Chapter 32: A Gentle Love

The fact that Sir Richard and I had come to the Grandra Domain was welcomed.

That was likely because this territory was burdened with many unresolved problems.

First, there were areas left devastated by two years of magical beast incursions.

Regions where the knights could not keep up, and public safety had deteriorated.

And while the construction of the defensive wall had tipped the balance in humanity’s favor against the magical beasts, beyond the wall still lay territory claimed by them.

Several offensive campaigns had pushed deep into the forest and slain many beasts, but that did not mean all attacks had ceased.

On top of that, the personnel dispatched by royal order had each returned home, leaving the region short-handed.

Yes.
A severe manpower shortage.

So it was only natural that we were accepted here.

“Ellen—can you help over here too, please—!”

“Coming right up!”

I usually worked mainly at the frontier church, and the orphanage attached to it.

After all, my official affiliation was with the church.

At the orphanage attached to the church lived children who had lost their families to magical beast attacks.

Apparently, many children had lost their parents during those two years, especially in the early stages of the incursions.

It was easy to imagine how tragic those circumstances must have been.

…Sometimes I wondered if it would have been better had I come to this land with my former husband from the start.

I thought that many times.

But if I had come here back then, would I really have resolved to properly learn healing magic?

That was doubtful.

I would probably have thrown myself into more physical, hands-on assistance instead.

In that case, my talent for healing magic would have gone to waste.

Perhaps this situation was something that came about inevitably.

“I’ll be heading to the knights’ training grounds this afternoon.”

“Very well, Ellen.
I’ll leave it to you.”

The church and orphanage, both short on hands, and the knight order as well.

Even though the defensive wall had made fighting easier, the loss of forces summoned by royal decree was a huge blow.

And in the midst of that appeared a knight with the strength of a thousand men.

Sir Richard.

Having seen him fight on the battlefield, I personally thought a title like “demon god” suited him better.

But the epithet given to him was “Holy Knight.”

The reason he was called a Holy Knight was because he was wrapped in golden light when he fought, making him look divine.

…Yes, that’s probably my fault, isn’t it?

My healing magic.
When I raise the output without holding back, for some reason it comes with a golden glow.

I don’t know if there’s a direct causal link, but apparently both its “performance” and “range” are extraordinary.

Thinking about it, I hadn’t had many points of comparison, so I’d never noticed how unusual my abilities were.

Because of that, it was only natural that I was dispatched to support the knight order’s activities as well.

I didn’t mind that at all.

It was something where I could visibly contribute, and if I went to the knights’ activity sites, then…

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sir Richard.”

“Ellen.”

For the past few months, I’d been working alongside him.

A sturdy knight with neatly cut silver hair and blue eyes.

Sir Richard Claudius.

“Were there any seriously injured?”

“Only minor cuts and scrapes.
Nothing serious has happened.”

“That’s a relief.”

Because of my abilities, I also participated in the knight order’s combat operations.

They would arrange their formation and protect me while I provided rear support.

Since I could send healing magic over a fair distance, the knights could fight with peace of mind.

There were female knights and female soldier-priests in similar positions to mine, but in my case…

I could heal without standing fully on the front lines, and the effect was immediate.

That made me particularly useful, apparently.

That said, I wasn’t always acting alongside them.

As I mentioned earlier, my main work was at the church and orphanage.

Still, I regularly came to check whether any knights were injured during routine training.

If there were injured, they would of course be taken to the infirmary, but having someone capable of healing magic on the spot increased the chances of helping.

There was also the matter of familiarity.

By interacting with the knights regularly, my understanding of their tactics in emergencies improved, and communication became smoother.

Knowing what kind of people they were made it easier to move and act.

“How have things been lately?
Have they settled down?”

“Yes…
We’re conducting regular extermination missions in the shallower parts of the forest.
There are few serious injuries, and we’ve also been inspecting the defensive wall, but no problems have been found there either.
I think it’s safe to say things are stable.”

“That’s good to hear.
Please don’t push yourself too hard, Sir Richard.”

“Thank you, Ellen.”

We exchanged ordinary, everyday conversation.

Nothing that could be called “progress” had really happened.

…The fact that I even think about it that way probably means I am aware of him.

As a member of the opposite sex.

But that doesn’t mean I’m about to confess my love or anything like that.

I haven’t taken such action.

Still, I can sense that Sir Richard doesn’t dislike me either.

And the same goes for me.

I’m sure it’s conveyed that I’m conscious of him as a man.

In fact, we often go shopping together, or spend our days off together.

It’s a relationship that feels like we’re dating, but also like we’re not.

I once thought that spending time on the battlefield might make feelings flare up intensely.

But somehow…

When I actually opened the lid, what awaited me was more like a gentle fire that burns steadily.

I’m not experiencing a passionate love that flares up all at once.

And I don’t think I ever will.

Instead, it feels like a relationship that can be built slowly and carefully over a long time.

Something where we could naturally live together in the future.

A quiet, indescribably gentle love.

That’s what I feel.

Right now, I’m hiding my status.

Though calling it “status” sounds dramatic—really, I’m just a divorced, fully grown viscount’s daughter.

So in that sense, I’m the same as any commoner seeking refuge with the church.

On the other hand, he’s a knight with a knightly title.

His ability stands out, but he’s still just a knight.

By the way, in our country, the Kingdom of Lance, a “knight” is equivalent to a baron.

And a “senior knight” is equivalent to a count.

It skips viscount entirely, which is… well, that’s just how it is.

There are various conditions required to be recognized as a senior knight.

But with Sir Richard’s ability, he should have been able to become one.

…I suspect he was obstructed from doing so.

Probably by the likes of the knight commander of the Pharmason ducal family.

Are we well matched now?

A commoner and an ordinary knight.

I think that’s not bad.

…If we set aside our respective nicknames.

My former husband and I did not marry for love.

It was a political marriage.

Now, standing on the same footing as a commoner and entrusting myself to this gentle affection, what I feel is…

“If I were to marry, this is the kind of relationship I’d want.”

Not a fiery, passionate love.

But a gentle love that continues slowly over time.

It doesn’t sound bad at all.

I found myself thinking that.

“By the way, Ellen.”

“Yes, Sir Richard?”

“It seems the Grandra Margrave will be returning soon.”

“…Ah.”

The Grandra Margrave.

I had actually met him once before.

It was shortly after we arrived in this territory.

He appeared before me while I was cooperating with the knight order and asked to see my and Sir Richard’s abilities.

Apparently, he had business that required him to leave the territory.

So he wanted to know whether there would be any issues with the knight order’s activities.

It seemed that Lady Annabel and the members of the Librow Trading Company were enthusiastically spreading rumors about Sir Richard and me.

That was how the margrave had heard of us.

“So this is the magic of the Battlefield Goddess Muse.”

“M-Muse!?”

Being called a goddess shocked me, of course.

Seriously, who spreads rumors calling someone a goddess?

Lady Annabel… I held a small grudge in my heart, but that’s a secret.

“With this, I can leave the territory with peace of mind.
Of course, only temporarily.”

The Grandra Margrave apparently had business in the royal capital.

And that business was…

“The hero Harid and Saint Livia, who saved my territory, are finally holding their wedding.
I plan to head to the capital to attend.”

“────”

I never imagined I’d hear those names here.

But then again, this was the land where they had met.

Of course the margrave would know about them.

Perhaps it was only natural.

The margrave didn’t seem to know who I really was.

Of course he wouldn’t.

News of the hero’s divorced former wife wouldn’t spread in this land.

As for my distinguishing features… at most, my light blue hair.

Even then, there were other women with similar hair color.

There was no way he would notice.

Besides, I’m using a false name now.

I watched the margrave leave for the capital to attend my former husband’s wedding to his affair partner.

My feelings were complicated, of course, but…

I didn’t have any lingering attachment to my former husband.

Part of me felt like I wanted some kind of closure, but remembering the malice of that “someone” I’d sensed back then…

I think it was the right decision to do everything I could to stay uninvolved.

Now that same margrave is returning to the territory.

Which means he has witnessed their wedding.

It’s been over a year since I left the Carlson estate.

Since I left divorce papers behind, the time since the divorce was finalized is probably just about a year now.

Surprisingly, they didn’t marry immediately after the divorce.

Perhaps that year was their engagement period?

At least in that regard, they were proper… or so I thought.

Up to now, I haven’t encountered any “pursuers” from them.

Was the situation I saw in my prophetic dream just needless worry?

Or was it because I took proper precautions that no one came after me?

Either way, now that they’re officially married, surely they have no more business with me.

I want to believe that.

“Ellen?
Are you all right?”

“Oh, sorry, Sir Richard.
I was just lost in thought.”

It’s no longer something that concerns me.

After all, we’re divorced.

Now… I want to face this gentle love, and nurture it.