Chapter 300
Guardian [Part 2]
"So... Can I go to the extracurricular lesson?"
"You can."
"Melsa?!"
Leonard turned his head around upon hearing Melsa's consent, who had just entered the room.
"I heard about the extracurricular lesson from the ladies at the tea party I was invited to today. They said one participating student can be accompanied by up to two guardians."
In this current situation where they hadn't solved Minato's doppelganger problem, being able to act together in the extracurricular lesson would be better than being separated.
The only one who socialized properly, Melsa, had brought useful information home. However, although "guardians" equaled "parents" based on the perception of the people in their previous world, in this world, it often meant to refer to those who waited on them on the beck of call or guarded them.
The "guardians" mentioned by the ladies at the tea party were, of course, the latter. Just that Melsa did one of her occasional slip-ups once again.
"Which means me and Melsa can also participate, right?!"
'It'll be fine if we can tag along.' Leonard nodded without doubting anything.
"Eh, if it's like that! It means four more guardians can participate...? Since we've decided to go, the more, the merrier, right?" said Emma.
"Meow!"
"Meow!"
"Meow!"
"Meow!"
(We've been waiting for this) Koumei, Ryuu-chan, Kan-chan, and Chou-chan raised their forefeet.
The sight of all four of them putting themselves forward for the guardian candidate only looked like a line of giant beckoning cats, though ...Seeing this made the family feel super prosperous all of a sudden.
"......No, uh, well... Cats are a bit..."
" " " "ME-MEOW?!" " " "
♠♠♠
~At the same time, at the Royal Capital~
"I refuse."
Lord of Skyte had come to visit Joanna.
"But Lady Joanna... The people are looking forward to your visit."
The fief people had been living in anxiety since the monsters' appearance had increased. The Lord had repeatedly sent letters to Joanna, the Holy Maiden acknowledged by the Church, asking her to come and give solace to the people. But Joanna's reply had always been the same.
"As I wrote to you in the letter, I'm busy. I do not have time for that."
Lord of Skyte tried to persuade her further by saying that this year's extracurricular class would be held in Skyte, so if she were to come for a visit at that time, the journey would be much more safe because she would be traveling with many escort knights. He even suggested she come to pray at her deceased grandmother's grave, but Joanna still didn't agree.
Lord of Skyte's heart chilled at her repeated rejections.
'Is this really the Holy Maiden recognized by the Church...
To think she can easily refuse the request of the person who had found her in the woods, guaranteed her identity to be someone related to the Royal Family based on her appearance, and escorted her to the Royal Capital.
This luxurious room prepared for her in the Royal Castle...
Joanna, who only had one piece of clothing when we first met, is now wearing the uniform of the academy, an aristocratic school only the Kingdom's nobles could attend.
If she stayed in the Royal Capital, she would be able to live comfortably without having to worry about hunger or monsters, wouldn't she?
However, since she had lived in Skyte Barony until a short while ago, she should have known that that comfortable life was built upon the sacrifice of the borderland people.
She knows that, yet still has this attitude?'
The one-armed Lord of Skyte left the Holy Maiden's room with a heavy heart.
♠♠♠
"~♪~♪~♪"
"...In a good mood, aren't you? Your Majesty."
The queen sighed when she saw the king happily taking care of his sword while humming the tune. He was probably the only king in the entire history who would force his way to participate in the academy's extracurricular lessons.