chapter 49
Secretary Viss, the Spirit Lord (3)
Viss, who became Claudia’s escort knight (not a knight), accompanied her with a feeling that was half like her guest.
Being able to personally serve the princess, even though he was just a viscount’s nephew, was a tremendous opportunity. There was no reason for him not to follow.
After all the school classes were over.
Claudia and Viss were alone in an empty training ground.
Click.
Vroom.
When Claudia flicked her finger, a steel cage for containing monsters appeared in the air.
“Here. A monster specially prepared for you.”
Cladia pointed to the cage in front of her and said,
“Kki-e-eak!”
Inside, three goblins were glowing and scratching at the metal bars.
“Let’s test your power.”
“Understood.”
This was a special occasion prepared by the princess to properly use my power.
I must not make any mistakes.
“Sylph.”
-Beep!
In response to Secretaryus’s call, the wind spirit appeared in the air.
“Now that you’re ready, let’s begin.”
Kkiek
“Kki-yo-yo-yot!”
Using magic, Cladia frighteningly opened the metal bars, and the three goblins rushed towards Secretaryus.
“Sylph! Wind Cutter!”
Secretaryus reached out his hand towards the goblins and commanded the spirit.
-Beep!
And in response, the wind spirit tried to shoot out blades of wind, but…
“Why, why is that?”
Sylph couldn’t produce the wind as before.
“Kieak!”
Meanwhile, goblins who had become addicted to Secretarys tried to attack him.
Secretarys stumbled back in fear.
At that moment, when the goblins were about to attack the defenseless Secretarys…
“Shield.”
Kang
However, a protective barrier that appeared between the goblins and Secretarys blocked the attack.
“Reverse Gravity.”
Woong
When Cladia extended her hand, three goblins floated into the air.
Not only that, when she pointed her finger at the cage, the goblins were once again thrust inside.
Kiiik Thud
The iron bars closed again in front of the goblins.
“Ha… ha…”
Secretarys, freed from fear, breathed heavily.
“Hmm… So simply having her by your side wasn’t the only condition?”
Secretarys’ ability to handle the situation was much more disappointing than expected.
To think that a man who easily defeated Twin Head Ogres would retreat in fear from goblins.
Even for Cladia, who had considered various possibilities, it was a difficult result to accept.
“I apologize, Your Highness. I-I, someone as incompetent as me…”
“No. I expected there to be some difficulties.”
Because of that, I had planned to start with goblins and gradually raise the level, but I need to change my approach a bit.
Back then. What was different from now that made it so easy to defeat the ogre?
Ogre… Ogre… Hm?
As Cladia reminisced about the past, a thought brushed her mind.
Could it be…?
After briefly checking Versus’ condition, Cladia secretly used magic to weaken the lock on the cage where the goblins were kept.
Clank
Thud
Then the goblins immediately opened the iron-barred door and burst out.
The freed goblins rushed towards the strange human woman who had just imprisoned them.
“Kiiiiieek!”
Just as the goblins were about to attack Cladia from behind.
Shaaak
A gust of wind swept away the goblins.
Thud, thud
The torn flesh of the goblins fell to the ground due to the sharp wind.
“Haa… Haa…”
Behind Cladia, Versus extended her hands towards the spot where the goblins were, breathing heavily.
“I found them.”
While observing his appearance, Cladia smiled softly.
“Yes? Protecting the princess… is a condition?”
“That’s right.”
Through a small experiment, she discovered that Ves could freely demonstrate his overwhelming combat power in dangerous situations.
“As a knight guarding the princess, there is no better ability.”
The magic that had just swept away the goblins was Cladia’s destructive blade, which even she couldn’t produce, reaching the 6th circle.
Ves effortlessly and instantly executed such an immense attack.
He was an elemental mage who only displayed his true abilities when he was in danger.
Could there be anything more reliable and romantic than this?
“Therefore, let’s conduct a few more tests under similar conditions.”
“But…”
Can I truly protect the princess completely?
Ves, who had unknowingly protected Cladia, had his self-esteem shattered due to several previous failures.
“There’s no need to worry. You need to believe in yourself even more.”
Cladia brought her face closer to Ves’s face.
“Ah!”
Ves’s face turned red.
“You are the knight chosen by the princess herself. That’s how much she believes in you. So don’t underestimate yourself like that.”
Of course, the reason she chose him was not only his abilities, but also her own rational fondness for him.
“…I understand.”
Secretarys clenched his fist tightly.
“I will give it a try.”
‘…How adorable.’
Looking at him like that, Cladia smiled.
* * *
Since then, Cladia has been training Secretarys while rescuing countless monsters.
As a princess of an empire, and with the extravagant training methods she had built up to oppose the crown prince until now, it was possible.
Kwang
“…Impressive.”
Cladia murmured as she looked at the huge hole Secretarys had created on one side of the training ground.
The inept mage who couldn’t protect her own body from goblins had grown to the point where she could crush superior demons with a single blow.
To the point where Cladia would be fine even if she was in danger.
However, depending on whether Cladia was in danger or not, Secretarys’ combat power differed greatly.
“You’ve grown a lot compared to when we first trained with the former lady.”
‘If she continues like this, she might even surpass the royal magician. Although it is limited to when she is protecting the lady.’
Looking at the formidable mage she had raised, Cladia smiled softly.
“It’s all thanks to Princess’s help. I will devote my life to following the Princess.”
“I will look forward to it.”
While dreaming of a rosy future with Secretarys, Cladia was walking out of the training ground.
“Is it Princess Cladia?”
“Hmm? It’s Cladia, isn’t it? What’s the matter?”
Several knights stood in front of Cladia.
“We would like you to accompany us as a suspect in the Ogre incident that attacked the previous academy.”
“…A suspect? Me?”
It was Cladia who had stopped the Ogre at the forefront.
Cladia found it difficult to accept the fact that she was being accused as a suspect in that incident.
“Yes. His Highness the Crown Prince has accused Her Highness the Princess.”
“…That guy. Could it be?”
“In connection with this, several pieces of evidence have been found, so we request your cooperation.”
“Princess!”
“Secretary, you wait here for a moment. I will soon resolve the problem and come back. You have nothing to worry about.”
With that, Cladia left Secretary behind and followed the knights.
When Cladia encountered investigators from the Empire and the Academy at the place she followed the knights, she could tell.
That bastard set me up.
Wasn’t it no accident that the Ogre appeared at the academy?
To frame me as the culprit of that incident….
The knights showed Cladia records of the various monsters she had brought in. Records of the monsters she had brought in for Secretary’s training.
I knew it would come to this.
If it were the usual Cladia, she would have countered and exposed the Crown Prince’s misdeeds to the world.
She had the ability, power, and execution to do so.
“I can’t believe I’ve been so absorbed in Secretary S’s training that I’ve missed all of this.”
All of her focus had been on Secretary S’s training, causing her to forget about everything else.
“So this is what it means for many rulers to be infatuated with women and fall into ruin.”
There were numerous manipulated documents that the Crown Prince had prepared.
Those numerous documents already pointed to Cladia as the culprit behind the attack.
“This… seems impossible to escape from.”
There was no way out in sight.
If it were to be confirmed that she was the culprit, she didn’t even know if she would be exiled somewhere in the palace.
And if that happened, it was clear that all the power she had gathered would disintegrate.
But that’s okay.
Power is something that can be created again at any time.
“But… not being able to see you… it’s going to be so hard to endure.”
Claudia looked up at the moon in the night sky through the window of the room where she was being confined.
* * *
“I brought it, Sylph?”
-Squeak!
The little wind girl handed Secretary S a small bead.
Woong
As Secretary S brought the bead to her ear, she heard the voice of the Crown Prince. It was the voice of the Crown Prince discussing the content he desired.
“Well done, Sylph!”
-Squeak!
Thud.
Vissus hurriedly rushed out of the room.
There’s no time.
I’m running late, more than I expected.
But I have no choice.
I have to save the princess…