Chapter 117
Adel took out the music box she had always kept close to her chest.
Inside the glass of the music box was a tiny piano adorned with gold and jewels, and a ballerina dancing gracefully.
As she opened it, the Fire Spirit appeared, hovering around as if it had been waiting.
The Fire Spirit still loved this little object.
Perching gently atop the music box, the Fire Spirit caused the letters that had appeared before to manifest once more.
‘…….’
“Bene mihi, bĕnĕ vobis, nunc”
(To me, to us all, happiness. Now.)
This time, unlike before, an additional word appeared.
“Nunc.” In ancient language, it meant now.
Adel could now read ancient language to a certain degree.
Clearly, this music box was connected to the Divine Beast.
The letters had changed as the time of the covenant drew near.
Watching the Fire Spirit purr contentedly, Adel asked,
“Fire, is there anything I should prepare before going to make the covenant with the Divine Beast?”
<The Divine Beast likes flowers.>
“I see. Then I should bring flowers as a gift. Anything else?”
<I don’t know.>
“You don’t know?”
<Uncle Steel would know better than me! Want me to call him?>
“Yes, please.”
The Fire Spirit circled the music box once, seemingly disappointed, then vanished. Shortly after, the Steel Spirit appeared.
<Little one.>
“Hello.”
<You’re going to see the Divine Beast soon?>
Adel nodded.
“Yes. I can feel the time of the covenant approaching. The Divine Beast is calling me. I was wondering if there’s anything else I should prepare.”
<There’s nothing you need to prepare. Hmm… perhaps just prepare your heart. Once you meet the Divine Beast, you won’t be able to communicate with us for a while.>
“You won’t be able to communicate?”
<That’s right. The forces of nature are always maintained in balance. The Divine Beast will soon use the power of all nature, which will diminish the spirits’ own powers. The allocation is absolute.>
“That’s… complicated.”
<A higher being will be guarding you, so we cannot communicate directly. But you will be able to speak through the Divine Beast. Its will is our will.>
“So I won’t be unable to meet it, right?”
<No, we are your friends, and we will always be with you.>
“Thank you. I like you too. It’s sad that we won’t be able to communicate directly.”
<Everything that begins has an end, Adel. This applies to happiness as well as sadness. But it’s not something to be overly sorrowful about. You’ll understand soon.>
The Steel Spirit flew around Adel’s shoulders in a circle before disappearing from sight.
For some reason, a hollow feeling spread through her chest, as if a weight had been lifted.
Adel met with her father to relay the news and then immediately returned to the royal palace.
She didn’t want to waste time.
This had been something she had long envisioned.
She met with Khan to share the news.
Khan was not surprised when she told him that the Divine Beast had sent the signal first.
“This time, I’ll come with you.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
Adel tilted her head.
Even when he had traveled with just five bodyguards over the past two years, he hadn’t cared much. This sudden insistence was unusual.
“Suddenly?”
Lowering his voice, Khan leaned close, bringing his face perilously near.
The proximity was so intense it almost brushed their breaths together.
“There’s a traitor.”
“A traitor?”
“It means a betrayer. A spy, as well.”
A traitor.
A human who had betrayed humans.
“You might think there were countless traitors before, so it’s no big deal—but this isn’t that. The Reflex White Guard, deployed on a special mission in the Sha Hart region, has been wiped out.”
“……!”
“It was a highly confidential operation, and Reflex consisted of the empire’s top talent, so the blow is enormous. This is not something we can ignore.”
“A traitor… who is it?”
“That’s unknown for now. But they must have a significant intelligence network. At least a high-ranking noble, or a key official.”
The empire was a major Æ adversary. As the dominant power defending the world from them, the betrayal of a high-ranking figure was extremely rare.
That was why the betrayal of Marquis Rozoff Vattenberg was so shocking.
And now, signs of an additional traitor had been discovered within the empire.
Adel noticed that Khan looked unusually tired.
“Using a previously unused traitor line means major movements are imminent. If your travel route is exposed, you’re the likely target, Adel. One more thing: who else knows that the time of the covenant has arrived?”
“Khan, my father… my knights… Sarina.”
“Eight people. Not too many. Good. But it’s still dangerous, so I will accompany this mission, Suzer too.”
“Okay. Understood.”
There was no need to insist on going alone.
It was reassuring that he would accompany her.
“Khan being with me will be a strength. My steadfast husband.”
Adel spoke sincerely.
He pressed his chest as if something hurt, though it wasn’t clear what.
The next day, Adel, Khan, Suzer, and her five bodyguards set out to meet the Divine Beast.
They asked her about the destination, but Adel could only respond vaguely.
“Head southwest. Eventually, you’ll reach the ‘Land’s End.’ A harsh, remote place where humans don’t dwell—a wilderness.”
Ehin explained while looking at the map.
Khan led the group.
Mikael insisted he should be at the front, but he agreed when Khan said the strongest should lead.
At seventeen, the Crown Prince had gone through secondary growth, towering even among peers, with a strong, well-trained physique.
Even compared to adult bodyguards, he was formidable.
Adel felt a twinge of envy, yet also reassurance.
<There’s an enemy ahead. Not human.>
The Wind Spirit, acting as a scout, fluttered to Adel to deliver the message, which she then relayed to the party.
“There’s an enemy ahead.”
“‘Them’?”
“Judging by their non-human nature, it seems so.”
Khan grunted.
“Could our route have been discovered?”
“It’s possible, or they could be native to this area. This is uninhabited land. It wouldn’t be strange if ‘they’ had taken root here.”
“We need to prepare for battle.”
Soon, the enemy appeared.
“Half-human, half-insect… Mantis.”
Mantis.
A species with the limbs of a mantis and the body of a human.
“Their weakness is fire.”
“I know.”
Adel lifted her hands, tracing the magical circle rapidly.
“Flamma ad cælum fertur.”
(The soaring flames cover the sky.)
The Fire Spirit was summoned immediately.
Almost simultaneously, Adel nocked her arrow, which was engulfed in flames.
In the blink of an eye, before the knights could even assume battle stance, her arrow flew.
Kieeek!
A pained cry came from the Mantis.
The arrow’s flames devoured the creature in an instant.
Khan was momentarily stunned.
Not only had the shot been precise from the first arrow, but she moved as if one with the spirit.
‘She’s a genius.’
No other words could describe it.
He had known of her talent, but this surpassed expectations.
‘Truly the child chosen by prophecy.’
Even he felt anyone could be awed by her.
“Is this your first time seeing our master fight?”
Reading Khan’s expression, Terra quietly approached to whisper.
In the middle of the covenant mission, they acted like old companions, ignoring formalities.
Khan preferred it that way, avoiding tension due to his status.
Terra’s eyes sparkled as she nearly bit her fist in excitement.
“So cool. I want to marry him.”
“Terra.”
Mikael gave her a subtle warning.
“I know, I know. Our master is married. Your Majesty, are you considering divorce…?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Tch, I thought so.”
Meanwhile, Adel’s arrows had already taken out eight Mantises.
The other knights had no time to intervene.
When Adel lowered her bow, nimble rogues quickly retrieved the arrows.
These arrows were crafted by the Duke himself at the world’s finest blacksmiths—not disposable.
Then—
Kiiiek!
A Mantis leapt from the right, hidden in the tall grass.
Khan moved like lightning.
His sword arced beautifully in a crescent, bisecting the Mantis perfectly.
The cut was flawless.
Watching, Chopin whistled, calling them the “strongest couple on earth.”
“One escaped. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t need to step in. Save your strength.”
“Nagging.”
Adel approached Khan, wiped a spot of blood from his nose, and smiled.
“Father said I should scold my husband if he complains.”
“……”
“Don’t get hurt, husband. I’ll protect you.”
Ah.
Even though he wasn’t hurt, her heart ached.
