The next morning, after breakfast, the two of them set out. Lintis and Shilo arrived at the farm’s open field early, with the former having already dragged her lounge chair out. Watching the Saintess carry the lounge chair—which was taller than her entire body—with one hand, Shilo felt speechless. He really didn’t know whether to call her diligent or lazy, but that wasn’t important.
“Saintess, are we learning a different enhancement spell today?” Shilo looked over with anticipation.
Incidentally, the reason he asked only now was that last night’s time had been completely taken up by repairing the fence. On top of that, for reasons unknown, the Saintess had sent him to pick apples, and there were other farm chores. He had been busy until late at night.
“Mr. Shilo, you look quite eager, but unfortunately, no~” Lintis blinked, finding it amusing.
“Then what is it?” Shilo asked, puzzled.
Lintis chuckled lightly, then sat down on the rocking chair before speaking. “Of course, we’re continuing the practice of [Enhancement Spell: Pierce Sword]. Your skill level is still far from good enough. The threads are almost as thick as both of my arms!”
“Well… no need to be discouraged. Just practice slowly. Even though it’s a basic holy spell, in reality, most knights only master one or two types. Human energy is limited. Focusing on a suitable direction is the right approach.”
With that, Lintis propped her chin on one hand and looked Shilo up and down before continuing:
“As for you, Mr. Shilo, you seem quite suited for [Pierce Sword] right now. You can practice it more~”
“Also… you’re already pretty strong now. Roughly… hmm… you should be around level 30-something.”
Hearing the unfamiliar term, Shilo was visibly taken aback.
“Saintess, what does level 30-something mean?”
“Oh, sorry. I forgot there’s no internet here. Hmm… let me think how to explain it to you…”
“In short, it’s a rating system introduced by the church to estimate combat power.”
“From low to high, it’s numbers 1 to 100.”
“An adult male is roughly level 5. For adventurers, taking Isol City as an example, they’re generally around levels 10 to 20. The previous you, Mr. Shilo, was around level 20-something.”
“After completing holy power sublimation and mastering enhancement spells, your rating is now around 30-something. If you were to encounter that golem again, you could take it down alone.”
After clearly realizing that his strength had improved significantly, Shilo clenched his fist, unable to hide his excitement. But then he thought of something and asked:
“Then what level are you, Saintess, and Lady Ifreya, and those ordinary escort knights?”
Hearing this, Lintis blinked and flashed a mischievous grin.
“Mr. Shilo~ Are you scouting the enemy’s strength~”
“…If you don’t want to say, then forget it…” Shilo’s cheeks flushed slightly. He snorted coldly and turned his face away. Just as he was about to start training, he heard the Saintess’s voice.
“I can tell you~”
Her sweet voice made Shilo pause, and seeing his reaction, Lintis burst out laughing.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. It’s not a big deal anyway. I’ll tell you~”
“The escort knights are generally around level 50. They’re the elite among knights. As for Ifreya, she’s probably around 70 or so. She’s among the top batch of paladins, even though she’s never actually been tested.”
“As for me…” Lintis paused, her smile radiant. She spread her hands, putting on an innocent look.
“Mr. Shilo, take a guess~”
“…Level 80?”
Recalling the Saintess’s performance in previous scenes, Shilo asked tentatively.
Hearing this, Lintis pretended to be embarrassed and patted Shilo, chuckling.
“I’m not that amazing~”
“Well… I’ve never been tested either, and it’s hard to calculate. I have too many skills, and it’s difficult to say whether many of them constitute combat power.”
“If I had to give a rating, I’m probably around level 60-something, similar to an ordinary paladin. But… I have few offensive moves. It’s hard to say who would win in a fight against a paladin. Anyway, I can’t beat Ifreya. Hmm…”
At this point, Lintis looked visibly dejected. Not only her, but Shilo also seemed a bit down. He had thought he was almost on par with those escort knights… But the gap was still this big?
Without a word, Shilo materialized his sword and began his training for the day. His resolute face was full of unwillingness and defiance.
Watching this, Lintis blinked, her dejection vanishing. After all, she was still young, and Ifreya was over thirty years old.
Wasn’t it only natural that she couldn’t beat her? As for Mr. Shilo… she had thought he might be deeply discouraged.
Lintis curled her lips, very satisfied with the young knight’s behavior.
……
Time reached noon.
After having lunch together, Lintis was ready for a satisfying nap. But then she saw through the window that Mr. Shilo was standing in the open field, holding something in his hand.
Her eyes, which had been a bit drowsy just moments ago, instantly lit up. She put on her shoes and trotted over.
“Mr. Shilo! Mr. Shilo!”
Hearing the noise, Shilo glanced over and saw the Saintess, who seemed inexplicably excited.
“What is it, Saintess?”
“Is there something in that envelope you’re holding?” Lintis blinked, pointing at the envelope in his hand.
It was the same style, still from the church. Shilo understood and simply handed the letter over. After the Saintess took it, he casually explained:
“It says there’s a new anomaly over at the Black Forest. Apparently, something of a mage’s went out of control, and they want me to go deal with it.”
“But… I wasn’t planning to go. If it’s not a tainted creation, it’s not a knight’s job. That’s work for adventurers.”
“Huh? You’re not going!?” Lintis’s eyes widened in shock.
Seeing this, Shilo raised an eyebrow.
“Do you want to go, Saintess?”
“Hmm…” Lintis tapped her chin, thought for a moment, and nodded. “Magical creations interest me quite a bit~ Especially magic books. Maybe it’s some lost magic~”
“Then let’s go.”
Lintis, who was about to say something else, was taken aback. She watched Shilo, who was already heading back to the house to change clothes, and said, “Mr. Shilo, why did you agree so readily?”
Shilo turned around midway, looking puzzled. “Saintess, didn’t you want to go? I’ll go with you. Didn’t you come with me last time to deal with the taint?”
Lintis smirked mischievously, put her hands behind her back as she sidled up to Shilo, and deliberately teased:
“So it’s for me, then~”
“…If you say so, then it is.”
“Hehe, so that’s how it is~”
“Honestly, can’t you just admit it?”
“Mind your own business.”