The First Gathering
Irene had made her decision, yet she had to spend several more days inside the room.
Her body had taken longer than expected to fully recover.
She could walk and stand up without much trouble, but her legs would suddenly give out after a short distance.
It seemed she had pushed her limits too far with that purification session.
There was another reason as well.
The fortress itself had become a battlefield of attention.
While outside scholars could be blocked, the purifiers inside the fortress could not.
In the end, Irene had no choice but to stay in the room under the excuse of poor health.
‘I’m not actually complaining.’
Even so, Reina and Cynthia came by turns, sometimes together.
It was happening even now.
“I heard the meeting was confirmed, and the number of people who said they wanted to attend is this big!”
Reina showed her a long list without hiding her excitement.
The paper had far more names than Irene had imagined.
Counting them revealed about twenty people.
Among them were several 3rd-rank and 4th-rank purifiers.
‘Cecilia the princess must have made quite a few enemies.’
Of course it made sense.
Cecilia, the princess, was twenty-five years old now.
After awakening as a purifier at twenty, she had visited the fortress every year when dungeons appeared.
Among the 1st-rank purifiers, she was overwhelmingly powerful.
To the fortress residents, and to purifiers and knights alike, she was a special existence.
When she organized a meeting, she ruled the fortress like royalty.
The Kingdom Alliance, which tried not to lose even a single coin, had no choice but to accommodate her demands.
As a result, her influence grew stronger every day, and those who once voiced opinions began to remain silent.
It was only natural that the princess would gradually take more valuable items from her subordinates.
Everything she took was used to strengthen her status.
‘There are people who have been robbed for five years, so it’s only fair.’
As Irene stared at the names on the list, Reina spoke again.
“I’m not sure what we should do first after creating the meeting.”
Irene felt the same way.
Most of her knowledge was limited to dungeons and monsters.
Beyond that, she knew little about how the princess’s power operated.
She did not know how to manage the newly formed meeting.
“If it’s about that, I can give you some advice.”
Cynthia quietly raised her hand and spoke.
“What if we follow the method the princess used when she first entered the fortress?”
At those words, Irene snapped her fingers.
“Ah, now that you mention it, Cynthia was here when the princess first came to the fortress.”
“Mm-hmm. That’s why I remember how she behaved at the very beginning.”
Cynthia picked up the paper and pen and began numbering her notes.
“First, she sent expensive gifts to the higher-ranking purifiers and invited them to the meeting with a letter.”
“Some accepted and ignored it, but the princess immediately cut them off.”
“She must have decided they would not be useful going forward.”
Cynthia continued.
“She also held two or three banquets.”
By doing so, they got to know each other’s faces, and knights grew close with one another.
“Honestly, that was nothing special.”
“Even that much is the basic way to build connections outside the fortress.”
As she spoke, Cynthia pressed the pen more firmly on the paper and wrote in bold letters.
*[Dungeon Extermination]*
“This is the most important part.”
“The princess led raids into mid-tier dungeons with her knights and slaughtered monsters without hesitation.”
“Then she distributed all the rewards she obtained to everyone who had come with her.”
“Hmm.”
In short, she had shown everyone exactly what future they could obtain by standing beside her.
It was natural that people would be drawn to the tangible rewards rather than empty promises.
“Our meeting has Michael Knight, so the dungeon raids themselves won’t be difficult, but… the reward distribution is the real problem.”
Cynthia’s expression darkened when she remembered how Irene had already discussed reward division with Michael.
“Irene, please ask Michael Knight to let you distribute the dungeon rewards to people other than the Temple even once.”
“Once a week, the dungeons I designate should be possible, but I doubt he’ll agree to high-tier ones.”
They would need the kind of rewards that could make people salivate, so high-tier dungeons were necessary.
Michael would probably not provide such generous rewards.
“Still, why don’t we try asking once? He already agreed to join the meeting.”
“True, but I haven’t seen Michael Knight in several days now.”
Irene wondered when she had last seen him.
It was the evening after her purification had been judged 8th-rank again.
He had come back to the room.
Because of the memory of him pressing her for purification, Irene flinched and stepped back a little.
He bowed his head deeply.
“I apologize for forcing you to purify me so roughly.”
In truth, he had no reason to apologize.
Purification was Irene’s duty as his pair.
He had simply asserted his rights.
Yet the fact that he had apologized out of helplessness made her feel guilty.
After that, he stood a few steps away and suggested that she take a break until he returned, while he performed dungeon raids.
“People who are being bothered by the ring may appear.”
“You’re not in the best condition either, so please rest until I come back.”
He offered a few more pieces of advice, then left the room in a hurry, saying his business was over.
‘He was so clingy when I purified him.’
After finishing his business, he had left abruptly.
Irene felt strangely empty.
‘I suppose he’ll return to the fortress.’
She had no idea when.
In her previous life, he had gone out alone to exterminate dungeons, so he had visited the fortress every few days.
‘It might take more than a week.’
But she could not simply wait for Michael Knight in silence.
If that was the case, she had to do what she could right now.
“I see. Then let’s start by sending out the invitation letters with the gifts and holding the first banquet.”
Reina and Cynthia looked at each other and smiled happily at Irene’s words.
***
A week later.
Irene stared at the banquet hall with a bitter feeling.
Even though the turnout was not as good as hoped, she had not expected so few people.
The invitation letters had arrived without issue.
But for today’s first banquet, which she had prepared using Reina’s money, only five pairs stood in the empty hall.
“What is going on? Everyone said they would come…!”
Reina muttered, looking around the desolate banquet hall with a dazed expression.
She had received replies from twenty-three pairs.
Yet only five pairs had actually arrived.
At that moment, Cynthia rushed over in a hurry.
She panted and said, “I found out why.”
“Several hours ago, the princess’s side contacted everyone who received our invitation letter.”
“And she held a banquet where anyone could participate, even if they weren’t members of the meeting.”
At those words, Irene could not help but chuckle.
“She even knew how to completely ignore us.”
“So that’s why our influence is this great… She held the banquet so quickly.”
“But this way…”
Reina’s shoulders slumped as she looked around the hall.
Her pair, Felix, was talking with other pairs, but he could not hide his distress.
“It’s a failure.”
Cynthia’s shoulders also drooped.
If things continued like this, it would indeed be a failure.
The few people who had come were already looking toward the princess’s side, wondering if they should leave now.
Then a voice came from behind.
“We came because we heard there was a banquet, but it seems a little late.”
“Michael Knight!”
Irene turned with a joyful heart at the familiar voice.
There stood Michael Knight, still exuding the dignity of a holy knight, though his hair was slightly disheveled.
The moment she saw him, Irene understood what she had to do.
Without thinking, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the corner.
Michael did not resist and followed her quietly.
Once they were far enough away that no one could hear them, Irene spoke carefully.
“Michael Knight, I have a request.”
“Speak.”
“I wonder if you could exterminate the dungeon I want.”
“That is something I promised you, so there is no need to ask.”
Irene shook her head.
“However, unlike what I said before, the dungeon I want is a mid-tier one.”
“And I would like you to distribute the rewards to everyone who came with me.”
“…?”
For a moment, Michael fell silent at Irene’s words.
After a pause, he continued in a low voice.
“As you know, I am a knight of the Temple.”
“Everything I obtain must be sent to those who are starving and in pain.”
Of course.
He would probably refuse to share rewards with others.
While Irene was thinking of another way, he spoke again.
“However, this time I will do as you wish.”
“Really… thank you!”
“However.”
Michael cut her off before she could finish.
“You must grant me one thing as well.”
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