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The long festival has come to an end.

Beyond the splendid fireworks, only the irregular melodies played by the wind remain.

Having gotten unnecessarily involved from the very first day, the past five days have been tumultuous. With the festival wrapping up, I made sure to stay by Shione’s side until she fell asleep, before returning to my room.

There’s something I need to check.

Right after I shared a kiss with Shione, something familiar caught my eye.

I lay in bed, looking at the remnants of Park Shin-woo, not Ray.

[You’ve obtained Shione Shianella’s first kiss.]

[With the deep bond shared with her, your power is greatly unlocked.]

“This is…”

Mana surged through me.

It was a significant difference from the meager increase before.

The mana now seems to be twice what it was. With this much, the burden of wind magic would clearly diminish. I should be able to handle fire in practice now.

‘I never expected my mana to increase so much from a kiss.’

I felt entirely drained.

When Shione had leaned in during the dawn at the shooting range, I shouldn’t have foolishly held back.

So many troublesome things had happened since then. If I had this mana back then, I could’ve dealt with that annoying Adelhaite. And I would’ve been able to handle the orcs in the blizzard with relative ease.

I let out a hollow laugh.

But my eyes didn’t stop moving.

This wasn’t all the information I had.

[Shione Shianella’s trust and affection are nearing the peak.]

[Her evaluation of you is “my own knight.”]

[When within a certain distance of Shione Shianella, protecting her or taking down an enemy will substantially unlock your power.]

I had seen something similar before.

On the way to the Feiosha Marquis Family, after killing those cultists, I received a reward.

At that time, my evaluation was “the most reliable knight,” and my power was only unlocked when protecting her.

Now, the letters have decreased to “my own knight,” but the weight of that “my own” with “knight” attached to it was quite heavy.

Moreover, now not only when I protect my clumsy mistress but also when I beat up the enemies around her, a significant portion of my original power will return. It’s a good sign.

“I received a decent gift from the festival.”

No, in this barbaric world, my original power isn’t just decent—it’s an invaluable gift.

In a world where everything could collapse at any moment, strength is extremely important.

‘Speaking of which, Siabel said she’d teach me to wield a sword.’

Now that the festival is over, if the cult matters get settled, she might soon call for me.

I still have a few thoughts left to consider…

I gently closed my eyes.

It’s late now. I’ll think about the rest tomorrow morning.

…..

The day after the festival ended.

The Count’s estate was more chaotic than ever.

Of course. With such rumors circulating, how could the gossiping male servants stop chatting, and how could all the soldiers remain complacent?

—A horde of monsters is approaching from the Demonic Realm. Soldiers, straighten yourselves and prepare for a defensive battle.

Given the contents of the rumors, all the early-rising servants were discussing this topic. I simply eavesdropped on their conversation.

‘Out of nowhere, a horde of monsters is marching here.’

No matter how you look at it, what kind of absurd rumors are these?

If it were a normal situation, I would just brush it off.

“First War”

“Your involvement has changed the course of history. Originally, if there had been no interference at the altar in the Beltlin Mountains this summer, the war that should have begun with the ambush on Princess Adelhaite’s coming-of-age ceremony would be postponed to winter. The Shianella lineage, bound by a blood oath etched in their veins, will defend their territory. Help them and stop the advancing foes.”

“Reward: New potentials for your being, weakening of demons.”

“Failure: Varies depending on the level of failure.”

“Damn.”

Now that a quest has appeared, the rumors are no longer mere rumors.

*

The proclamation that a war would soon break out within the territory spread like wildfire.

The estate was thrown into chaos, and the disciplined soldiers and priests from the Church managed hard to prevent internal breakdown. Thus, the Count’s estate was steeped in a heavy atmosphere of impending war.

“That’s too bad. Teaching you swordsmanship will have to wait a bit longer. Honestly, talk about bad luck. Everything I promised you always gets pushed back.”

Siabel set aside her plans to teach me sword techniques and led the soldiers.

Although the soldiers were frightened, they had no intention of fleeing.

The women clad in armor, wielding swords, walked steadfastly through the estate, patrolling the area beneath the western walls.

Those with the resolve were signing up to join the Count’s legion.

Those who didn’t ran off to the eastern walls which were thought to be safer, or climbed onto carriages headed for other territories. There were even people willing to walk alone for miles. The atmosphere in the estate was close to the worst it could be.

Ravi had expensive magical devices that allowed communication with the Marquis family at any time. Thanks to this, Ainel managed to keep those famous wizards at the Count’s estate with dialogue. Of course, only the wizards would participate in the defense; Aria’s safety was assured separately.

“I have something to discuss with Shione and Ray.”

Then Ainel directly approached us.

She was not adorned as the head of the family but was clad in armor as a knight with a sword at her side.

After concluding my conversation with Ainel, several days passed.

A few swift monsters began approaching the walls.

They were weak creatures, so there was no significant issue for the soldiers to deal with, but I could feel the war drawing near.

The family closest to the Count’s estate was the Belreia Count family, whom Shione’s childhood friend belonged to. Reinforcements and supplies arrived. Several war mages and renowned cavalry knelt before Ainel.

Other families were relatively far away, so it would take more time for support to arrive.

Two more days passed.

At the western walls, precisely towards the Beltlin Mountains, all sorts of war supplies gathered. The area below the walls was filled with disciplined soldiers, and Shione and I were walking through this tense setting.

“Are you not feeling nervous?”

“Of course, I would be. It’s not a trivial battle; my mother said this defensive battle would determine the fate of our family.”

“Moreover, the head has ordered you to mount the walls and pierce the enemies, Princess Shione.”

“Well, I did go over the wall after all. At a time when every single soldier counts, using an archer like me is bound to be a waste. And if it gets too dangerous, I can come down from the wall and make my escape.”

I stopped walking and looked directly at Shione.

“…The monsters will pile up bodies to create mountains, and those that survive will climb over those mountains to reach the walls.”

At this, Shione quietly fiddled with her bow, meeting my gaze.

That innocent girl was exuding a calm demeanor yet slowly trembling. That serene expression was just a facade.

“The place above will be a scene of carnage. It’s bound to become the most merciless battlefield.”

I know well.

“It will be hard. Once you let it stain your eyes, you won’t find peace in sleep. The walls will turn red, filled with screams and the smell of blood.”

Back when I was a hunter.

I had experienced defensive battles before.

It was when I fell into a ruined world and had to strategize my way through. There were moments of protracted struggles back at an old castle with a handful of forces and a single wall as our only barrier.

Despite clearing numerous dungeons, I wouldn’t hesitate to say the devastation from that time rivaled the horrors of even much higher-level dungeons.

“It’s dangerous. The beasts with a lack of reasoning aren’t the type to understand conversations. They’ll charge at you, Princess Shione.”

It’s not a place suitable for an archer who had only just found her footing again after a year.

She could be caught by a monster and perish, or the fragile psyche of Shione might shatter.

“It’s not too late even now. I can speak with Ainel. Perhaps it’s best to ensure you never have to set foot up there and recommend staying behind like Sion.”

At that moment, I couldn’t understand why Shione nodded without a hint of hesitation at Ainel’s command.

“No, it’s fine.”

“You’re trembling.”

“…”

“Are you truly okay?”

“…Yes. It’s just—”

Shione nodded faintly.

“With you by my side, I have nothing to worry about.”

“…Huh?”

“You said you would protect me, my own knight; that’s why I have no worries at all.”

“…”

“Besides that…you’ve been telling me recently that I shouldn’t be too obsessed with recreating the myths of my ancestors and that I shouldn’t drown too deeply in my own name and character.”

Shione tilted her head slightly, smiling gently.

“So let it be so. What’s ‘Shianella’ anyway? If it gets too dangerous, I plan to retreat below the wall to save myself too.”

“You said the family’s fate hangs in the balance. Although it would be the worst situation for us to come to, if our family were to perish in this war…then letting go of the name would be worth considering. Just living happily together as Shione and Ray in a small village would be nice.”

“Should we lose after a tough struggle and turn back, I wouldn’t consider it a betrayal of the Count’s estate but an unavoidable surrender. Your heart wouldn’t scold me for it either.”

Shione stepped a little closer to me.

“You said Shione is more important than Shianella. I too think you are more important than my name.”

Having said that, she turned her gaze upward toward the walls.

“If I become gravely injured and fall asleep or die, I won’t be able to meet you again. So, I won’t let anything happen to us up there; therefore, worry less. I’ll shoot only as much as I can with a clear conscience. Would you grant me this?”

“Ha…”

It appeared Shione had already made up her mind.

Though a bit afraid, she looked steadily at the world, having firmly established her beliefs.

She must have made compromises with her name to some extent. The weight I bore for her must have helped her in breaking out of her excessive obsession.

“If it gets dangerous, I’m going to pull you down below the wall right away.”

Shione merely nodded in response.

Then we ascended the walls.

The view over the territory and outside was compelling from such a height.

Time shifted.

The sun set, and the moon rose.

Numerous mages and archers gathered on the walls, with Siabel and Diolia quietly watching over their backs.

Before I knew it, Ainel had stood beside Shione. We gazed in the same direction.

Beyond that horizon.

We merely continued to watch quietly, wondering if the enemy was coming or not.

Then it happened.

Whoooooooosh—

A woman standing on the watchtower blew the horn without hesitation.

“They’ve finally arrived.”

Ainel tightened her grip on the sword’s hilt.

Enemies began to appear beyond the horizon.

Under the moonlight, thousands of troops marched toward the walls.

The moon symbolizes madness and demons.

Just like the monsters that go wild every night, they treat this late hour as their true time.

They advanced without ceasing, shaking the earth.

Seeing the grotesquely large number of them from afar left me horrified.

“Ah…”

…Right now, I should just pull Shione down from the walls without hesitation.

 

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