Part 1: Saintess Candidate Arc

29. The Reward for the Job (2)

Translated by: S3

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When Arthur visited Daniel's room, Gin and Elliot, who had been making a fuss, immediately fell silent and stood up.

「What's wrong, both of you? Why did you suddenly go quiet?」

Even though Lily asked, the two didn't answer and started pulling Daniel's arm and pushing his back, trying to take him to the adjacent study.

「Hey, Gin-kun and Elliot-kun, why are you pulling and pushing me?」

To that question, the two replied with serious faces,

「Because you're mates.」

「What do you mean by 'mates' (Tsugai)?」

Gin and Elliot were stunned to be told that he didn't know what a 'mate' was. They enthusiastically pulled Daniel away, vanishing as they promised to explain in the next room. Daniel was about to receive a lecture on mating from the young boys.

Since the concept was a rule non-existent in the human world, neither Arthur nor Lily knew the meaning of 'mates', but since the atmosphere wasn't one they could join, the two remained. Arthur moved next to Lily, placed a hand on her cheek, and checked her complexion and pupils.

「To be honest, I was worried because you looked more dead than asleep.」

Since she had slept like a log for two days, she supposed it couldn't be helped if she looked that way. Come to think of it, Emma had told her many times that when she collapsed from magic depletion, she always looked exactly like she was dead.

「It's only two days, which is actually a short amount of time, so I'm fine!」

The words that left Lily’s mouth were intended purely to reassure him, but they had the opposite effect on Arthur. He didn't like her comment, which suggested she was used to collapsing.

「Promise me you won't do anything like that again.」

「Huh?」

「Lily?」

「U-yes. I'll be careful.」

She recoiled slightly, thinking he sounded a lot like her mother, Emma.

「Lily, I want to discuss things going forward.」

What did he mean by 'things going forward'? Lily had no idea what the discussion would be about, but she listened intently.

Arthur's proposal was this: The monsters that arose from the Impure Mist haven't been completely exterminated yet. He wanted to subjugate the surrounding regions, but if they were to conduct an attack in the territories of other races, such as the Nogray Forest and the Plata Mountains, they needed to make prior arrangements.

「In other words, are you saying you want to interact with their countries and villages through Gin and Elliot?」

「Yes, and I also want to succeed in the medicinal herb trade with the Beast Tribe. And it would be interesting if we could also trade something with the Dragonewt Tribe since we've now formed a connection. Also, regarding the Protective Barrier (Protect Wall), it broke due to the strain of the magic I cast combined with the dragon's flames. I'm consulting with my uncle, and I want to consider a different kind of barrier. Furthermore—」

Arthur's discussion covered various topics, ranging from large to small, and all of them were things that needed to be done or would be good to do.

「My uncle will gladly cooperate, but would you cooperate with me too, Lily?」

If Gin and Elliot were involved, Lily should probably participate too.

「I understand. But please let me set a time limit.」

「A time limit?」

「Because I can't keep helping out forever.」

Lily hadn't given up on her goal of going to the Eastern Fort to help her parents. She told Arthur that she would be happy to graduate from the Saintess Candidate position once everything was mostly settled, and then, incidentally, be given work at the Eastern Fort.

「Is that all? I will eventually be going there myself, so you can go with me at that time.」

「!」

Arthur's suggestion was unexpected, but since Lily's initial goal was to get an important person to tell her to go, the result was, in a sense, exactly what she planned. The most legitimate route to officially go to the Eastern Fort just fell right into her lap.

Lily’s decision was instantaneous.

「Yes! I will continue to work under Prince Arthur!」

（As a bonus, I’ll acquire skills that could turn into a job in the future and aim for a secure life! I'm so smart!）

Arthur's lips curved into a smile at Lily's declaration, and he thanked her. Lily didn't realize that his smile was so rare it was practically a national treasure.

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