Chapter 10
“Wow, still? That’s impressive.”
Allen, who had been genuinely impressed, quickly corrected himself when he saw Bjorn’s sour expression.
“Ah, of course, I’m not praising her. A woman who won’t give up even when the other party is this repulsed. You must have gone through quite an ordeal all this time. Even I wouldn’t like a woman who clings like a leech.”
As if he finally understood Bjorn’s desperation, Allen placed a hand on his shoulder and offered words of consolation in a markedly serious tone.
“……”
But it was strange. This should have been a situation where he felt gratitude toward Allen for finally taking his circumstances into account, yet for some reason, what welled up in Bjorn’s chest was… a subtle irritation?
A woman who clings like a leech, he says. Was it acceptable to casually spit out such a rude evaluation without ever having met her in person?
At least the Leila that Bjorn knew was not a woman so tenacious that she deserved words like that. She was somewhat persistent and deeply attached, but she did not approach and cling to him to the point of making him uncomfortable…
Before that line of thought could go any further, Bjorn realized he was defending her for no reason and cut off his thinking. Ignoring the odd state of his own mind, he continued speaking.
“It’s not that I dislike her. I just want to resolve this situation. If possible, peacefully.”
Yes, that was all Bjorn wanted. Quietly, like a gentleman. His goal was simply to make Leila give up her feelings. He did not particularly want to criticize her or brand her as a strange woman in the process.
“But you said it’s been ten years. Five years chasing you on her own, then another five years waiting, right? Unless she’s genuinely serious, her head has to be a bit wrong…”
“Sir Allen.”
When Bjorn called his name with a warning undertone, Allen finally looked at his expression and let out a small, confused “Huh,” sounding flustered.
“I’m not really understanding this right now. Don’t you dislike that woman? Ease up on the scorching glare, goodness. You’re scaring me to death.”
Suppressing the quiet anger that was slowly boiling over with each repeated explanation, Bjorn barely managed to reply.
“Whether I like her or not isn’t important. Haven’t I already said that I simply want to break through this situation?”
Yet Allen still looked unconvinced.
“No, I mean. To my ears, what you’re saying sounds like you don’t actually dislike her that much. Then why not just try dating her? Even if you’re a paladin, dating and marriage aren’t forbidden.”
“That is not possible.”
At the same time he answered, two pairs of eyes clearly asked, Why, so Bjorn continued, sounding resigned.
“I’m not in a position for that, nor do I have the intention. I simply want to cleanly settle everything before taking my vows to become a monk.”
“WHAT?!”
“You’re becoming a what?”
The shocked questions that burst out were entirely expected.
“It’s something I planned long ago. After the holy war ended, I became even more certain. I plan to become a monk and enter the monastery on Mount Ator.”
Bjorn stated his resolve with a firm attitude, as if he would accept no dissent.
“What is that all of a sudden…”
Muttering in stunned disbelief as he looked at Bjorn, Allen soon clicked his tongue, sounding resigned.
‘No matter how you look at it, this isn’t right.’
It’s obvious what kind of state their superior was in, but pushing back any further would probably be pointless right now. It might be better to let time pass and have him realize it himself, Allen judged quietly.
“Well, if that’s your decision, Vice Commander, we’ll respect it.”
Todd, however, was unaware of Allen’s deeper thoughts, and he still looked unable to recover from the shock as he muttered.
“But monks on Mount Ator can’t marry, and they can’t return to secular life either. Vice Commander, if you just waste away your prime like that… it’s a national loss…”
“Enough of that nonsense, Todd. Since the Vice Commander is that earnest, let’s do our best as well. To be honest, I already have a few methods that come to mind right away.”
“What are they?”
After what felt like a long waste of time, Bjorn finally asked eagerly upon receiving actual advice, and Allen stroked his chin and spoke with a thoughtful expression.
“First, you should meet with that young lady.”
“What do you mean, meet with her?”
“I mean you should try dating her, even if it’s only for a short period.”
Feeling as though the conversation had returned to square one, Bjorn pressed his fingers to his forehead.
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