The creature resembled a wolf, but it was twice the size, with sharp fangs that stuck out beyond its lips. It lunged straight at Calix.

Despite its speed, it wasn’t quick enough to evade Calix’s blade. However, he was holding Selina and couldn’t easily put her down because of her injured ankle.

In that split second, he decided on the most efficient course of action.

Shaaak!

—and moved.

Instead of attacking, he offered his shoulder, taking the blow head-on. The monster’s claws tore deep into the muscle of his shoulder blade.

“Calix!”

Selina screamed, her voice breaking as she frantically looked over his wound. The gash was so deep that crimson blood dripped freely, staining him from head to toe. Yet the man himself wore an expression as if it were nothing.

“Your Grace!”

Alter and Zenfri, who had been some distance away, came running with swords drawn. Calix handed Selina over to Alter and ordered.

“Take her back to the chair you were sitting in.”

“Ah—yes, understood!”

Alter hurried to the chair and carefully set Selina down.

“My lady! We’ll take care of the monsters and return for you. Please, stay safe until then!”

“P-please, be careful!”

Selina called after him, praying for his safety, then turned her gaze back to where Calix stood.

The spot where Alter had placed her was far from the monsters and relatively safe, but inside the tournament hall—now thrown into chaos by the creatures’ sudden appearance—no nobles remained. Everyone was scrambling to get out as quickly as possible.

“Father, I can’t believe you’d go to this far.’

Her eyes, heavy with resentment, fell on the marquis. But something seemed… off.

If the marquis had orchestrated this, he would surely have secured a safe place to watch the chaos unfold. Yet, when the monsters charged in, he looked utterly flustered, almost panicked.

“Wh–why are the monsters here…?”

Was it an act? Or had something truly happened that he had not planned for?

Selina began to speculate on the marquis’s intentions, but soon gave up on the thought. What mattered now was not uncovering the cause of the incident, but hoping that Calix—and everyone else in here—would make it out safely.

‘They said fighting monsters could be dangerous enough to cost you your life. Please… be safe.’

Her anxiety only grew. Ever since she saw Calix take a monster’s attack while holding her in his arms, she had felt a weight lodged deep in her chest. With his shoulder injured, would he be able to wield a sword properly? Could he really defeat so many monsters at once?

Her heart tightened with worry. In a situation like this, the only thing she could do was pray. Clasping her hands together as if in prayer, she fervently wished for Calix, Alter, and Zenfri to return unharmed.

Meanwhile, some distance away, Calix stood in the centre with Alter and Zenfri on either side of him. The monsters attempting to force their way into the hall saw the three men blocking the entrance and charged forward, intent on smashing through the obstacle.

Their massive bodies, far larger than any human’s, came at them with vicious claws, but Calix remained unshaken. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for them to step into range.

“Now.”

Timing his command, he signaled Alter and Zenfri to move. The two men spread out, cutting into the weak points of the monsters that lunged at their sides, while Calix cleaved through the necks of those charging straight at him.

“…Hah.”

Those who had been frozen in place, unable to flee, let out startled laughter. The dozen or more deadly beasts were cut cleanly in half, collapsing to the floor.

It had happened in a single instant, as neatly as slicing off a lock of hair. Watching this swift execution, one of the imperial citizens muttered under his breath,

“The Sun of Thalia…”

Though he was feared across the empire as a ruthless killer, no one found it strange that the man who had just saved their lives could also be called a sun.

“D*mn it!”

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Clang!

Selina bent down and carefully picked up the shattered remains of a teacup that had fallen beneath the table. Even after breaking the cup and knocking all the confectionery onto the floor, the Marquis still looked unsatisfied, his anger unspent.

Folding her hands neatly in her lap, Selina waited for the storm of his temper to pass.

Before leaving the hunting competition, the Marquis had said that he wanted to spend some time alone with his beloved daughter. That was why Selina had been brought to this quiet spot.

‘But with things in such chaos, who would ever believe we were a loving father and daughter?’

Wearing an impassive expression, Selina cleared away the shards of glass and began gathering the ruined confections back into their dishes.

“Hah. At this rate, it’ll look like the whole hunting event was held for him. This won’t do… this won’t do at all…”

The marquis clutched his head, pacing restlessly. Then, without warning, he turned his anger on Selina.

“All right. Let’s hear your excuse first. What possessed you to disappear like that?”

“That…”

“Has someone spoken to you? Is that it?’

His expression shifted—an edge of suspicion flickering across his face. He seemed to wonder if Selina had somehow learned of his plans in advance and run away.

‘Father has always been quick to catch on. If I give him a vague answer, he’ll see right through me.’

With other people, she might have been able to get away with saying that she had just gone for a walk and got lost. But the Marquis was different. If she tried that with him, he would immediately know she was lying, which might result in closer surveillance of her, including an investigation into her relationship with Calix.

“I went to find Calix’s weakness.”

Selina said, offering the most plausible lie she could think of.

“You told me to uncover his weakness no matter what, Father. But until today, I hadn’t found a single lead… so I thought perhaps, in the middle of the hunt, I might discover something if I followed him.”

“Hah.”

The marquis let out a scoff, as if he found the very idea absurd.

“So you’re still just as foolish as ever, even after going to Thalia. Did you really think you could catch up to them on your own without a word to anyone?”

“My apologies. I was afraid of your anger if I came back without finding any weakness…”

The marquis knew well that Selina had feared him since childhood.

“I see. So that’s the reason.”

He stroked his beard and muttered under his breath. Inwardly, he was rather pleased to confirm that Selina still feared him deeply. After all, he had been worried that her time in Thalia might have made her arrogant enough to ignore his orders and act on her own. In fact, he had assigned a watcher to keep her in check. When the monsters appeared, he was nowhere to be seen, yet the moment it was all over, he returned faster than anyone else, chuckling as if nothing had happened. It was hard not to feel a little annoyed at the sight.

“Ordinarily, entering a restricted area would mean disqualification for a grand duke, but you saved the distinguished guests gathered here. That makes you their benefactor. So, I will grant you one wish—whatever you desire.”

From among the nobles watching, a mischievous voice called out,

“Perhaps he’ll ask to have his wife changed?”

At that, Calix’s gaze shifted toward Selina.

Saying she had been so afraid of his wrath that she hadn’t cared if she might run into monsters, and had gone after Calix’s weakness anyway… for now, there seemed little cause for concern.

“From now on, do not act on your own. If you disappear suddenly like you did today, even Thalia might grow suspicious.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Selina answered meekly, bowing her head toward the marquis. Seeing her so submissive seemed to ease his temper, for he asked in a gentler voice,

“So then—do you have any leads on Calix’s weakness?”

“I… might.”

She hesitated, wondering what would sound convincing without actually putting Calix in danger. After a moment’s thought, she replied,

“It seems he injured his shoulder quite badly today. I thought it might prove to be a significant weakness going forward, so I planned to keep a close eye on it.”

She had assumed this would satisfy him, but to her surprise, the marquis frowned.

“A mere injury like that won’t trouble him in the least.”

“But it looked deep. I’d think it would take months to heal completely.”

“That’s true for ordinary men.”

The marquis said, shaking his head. Then, with a warning edge in his voice, he added,

“Remember this—he’s not human. He’s a monster.”

“A… monster?”

“If you doubt me, go and see the wound for yourself. Then you’ll understand.”

With that cryptic remark, the suffocating conversation between father and daughter came to an end.

When Selina returned to the tournament grounds, her gaze met Calix’s. He had a bandage wrapped around his injured shoulder.

‘Come to think of it…’

Calix had injured his arm once while saving her from a runaway horse. He was bandaged up at the time, but before long, there was no trace of the wound. She’d hardly noticed at the time, but had the injury ever been serious?

‘If that’s the case, then I’m glad.’

She smiled faintly at him, and at that moment—

“I deeply regret that such an unfortunate incident occurred at a tournament I personally hosted.”

The Emperor of the Empire approached Calix and offered his apology in person.