<h4>873: Ward Dealer</h4>


    In response to Filuria’s 95% lies, Sophie repeated her resolution.


    「I will remain here.」


    「Then I will respect your desires. Again, I must ask you knights to leave for today. Isn’t that so, Seliadot?」


    「Certainly true. There’s no point in negotiating with hot heads.」


    The owner of the voice emerged from the back of the room in response to Filuria’s words.


    She must have been listening in on us while hidden.


    「You all should go back home and calm yourselves down. Let me give you a tip, try counting money. You’ll feel better in no time.」


    So this is Seliadot, the Rank A adventurer known as the Ward Dealer?


    Seeing her smiling next to Filuria really surprised me.


    I had assumed she was an adult, but she was practically a child! A pretty-looking young girl with tinum blonde hair tied into half-length twintails, who looked a bit on the plump side. She seemed even younger than Fran.


    No wait, she’s an elf. I can’t let myself be fooled by her appearance. She must be the “ancient loli” type.


    If she wasn’t working for the enemy, I would have been overjoyed to see this ssic character trope!


    Anyways, I didn’t notice her hiding at all, so she must have been making use of her warding stones. Fran’s excessive caution might be because of her subconsciously realizing that Seliadot was lurking nearby.


    These warding stones are a huge pain. I still have a bad matchup, but that’s not to say I’m at aplete disadvantage. After all, the warding stones and surveince wards are both made from magic stones.


    So as long as I can find them, I can destroy them in a single hit. I already tested it with the warding stones we found earlier.


    I only get 1 magic stone point from them since they are processed stones, but I can absorb them without issue.


    However, Seliadot is not an adventurerpletely specialized in warding.


    I could tell her level of talent just by looking at her. She’s pretty good at meleebat too. If I had not heard in advance that she was a warding expert, I might have mistaken her for a warrior.


    Meleebatbined with warding arts sounds terrifying just imagining it.


    The holy knight’s face went pale. Though an asshole, he seemed to have fully understood the power of Seliadot just by looking at her.


    「I-I’ll be back tomorrow!」


    「If you are going to continue being violent next time, I will prepare some countermeasures.」


    「……Just you wait!」


    The holy knight nced at Seliadot and turned on his heel in frustration. He threw a parting shot before leaving like a loser.


    After the holy knights left, a rxed atmosphere came to the floor. Among them, Fran was the only one who did not feel at ease.


    She was subject to both Filuria’s piercing gaze and Seliadot’s price-gouging stare.


    Filuria tilted her head as if to say that she did not know Fran.


    「……I’ve never seen this ck cat girl before, who is she?」


    Yeah, that’s a lie. We already knew it, but she was well aware of Fran’s identity.


    「This girl is quite strong. What is your name?」


    「Fran.」


    「Oh! You must be the ck Lightning Princess! That makes sense now! With someone like you guarding the saintess, those boys won’t be able toy a finger on her. What great fortune. Right, Medical Director-dono?」


    「Indeed.」


    Hmm? The Ward Dealer really doesn’t know Fran, and her worries about Sophie’s safety were sincere too.


    Does she really know nothing about Filuria’s dark secrets? Maybe she is really just a bodyguard?


    I had Fran ask a few questions.


    「What is your name?」


    「Ah yes, my name is Seliadot. I’m an adventurer, you know.」


    「The Ward Dealer?」


    「Exactly!」


    She wore such a friendly smile that it made it hard to believe she was an adventurer. I would have an easier time imagining her as some girl running down the street with her friends.


    「Are you the Medical Director’s bodyguard?」


    「Indeed.」


    「So you do whatever the Medical Director tells you to do? Even bad things?」


    「Hmm? That’s a weird question. A bodyguard ensures their master’s safety, and nothing more. If Medical Director-dono asks me do take on another job, I’ll simply refuse.」


    「Don’t you think you’re asking a pretty rude question when I’m right here? Seliadot, stop with the idle chit chat.」


    「Alright.」


    Filuria interrupted our conversation, perhaps sensing that it was headed in a bad direction. I guess that can’t be helped.


    But Seliadot wasn’t lying. It seems she really is just a bodyguard.


    Those warding stones and the surveince wards are also useful for guarding and surveince. She might be giving them to Filuria for that purpose.


    「Anyways…… You’re a ck cat, right?」


    「……Nn.」


    Filuria’s smile suddenly disappeared as she looked at Fran.


    「I believe I heard word of a ck cat girl trying to assassinate the saintess……」


    As soon as Filuria said this, all eyes were on Fran. They were rather suspicious of Fran in the first ce, since no one knew who she was.


    Then came the words of Filuria, who they trusted as well as Sophie. It was no wonder that everyone gave us such heavy stares.


    The guards readied their spears once more.


    But Sophie immediately stepped forward.


    「She is my friend, and would never assassinate me.」


    「Nn.」


    「When did you be friends with her?」


    「We fought antidemons together recently. I can assure you there is no problem with her.」


    As expected of a saintess, Sophie’s words instantly calmed down the crowd from the brink of eruption.


    「Hmm. I see.」


    「Well done finding a friend your age!」


    Seliadot smiled broadly, while Filuria simply sighed in a bored manner. Did she just try to drive a wedge in between Fran and Sophie?


    We really can’t let our guard down for a second.