The Gentle Melody of Protection
Wilhelmina had always been treated as inferior to Cecilia whenever she was by her side.
Even though she herself was a first-rank purifier, no one ever said a single kind word to her because they were too busy watching Cecilia’s every move.
‘But things are different here.’
When she entered Irene’s gathering, she had expected the other purifiers to be wary and resentful of her.
Yet, instead of that, they regarded her as a true first-rank purifier, eyes shining with admiration, asking her endless questions and hanging on every word she spoke.
Especially Irene, who listened to her stories so attentively.
The princess always spoke only of herself and dismissed Wilhelmina’s worries as insignificant.
‘Thanks to her, I was also able to abandon that knight.’
The knight who had clung to Cecilia like a parasite—despite possessing a power as formidable as hers, her heart had burned with resentment. Yet she had endured until the end of the extermination period.
In the end, the anger she had suppressed for so long came spilling out.
Why must she live, watching the eyes of a traitor who had betrayed her faith?
And then, during a time with Irene, the topic finally came up. Before she knew it, Wilhelmina had poured out her heart’s frustrations and was crying.
Irene quietly comforted her, soothing Wilhelmina with kind words.
Thanks to that, the next day Wilhelmina gathered her resolve and severed her Pair contract with the knight who had betrayed her.
After that, while pondering her next step, Wilhelmina learned of a knight named Maksim through Irene’s introduction.
Maksim’s purifier had abruptly ended their Pair contract this year, unwilling to stay in the Fortress any longer.
“Hmm, then shall I Pair with you? Of course, the difference in our abilities is enormous, so I won’t do more than hold hands, but…”
“R-really?”
It was a casual remark, but Maksim’s face flushed red at Wilhelmina’s words, and he gazed at her as if she were his lifelong glory.
It was rather adorable. They had been paired for only a week, yet Wilhelmina’s heart swelled with the desire to spend her future beside this awkward knight.
‘Even if Maksim is a little clumsy, if we spend just one or two years together, he’ll surpass other knights in skill.’
Wilhelmina’s heart was filled with the wish to walk the path of life together with this pure, flustered knight who could barely comprehend what to do when she simply held his hand.
Naturally, Wilhelmina and Maksim entered Irene’s gathering.
And whenever Maksim went to train, it became the norm for him to stand beside Irene.
During that time, Wilhelmina taught Irene how to wield her purification power.
“Wilhelmina is truly amazing! I was having trouble grasping the concept of manipulating energy, but with her explanations, I can do it all at once!”
“Well… it’s thanks to me teaching you well.”
“Then, could you teach the other purifiers as well? It would be a huge help when we all go on the next raid together.”
Wilhelmina was about to protest that she couldn’t be expected to teach everyone else besides her, but seeing Irene’s sparkling eyes and clasped hands, she pouted.
“Then… just one hour a day.”
Thanks to this, the purifiers in Irene’s gathering could now heal much faster and more precisely than before.
At first, Wilhelmina grumbled, but as time passed, she found it enjoyable and taught them with growing enthusiasm.
“Reina, focus! You’re a second-rank purifier—how could you mess this up?”
“Eek, Aunt Wilhelmina is scolding me again!”
Before long, Wilhelmina had seamlessly blended into Irene’s gathering and become its most enthusiastic participant.
Once her treatment of the paralyzed maids ended, it was now the turn of Reina and the newly joined purifiers to step forward.
“Everyone, line up over here.”
Cynthia lined up the anxious maids who didn’t understand what was happening.
From the front, Reina used her purification power to hold each maid’s hand.
Beside them, the new purifier handed each a small pebble.
“Um… what is this?”
The maids asked with fearful faces, unable to hide their anxiety.
Reina raised her hand and declared firmly.
“First, the power I’ve given you is protection. It’s not the strongest, but it should weaken the shock when a monster attacks. The pebble—Rurys will explain.”
Rurys, called the purifier, held a small stone box in her hand. When she opened it, the same pebbles she had distributed were inside.
“Everyone’s pebbles are my Artifact, ‘Weakening Notification.’ When you hold it and think someone needs help, at that very moment…”
Rurys took out one pebble and gripped it tightly.
The maids standing nearby suddenly looked at their own pebbles in surprise.
Their pebbles began to tremble.
“It responds to everyone else’s pebbles at the same time. So when you see a monster, you should think to yourself that help is needed immediately. The others will rush over at once.”
The maids stared at the trembling pebble in disbelief.
Even if they stayed close to the Pair knights in the Fortress, an Artifact felt like a story from another world to lowly maids.
But to have an Artifact placed in their hands.
At that moment, Cynthia gently encouraged the maids.
“So don’t be afraid anymore. When the bell rings, the knights will move right away.”
The maids’ eyes welled up at Cynthia’s words.
They had thought that without anyone caring for them, they would die the moment they encountered a monster. Now the purifiers were helping them.
“Thank you… thank you so much…”
One maid spoke first, and all the others bowed their heads.
At that time, Wilhelmina spoke.
“Give the thanks to Irene. We’re simply following what she suggested.”
Wilhelmina’s words made all the maids’ gazes turn to Irene.
Irene smiled shyly.
“I-it’s not just helping… if everyone moves together, it will cause far less damage, and we can catch the monsters earlier.”
She hadn’t expected to receive thanks, but the maids bowed deeply with genuine sincerity to Irene.
* * *
As Irene left the maids’ quarters, she touched the back of her reddened hand to her face.
‘I thought I was used to it, but… it’s embarrassing.’
No matter how she phrased it, it might have appeared as though she was using the maids inside the quarters for notifications.
She had felt sorry, yet seeing their smiles made her glad she had done it.
Irene turned her head slightly.
Behind her stood Reina, Cynthia, and the other purifiers, including Wilhelmina.
Their voices were excited as they discussed what they must do from now on.
Irene’s heart was filled with nothing but gratitude for their passion.
Two days earlier, after the incident at the gathering, Irene had planned how to catch the monster and moved busily.
‘Actually, at first I was worried…’
The fake Wilhelmina could appear anywhere at any time.
It was impossible to post guards all over the buildings all day long.
In the end, the person who spotted it first among those roaming had to be the one to report it. Luckily, Rurys’s Artifact was perfect for that purpose.
When she said she would help and even pay a fee, Rurys shook her head with a smile.
“No fee needed. I already received it.”
“From whom?”
Then Rurys pointed at Irene.
When Irene looked puzzled at the mention of payment, Rurys smiled.
“I probably don’t remember because my appearance was a mess back then, but the person who brought me water and food after I fell unconscious from escaping the Distortion Dungeon was you, Irene. Everyone else was too busy with their own survival to pay attention… but I’m still grateful!”
It wasn’t only Rurys who helped Irene’s plan.
Wilhelmina, Reina, Cynthia, and all the other purifiers and knights had offered their support.
As soon as Irene said she would catch the monster, they all asked if they could help.
‘It’s good that things are progressing quickly… but…’
Irene looked up at the back of Michael, who had been waiting for her.
He had contacted the Kingdom Alliance and informed them that for several days—precisely until Irene caught the monster—he would temporarily halt dungeon raids and stay in the Fortress.
It was the natural duty of a Pair and also a welcome one. Yet…
“Michael.”
Irene called him and approached his side.
His rigid profile came into view.
Even a blank expression looked so handsome, but now was not the time for admiration.
Irene asked worriedly.
“Doesn’t the plan sit well with you yet?”
At her words, he turned his head.
“It does. More precisely, it’s not the plan itself, but your desire to face it directly that troubles me.”
“But…”
Irene recalled the image of the fake Wilhelmina approaching her, her sharp claws and fangs already bared.
The fake Wilhelmina had never shown such hostility toward others.
Only toward Irene had she revealed pure enmity.
Moreover, the traces of Wilhelmina’s presence showed she was getting closer and closer to Irene’s quarters.
‘So she’s coming to find me.’
The more Irene moved about to avoid it, the more the others suffered. Then…
‘It’s better to finish all preparations and face it directly and quickly.’
Of course, she had no intention of facing it without thought.
Michael and the other knights were there, but she couldn’t predict when and where it would suddenly appear, so she needed a way to prepare for its attack.
Actually, avoiding the monster’s attack wasn’t difficult.
Its movement speed was painfully slow.
The real problem was the paralysis. Creating a sound the opponent couldn’t hear to paralyze it.
‘If it’s that…’
Irene took out an Artifact from her pocket, a small glass case containing it.
The ‘Stone of Silence’ she had obtained before.
An Artifact that perfectly blocked all surrounding sounds for ten seconds to its owner.
It had been classified as a useless, insignificant Artifact.
Now was the time for it to shine.