My Husband Was Definitely a Paladin
“You’re here.”
As Irene stepped inside, Michael rose from the chair and greeted her.
“I’m sorry for being late.”
“It’s all right. I should have come to pick you up myself, but there were preparations I hadn’t finished.”
As he spoke, he offered her a seat.
Irene sat cautiously on the simple wooden chair.
‘This is the place where Michael lives.’
The room had been labeled as a prayer room on the door before entry, but it seemed he had added a few pieces of furniture inside for his lodging.
Therefore, even if this was his quarters, the view inside the room felt quite desolate.
‘Is he really living here? Why are there so few things?’
The people of the Temple said that one could own only as much as would fit in a single bag from birth until death.
When she first heard that, she had wondered if it was even possible, but now looking at his room, it was absolutely not an exaggeration.
A worn knight’s uniform hanging on the wall.
Old bedding on an old, simple wooden bed.
And besides those, the only things visible were some paper and a pen on the table.
If one were to gather every item in that room, it wouldn’t even fill half a bag, let alone one.
Irene realized anew just how pure he was.
Even as a paladin, he had no such attachment to possessions.
‘Has Michael ever wanted to own something?’
She didn’t know what it would be, but if there was something, she wanted to give it to him as a gift someday.
‘Surprisingly, there’s nothing related to the Temple visible.’
As a paladin, she had expected a Bible and statues of the god to be placed here, but no trace of divinity was seen anywhere in his room.
Meanwhile, he had brought out tea.
It was the same taste as the tea she had drunk long ago, during her early days when she received a purification test at the Temple.
It seemed everyone in the Temple used the same tea.
‘I should bring some of the tea from my room later.’
As a pair, she was enjoying luxuries like a princess, while Michael, who deserved all of it, was having plain tea.
Irene swallowed her guilt and took another sip of the tea he handed her.
As the warm liquid went down her throat, the tension that had built up from being in an unfamiliar place eased a little.
Irene set the teacup down and spoke.
“Even if you came to pick me up, it would have been late. In fact, something happened before I came.”
“What happened?”
Irene explained the princess’s matter briefly.
Michael’s face showed no sign of surprise as he listened. He had already anticipated it.
“I see.”
“Yes. That’s why the raid on the Distortion Dungeon is extremely important.”
She had intended to explain it appropriately to him and say no more.
“Honestly, I thought you’d worry about it for a few days, but… hearing this, it seems some people who participated in the first raid are going back. No matter how freely they can come and go, how long has it been since they got the profits from the transparency ring, and now they’re changing their entry?”
Strange as it was, Irene found herself complaining in front of him, something she had never done to Reina.
“Michael went through so much trouble to teach me, yet he’s happy to hear my complaints….”
After grumbling for a while, Irene realized Michael was staring at her intently.
“I’m sorry. I was complaining without realizing it.”
“It’s all right. I’m glad you think that way.”
Glad? It wasn’t a confession, and paladins weren’t obligated to listen to others’ complaints.
Did surprise cross his face? He still looked puzzled as he answered Irene, who didn’t understand his words.
“Hearing what Irene has been thinking for the first time is very pleasant.”
“Was it…?”
Upon hearing his words, it was exactly as he said.
At first, meeting him had felt awkward, so conversations had been limited to greetings and necessary words.
The same had been true even after more time passed.
The lingering memories of the past still made Irene shrink, and she had to carefully choose each word she said to him while thinking deeply about it.
That was how it had been. But when had she started spilling words she would never say to others in front of him?
In the past, she would have carefully read his expression before speaking, worrying whether her words would displease him.
But this time was different.
Without even considering it, she was pouring out her inner thoughts in a way that felt completely natural, as if he were an old friend.
As she realized something new and stood stunned for a moment, he smiled faintly and added.
“Since I’ve received formal induction, if there’s any frustration on your part, feel free to tell me anytime. I’ll always be a listening ear for you, as long as you’re all right.”
It was a perfectly polite remark as usual. In the past, she would have dismissed it and moved on with a nod. But for some reason, this time her heart felt steadier.
A tickle stirred in her chest, and Irene felt awkward as she hurriedly returned to the main point.
“What exactly are we doing starting today?”
And why had he called her to the Temple?
She had no idea what he wanted to do for two hours here.
“Now I’ll explain. Come this way.”
He stood up, opened a different door from the one they had entered, and led Irene.
A short while later.
“What is this?”
Irene stood there blankly, holding a short training sword in her hand.
* * *
“You must strike faster.”
“Faster? Like this?”
Irene panted heavily as she swung the training sword in her hand.
Swings required far more strength from arms and legs than she had imagined.
After a few more minutes, Irene, drenched in sweat, finally gave up.
As if he had known she would feel this way, Michael held out a dry towel and a water jug filled with cool water.
“I didn’t think you’d prepare like this properly….”
Irene muttered in a voice close to death.
She had been told to come for two hours a day where he was, so what on earth had he wanted her to do?
‘To practice sword skills?’
It wasn’t only sword practice. He had said he planned to teach basic self-defense too.
“But will I really become helpful from this…?”
It was the first time in her life she had moved her body so seriously. Even just sitting still made groaning sounds escape her.
“It’s for preparation in case of an emergency.”
“An emergency?”
“Who knows what might happen in a dungeon. It’s better to be prepared. Besides, I heard that purifiers also do basic physical training.”
“That’s true, but….”
While knights fought, purifiers had to move with them too.
Therefore, basic physical training was necessary. But this was for pairs who fought desperately together.
If the knight was overwhelmingly stronger, or if the purifier’s ability was overwhelmingly high, there was no need to train the body so hard.
‘That’s why Cynthia runs every morning, but Reina doesn’t do any of it.’
Naturally, since Michael was overwhelmingly strong, Irene didn’t need to train her own body.
Even if she lay resting in a corner of the dungeon, since her pair was Michael, she wouldn’t get injured.
But why was he suddenly making her do this?
‘I’m going to die from this no matter what….’
She had to do this for two hours every day under his guidance.
He usually respected her wishes, but not today.
“Stand up. There’s still much more to learn.”
“All right. I’ll stand. Just… wait a minute.”
Irene, trying to push herself up using the training sword on the ground, staggered and sat back down.
Apparently, the length of the short training sword wasn’t suitable for using as a cane instead.
“Why are we practicing with the short sword instead of the long one?”
“It’s too long to handle with your current weak body. Carrying it would only be a heavy burden, and in a situation where you actually need to use it, you wouldn’t be able to wield it properly. So it’s better to learn the easier short sword.”
As he explained, he went to the corner, brought out his own sword, and showed it to Irene.
“Would you like to try it once?”
“Is it okay if I try it?”
She had heard that swords were most important for knights, so neither family nor comrades who considered them like their own lives would let her touch one casually.
But would a complete outsider like her be allowed to touch one?
“Of course. Who else could hold this but you?”
Michael pulled the sword from its scabbard and placed the handle in Irene’s hand.
“It’s heavy, so grip it firmly.”
Speaking like a strict instructor, his hand covered Irene’s as she gripped the sword.