I Was Deemed a Worthless Saint Without a Level-Up Blessing and Was Sent Off to Marry a Neighboring Country, but It Turns Out My Blessing Was Actually Level Cap Removal - Episode 57

As Ferulina, who had been observing Ilk’s work and had just returned to her room from the apothecary’s workshop near the guardhouse, was deciphering an ancient document, she heard a knock on the door.

What I heard was Robes’ voice.

“Lady Ferulina, are you there? I have something I would like to discuss with you. May I have a moment of your time?”

“Of course.”

After placing a bookmark in the ancient document and closing it, he immediately walks over to the door.

When I opened the door, only Robes was standing there. Come to think of it, this was the first-time only Robes had visited Ferulina’s private room.

From Ferulina’s impression, it seemed that Robes was always by Alvent’s side.

I must have had my thoughts written all over my face. Lobes tells me with a grumpy expression.

“The captain is at the station, so he is not here. … I have a confidential matter to discuss with the captain, so I came alone.”

“Understood. Please come this way. I apologize for the mess…”

Lady Ferulina immediately invites Lobes in and guides him to the table.

The only thing I can think of that would warrant a private conversation with the loyal and devoted Robes about Alvent is something related to the dragon’s curse.

Robes, having looked at the ancient documents piled on the table, shifts his gaze to Ferulina.

“You were deciphering the ancient documents, weren’t you? What do you think, is there a way to lift the captain’s curse…?”

In response to the voice tinged with desperate hope, Ferulina shook her head, feeling a sense of guilt.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you more than what we discussed the other day… However, I haven’t finished reading all the ancient texts yet. There might be some method written in them that hasn’t been passed down to modern times, aside from defeating the Cursed Dragon…!”

“However, don’t we still need quite a bit more time to fully understand everything?”

At the calm remark, Ferulina bit her lip and fell silent.

Even during the expedition and after returning, I read whenever I can spare a moment, but it still takes a considerable amount of time to finish just one book.

Furthermore, the ancient documents in the archive are not organized by content, so just finding the desired document is quite a hassle.

“No, that’s not it. I don’t want to blame Lady Ferulina!”

Seeing Ferulina’s expression, Robes raised his voice in a flustered manner.

“I’m very sorry. Please don’t make such a face. We are truly grateful that Lady Ferulina is deciphering the ancient documents for us. I could never have done it alone, no matter how many years it took.”

In response to the sincere comfort, Ferulina, who was on the verge of being overwhelmed by self-reproach, shook her head and lifted her gaze.

“So, what is the story about? Is it something regarding Lord Alvent’s curse…?”

Since Robes, who had just returned from an expedition and was busy, had gone out of his way to visit, Ferulina, sitting across the table, immediately asked a question.

For a moment, Robes’ face twisted in a complicated manner, but he immediately leaned over the table.

“As the captain’s milk brother, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I have been serving him since birth. The captain, as you know, has a straightforward and honest disposition, so he has always been bad at keeping secrets…”

Robes, hesitatingly closing his mouth once, gazes at Ferulina.

“I apologize for the impertinence, but have you noticed anything off about the captain lately? It seems like they might be hiding something, but I’m not sure what it could be…”

The regretful tone seems to be blaming oneself for not being able to foresee the thoughts of the beloved lord.

“The captain holds Lady Ferulina in very high regard. There are times when he shows expressions that are only directed at her… So, if there is ever something that the captain confides only to Lady Ferulina, I would like to be informed as well!”

“Alvent-sama, is…”

Alvent cares about me.

It might be so, and I had been hoping it would be, but when Robes, Alvent’s trusted aide, asserted it, joy surged in my chest.

However, realizing that now was not the time to be carefree and happy, Ferulina steeled herself and asked Robes.

“You mentioned that you ‘can’t be sure’… So, does that mean you have some idea, even if you’re not certain? I’m embarrassed to admit that I have no idea at all… Could you please tell me what you’ve noticed, Mr. Robes?”

Ferulina, who has not even been a month since meeting Alvent, cannot tell the difference from usual.

At Ferulina’s question, Robes wavers, his gaze shifting uncertainly.

However, having steeled himself, he lifted his face and stared straight at Ferulina.

“Under normal circumstances, I would never do anything to betray the captain’s trust. However, if it concerns the captain’s life, that’s a different story.”

Robes, who had firmly declared, confides.

“Earlier, while Lady Ferulina was accompanying Ilk with his work, I met with His Highness Eivert along with the captain. The captain said that in case anything were to happen to him, he would like to ask His Highness Eivert to take care of Lady Ferulina…”

Robes clenches his fists as if trying to crush his anxiety.

“The captain said, ‘I want to eliminate any worries to prepare for the battle with the dragon,’ but it feels like there’s more to it than that! It’s as if he’s willing to sacrifice his own life to defeat the dragon…!”

“!”

Ferulina gasped involuntarily at the moan-like confession.

I know that Alvent is very responsible. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so considerate towards Ferulina, who became his wife just on paper.

If the mines in the town of Tanzes were attacked by a dragon, how much of a blow would it be to the Gobules Kingdom?

For that reason, I understand that we must defeat the dragon at all costs.

However.

“No…!”

At Ferulina’s trembling voice, Robes furrowed his brows in suspicion. Undeterred, Ferulina raised her voice.

“Defeating the dragon is to break Lord Alvent’s curse…! But for Lord Alvent to trade his own life for it…! That’s not acceptable!”

“As Lady Ferulina says!”

Without missing a beat, Robes agrees.

“Even if we defeat the dragon, it would be meaningless if we lose the captain in exchange! And yet, that person…!”

Robes glares with eyes wide open, as if to say he can’t contain his anger.

“What do you think I felt when I recommended the contract with the Kingdom of Klein and obtained Lady Ferulina…!?”

“Mr. Robes…?”

Robes, startled by Ferulina’s voice that slipped out in surprise, snapped back to reality, straightened up in his chair, and cleared his throat.

“That’s right. It was I who suggested to His Majesty the King and the others that we should welcome one of the two saints from the Klein Kingdom, which has two saints. While we can’t raise the levels of the captain and key members who have already reached their level cap, if we welcome a saint who excels in holy magic, we can efficiently train the members who haven’t yet reached their level cap. I thought that if the average level of the entire knight order increases, it might give us a slight advantage

Robes grits his teeth in frustration.

“If we had a few more years, both the captain and the members would be able to get much stronger, but I never expected the dragons to return so soon…! Thanks to the Poison Treant battle, a few of us have exceeded our level limits, but it’s still just a few. There’s just not enough time…!”

There’s not enough time.

Ferulina is painfully aware of that as well.

If we had more time, we would decipher the ancient texts, and the members would become even stronger.

We should have been able to fight the dragon in a much better situation than now.

However much they lament, time will not increase. All Ferulina and the others can do is pray that the cause of this disturbance is not a dragon and do what they can within the limited time they have.

“I feel the same way as you, Robes-san! I absolutely don’t want to lose Alvent-sama…!”

I might lose Alvent.

Just thinking about it makes my whole-body tremble, and I feel like I’m going to collapse.

I still haven’t been able to repay Alvent for anything. Ferulina has been the one receiving everything.

“I will do my best to find any clues to lift the curse or any effective measures against the dragon, as much as I can within the limited time…!”

“I am truly sorry for placing all this burden on you, Lady Ferulina… Please, I beg of you. However, please do not overexert yourself. Lord Alvent will be worried. Above all, the safety of the entire knight order depends on you, Lady Ferulina.”

To the powerfully declared Ferulina, Robes deeply bowed his head.

“I understand. I will take good care of my health.”

Nodding, Ferulina resolved to decipher as many ancient texts as possible while she was at the royal castle.