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As Rose greeted Walter with a warm smile, she raised her upper body to welcome him. The Great Sage, who had quietly been keeping watch beside Rose, also stood up, leaning on his staff, and bowed his head towards Walter.

“You’ve arrived. Shall I make way for you?”

“Uh, just for a moment, please.”

At Walter’s words, Jenis stepped out of Rose’s room without hesitation, taking her staff with her. As Jenis gave a slight nod to the two before leaving, Walter sat down in the chair beside Rose’s bed and firmly held her hand.

“How are you? Can you speak properly?”

“Do I sound like a stranger who’s never seen me before? Did you forget that we chatted for about an hour last time?”

Rose responded with a smirk, somewhat incredulous. Walter shrugged his shoulders.

“I heard you were feeling hurt because I wasn’t paying attention to you, so I tried to act like I cared.”

“Because of that remark, you looked like someone who was neglecting my condition. By the way, Alex, this really…”

“I heard that you were worried about me. It’s true that I’ve been busy enough that I can’t visit you often. Even now, being this close, it’s hard to see you more than once or twice a day…”

Walter glanced at the bandages wrapped tightly around Rose’s neck, which Jenis Harker had magicked and secured. Jenis had assured that Rose’s bleeding was perfectly sealed, and in time, the bandages would become unnecessary, but warned that any sudden movement or excitement could reopen the wound.

The Demon King’s claw had made a precise cut on Rose’s neck. Without the barrier of the ironclad protection, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had died on the spot. If this wound were to reopen under unfortunate circumstances, who knows what disaster could unfold? Above all, in my opinion, it’s best to heed the doctor’s advice. Until Jenis declares her completely healed, Rose must maintain absolute stability.

“Walter. Don’t you have something to say to me?”

Seeing the hesitant expression of the hero, Rose smiled slyly and asked. Walter nodded once, his expression resolute.

“Rose. If I were to say, even if it’s unreasonable, to stay by my side, would you grant my request?”

“Is that your choice? Asking me to stay here in the northern region?”

Rose asked with amusement. When Walter lightly nodded his head, Rose turned her gaze away from the hero and lay back looking at the ceiling.

“I don’t want to.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to. What will you do if I say that? What if I say I want to go back to Caprice and heal my wounds in a safe place without the risk of fighting? Hmm, or maybe I should just retire at this point? After facing the Demon King so severely, I don’t even want to look at swords anymore. What do you think about that?”

“Don’t joke around, Rose. I’m serious right now.”

“Joking, yes. That is indeed the case. But who knows if it will always just be a joke? Neither I nor you.”

“What does that even mean?”

“If you have something you want to say to me, if you wish for something, feel free to give me a command. You’re good at that. Orders, directives, commands, those sorts of things. I’ve been accustomed to everyone following my words since birth, but you seem to struggle to give orders even under the current circumstances. In reality, everyone around you is just waiting for your command.”

“What… kind of command are you talking about?”

“A command to fight for you. A command to live for you. If needed, a command to die for you.”

At Rose’s words, Walter abruptly stood up, his face flushed red as he struggled to keep himself from shouting.

“Don’t say things like that, Rose. The sight of you bleeding and collapsing on the floor is still vivid in my mind; hearing such words makes it impossible for anyone, no matter how cool-headed, to maintain their composure.”

“I’m sorry, that was a bit much. Especially for someone like you, the weak-hearted hero?”

Rose looked up at Walter, beaming. The hero shook his head, defeated, and sat back down, taking Rose’s hand again.

“I’m not weak-hearted; it’s just your current state… No, forget it. No need for banter. Rose, do you want me to be more authoritative? To the point of demanding you stay, even if you don’t want to?”

“It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re authoritative as a hero or a commander. Whether you ask or command, regarding military matters, I will follow you without fail. What I wish for is simply… that you could be a bit more honest about what you personally want. I’ve been observing you for quite some time, yet I still find it hard to grasp what picture you’re painting, what you desire.”

“I… see that other people misunderstand. You’re not well aware of Jenis’ intentions, are you? There might be some common ground amongst those who can see the future.”

“That’s different. That girl is an important figure, but with me… I’ll inevitably clash with her someday. Both of us feel it instinctively.”

“She’s the one who saved your life.”

“I know that too. But if I have the chance to save her life in a similar situation, I would throw myself in without hesitation. That’s a completely different matter. What I mean to say is that the reason I can’t read her thoughts isn’t just because she’s the Great Sage, but because she considers me a political rival and keeps her thoughts hidden. But you and I aren’t in that kind of relationship.”

At Rose’s words, Walter looked troubled.

“I don’t quite get it. Politics? Rivals? Everyone is going through a tough time. Everyone’s goals are aligned in this era. Why must we fight over our own bowls of rice?”

“Even in the era when humans were sharpening stones into weapons, there were fights over bowls of rice. Back then, it was quite literally fights over bowls of rice. Heroes would first engage in test of strength. If not, they wouldn’t be heroes.”

Walter chuckled at Rose’s words. Looking back, even at the beginning of the hero’s appointment, there was a subtle competition between Rose and Walter regarding military power. Ultimately, Walter took swift action to purge corrupt officials from the Imperial Army and implement reforms, gaining control of the entire military, allowing Rose to quietly follow his lead.

Perhaps, from that moment, Rose completely fell for Walter. He had faced her subtle threats without flinching, responding with laughter, and had perfectly dominated her in the struggle for power without leaving even a slight opening. For the 18-year-old “Ironclad Crown Princess” who had been coddled all her life, it was a shocking upheaval in her world and a humiliation she had never felt before.

“Walter. You can command me whenever you want. You are one of the few men in this world who can give me orders.”

“Are you placing me on the same level as the Emperor?”

“The Emperor’s authority is ultimately nothing, Walter. H. Hellhound. It is mere superficial power that can be wielded based on bloodline.”

“If you hadn’t said that, it could have been construed as a case of royal slander.”

Walter spoke with a stunned expression. Rose shook her head as she continued.

“It’s a bit strange for me to say this myself, but the name Anton Caprice will linger in the wings. He will be remembered as the great Emperor who defended the Empire against its worst enemy, but that’s just history. Walter, you are a legend and also a tale. We will win, and once we do, your name shall not stay confined to history. Command me, Walter. As a living legend, as my rightful commander. Command me to stay, to guard your side, to not leave.”

“Crown Princess of the Audrich Empire, Rose Caprice.”

Walter whispered while holding Rose’s hand tightly. Rose slightly raised her body from the bed and nodded towards Walter.

“Yes, Your Excellency. Command me.”

“Until I can manage on my own without you, until I feel I can endure being far away from you, don’t stray too far from me. Here, in this place, at a distance my hand can reach, maintain your place. So this legion does not crumble, so this Northern Expedition does not fail. And… so that I do not fall. This is a command from your commander.”

Rose leaned toward Walter, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Yes, as you’ve commanded.”

“This feels awkward; we’ve never spoken like this.”

“It’s a tone we sometimes use when playing commander, right? I like it when you get possessive. Especially when you’re being greedy about me, I can’t help but feel joy. In front of you, I’m just a woman in love. There’s nothing happier than knowing you want me.”

“I… I’m happy just knowing you feel that way about me.”

At that moment, lost in their own world, the hero and the crown princess suddenly got distracted by the growing murmur outside the tent.

Walter released Rose’s hand and turned his steps toward the door. Rose lay back down on the bed and gestured for him to go.

“Go on. It could be important. A hero cannot afford to ignore matters happening in the military.”

“I understand, Rose. Take care of yourself and rest well. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be waiting, so you really must come back soon?”

With Rose playfully sticking out her tongue, Walter slowly walked out of the door.

Outside the tent, soldiers had clustered together, gazing up at the sky while chattering among themselves. Amidst the commotion of the camp, only the Great Sage maintained a silent vigil, looking up at the sky while leaning on her staff.

Following the soldiers’ gaze upwards, they saw a squadron of dragons, numbering about ten, flying in formation somewhere.

“You’ve come out, hero.”

Jenis murmured, still looking only at the sky, without turning back. Walter, also approaching Jenis, could not take his eyes off the dragons.

Though they weren’t that close, it was certainly distinguishable that the things soaring in the sky were not mere birds but dragons. Taking a quick glance at the sun, Walter confirmed that the dragons were heading south and shuddered.

“Hero, do you think those dragons are flying to Eramenia?”

“Not yet, I don’t think so. Eramenia is large and wide. The previous cradle was actually too far from the canyons of Eramenia. Considering the dragons’ behavior, they will likely rest while lying down in the canyon to restore their strength before attacking Eramenia.”

Even the mightiest of dragons could hardly fly thousands of kilometers without resting. They needed time to fold their wings, rest, and the land must remain undisturbed during that period.

Although those dragons might be about to directly invade Eramenia, the hero thought that the possibility of that was very low. No matter how many dragons there were, the Elven Kingdom was no place where they could just breathe fire and run away.

In any case, the information regarding their planned attack on Eramenia had already been fully relayed to the elves, and any unexpected surprise attacks would now be impossible. The Demon King must have realized this, and rather than executing a surprise assault from afar, it seemed she intended to gather dragons nearby to create an atmosphere of terror against Eramenia while broadcasting that she was poised to launch a major attack against Eramenia.

“Regardless, it’s really not far off. The cocky Demon King is about to stir the sleeping lion’s nostrils.”

“I can only hope the lion doesn’t die from the smoke coming out of its nostrils.”

“Regardless, you know? Once Eramenia comes under attack, whether we like it or not, we will have to move. Even if it’s a difficult situation to achieve tactical success, if we know that Eramenia is under attack, we cannot sit idle without showing any response. Otherwise, there will be no answers for the protests from their Grand Council.”

The phrase “hard to achieve tactical success” took Rose’s injury into consideration. According to recent reports, the Gargoyle Queen had constructed a fortress almost near the citadel, perhaps anticipating Walter’s advance, and had taken a defensive position. Rose was a competent commander and powerful siege weapon.

Trying to besiege a fortress protected by the Gargoyle Queen without such an asset would be akin to fighting with one’s hands tied. Jenis also recognized that if they were to advance recklessly now, it would be difficult to win. The Northern Expeditionary Force faced the worst crisis, where all their prior victories could potentially be undone.

However, at the same time, Walter acknowledged the fact that Jenis’s words hit the nail on the head. Aside from political issues, the morale of the Eramenian forces they had along with them was also intertwined. The Elf Army, led by Phineas, had declared absolute obedience to Walter’s commands, and Walter had no doubt about that.

But that was only under the belief that serving under Walter and fighting against the Demon King’s army would also contribute to safeguarding Eramenia. If Walter were to remain still, using the excuse of “I don’t think we can win even if we attack” regardless of whether the Fairies’ Forest burned or not, could he maintain the sincere loyalty of the Margaret Legion?

The Demon King was undoubtedly a formidable strategist. Instead of deceiving Walter, who was adept at seeing through deceit, she laid all her cards on the table and compelled him into action.

This kind of strategy was the most troublesome and irritating kind of gambit. Deception could simply be countered once identified, but such a maneuver forced a person to act according to the opponent’s design, even with their intent glaringly obvious.

The Demon King prepared the easiest defensive battle for herself while cornering Walter into a position where he had no choice but to advance. The chaotic situation in the South after Arthur Harker’s death, the real threat posed to Eramenia, and the nobles of the Imperial Assembly that were ready to bite Walter’s backside if the Northern Expedition failed to yield results—all circumstances were pressing him, driving him toward the North. Yet, Walter felt uncertain this time; he lacked the confidence that they could truly win if they ventured North now.

As if aware or unaware of his troubled thoughts, the hero naturally muttered these words to the dragons soaring leisurely through the sky.

“I’d rather be back in the days when the enemy’s offense was something we could fully repel. Really.”

 

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