SWNOVELXO Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Boldly Recruiting Talent (2)
The carriage had barely begun to move when Prince Claude, exhausted, began to nod off.
Meredith watched him closely as he dozed.
He’s so small. I wonder when those growth potions will start to take effect?
It was hard to believe that this small boy was once known as the Empire’s biggest scoundrel, even regarded as its disgrace.
But what was even more astonishing was that now he was hailed as a war hero who defended the Empire’s territory from the undead and was revered as a living miracle of the gods.
How could someone’s reputation change so drastically in such a short time?
It was fascinating just to witness it. Most of the events in the world rarely stirred anything within Meredith, but this time, she found herself deeply impressed.
For her, the only things that truly mattered were the Lunembreth family and Rania.
Especially Rania, who had taken her in as an orphan and nurtured her into a skilled alchemist. Rania was the one who had saved her life and given her purpose.
Rania, who loved the prince as if he were her own son, devoted herself to caring for him. Out of respect for Rania, Meredith had followed orders and looked after him without question.
But in just a few days, everything had changed.
Freed from the effects of the poison, the prince was no longer the reckless, arrogant figure she had heard so much about.
While he still spoke with an air of superiority befitting royalty, there was a newfound consideration behind his words.
In every situation, he remained calm and composed, reacting with a confidence that suggested he had already thought everything through.
He asked questions with an unquenchable curiosity, and even when someone unintentionally disrespected him, he let it slide without a second thought.
To Meredith, his use of the incredible Turn Undead spell was less impressive than the way he approached everything with such poise.
And there was something about him that reminded her of Rania, the person she admired most.
Watching them together from a distance, you could almost believe they were mother and son.
With all these growing feelings of admiration, there was one moment that shattered everything Meredith had believed about herself.
“You should have more confidence in your appearance.”
With just one sentence, the prince had demolished the wall she had built around her heart.
Her height and physique had always been her greatest insecurity.
Even as a child, her own parents had looked at her with strange eyes, often leading to arguments. People on the streets whispered behind her back, casting her strange glances.
The way the world saw her made her withdraw from it. She avoided people, preferring to spend her days collecting herbs in the mountains and forests.
In the wilderness, she found solace. But with people, she always felt alien.
“You’re tall and have long legs. You’re strong and graceful. In my eyes, you’re magnificent. So stop hunching over—stand tall.”
When the prince said those words, Meredith felt like an entirely new person.
I’m not strange. And there’s someone who likes me for who I am.
The first person in her life to ever compliment her looks, his words had broken the chains that had bound her self-esteem for so long.
He accepts me, just as I am. And he’s the most noble person in the world.
For the first time, she felt truly free.
And for this small prince, she was willing to throw herself into the heart of a volcano if that’s what it took.
To die for someone who acknowledged and valued her—what could be more joyous?
—
After about a week, we returned to the estate to find the four Sealing Priests I had met beneath the temple kneeling in the garden, waiting for me.
“We greet you, Saint. Thanks to your grace, we are free from our lifelong mission. Please, allow us to dedicate the rest of our lives to serving you.”
Had they rehearsed? They were speaking in perfect unison.
But seriously, these guys had just gained their freedom, and they’re already back here asking to serve?
“You should’ve taken a month off to enjoy yourselves. Also, I don’t think I’ve met one of you before.”
“Yes, I am Sealing Priest Trimum,” said the oldest-looking of the group, stepping forward with a respectful bow.
“Unfortunately, I was on leave elsewhere when you visited. I missed the historic moment when you vanquished the lich…”
“Shhh. Let’s not make a big deal of that.”
“Ah, I understand. You prefer not to boast of your great deeds. Truly, your humility is a shining example to all who serve the gods.”
“That’s not it,” I said, shaking my head at Trimum’s reverent expression.
“I just want to avoid drawing too much attention right now. I’m already under a lot of scrutiny. But if I take you guys in, what will happen to your relationship with the temple?”
“The fact that you are the Saint does not change under any circumstances,” Trimum replied.
“No, I mean, what happens to you guys?”
“We will officially remain Sealing Priests under the temple’s authority. We’ll continue receiving our stipends, so you don’t need to worry about our upkeep. All we ask is to serve you.”
A perfect answer. I grinned and addressed the group.
“From now on, the four of you are the bodyguards of the Lunembreth estate. You know my mother’s side of the family is Lunembreth, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” they replied in unison.
“From now on, call me ‘Your Highness’ instead of ‘Saint’ in public or in crowded places. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Good. For now, I’ll have you focus on personal and estate security. But first, let’s get introduced. Rania!”
At my call, the head maid Rania approached from where she stood by the estate gates.
“This is the head maid of the estate, Rania. Go ahead and introduce yourselves.”
“I am Rania. It’s an honor to meet you all,” Rania said with a smile.
I decided to reinforce her authority a bit, giving the priests a stern warning.
“In this estate, Rania is the highest-ranking person after me. So when she gives an order, follow it immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Now, go ahead and introduce yourselves, starting with Trimum.”
“I am Priest Trimum, the senior priest among the four of us. My hometown is Yotun, and I am 36 years old.”
“I am Priest Ostra, the second senior priest. I hail from Ellington, and I’m 29 years old.”
“I am Priest Jamal, from Ernnes, 27 years old.”
“I am Priest Baris, from Yotun, and I’m 26 years old.”
After they introduced themselves, I focused on Trimum, the strongest-looking of the group, to assess him with my new Eye of Appraisal.
Species: Human
Current Strength: D-
Potential Strength: C+
Current Holy Magic: B
Potential Holy Magic: B+
Huh?
Wasn’t this guy supposed to be one of the highest-ranking priests next to the High Priest? Why is his holy magic only B?
I quickly shifted my gaze to Baris, the youngest of the group.
Species: Human
Current Strength: E
Potential Strength: D
Current Holy Magic: A
Potential Holy Magic: A+
What?
His holy magic is way stronger. Were they just ranking them by age?
“Baris, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Are you the strongest with holy magic among the four?”
“No, I…,” Baris stammered, clearly flustered. Trimum stepped forward with an impressed look on his face.
“Baris does indeed have the greatest mastery of holy magic. But for Your Highness to recognize that just from looking at him… You truly are a living miracle of the gods.”
“Just a feeling. But Trimum, did you train as a knight? You’re built like one.”
Trimum’s physique was impressive, rivaling that of most knights. He laughed modestly and nodded.
“I did train to inherit my family’s title, focusing on physical conditioning. But after an unexpected event, I caught the eye of the High Priest and was set on the path of priesthood.”
Ah, noble-born. That explains the background. He flexed his muscles, showing off his Strength buff spell.
“Though I’m not as skilled in combat as a professional knight, rest assured that my comrades and I will do everything in our power to protect you.”
“We will defend you with all our strength!” the others chimed in eagerly.
With the level of holy magic these priests possessed, if they stacked buffs on top of each other, they could probably take down low-ranking knights with ease. And with Trimum’s physical conditioning, that synergy would only be stronger.
“Good. I’m counting on you. For now, we have somewhere to go. Trimum, you’ll come with me as my escort. The other three will stay behind and guard the estate. Rania?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Show these three priests around the estate and assign them to guard posts.”
“As you wish, Your Highness. However, I must inform you of some unfortunate news that arrived while you were away.”
“Bad news? Who?”
“Your cousin, Count Fennel. He was reported missing some time ago, and it’s now confirmed that he has passed. His funeral began yesterday.”
Count Fennel? The one I killed with Albert over ten days ago. It seems Jess had been keeping the news
quiet, delaying the funeral until now.
If they’re acknowledging his death now, Albert’s funeral might soon follow, probably held as a state funeral.
“Got it. I’ll attend if I have time.”
“The funeral will be held for three more days at the count’s estate. Shall I show the three priests around now?”
With Rania and the three priests heading inside, Trimum leaned in and offered some additional thoughts.
“As for our combat abilities, even with buffs, we’d only be on par with the lowest-ranking knights in direct combat. But if we use our holy magic strategically, we can handle five knights—or even more—without much trouble.”
“Like Reverse Gravity and Holy Chains?”
“Exactly, Your Highness. I’m impressed by your knowledge of holy magic.”
“I’ve studied a lot since I started using it. Reverse Gravity, huh…”
That decided it. After days of deliberation in the carriage, I’d finally settled on my next move. I had several potential paths in mind, but now I knew exactly what to do.
“Good. Let’s move out immediately.”
“Understood. Where are we headed, Your Highness?”
“The Imperial Academy.”
It was time to start recruiting talent in earnest. I turned toward the carriage waiting at the garden gate, already mentally reviewing the list of people I needed to secure.
—
“We received notice of Your Highness’s visit several days ago, but…”
Baron Lionel, the headmaster of the Imperial Academy, was sweating nervously as he spoke.
“I must express my concern. Using cadets who have not yet graduated for such a mission is… worrisome. Couldn’t you reconsider? Perhaps even one fully trained knight would be more helpful than five students.”
“No.”
I set my teacup down, shaking my head.
“This is already decided. The anti-undead task force will be composed of cadets from the graduating class. The selected cadets will graduate immediately and be given full knight status.”
Graduation from the academy didn’t automatically make someone a knight. After graduating, they had to serve as trainee knights for at least a year, undergo rigorous testing from their commanding officers, and pass additional evaluations.
The process was so grueling that half the cadets ended up abandoning the path of knighthood entirely. But I was offering to skip all of that and promote them directly. Wasn’t that an appealing deal?
“Ah… very well, then. I shall select the five most promising cadets from the graduating class.”
“I’ve already chosen.”
“What?”
Baron Lionel froze halfway to his cabinet, startled by my words. I continued calmly, laying out the list I had prepared.
“I’ve already decided who I’m taking.”
“Your Highness personally selected them?”
Judging by his expression, he seemed worried that I was taking the academy’s top prospects. But once he heard the names, his mood would improve.
“I’m only taking three for now. Summon Kyle Gusf, Lin Berk, and Fanal Reef.”
“Three? Just those three?”
As I expected, relief washed over the baron’s face. It was obvious that the academy had already struck deals with various knightly orders to send their top graduates to them. Since none of the names I’d mentioned were among the top choices, the baron felt safe.
“I know how things work here. Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“Ah, of course. Your Highness is as wise as always. Ha ha… ha…”
His laugh was awkward as he rifled through his cabinet for the cadets’ files. I knew full well he was probably taking bribes to send certain cadets to specific knightly orders, but that wasn’t my focus right now.
“Er… it seems there’s a slight problem, Your Highness.”
“What?”
“Of the three cadets you’ve named, two are currently on leave.”
Lionel returned to the table with three files in hand, looking sheepish. I scanned the documents and frowned.
“On leave? And they’re in the graduating class?”
“Normally, graduating cadets don’t take leave. However, Cadet Berk is attending a major funeral within his family. As for Cadet Reef, he is also due back in three days for the same reason.”
“A funeral? Who… oh.”
In the files, both had listed their reason for leave as attending Count Fennel’s funeral.
Ah, so that’s what this is about.
The Fennel family was a powerful noble house, influential enough to produce a royal consort. Naturally, several smaller noble families were associated with them.
Berk was a distant relative of the Fennels, so it made sense he would attend such an important funeral.
As for Reef, though not a noble, his family’s business operated under the Fennel family’s patronage, making his attendance at the funeral obligatory.
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