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“Of course. You’re very popular, Captain. The Dark Knights didn’t pick on me outright because they listen to your orders. However, it’s a different story for the nobles that have their eyes set on you.”

The bullying of nobility was dark and persistent in another sense. Their harassment was more encompassing than that of commoners. In the past iteration, several mages from noble houses had held a grudge against me. They resented that I stuck around Fabian despite being a support mage. The mere thought of what they did to me was tiring. And, this time, we were talking about Dark Knight Mayer Knox! Moreover, it wasn’t at the level of “sticking around”. If the misunderstanding about the relationship between us were to spread to high society… Yeugh. I could see clear as day what would happen during the performance report meeting.

Not knowing how much I had suffered back then, Mayer still seemed disbelieving. “Is that… really all there is to it?”

“That’s what I’m trying to say. You can act like an onlooker since you never get bullied outright, but it’s a real bother for me, alright?” I grumbled. Mayer seemed to find it so suspicious that I didn’t care about Fabian in the least. The man would always go on about Fabian whenever something happened. While I understood why he minded, it was frustrating. It felt like he wasn’t acknowledging me as one of his. “I don’t care if Fabian gets the wrong idea or not. What does it matter in the first place? To him, I’m just a former comrade; a comrade that he abandoned himself. Besides, there’s nothing between us this time. Whether I date you or not, Captain, it’s none of Fabian’s business.”

“The heart of a man is not as straightforward as you put it.”

“Do you know what that’s called? Being shameless. And I have no intention of playing along with that.”

Mayer seemed bewildered. He avoided my eyes, apparently surprised that I was expressing such disgust. “I… presumed that you were fond of Fabian. Romantically, I mean.”

I stared at him in silence. Well, it’d be a lie to say I didn’t like him at all… Mayer sure was sharp. But nothing good would come from revealing the emotions Fabian and I had shared. Especially not to Serial Mistruster Mayer Knox! I sighed and discreetly changed the subject. “Don’t be ridiculous. In any case, the rumors about Reverend August are lies too, so don’t bother too much about it, Captain.”

I was a little apprehensive as Mayer could read my expression so well. Although he didn’t chase the matter about Fabian, he didn’t ease up when it came to August. He immediately shook his head as he said, “That is a different case.”

It wasn’t different at all! I almost ended up raising my voice. With a forced smile, I asked gently, “What’s different?”

“The gossip about us is bewildering, yes… but as the people involved, we know that there is nothing between us.”

“It’s the same with Reverend August,” I pointed out.

“No. I trust in Reverend August, but that is a separate matter. You are a good person. He may feel attracted.”

“…Excuse me?” August… and me? He was either overestimating me or insulting August. I gazed at Mayer, wondering about his sanity. He stared back squarely in silence without backing down in the least. In fact, so squarely that I got the feeling that I might have heard him wrong. He wore such a brazen face that I couldn’t believe he had spouted such nonsense.

But Mayer’s subsequent words shattered my small hope. “If such rumors are already circulating, it means that you two are being overly close. What I am saying is… he may misunderstand your good intentions.”

He was driving me crazy. I didn’t even know how to retort. Unable to believe what I was hearing, I could only manage to repeat what Mayer had said. “So you’re saying… Reverend August might misunderstand my generosity?”

“That is quite possible.” He nodded.

It still sounded absurd to me and I felt deep frustration. He was fine with rumors about me being involved with him, but not August. There should be a limit to being distrustful!

“If not, then why meet at that time and in such a dark place?” He added. “I say, there is definitely a need for you to be more careful.”