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During the day, Allen didn’t make a fuss showing off his presence by tapping on the castle wall. The same could be said for us, as we were able to take advantage of that moment to reorganize. The soldiers who had fought all night enjoyed a sweet rest, while the non-combat personnel focused on repairs and gear maintenance. The area was bustling with people going about their tasks.

The center of attention was the priests and wizards who had started investigating the apparition on the castle wall. It looked like they were following the information I had gathered from the battles and making detailed plans, but it seemed they felt this wasn’t enough, so they dived back into magic research. It was quite impressive. To face such a cursed illusion, it surely felt more comforting to have structured information rather than the fear that comes from the unknown.

However, it seemed it would take them some time to gather information. After all, this was likely one of the most threatening attacks Allen had prepared. One wouldn’t ordinarily orchestrate something so ambitious to kill a marquis without careful planning.

Checking the condition of my bow and arrows was starting to get monotonous. Staring at the same things repeatedly was becoming boring.

‘It’s about time to wake her up.’

Shione had promised to sleep for only two hours unless something critical happened. The sun was positioned right in the center of the sky, and instead of screams, the sounds of warriors preparing to strike the enemy echoed nearby. I had plenty of time for a short nap.

So, before waking Shione, I stood in front of her and began to tease her a bit.

Poke. Poke.

I poked her cheek and brushed her long hair. Her cheeks were soft and addictive to touch. Her silver hair was also silky, preventing any dull moments.

‘It seems like Shione usually wakes up during times like this.’

After having my fill of teasing her cheeks, I wondered if she might have woken up.

“Should I just yank it off?”

After lightly tugging her soft cheek and whispering, “Shall I just tear it off?” Don’t you think it’s normal for someone to get a little rough with their words when they’re dealing with something so cute? I felt that way as I murmured quietly.

Yet, Shione’s deep breathing didn’t waver, reaffirming that she was still in deep sleep. I guess it must have been quite a struggle for her to think overnight.

As I kept watch beside her, someone soon approached the makeshift tent.

“Shione, something urgent came up, so I’m coming in.”

That voice belonged to Siabel Shianella. After all, besides me, only Siabel could call Shione like that so casually in this place.

It seemed Siabel had come alone to our tent, but soon, someone else cautiously entered as well.

“…Excuse me, Young Lady Shione.”

Following Siabel into the tent was none other than Abel Kalia.

Now, with the leaders of the defense, the purge, and the suppression squads all gathered in this tent, any soldier lacking considerable courage would be suffocating under the pressure.

‘Having the heads of the defense and purge squads in one place is not a good sign.’

Of course, I didn’t feel pressured, but I sensed an ominous feeling simply from them being together.

The battle had settled, and until the suppression squad returned to our area, keeping the castle wall repaired and guarding against breaches was crucial. Abel was fervently dashing around the area in a heated manner, declaring that nothing mattered more than that. Abel didn’t seem like someone who would leave the castle wall unless something extraordinary happened.

The same went for Siabel. She had organized various reconnaissance and special operations teams to carry out not defensive but offensive maneuvers. Now that Allen’s side was taking a breather and reorganizing, it was time for them to attack. It was no small thing to dedicate such precious time to conversation instead of an offensive operation.

“Ah, Ray, where’s Shione?”

“Welcome, Lady Siabel. Young Lady Shione is currently resting over here.”

“Well, she did say she’d been thinking all day yesterday, and then went to support the castle wall at the end. I feel a bit guilty to wake her now…”

“It’s the time she requested to be woken, so would you please wait a moment?”

“No?”

At my question, Siabel playfully shrugged her shoulders.

“Why should I wait?”

Siabel gazed at Shione’s sleeping face.

She approached me lightly with a joyful expression.

“I’m just going to wake her up now.”

Sisterly affection on display.

I felt sorry for Shione, but I didn’t have the strength to stop Siabel.

After all, I was just a servant of the Count’s family, and how could I intervene in the playful antics of the future head of the family?

Noticing my resigned expression, Siabel quickly turned to look at me.

“Oh, by the way, Young Master Abel said he wanted to talk to you for a bit. He wanted to discuss what happened at the castle wall.”

Our gazes naturally shifted toward Abel.

He nodded, affirming that Siabel’s words were correct. It seemed I had made quite an impression by easily defeating the monster.

“I’ll take care of Shione for now. You two can talk separately… Is it okay for a bit?”

“Of course.”

Following that, Abel and I stepped outside the tent.

“Thank you for hearing me out, Ray. I had a few more questions about what you explained before.”

“Are you talking about how to deal with the apparition?”

“Yes, that, and the part about achieving great deeds. Those two things.”

A man wishing to accomplish great deeds.

In this world, the young nobles desire two things.

One is to lead a prince-like life, happily hustling with friends and servants inside the family estate. The other is to become a political mogul or gain fame through some exceptional accomplishments.

It was clear enough that Abel was among those who desired the latter.

“In that case, it would be better to move somewhere else to discuss.”

“I follow.”

As Abel and I changed venues, the tent was left with just the two sisters.

Siabel Shianella, confirming that the presence nearby had faded, looked at Shione.

“So, little sister, why were you pretending to be asleep?”

“Sis… how did you know? I was even channeling mana to act it out.”

Siabel lightly laughed upon seeing her sister open her eyes casually.

“I just took a guess, and I got lucky. It’d be strange not to wake up in such a noisy place. But why did our little sister pretend to be asleep, even wasting her precious mana?”

“No, that’s─”

“Don’t tell me you were in a situation like when Ray put on makeup…?”

“…”

As Shione’s cheeks flushed bright red, Siabel shut her mouth.

Her sister pouted, rubbing her cheek.

“I was just about to get up, but suddenly Ray pinched my cheek and said something, you know?”

“He pinched your cheek first?”

Siabel reacted as if she couldn’t imagine that he would play a prank first.

“While pinching my cheek, he said, ‘Shall I just yank it off?’ How was I supposed to get up with that?”

“Really… as a swordsmanship instructor, I would have to hold you down during training.”

“Heh.”

Siabel’s words elicited a small laugh from Shione.

Shione calmly sat up.

“By the way, sister.”

Deep in Shione’s blue eyes lay a profound ocean.

“Ray is a bowman but also uses a sword often, which makes me a bit uneasy. So, sister, just teach me swordsmanship, as my instructor.”

A cold and tranquil deep-sea vibe.

An eccentric jester like Siabel could hardly keep up with that.

Curious, Siabel found herself drawn in by Shione’s atmosphere.

“This kind of playfulness is reserved for me, and it’s only for me.”

A sticky affection and the jealousy bred from it.

When the two were alone, that possessiveness surfaced, exhibiting a healthy desire that needed no justification.

Perhaps their good relationship was part of it. And the confidence instilled in Shione, who was reluctant to voice things she didn’t want others to hear, allowed her to finally say what she had wanted to discuss. Even if they both had vague feelings for each other, seeing a clear demarcation came from that healthy obsession.

‘Interesting.’

It evoked a similar feeling I had the first time I saw Ray wielding magic.

Just like one servant had changed Shione, seeing the two now as one whole was something Siabel hadn’t yet fully realized, but she could feel her curiosity and enjoyment growing more profound.

Indeed, the two had always been together, so it was inevitable that they influenced one another and brought about change.

Siabel realized that what she experienced, confronted with something special, couldn’t compare to what Shione possessed. Hence, she took a playful step back for her sister, wearing a teasing smile.

“Now our Shione isn’t even trying to hide anything from her sister, huh?”

Siabel tossed her arms around Shione, ruffling her hair wildly.

Shione wasn’t backing down either.

“Ugh… ever since Mother brought Ray, he’s been mine…!”

“So, when Ray came dressed up, was it because you unbuttoned the white shirt?”

“No, that’s…!”

“Worry not, Shione. If you both truly desire it… as long as you act without a tremor, nothing in the world will stand in your way.”

“…….”

Siabel was sincere.

Everything that Shione and Ray had experienced together was filled with transformations made in the realm of goodwill.

Seeing her sister respond with silence, Siabel prodded her side and added, “If you’re concerned, you can always find another way to take control of Ray later─”

“Ah, come on…!”

After briefly lightening the mood.

Siabel finally brought up the reason she had come to see Shione.

“By the way, Shione. I think we need to talk about that pendant you had.”

Siabel wore a grim expression, crossing her arms.

“That apparition is scarier than I expected.”

If it gets stronger from here, it may turn the tide of war in an instant.

 

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