---

In the original story, the Northern Garden expedition takes place twice.

The fact that it happened twice should give you a hint—the first expedition ended in failure.

There were several reasons for the failure, but the biggest one was the lack of troops.

At the time, the first expeditionary force was only 20,000 strong. Compared to now, that’s barely a fifth of the current numbers.

There were a few reasons why they decided to attack the north with such a small force.

First, the maximum number of troops the Empire could send on an expedition at the time was 20,000. It wasn’t that the Imperial Army didn’t have more troops. It’s just that the Emperor, Luna, was worried that sending more would leave the Empire vulnerable.

Behind her back, a black lion was lurking, threatening the Imperial Family.

That lion’s name was Ruelberta.

Not just the Emperor, but everyone in the Empire knew how dangerous that lion was.

Because Luna had to keep the Ruelberta Family in check, she couldn’t send more troops to the north.

Even so, Luna believed that 20,000 troops would be enough to retake the Northern Garden. And her judgment wasn’t entirely wrong.

In fact, during the first expedition, they successfully entered the Northern Garden without much trouble. But right after that, something unexpected happened—something neither Luna nor anyone else had anticipated.

The demons living in the far north had united and were marching south.

The Imperial Army was caught off guard by the sudden ambush of the demons. With strength far beyond that of humans, the demons overwhelmed the Imperial Army, forcing them to retreat in a hurry.

In any battle, the side that runs away is always at a disadvantage.

To minimize losses, the Imperial Army organized a rearguard to buy time during the retreat. And the one who commanded that rearguard was none other than Bella Izakhel.

With a noble heart, she, despite her high status as a princess, took on the most dangerous mission herself. It was a testament to her being a blessed wielder of the light’s magical power.

But… unfortunately, Bella became the sole survivor of the rearguard. She encountered *that guy* among the northern demons and tasted the bitter sting of defeat for the first time in her life.

To make matters worse, the soldiers of the rearguard desperately fought to open a path to bring her back, even as they were being torn apart. It was nearly impossible for ordinary soldiers to escape the demons’ pursuit, but their determination to save Bella must have been strong.

The nameless soldiers of the rearguard, even as they were being reduced to a pitiful state, succeeded in safely sending Bella back to the base.

-If only I… If only I had been stronger…!

When Bella woke up, she screamed in despair upon learning she was the only survivor. After that, she was trapped in a cycle of defeat and overwhelming guilt.

In other words, the first expedition marked a dark period for Bella.

It took her a long time to recover from the aftermath, enduring many setbacks and trials along the way.

Knowing this future, I had no choice but to exclude her from the expedition. But for Bella, who didn’t know this future, my decision was utterly incomprehensible.

“Count! Stop right there!”

I ignored Bella, who was chasing after me, and continued to leave the Imperial Palace.

“Can’t you hear me? I said stop!”

I didn’t slow my pace and kept walking silently.

“Don’t ignore me!”

Bella, wearing heels, seemed to have trouble keeping up with my strides.

“Tristan!”

Suddenly, Bella called out my name.

I could feel her anger radiating from behind me.

Reluctantly, I stopped and turned around.

There, I met Bella’s eyes as she stood there, biting her lip.

“Speak.”

“What should I say?”

“Why are you removing me from the expeditionary force?”

“I already told you I have nothing more to say on the matter.”

“You might not, but I do!”

Bella shouted in a sharp voice.

“His Majesty entrusted this task to our family. Count, you don’t have the right to remove me on a whim.”

“Didn’t you hear earlier? The Emperor has placed me in overall command. And my orders are the same as the Emperor’s.”

“I can’t accept that.”

“…You can’t accept it?”

“Count. Have you ever led soldiers into battle before? Or have you ever fought with a sword yourself?”

I closed my mouth.

Even if *I* didn’t know, the original Tristan had no such experience.

“See? You’ve only ever given orders to soldiers without ever fighting yourself. You’ve barely even sparred with me a few times, let alone experienced real combat. Admit it. You’re severely lacking in practical experience.”

Bella pointed out my shortcomings clearly and firmly.

“In contrast, the other heads of the Seven Stars and I have some level of real combat experience. I don’t know what you discussed with His Majesty, but entrusting you with the overall command of the northern expedition is too much. The one who should step back from the expedition isn’t me—it’s you, Count.”

“……”

As I remained silent, Bella seemed to think I had conceded.

She grabbed my sleeve and pointed toward the audience chamber.

“Come with me to the audience chamber, Count. Even now, you can tell His Majesty and voluntarily step down. The task given to you is too heavy, and stepping down wouldn’t be shameful—”

“One thing.”

“Huh?”

“I have a question.”

I looked down at Bella, who had been silent until now.

“Bella. Do you want me to step back from the expedition?”

“I already told you. You lack the ability for it.”

“If I’m not mistaken, it seems like you want me to not only give up overall command but also step back from the expedition entirely.”

“……”

At my words, Bella’s pupils trembled.

But only for a moment.

“Well, maybe it’s just your imagination?”

Bella looked up at me with an indifferent expression.

In fact, it was precisely because of her indifferent attitude that I realized her hidden intent.

I almost laughed.

Though we were thinking differently, we were both worried about each other.

‘We’re both so bad at being honest….’

Bella’s grip on my sleeve tightened.

She was anxious too.

Anxious that something might go wrong for me during the expedition.

Anxious that she might lose me again.

‘Hmm….’

I fell into thought for a moment.

I didn’t think the first expedition would fail like it did in the original story.

We had enough troops, and with the Ruelberta Family’s private soldiers joining the expeditionary force, even if the northern demons launched a full-scale attack, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

No ordinary variable could make this expedition fail.

But as important as the success of the northern expedition was, Bella was even more important.

If by any chance Bella were to encounter *that guy* during the expedition, even if it didn’t lead to tragedy, I couldn’t expect a good outcome.

Above all, with Bella’s current strength, she was no match for *that guy*.

I wanted to somehow prevent Bella from facing a battle where her defeat was inevitable, but…

Seeing her angry expression made me think that maybe that wasn’t the right solution.

So, the only option left was…

By the time I had roughly organized my thoughts, Bella sneered and said,

“Do *you* want me to step back from the expedition? Why? Are you worried I might get hurt or something?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph… That’s not it— Wait. What did you just… What did you say?”

“I said yes.”

At my straightforward answer, Bella’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had hit.

“……Are you lying?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Are you joking…?”

“…Does it look like I’m joking?”

“Then… say it again.”

“I was worried you might get hurt.”

“……”

Bella turned her head away.

I could see her ears turning bright red.

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“Hmm… I see…? I guess you couldn’t bear the thought of me getting hurt.”

“Say that while looking at my face.”

“It’s rude to stare at a lady’s face. You brute.”

This time, Bella completely turned her back to me.

But her attitude had softened considerably compared to before.

“Ahem… Anyway. Even if you’re worried about me, I have no intention of stepping back. The northern expedition is a task entrusted to us by His Majesty. Carrying out this mission is an honor for the Izakhel Duke Family.”

“Right. I figured as much.”

Even if I ordered Bella to step back from the expedition, I wouldn’t be able to break her stubbornness. She had chased after me to settle this matter, after all.

“No matter what I say, you’ll participate in the expedition.”

“Exactly. You’ve got that right.”

“However, no matter what you say, I have no intention of stepping down as the overall commander of the expedition.”

No matter what she said, I had to be the one to command the northern expedition.

For the sake of the story’s proper progression, and to handle any sudden variables.

“Hmph… Then there’s no compromise.”

“No. There is a compromise.”

“There is?”

At Bella’s question, I calmly replied.

“Didn’t you say it yourself? That I lack experience and skill. If I gain that experience and skill, you’ll accept it, right?”

“Well… I guess, but…”

“On the other hand, I can’t send you, who’s weak, to the north with peace of mind.”

At my words, Bella’s expression cracked.

“…What? Wait a minute, Count. Who are you calling weak?”

“You. Bella Izakhel.”

I spoke to her in the most solemn tone I could muster.

“The north is no easy place. With your current mediocre skills, you’ll only end up in trouble if you go there.”

“What did you say? Who are you calling—! No, wait, weren’t you just worried about me getting hurt!?”

“Yes. I was worried because you’re ‘weak.’”

“You, you…!”

“Being worried about you getting hurt is the same as saying you’re weak. If you were strong, I wouldn’t have told you to step back from the expedition in the first place.”

“You liar!!”

Bella shouted in frustration, but I ignored her and continued.

“So, in the month left before the expedition, I’ll prove myself capable enough to be recognized as the overall commander. During that time, if you become strong enough for me to acknowledge, I’ll take you to the northern expedition. That’s the only compromise between us.”

“Hah… Well, that’s a decent compromise for you. But how are we going to confirm each other’s skills?”

“That’s not difficult.”

I looked straight at Bella and gave her the answer.

“I’ll train you. And you’ll train me.”

 

---