The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

47 – 12. The Sleepless Princess (4)

1.

Budanjung, Karen’s office.

After finishing morning training and breakfast and changing into a neat uniform, Karen sat down at her desk and began her work.

Today, the pile of documents to be processed was as high as a mountain.

She had to handle internal tasks within the Order, such as supply management and budgeting, as well as external duties like managing the frontlines. Additionally, she needed to check messages from the Adventurers’ Union and nearby mercenary groups.

*Knock, knock*

After organizing documents for a while, someone knocked on the door.

“Yes?”

She answered, and the door opened.

The door creaked halfway, revealing someone peeking in.

“Commander?”

It’s been a long time since Lewen came to the office at this hour.

“Karen, are you busy?”

Though piles of documents awaited her attention, treating the Commander took priority over paperwork for Karen.

“No, please come in.”

Karen got up from her seat and went to a side of the office where she could prepare tea. She enjoyed alcohol, but she also liked drinking tea.

“What brings you here at this time?”

Usually, she would go patrol outside the village or assist each member with their training at the training ground after breakfast.

“Well… Is there anything I can help with?”

“Pardon?”

Karen blinked her eyes in surprise as she poured the tea.

“All this time, I feel like… I’ve burdened you too much, Karen… As the Commander, I should take responsibility and handle Commander duties properly.”

Karen glanced out the window.

The sun was definitely rising in the eastern sky.

She pinched her cheek.

It hurt.

This wasn’t a dream.

“Yes?”

She never expected to hear such words from the Commander during her lifetime.

Recently, Leven had experienced various events and undergone a change in mindset.

Until now, she had been solely focused on going to the battlefield and defeating the enemies, neglecting everything else around her.

To borrow Evan’s words, she was truly selfish.

She fought under the pretense of doing it for others, but in the end, it was a fight for herself.

She had been putting up invisible walls even with the knights who had been together with her for several years, unable to be honest with them.

Reflecting upon all of this, Leven decided to change one step at a time.

That’s why she started personally overseeing the training of the knights these days. In the past, she would have assigned the training to other officers.

“If it’s a bother… I can leave…”

Leven placed her clasped hands on her knees and stared down at her feet.

“It’s not a bother!”

Karen extended her hands towards her.

“I’d be happy if the Commander helps.”

“Well… Is that so?”

The disappointment fading from Llewelyn’s face, Karen thought she looked truly lovely. Emotions had become richer as the usually stern and cold individual started to fall in love. It was as if she had shed a long-worn mask and revealed her true self. Should one say she had become more comfortable?

“So, where should I start helping?”

Karen felt a sense of having a younger sister, even though in reality, she was only two years older than Llewelyn.

“Can I hug you once before anything else?”

“What? Uh…?”

Unable to resist, Karen pulled Llewelyn into a tight embrace.

Due to the solemn atmosphere, the usually imposing figure of the headmistress seemed fittingly petite in Karen’s arms.

“Wait… Karen… Ugh…!”

She was squeezing so tightly that Llewelyn couldn’t breathe.

Llewelyn tapped Karen’s back, asking her to let go.

“Hoo…!”

Just before suffocating, she managed to free herself.

“…So, what can I help you with?”

Karen sought a task to assign to Llewelyn.

For several years, Karen had taken care of paperwork, and even though she was reluctant to entrust it to the headmistress, there was a certain plan in how Karen handled her work.

And though Karen couldn’t express it directly, she didn’t think Llewelyn would handle paperwork well even if it was assigned.

“Sure!”

Karen found a good idea.

“Please check these.”

Karen handed five letters to Llewelyn.

“They are from the knight order. Take a look.”

“Just read them?”

“Yes, and if there’s any request or something, let me know.”

“Okay.”

Unless it was a personal letter specifically for Llewelyn, Karen always read and verified the letters.

Seated on the sofa, Llewelyn began reading the letters carefully, murmuring as she read. Seeing this, Karen couldn’t help but smile contentedly. If other officers witnessed this scene, they would likely die of shock.

Pride had been established.

It happened while the two of them were engrossed in their work for quite some time.

“Huh?!”

Leowen, who was reading a letter, exclaimed.

“Why are you like that?”

“I received a reply from the Holy Kingdom.”

“The letter you sent a while ago at the wizard’s request?”

“Yeah.”

Leowen opened the letter bearing the seal of the Holy Kingdom and checked its contents.

“Karen, I’m really sorry, but can I go to the inn for a moment?”

“To the wizard?”

Leowen nodded stiffly.

“I think I should inform him that we received a reply from the Holy Kingdom.”

“Go ahead.”

“No, wait,” Karen said again.

“Go and have a drink with the wizard. He must be bored alone at the inn.”

“Oh, no! I’ll be back soon, real soon!”

Leowen grabbed the letter from the Holy Kingdom and rushed to the inn.

He went up to the second floor.

He stood in front of Evan’s room.

“Uh….”

He came to the inn to quickly inform Evan of the news, but… maybe it’s better to meet Evan first.

According to “Making Friends Even for Goblins,” to reconcile with someone who has closed their heart, you should wait patiently until they open up.

“Um….”

Leowen stood in front of Evan’s door, contemplating for a while.

“Yeah, this is for work.”

It’s not a personal matter; it’s a public matter.

Leowen boldly gathered courage and decided to knock on the door.

And at that moment.

As if fate were playing a joke, the door opened, and Leowen’s fist, intended for knocking, swung through the air as his body leaned forward.

-Thud.

Instead of knocking on the door, a solid sound echoed.

“What is it?”

“Uh… uh….”

Leuen half-opened his mouth and looked up with trembling eyes. Evan was looking down at him.

Leuen had knocked on Evan’s chest.

“I… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize again for trivial things.”

“Ugh….”

“I told you not to apologize for every little thing.”

“That… that’s right.”

Was this considered trivial?

Leuen had punched Evan with his fist.

Leuen still couldn’t think properly in front of Evan.

“By the way, what are you doing in front of my room?”

He encountered Evan like this when he was about to go outside.

“Oh… this, this is!”

Leuen politely extended a letter with both hands.

Evan, upon seeing the letter, narrowed his eyes.

“Is it a letter of apology or something like that?”

Leuen flinched.

“Oh, no…! I’ve written those before… but… this one is from the Holy Empire!”

As if to prove it came from the Holy Empire, the letter had the seal of the Holy Empire.

“Is it related to what I asked for last time?”

Leuen nodded.

“The Archbishop will come personally to check, he says.”

“The Archbishop personally?”

Evan read the letter.

It was a letter saying that the bead found in the underworld dungeon of the demon realm could be dangerous, so the Archbishop would come personally.

Even if it was a high-ranking person, he had thought it would be a bishop at most.

Perhaps it’s safe to say that Evan, the highest-ranking clergyman, has reached such a position in the Holy Empire.

From Evan’s perspective, the higher, the better. He could delve more into his curiosity about the beads.

“Good for me,” he thought.

By the way, he was once again impressed by Leven’s extensive connections.

Knowing the Holy Empire’s Holy Knights is impressive enough, but when he contacted them, even the highest clergyman responded.

Though stumbling through his words in a shaky manner, objectively, Leven was an extraordinary figure. Leading his own order of knights and gaining recognition from the Imperial Order of Knights. And on top of that, the Holy Knights of the Holy Empire.

From Noble mtl dot com

So thought the next sage.

“Evan… I’ll be heading back now.”

“Just a moment.”

Evan called out to Leven, who was about to return to Karen to resume his work.

“Yes? Do you have something to ask…?”

“Do you have time now?”

“Yes……?”

Dozens of thoughts flashed through Leven’s mind.

“If you have time, come with me.”

Leven was surprised, taken aback.

Realizing the greatness of books.

Following what he learned from books, the day had come when Evan proposed something like this first.

It was faster than expected, but…

The faster, the better.

“Yes!”

Leven answered like a dog responding to its owner.

“Uh… Before that… Can you give me five minutes?”

“Why?”

“I was helping with something… I’ll finish quickly and come.”

Karen had casually suggested having a cup of tea while chatting, so Leven might not say anything if he followed Evan right away. Still, it might be better to inform her that he would briefly follow Evan.

“Sure, go ahead.”

Leven hurried back to Karen.

It was indeed amusing for a sub-leader to seek permission from the leader, but Leven received permission from Karen and followed Evan.