the hero ask you if you were getting married?”

“Yeah.”

“Perhaps he didn’t want you to harbor resentment in your heart right before the most important event of your life… That’s why he gave you the gold coin. To appease your anger…”

The knight’s eyes widened.

They turned their heads back to the forest where Zeke had entered.

“T-Then… he’s saying he’ll bear the burden of all that hatred himself…”

“Aah…”

“…That’s our hero…”

The cooks, their hearts filled with emotion, vowed to spread the word about this anecdote.

***

As soon as Zeke returned to the forest, he let go of Julie’s hair.

Julie glared at Zeke with venomous eyes.

“…What! Are you going to torture me again!?”

“Hmm? Not really.”

“…Then what, what is it!?”

She was defiant, but her body was honest.

She knelt on the ground, her hand on the ground for support, her body trembling pathetically.

Zeke carefully placed the bread he was holding in front of her.

It wasn’t the long baguette he usually carried, but a shorter one, the same kind he had given to the soldiers.

“Eat.”

“What…?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said eat that.”

Julie couldn’t understand.

Why this man had suddenly saved her.

Why he was now offering her food after torturing her as if he was going to kill her.

And to top it off, what was placed in front of her was the bread she had been so curious about.

The bread, as if freshly baked, was still steaming, emitting a warm heat.

The savory aroma wafting from the bread tickled her nose.

Gulp.

She swallowed hard.

Growl—!

Her stomach growled loudly with hunger.

Her hunger pangs urged her to shove the bread into her mouth and swallow it this instant.

However, the situation was too strange to just accept and eat what he gave her.

Julie looked back and forth between the bread and Zeke with a wary expression.

“If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t. If you’re worried it might be poisoned, I assure you it’s not.”

Zeke sat down in front of Julie and tore off a small piece of the bread that had fallen on the ground and put it in his mouth.

Munch, munch.

“Hmm. Quite delicious.”

“Why… Why are you doing this…?”

Julie asked in a shaky voice, unable to hide her confusion.

She couldn’t adapt to the man who had been forcing that horrible pain on her suddenly changing his attitude like this.

“Hmm? You looked hungry, so I brought you some food.”

“That’s not it! I’m asking what your motive is!”

Julie shouted, her voice thick with anger.

Zeke stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You see, there was a book I enjoyed reading in the world I used to live in. And a line from it came to mind.”

“…A book?”

“Yes. It’s a story about a rubber man wearing a straw hat who travels by ship.”

“…What is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

Zeke nodded.

“Right, that makes sense. Anyway, to quote a line from it… There’s a scene where he gives food to his enemy, saying, [I give food to a starving man, no questions asked. Hunger is a terrible disaster that doesn’t discriminate between good and evil.] I found that scene quite memorable.”

To give precious food to his enemy for such a ridiculous reason.

Who would utter such a delusional thought?

Julie wondered what kind of structure this man’s mind had.

However, the logic was so absurd that Zeke’s words sounded like the truth.

‘Is this… what they call the mercy of the strong…? But this is my chance. If I eat this bread now and deliver it to Lost Hope myself, I can… This man has no idea the true value of this bread.’

Julie managed her expression and looked up at Zeke.

In fact, even if she hadn’t thought about such practicality, the constant growling of her stomach was becoming unbearable.

“C-Can I really… eat it…?”

Julie asked cautiously.

Zeke nodded.

“I’ve been telling you to eat it.”

Julie, glancing at Zeke, slowly lowered her head and opened her mouth towards the bread that had fallen on the ground.

“Ah.”

One bite.

Another bite.

And another.

Julie, who had been nibbling on the bread, began to stuff it into her mouth as if she were a dog that hadn’t eaten in days.

“Mumble, mumble, gulp!”

The dry bread filled her mouth, and she coughed, her throat clogged.

“Here, have some water.”

Zeke had placed a plate of water in front of Julie.

Gulp, gulp.

Glug, glug.

“It must be delicious.”

Zeke smirked.

He watched as the bread in front of Julie disappeared at a rapid pace.

His expression turned serious as he looked down at her.

‘So much so that you’ll become unable to live without it.’