If you were to choose the characters that represent Kente Village, the first thing people would think of was Battle Priest Brukin.
The name of the protagonist of the Holy Demon War, which took place more than 20 years ago, was certainly famous.
However, if you asked the villagers in Kente, most people would mention Renelle’s name first, not Brukin’s.
Renelle Maritechal.
A swordswoman with skills destined to dominate her era, even recognized by the kingdom’s knights. She was an unlucky woman whose remark about marrying whoever could defeat her had been misunderstood as a joke. Rumors spread, painting her as an old maid desperate for marriage.
Her unique sense of fashion, ahead of its time, became a source of ridicule. People in the village started treating her like a deranged eccentric. Yet, her talent for teaching swordswomanship and martial arts to Julius—the greatest heretic inquisitor in the kingdom—and to Krail and Thalia, who would become second only to him, was undeniable.
Renelle, such an accomplished swordswoman, was in a foul mood today.
Although Thalia had partially helped her recover from the stigma of being labeled a mentally unstable pervert, recent events had put her on edge. Misfortune followed her relentlessly.
After Finn nagged her all morning, she dropped the bread she had just bought before she could take a bite. The shorts she had left out to dry were blown away by the wind, and a black bird flying overhead narrowly missed dropping poop on her. These strange coincidences weighed on her mind.
“I didn’t commit any blasphemy, so why on earth is this happening to me?” she wondered, frustrated.
If Rosa, the owner of the clothing store, were around, she would have smacked Renelle on the back and told her to change her clothes. But sadly, Rosa, her older sister, was not with her now.
“… Wait. A life filled with tension like this… Could it help with my practice?”
Though falsely accused, Renelle was a swordswoman devoted to the path, like one married to the sword. As she mulled over whether she could use her streak of bad luck for spiritual growth, her steps halted in front of a small path.
Ten years ago, she had been sent to the capital with Brukin, Priestess Emily, and a sweet pupil to teach. The mansion she now stood before belonged to Julius. It had been a while since he returned to his hometown, and Renelle wanted to greet him properly despite recent mishaps.
Had Julius seen her now, he might have fled in panic. But her intentions were purely to visit her former student, and the thought of him running away would have saddened her.
As she approached the mansion, she dodged a falling tree branch and twisted the neck of a venomous snake carried by the wind. The sight reminded her of Grandpa Mila, her old drinking companion, and she sniffled at the memory.
“Hehehe, hehehe,” she chuckled to herself. “Julius, your teacher is here. Open the door for a moment.”
After clearing her throat and adjusting her clothes, she knocked politely twice.
Unfortunately, Julius was in the commercial city of Lenti, dining with his wife. Renelle, unaware of his absence, trudged back home without seeing her student.
After spending the whole day chatting nonsense with strangers in the market, rumors spread through Kente by nightfall. The word on the street was that Julius had fled in the night to escape the old maid swordswoman.
“… Really! Stop teasing me, you rotten b*stards!!”
Laughter echoed around her. It seemed that Renelle would remain a subject of ridicule for a long time.
***
Late morning, when the sun was slowly climbing the sky.
Julius, the kingdom’s most powerful heretic inquisitor, blinked his sleepy eyes as he sat up. His long blond hair was neatly tied back.
After countless nights dreaming of Cecile, this was the first time he had slept without seeing her in his dreams. He turned his head and gently touched the face of the woman lying next to him.
This was Cecile Lionelta—the Emperor’s Nightmare and, at the same time, the woman he loved. But the worries that plagued Julius had not subsided.
The first time he accepted the devil’s wager, it was to recover his wife’s body. However, seeing her alive and vibrant, he had fallen into the devil’s trap without realizing it. If he wasn’t careful, he feared he might forget that Cecile had died.
Julius pulled out the shining silver locket from around her neck, gently running his fingers over it. In a low voice, he asked, “… I don’t know what the truth is. Am I on the right path, honey? Are you really here with me, or am I betraying you?”
He wanted to hold the woman in front of him and whisper his love. He longed to shout to the world that she was alive. But if all this was just a devil’s mirage, the void awaiting him would shatter his heart beyond repair.
At this moment, Julius felt like a coward. He needed guidance. Yet, neither God nor the treasured silver necklace could provide him with an answer.
“Haam… Are you awake, honey? I’m still tired… Let’s sleep a bit longer,” Cecile murmured, her voice sweet as honey.
Julius lay down beside her again, closing his eyes. He prayed silently,
‘Please, let this not be a lie.’
***
“… You want to learn how to cook?”
“Yes! Cooking! I want to cook like a witch from a fairy tale!”
“… Did witches even cook in fairy tales?” Julius tilted his head in confusion, glancing at the bright-eyed woman standing before him.
“When the Lord created humans, He gave everyone unique talents to create harmony,” Julius said calmly.
“He must have enjoyed spouting lies things like that!” Cecile added cheerfully, her blasphemous remark making Julius glare at her briefly before continuing.
“So, everyone has their role. That’s how it works.”
“Then a wife’s role is to cook, right?” Cecile asked innocently.
“… No. You should give up cooking because you have no talent for it.”
Julius’s cold words hit her like an arrow. Cecile, frustrated, flailed her arms in protest. He rarely showed any affection, fearing he might hurt her, yet now he was being strangely blunt.
“Giving up without even trying is a terrible habit! Since when did you become such a world-weary adult?” Cecile snapped.
“It’s not the world—it’s your cooking,” Julius replied dryly.
Cecile’s cooking skills were so disastrous that not even Julius, who lived on love and devotion, could stomach them.
With nothing more to say, Cecile waved her arms in exasperation before grinning mischievously.
“… Then you’ll make the lunch box?”
“… What lunch box?”
“This one! We promised to try making it! You’re really doing this on purpose!”
Cecile patted a thin notebook containing their old promises and wishes. It looked as pristine as the day they first wrote in it.
Sponsor Chapters at the Patreon Shop: Along with BuymeaCoffee where you can now make payments in your local currency, the Shop section on Patreon can be used as a way to make a one-time-payment. I will be creating products in the Shop section with the title of the webnovels. It will only have an image as the product, but it will count as the payment for the Sponsored Chapters.
For example: You will buy the product with the title “Flower Stealing Master” to sponsor a chapter for the novel. As far as I know, you can buy the same product multiple times, so you should be able to sponsor as many chapters you want. I hope it was easy to understand.
Introducing KN WN Bundle ($15) for those who prefer to read only KR webnovels. This bundle gives you access to all the advance chapters of the Korean Webnovels on Goblinslate immediately, and will stay ahead of the regular release for the month! Get it on Patreon!
That means, you get:
PTTV – Four Advance Chapters! ($10)
IPUAW – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
MSAS – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)
MWD – Two Advance Chapters! ($5)