My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin
Chapter 32
“I’m at Rank 8?”
Irene asked Bariel, sounding as if she couldn’t believe her ears.
“P-please, just one more time.”
“But…”
“I just can’t believe it. Could you please check one more time?”
“But I’ve already checked over ten times. Irene-nim, your purification rank is indeed Rank 8. I am certain.”
At Bariel’s words, Irene let out a short breath and brushed her hand over her face.
‘My purification power increased?’
When she was re-evaluated from Rank 10 to Rank 9, she had been surprised, but since the ranks were so similar, she had assumed there was simply an error.
But such a coincidence couldn’t happen twice.
“For now, I must go and report this. It’s my first time seeing a purifier’s rank change like this…”
Bariel, saying he was just as shocked, hurried out of the room. Left alone, Irene raised her hand to look closely at her ring.
If her purification power had truly changed, there was only one suspicious cause.
‘They said purification power rises if you absorb demonic energy, but that it requires an immense amount.’
That was why her purification power hadn’t changed in the slightest even after she had purified several buckets of monster blood.
‘But to think it rose a whole rank just from purifying the demonic energy Michael had yesterday?’
Certainly, the amount of demonic energy she took in yesterday was massive.
She had nearly fainted several times because of it. Each time, Michael had woken her back up to continue the purification.
However, she had assumed that was merely because her purification power was weak, and that it was nothing compared to the demonic energy those like the Princess purified.
She’d had no choice but to think that way. After all…
‘Michael was perfectly fine.’
When Michael had come to her yesterday, he was so calm it was hard to believe he had just finished subjugating a high-level dungeon.
With other knights, their state of agitation continues after a dungeon subjugation until purification is complete, or in cases of severe demonic poisoning, their eyes turn red and their behavior becomes violent.
Depending on the situation, they sometimes even attack their own purifiers.
But Michael was as composed as always.
Hadn’t Reina and Cynthia, who were with her, even shared perfectly normal conversations with him?
Therefore, she couldn’t have imagined that Michael had brought back enough demonic energy to boost her purification rank.
If he had, he surely would have shown some signs of abnormality.
‘Other than being a bit stubborn about demanding the purification, nothing else was out of the ordinary.’
Irene sighed and touched the ring.
The ring, which still wouldn’t budge from her finger, glittered in the sunlight.
“Irene! I heard you reached Rank 8!”
No longer calling her Irene-yang, Reina and Cynthia entered the room, addressing her familiarly by name.
In their hands were a massive bouquet of flowers and a large fruit basket.
It had been three days since her rank re-evaluation. Irene was now able to move around as usual, but she hadn’t stepped a single foot out of her room.
“Um, what is it like outside? I heard it’s a total mess.”
At Irene’s question, Reina’s eyes widened as if the answer were obvious.
“A mess? It’s more than that. The scholars who came because of Limitless Healing are practically foaming at the mouth. I heard they beg the Fortress dozens of times a day to let them meet you.”
“Haah…”
Meanwhile, Cynthia spoke as she placed the bouquet into a vase on the table.
“I heard from the maids that Princess Cecilia’s Faction is in the biggest uproar. They’re talking all day about whether Irene’s rank might eventually rise all the way to Rank 1.”
“What a ridiculous thing to worry about.”
Irene couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.
In truth, the difference between Rank 10 and Rank 9 wasn’t that large. Rank 8 was much the same.
But the power of a Rank 1 or Rank 2 was different. Even if you gathered thousands of Rank 10s, they couldn’t hope to compare to the purification power of a Rank 1.
Irene toyed with her ring as she spoke.
“I think the artifact just evolved because I got lucky. This is probably its limit.”
“But your rank might go up again, right? Anyway, since the topic of the gathering came up, I suppose now is a good time to tell you.”
Cynthia glanced at Reina. Reina cleared her throat with a small cough and then spoke cautiously.
“We’ve decided to form our own group. We’ve already gathered a fair number of people to join us. And about that…”
Irene wondered what she was trying to say. Reina hesitated, then clenched her fists with determination and spoke.
“We want Irene-yang to be the representative of our group!”
“Pardon? Me?”
Irene had guessed they would include her. Since Michael had said it was fine, it would have been strange not to include her in the group.
But the representative?
“I think it’s more appropriate for Reina to do it.”
Usually, the leader of a gathering was naturally the strongest purifier.
Among them, Reina, a Rank 2, was the strongest, so Irene couldn’t understand why they were trying to entrust it to her.
“But Irene, you have so much more knowledge! I already thought you were special when you gave advice about the high-level dungeon, but the more I talk to you, the more I realize just how much you know.”
Cynthia chimed in to support Reina’s words.
“That’s right. I also felt that Irene is very knowledgeable about dungeons and monsters.”
“That’s…”
“And Irene is Sir Michael’s pair. I think that fact alone will make many people interested in this group.”
As Reina spoke, Cynthia took over the explanation.
“From what I’ve heard from the maids, many purifiers in the Princess’s Faction are dissatisfied.”
“Dissatisfied?”
“Yes. The Princess doesn’t ask much of the strong purifiers, but she demands compensation from those Rank 5 and below under the guise of membership fees.”
Cynthia then relayed the stories she had heard from the maids.
The compensation the Princess wanted wasn’t a clearly defined amount or percentage.
Usually, she demanded a portion of the rewards, but if someone obtained a fine gemstone or a rare metal, she wanted the item itself.
Naturally, everyone was unhappy with the Princess’s demands, but no one could voice it openly.
They simply couldn’t speak up in front of the Princess; instead, they would vent their complaints to their pairs or other purifiers in similar situations back at their quarters.
The maids had overheard those grumbles in places where they weren’t noticed.
“Apparently, those who are disgruntled are desperate for another group to be formed. In a situation like this, if it’s a group that Sir Michael participates in, I think a lot of people will join.”
Irene fell into thought for a moment.
‘This is becoming much bigger than I expected.’
Though she had turned her back on the Princess, she hadn’t intended to actively oppose her.
But if she formed a group and even became its representative, it would be a direct act of rebellion.
There was no way the Princess would look kindly upon that.
‘I wanted to avoid it if possible.’
Even if she wasn’t afraid of her like she used to be, she wanted to avoid running into her if she could.
Even if it looked like she was running away, her mind judged that it was more beneficial and a wiser choice.
However…
When she closed her eyes, events from the past still surfaced vividly. Especially the Princess’s gaze, which had looked down on her like a loathsome insect.
In an instant, something surged from deep within her chest.
Why did she have to be subjected to such looks? Because she was a low rank? Because she was Michael’s pair?
None of those were valid reasons to despise a person.
‘Besides, now that I’ve openly turned away, she’ll pick a fight at every turn anyway.’
If so, moving around within the Fortress would become a hassle.
‘Also, if Reina takes the role of representative instead of me…’
Reina and Felix had said they only planned to stay at the Fortress this year and didn’t want to come back next year.
But that was merely their dream; in all likelihood, they would be forced back to the Fortress next year to continue the subjugations.
If that happened, there was no way the Princess would leave Reina alone.
‘But if I am the representative and draw all the arrows of resentment toward myself…’
If Reina changed her mind and decided to join the Princess’s Faction next year, it might be easier for her.
‘Because I can just say I instigated everything.’
Since she was the one who would eventually leave anyway, it would be better to take all the resentment with her.
Irene looked up. She saw Reina and Cynthia watching her with tense expressions.
It was a strange feeling.
In the original timeline, Reina would have already lost her pair and been dragged away from here by her family by now.
Cynthia, too, would have remained quietly in a corner of the Fortress with a dark expression, never having shared a word with her.
But now, the two were looking at Irene with faces full of anticipation.
Irene was the same; she had changed.
In the past, she would have stayed holed up in her room, thinking of this Fortress as a prison.
Now, she was sitting in a sun-drenched spot, facing people she could call friends.
“Alright.”
Irene made up her mind.
“Let’s do it.”
Since things had come to this, she was going to do it right.
