Chapter 30: Strong Muscles, Stronger Heals

“Well, that’s because—” I tried to explain, but he cut me off.

“And remarking on how your hair matches well with our corps’ uniform? When I first heard that, why, for a moment I thought His Excellency had morphed into something else before coming out of that dungeon! How astonishing was that!” Axion exclaimed, becoming increasingly discomposed, seeming incredulous at his own words.

My impression of Mayer had been that of a normal, albeit a tad overbearing person… I knew he was crazy about dungeons, but during the first playthrough, he hadn’t been as nuts as Axion suggested he was. Was it something I never knew in the first place? Or was it that Mayer Knox had changed? I tapped the table with my fingertips as I pondered about it, feeling like something was strangely out of place. It was like I was a tiny inch away from catching onto something.

“You being appointed as vice-captain is something I can accept easily. I know you’re truly skilled, after all. His Excellency’s recent behavior, though…” He trailed off.

“Perhaps he thinks treating me nicely will be helpful in clearing dungeons,” I suggested. “Doesn’t that sound more plausible than His Excellency being under his lover’s thumb?”

“That’s true, but… Even I was surprised at first, despite knowing what you’re capable of. Of course, I was convinced of your skills right away, but the others…” He winced. “They probably don’t accept you because they don’t know your ability.”

“I guess I’ll have to prove myself to them, then.”

“If you ask me, it’s something that’ll be solved with a single trip to a dungeon.”“If you ask me, it’s something that’ll be solved with a single trip to a dungeon.”

“That’s what I was thinking of. I’ll do some ‘pruning’ while I’m at it, too.”,” he chuckled..”

Now that I knew what people thought about me and the rumors going around, what I had to do became clear. My original plan was to be cautious, but there was no need for that anymore with the rumors going around. Since Mayer had granted me a privilege so great it gave people the wrong idea, there was no reason for me not to make use of it.

After finishing my meal, I got up with the food tray and shot a grin at Axion, who still had leftovers. “Let me ask you one thing, Axion.”

“What is it?”

“The captain. Where is he usually at in the evening?”

* * *

“Most likely in his office. He normally deals with paperwork and holds tactical meetings after dinnertime,” Axion had said. Following his advice, I made my way to Mayer’s office and knocked on its thick oaken doors.

“Come in.”

The low voice that came from behind the doors sounded imposing and detached at the same time. Mayer didn’t seem to be in a very good mood; I must have come at a bad time. I clicked my tongue and pulled the door open, immediately plastering a bold smile on my face. “It’s been a while, Captain. Have you been well?”

“Ah, Jun.” Mayer’s voice abruptly softened once he noticed it was me coming in. “Did your work go well?”

It was like seeing a brick suddenly turn into a brownie. He certainly seemed overly favorable to me… The unexpected contrast in tone was so big, it dazed me. Either way, as bewildering as it was, having Mayer in a good mood was far better than a poor one, and so I felt more comfortable when replying. “Yes. I just happened to have something to tell you about tha— Oh, you already had a guest.”

The guest was a man with short golden hair and a larger build than Mayer’s, clad in a white vestment that contrasted sharply against the compulsory black uniforms of the Dark Knights. Although I was meeting him for the first time, I already knew who he was: August Divinitas, the main healer of the Dark Knights.

If Axion was said to be Mayer’s right-hand man, August was his left. The man was so big and muscular, he could be mistaken for a paladin or a battle priest. Surprisingly enough, he was a priest who focused solely on casting holy spells. A famous saying of his was “strong muscles, stronger heals.” It sounded ridiculous, but no one dared to refute him with such muscles on display. What could anyone do but gulp nervously at the sight of those white vestments bulging with brawn? And the most surprising thing? Despite what his appearance suggested, he was an outstanding theologian. The man was living proof of why one mustn’t judge others by how they looked.

In any case, what I had to say to Mayer wasn’t something I could share in front of August, someone I was meeting for the first time. I positioned myself as if I was about to leave the room, saying, “I can come again later if you were in the middle of talking.”

But Mayer leaned forward and replied, “How could anything come before you? It just so happened that we finished talking through the important things. Right, so… what brings you to me?”

I glanced sideways at August, feeling troubled. Thankfully, it seemed that Mayer had enough sense in him to catch my drift. He curled his lips and continued to speak, leaning back on his chair. “Now that I think about it, it seems introductions are in order. This here is August Divinitas, the best priest of our expedition corps. Reverend August, this is Jun Karentia, the woman who will become the vice-captain of our corps.”