“It means we have to leave that guy here and go on the expedition. Leave the castle empty.”

“You mean everyone has to go?”

“If you can wield a sword, we’ll have to scrape up even children. The monsters in the northwest.”

I had never seen the vice-captain’s face so filled with fear before.

“Orcs the size of castles swinging clubs, and those are just single trees. The Caligari become transparent. In that state, their claws tear through human bodies like paper. Right in front of the castle walls is the Northern Army, but they’re just a defensive force. Behind the army is a large village.”

At that moment, countless bell tolls rang throughout the castle.

Arcadia ran towards the tower. I followed behind him.

Climbing to the highest point, we could see flames rising from the white mountain peak far to the northwest.

Blue flames.

“Flames lit by magic, it’s Adrian. That means the castle walls could fall.”

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Vice-captain, is His Grace the Grand Duke going as well?”

“Esther. The position of Grand Duke of the North isn’t like the South, where you just sit around munching on meat and fruit that’s offered to you.”

His words were harsh.

I finally realized it.

The fate of the North, having to risk one’s life. The weight of being the Empire’s shield.

‘The Grand Duke stands at the vanguard of the battlefield where one goes to die.’

What should I do at this moment?

“Vice-captain, please hurry and go. I’ll restrain the Red Larva and follow after.”

“I’m counting on you.”

I quickly ran down from the tower.

[This is the timeline separator]

Two skilled official knights to guard the underground prison, one apprentice knight to guard in front of Lady Nugent’s room, five reserve knights to take charge of the castle’s security.

Excluding them, all knights gathered in front of the castle. The number totaled about three hundred.

This was excluding the knights guarding the northernmost and northeastern borders.

At the same time, I was looking for the head maid, Luine Axel.

With a tense face, she was inspecting every corner of the castle and preparing necessary items for the knights departing for battle.

“Head Maid.”

“What is it?”

She asked me, catching her breath.

I handed her the letter from Butler Hans that I had carefully kept, along with the Axel family brooch he had given me.

“······A quality assurance certificate and that seal.”

The head maid’s gaze deepened as she looked at me.

“I don’t know what’s written in the letter. But Butler Hans told me to give this to Luine Axel when I needed to seek essential trust.”

“My elder brother. He still likes being dramatic.”

Luine opened and read the letter in front of me.

“It’s a very brief content.”

She stared at me.

“Head Maid, you know about the captured southern spy, right?”

“Yes, that Red Larva bastard.”

“I have an urgent request.”

I held out Ventus’ image stone to her.

[This is the timeline separator]

Taking advantage of the Red Larva being unconscious, Arcadia secretly hid one of the North’s transmission stones in the prison.

The transmission stone would send every move of the larva to Arcadia on the battlefield, from now until we return.

I asked Arcadia to leave Yora behind in the castle as well.

“Will he be of use?”

I nodded at Arcadia’s question.

“Yora learned swordsmanship with me, and he has a grudge against the Red Larva. He’ll be our last line of defense. Right, Yora?”

“I’ll protect not just him but everyone in the castle. Don’t worry.”

Yora accepted the sword I handed him with a solemn face.

I was proud of him for showing such firm resolve despite coming to hate swords.

Infidel Nugent, standing in front of Yora, also embraced his younger brother, Arcadia.

“Don’t worry about the castle. And don’t die, Arcadia.”

“I’m a phoenix. The Red Larva and Julia, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“Be sure to come back alive, Esther.”

Yora says to me.

I hugged Yora tightly. He hugged me back.

[This is the timeline separator]

At the same time, at the very top floor of the main castle.

Sion Belfast stood in front of a place where no vassal or knight could enter without permission.

The blue sapphire room, which only those who inherited the blood of Belfast, the pillar and shield of the Empire, could enter.

Sion slowly opened the door and went inside.

On the highest part of the wall where sunlight slanted in, the holy sword Lapis was hanging. Or more precisely, it was floating.

The Empire’s holy sword floating above a blue silver shelf.

A relic of the Belfast god said to reveal the true form of any being it pierces.

One of the three holy swords spread across this continent, along with the imperial palace’s holy sword, Lucella.

Sion knelt on one knee under that sword.

‘O Lapis. Please protect my people, my knights, and my loved ones.’

Whenever he went to the battlefield, he always bid farewell to the holy sword. But this time was different.

‘Please let us all return together, O Belfast god. I pray that no one dies.’

Sion prayed in his heart.

[This is the timeline separator]

“My men, annihilate the enemy! Protect the people! And above all, survive!”

– Uwaaaaaa!

Everyone let out a thunderous cheer at the Grand Duke’s cry.

I became a reserve knight in the 1st unit that the Grand Duke would command. Arcadia became the commander of the 2nd unit, and Bran was also assigned to the 2nd unit.

“Hey, Southerner.”

Bran approached me.

“Don’t call me that.”

“If you come back alive, I’ll call you Esther. Make sure you live. We have to cross swords again.”

At those words, I looked at him. And smiled.

“······Alright. So you make sure to survive too.”

I meant it sincerely. Now I don’t want to see the death of anyone I know.

Especially not those who had died by my hand before, who are now living again.

“Of course!”

Bran thumped his armor vigorously, as if trying to shake off his fear.

We all set off at full speed towards the northwestern border.

I watched the back of the Grand Duke riding his horse at the very front. His black hair fluttering in the wind was dazzling.

‘Mother, give me strength. So that I can protect that person this time too.’

I prayed to my mother’s sword, which I had secretly strapped to my thigh under my uniform.

[This is the timeline separator]

Less than an hour after the beacon was lit on the white mountain peak, we reached the plateau overlooking the northwestern wall.

– Grrrrrrrr

– Krrrrrrrr

– Kiyaaaaa

– Kyaaaak

Countless monsters, looking like black dots, filled the entire land in front of the wall.

The knights who had been shouting “Fighting!” with high spirits lost their words in front of this sight. Everyone swallowed dry breaths.

Monsters that seemed to number well over tens of thousands.

We totaled only about three hundred. Even if we added all the Northern troops guarding the front of that wall, it wouldn’t reach a thousand.

“Captain, why have so many monsters suddenly invaded?”

I asked the captain of the 1st unit I belonged to.

The middle-aged knight with a calm demeanor spoke.

“I’ve been a knight for over 20 years, but even I have never seen a sight like this. Unless they were chased here by something, how could they move en masse like this······.”

His words trailed off, drowned out by the monsters’ screams.

On both sides of the land where they stood were huge canyons.

The massive gray barrier called the northwestern wall stood tall, blocking the entire canyon.

– Bang bang

The sound of monsters attacking the wall.

That’s when it happened.

A sacred-looking bright yellow aurora spread out, enveloping the entire area in front of the northwestern wall.

The monsters touched by that aurora, though not clearly visible from afar, screamed in death throes and fled.

“It’s Adrian!”

The Grand Duke shouted.

The Grand Duke at the front ran between the knight units. He brushes past me.

“If the barrier falls, everything is over! We cross the canyon and stand in front of the barrier!”

– Uwaaa! Let’s go!!!

Everyone, gaining courage, started to gallop their horses.

We split into two groups on either side of the plateau and rode towards the other side of the canyon.

As we got closer to the barrier, the terrifyingly huge monsters began to come into view.

[This is the timeline separator]

At that time.

The Northern Grand Duke’s castle was plunged into tense silence.

The only one who didn’t properly understand the situation was the confined Julia Nugent.

She had barely touched the food that came in like meals since she was imprisoned.

She only ate some water and a little bread when she could no longer bear the hunger.

Because when her stomach was full, her mind became muddled and she couldn’t think straight.

She kept pacing around the room to shake off the distracting thoughts that seemed about to swallow her.

‘Drake, you’re the Red Larva? You lied to me? Why?’

We were friends, weren’t we?

I thought I had finally met someone I could communicate with for the first time in my life.

When you came to me, I thought I had finally met someone I could make a friend.

You saw the loneliness in me that I had never told anyone about.

You comforted me, sincerely.

At first, I had no intention of listening to a messenger from the South, but.

[What? You haven’t gone back yet?] [I came back because I kept thinking about you, Lady. It pained my heart to think of you always being alone even when surrounded by people.] [What? You speak as if you know something about me? How presumptuous.] [I also lost my father and mother. To the hands of enemies.]

That’s when it started. When Drake kept catching my eye.

And.

‘You even showed me that. I treated you sincerely… You deceived me?’

Julia couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t admit that she, a descendant of the great Nugent, had been foolish.

As she kept spinning in one spot, she suddenly felt dizzy and sat down in front of the door.

But unlike usual, it was too quiet outside. At least the sound of a few knights practicing swordsmanship should be heard from the window.

She opened her mouth for the first time in days.

“Guard. Are you there?”

“Yes! Miss!”

“Why is it so quiet outside?”

“Well… the monsters from the northwest attacked, so everyone went there.”

‘Monsters.’

An annual event that always happens when spring comes.

“Everyone left?”

“Yes, just me and a few others remained.”

“……”

‘It seems Belfast took the entire knight order to suppress some insignificant monsters. Well, it’s a suitable opportunity to show his authority.’

Then suddenly, a good idea popped into her empty mind.

‘Wait, let me just go meet Drake briefly. I’ll just ask if what the southern woman said is true and come back.’

She wanted to know the truth, why he had deceived her, if he had really deceived her at all. She felt like she would go crazy if she didn’t do at least that much.

Julia Nugent screamed.

“Ah! Haa… Guard, suddenly my stomach… my stomach hurts so much. Call a doctor!”

“What? Miss? Are you alright?”

“Not… alright! Doctor… Haa… Ah, I feel like I’m dying! Aaagh!”

The young and naive apprentice knight, thinking he couldn’t let the only lady of the Nugent family die, opened the door.

It was to check the lady’s condition with his own eyes.

Indeed, the lady was crawling on the floor with a pale face.

“I’ll go find a doctor!!!”

The startled apprentice knight left his post.

Not missing that opportunity, Julia sensed the moment the knight had moved far enough away that her screams wouldn’t reach him, and came out.

And quickly, she went to the underground prison through a secret passage.