“But, since we’re supposed to compliment each other, why aren’t you complimenting me, Helix?”

“…Haven’t I been doing that?”

“You haven’t done today’s yet?”

Leah grumbled.

“And it’s always just ‘you practiced hard today, well done’ and stuff like that. I wish you’d show a bit more sincerity.”

“Sincerity.”

Helix thought deeply.

It was a reasonable complaint.

Though praise time was painful, since he had agreed to it, he should do it properly. Helix looked down at Leah’s round crown and contemplated what compliments to give her.

‘Leah is cheerful, studies hard, surprisingly responsible, unpretentious, straightforward, quirky…’

And pretty.

Especially her eyes were very pretty.

‘Instead of sacrificing just you, Helix, there must be another way.’

Those confident blue eyes that had said those words came to mind even in his sleep.

Helix blurted out.

“Leah, your eyes make my heart race.”

Leah blinked.

“Um… huh?”

At her reaction, he also became flustered belatedly.

“I… didn’t mean it that way.”

“Then you think I wouldn’t understand?”

Leah said with a laugh.

“You’re talking about partnership, right?”

“…Yes.”

That was right.

It should have been right.

But somehow his mood sank.

“I’m glad you understood.”

Helix replied curtly and walked quickly.

Thud thud.

As he suddenly overtook her and walked ahead, Leah watched his back in confusion.

What’s wrong with him?

“Helix, let’s go down togeth…!”

At that moment, Helix who had been walking ahead came running back, his long silver hair flying.

‘Huh?’

Just as Helix blocked Leah’s front, a dog-like monster jumped out from the bushes.

Kuong!

“Leah, step back!”

“Uh… ah!”

Helix stretched out his arm.

His long, sturdy arm moved like a martial arts master, and blue energy rippled throughout his body.

‘Mana?’

A completely different kind of mana from Leah’s surrounded Helix. His long silver hair fluttered in response to the mana, and his fingertips aimed precisely at the monster.

Kyang!

The monster was hit in the head and fell over.

‘…What did he just do?’

Leah doubted her eyes.

It seemed like the mana from Helix’s fingertips had struck the monster’s head.

Mana was supposed to be internal energy that was difficult to even gather, yet Helix was handling it freely like shooting a gun with his fingertips.

Grrrr!

The fallen monster, its eyes rolling, tried to bite Helix.

“No!”

Mana flow. Posture.

Such things were erased from her mind instantly, and her stomach tightened.

Whoof.

Flames rose up from within.

Leah stretched out her hand. Mana gathered through instinct and movements drilled countless times by Helix.

But she didn’t even properly feel the exhilaration of mana coursing through her body.

‘Helix!’

Along with the urgent incantation, sparks flew out.

“Fireball!”

Kwaboom!

A racing fireball burst from Leah’s fingertips.

Kueeek!

The monster hit by the fireball let out an ear-splitting cry.

Whoosh!

It was instantaneous. The creature enveloped in flames turned into black charcoal.

“…Huh?”

Leah blinked. Helix running toward her seemed to move in slow motion. She muttered.

“This firepower… is this for real?”

***

Meanwhile at the Piert Ducal Family residence in the capital of the Kingdom of Peiren.

The second son and Knight Commander Ruyan Piert couldn’t let go of his lingering attachment.

“What am I doing here while our fragile Leah is in the north? I should have gone with her after all…!”

The 3rd Squad Captain of the knights beside him tried to talk Ruyan down.

“Commander, get a hold of yourself. Where would you go? Who’s going to lead the parade at the Autumn Harvest Festival?”

Ruyan had been leading the vanguard of the Harvest Festival parade, Peiren’s autumn event, for several years.

“The parade… you do it. Your face is decent enough!”

“What nonsense… how can my face compare to yours, Commander? If I lead the parade vanguard, I’ll get stoned!”

When Ruyan didn’t respond, the 3rd Squad Captain tried different tactics.

“What about the new knights’ inspection ceremony this quarter? The winter knight training schedule? The letter from the royal family asking for you?”

“Ugh, can’t you all handle things yourselves? What’s the point of paying you more… What? Letter?”

“Yes. Prince Patrick sent it.”

“Prince Patrick?”

Ruyan tilted his head and gestured.

“Bring it here.”

Patrick Peiren, the only prince and crown prince of the Kingdom of Peiren.

He was good-looking, had a nice personality, and was capable.

‘We’re not that close though. What could this be about?’

Ruyan paused as he was about to open the letter.

It was carefully sealed to prevent others from reading it.

‘A secret letter?’

***

Shortly after.

Ruyan had a private meeting with Prince Patrick at the palace.

The prince’s proposal was simple and clear.

He was planning to form a disguised subjugation force to investigate the northern anomalies, and needed a small elite core team who knew investigation was the real purpose and would help.

Would he become part of that core team?

Ruyan asked.

“Disguised as a subjugation force… is there a need to investigate the anomalies so secretly?”

“The empire might be involved.”

The prince explained.

There were so many pro-empire nobles among Peiren’s nobility, and it wasn’t the first time the empire had been up to something strange in Peiren territory.

So if the anomalies were happening because of the empire, pro-empire nobles might interfere with the investigation.

Ruyan nodded.

It made sense, and the northern situation he’d heard about lately was definitely strange.

Knight Biden, the 2nd Squad Captain who went north to guard Leah, had sent several reports.

Frequent monster howls.

Unseasonable heavy snow isolating Helkan.

‘With Leah in the north… it’s too dangerous.’

This might be an opportunity.

An opportunity to go and protect Leah!

Ruyan made up his mind.

“What’s in it for me if I join?”

“Is there something you want?”

“There is.”

Rubbing his hands together, Ruyan brought up an unexpected name.

“Baron Durford.”

The prince made a puzzled expression.

Grand Duke Calosi’s illegitimate child.

Why was Baron Durford, an embarrassing member of the royal family, being mentioned here?

Looking at Prince Patrick, Ruyan smiled eerily.

“If you let me beat that guy up, I’ll leave right now.”

***

Meanwhile at the Piert villa in the north, Leah was also receiving unexpected news.

“Monsters are running wild?”

“Yes. They’re even attacking settlements, it seems.”

This is bad.

Leah glanced sideways at Helix standing beside her.

“…How many have appeared? They’re not increasing in number, right?”

“Fortunately, it seems no more are coming across.”

Whew.

At least Helix wouldn’t try to enter the sealing formation saying ‘it’s my fault.’

‘But attacking settlements is really serious.’

Leah ordered Knight Biden.

“Explain in more detail.”

“The situation is rather complicated.”

Right now, the northern region of the Kingdom of Peiren was empty land without a lord.

The mountains were treacherous and the population was small, so nobles weren’t interested in claiming it as territory.

No lord meant no protection.

The people of the north were barely holding back monsters with self-defense forces and hunters working together, without soldiers sent by a lord.

This method worked because only weakened monsters could cross the Hel Mountains.

But recently the situation had changed.

Strong monsters were also crossing the Hel Mountains, starting to enter villages at the foot of the mountains.

The northern people were terrified.

“So people from nearby villages are flocking to the villa requesting help.”

“Help?”

“Yes. They’re asking for the Piert knights to eliminate the monsters with military force, but…”

Even as he spoke, Knight Biden was anxious.

The Lady Leah Piert he now served was a nobly raised aristocratic lady.

He worried she might order them to help without considering practical issues.

Leah answered promptly.

“Refuse.”

“We should help them right away.”

Leah and Helix voiced opposing opinions and looked at each other.

Helix said stiffly.

“Of course we should help. Protecting the weak is the noble duty of aristocrats.”

“What noble duty is there in being treated like free mercenaries?”

“…”

Helix raised his eyebrows.

“See? This isn’t even our territory. We have no obligation to protect and guard them.”

“But we have knights anyway. It’s not like using force will wear them out.”

“It will.”

Leah said firmly.

“Swords, shields, spears all wear down, and our knights’ cartilage wears down too. What if they get hurt trying to fight unfamiliar monsters?”

“My, my Lady.”

Knight Biden looked at Leah with an impressed expression.

She continued speaking.

“And if it’s no one’s territory, that means it’s kingdom land, right? What happens if word gets out that our knights drew swords to deal with monsters on state property?”

Leah’s expression grew serious.

“Nobles who are hostile to our family will try to find fault.”

Military action on state property near the border, signs of treasonous intent visible, the Piert Ducal Family harboring rebellious thoughts.

They could twist it any way they wanted.

“My Lady…”

Knight Biden marveled at her insight unbefitting a young noble.

“You are truly wise.”

“I am quite wise.”

“Not quite – such quick and accurate situation assessment, truly befitting a member of the Piert family.”

“Knight Biden, you know your stuff. In our Piert family, this level is like eating cold soup.”

Helix uncomfortably interrupted the warm atmosphere.

“So we’re just going to leave the villages threatened by monsters?”

Leah smiled confidently.

“I have something up my sleeve for that.”

***

“Helix, Helix.”

Helix woke up in the middle of the night.

Someone dressed in black was calling him at his bedside.

“…Leah?”

Though wearing a loose robe and covering the lower part of her face, it was unmistakably her.

She pulled her hood down further.

“Do I look like Leah?”

“Leah, try fooling someone else. I can feel your mana completely.”

“Tch.”

Actually, even without feeling her mana, it was impossible not to know.

Just seeing those blue eyes sparkling between the robe and hood was enough to tell who it was.

Helix got up.

“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”