Episode 11
“By the way, since we’ve been helping each other out, shouldn’t Helix be praising me too?”
“…Haven’t I been doing that all along?”
“You haven’t today.”
Leia grumbled.
“Every time it’s just like, ‘You practiced hard today, well done.’ I wish you’d show a bit more sincerity.”
“Sincerity…”
Helix pondered for a moment.
Her complaint had merit.
Even if the praise time felt awkward, since he had agreed to it, he should properly follow through. Helix looked down at the crown of Leia’s round head and thought about what to praise her for.
‘Leia is spirited, diligent in learning, quietly responsible, straightforward, bold, a bit eccentric…’
And she was pretty.
Her eyes, especially, were very beautiful.
‘There must be another way besides sacrificing Helix to solve things.’
That confident blue gaze of hers had even appeared in his mind while he slept.
Helix suddenly said,
“Leia, your eyes make my heart race.”
Leia blinked.
“…Huh?”
Seeing her reaction, he belatedly grew flustered.
“I… didn’t mean it like that.”
“You think I wouldn’t know that?”
Leia smiled.
“You’re talking about partnership, right?”
“…Yeah.”
That was correct.
It should have been correct.
For some reason, his mood sank.
“Glad you understand.”
Helix replied curtly and started walking briskly.
Clack, clack.
He quickly passed her and strode ahead down the path. Leia watched his back in confusion.
What’s with him?
“Helix, let’s go down together—!”
At that moment, Helix, who had been walking ahead, suddenly turned and dashed back, his long silver hair trailing behind him.
“Huh?”
The moment Helix stepped in front of Leia, a dog-like monster burst out of the bushes.
Growl!
“Leia, step back!”
“O-okay!”
Helix extended his arm.
His long, well-built arm moved like that of a martial arts master, and a blue energy rippled across his entire body.
‘Mana?’
A completely different kind of mana from Leia’s surrounded Helix. His long silver hair fluttered in response, and his fingertips accurately aimed at the monster.
Bang!
The monster was struck in the head and collapsed.
“…What did he just do?”
Leia couldn’t believe her eyes.
It looked as if mana shot from Helix’s fingertips had hit the monster’s head.
Mana was supposed to be internal energy, something difficult to gather, yet Helix was manipulating it freely as if firing a gun from his fingertips.
Grrrr!
The fallen monster rolled its eyes and lunged at Helix, trying to bite him.
“No!”
In that instant, thoughts of mana flow and stance vanished from her mind, and her stomach tightened.
Whoosh.
A flame surged from within.
Leia reached out her hand. Following instinct and the movements honed repeatedly by Helix, mana gathered.
But she didn’t even properly feel the exhilaration of mana coursing through her body.
‘Helix!’
With a hurried activation phrase, flames burst forth.
“Fireball!”
Boom!
From Leia’s fingertips, a rushing ball of fire shot out.
Kyaaa!
The monster struck by the fireball let out a piercing scream.
Whoosh!
In an instant, it was engulfed in flames and turned into a charred lump.
“…Huh?”
Leia blinked. Helix running toward her seemed to move in slow motion. She muttered,
“That firepower… is this real?”
❀ ❀ ❀
Meanwhile, at the Pierrot Ducal estate in the capital of the Kingdom of Peyron,
Luyan Pierrot, the second son and commander of the knight order, had not yet given up his lingering attachment.
“Leia, our fragile Leia is in the north, and what am I doing here? I should’ve gone with her…!”
The 3rd squad leader standing beside him tried to dissuade him.
“Commander, please come to your senses. Where are you going? Who’s going to lead the parade at the autumn Harvest Festival?”
At Peyron’s autumn event, the Harvest Festival parade, Luyan had led the vanguard for several years.
“The parade, my foot… you handle it. You’re not bad-looking yourself!”
“What nonsense… how can my face compare to yours, Commander? If I were to stand at the front, I’d get pelted with stones!”
Seeing no response from Luyan, the squad leader tried another tactic.
“What about the inspection ceremony for the new recruits this quarter? The winter training schedule? And all the letters from the royal family requesting your presence?”
“Ugh, can’t you all handle things yourselves? Why do you think I pay you more? Wait—letters?”
“Yes. They’re from Prince Patrick.”
“Prince Patrick?”
Luyan tilted his head and gestured.
“Bring it here.”
Prince Patrick Peyron—the only prince and crown prince of the Kingdom of Peyron.
He was competent, with both good looks and a solid personality.
‘We’re not that close. What’s this about?’
As Luyan was about to open the letter, he paused.
It was carefully sealed so others couldn’t read it.
‘A confidential letter?’
❀ ❀ ❀
A short while later.
Luyan met privately with Prince Patrick at the royal palace.
The prince’s proposal was simple and clear.
He intended to assemble a disguised subjugation force to investigate anomalies in the north, but since the true purpose was investigation, he needed a small elite core group who understood this.
Would Luyan join as part of that core team?
Luyan asked,
“A disguised subjugation force… Is it necessary to keep the investigation that secret?”
“Perhaps the Empire is involved.”
The prince explained.
There were many pro-Empire nobles within Peyron, and it was not uncommon for the Empire to meddle in Peyron’s territory.
If the anomalies were caused by the Empire, pro-Empire nobles might interfere with the investigation.
Luyan nodded.
The reasoning made sense, and the reports he had recently heard about the north were indeed strange.
Knight Biden, the leader of the second squad who had escorted Leia to the north, had sent multiple reports.
Frequent monster howls.
An unusually early heavy snowfall that isolated Helkan.
‘Leia is in the north… it’s far too dangerous.’
This might be an opportunity.
An opportunity to go by Leia’s side and protect her!
Luyan made up his mind.
“What would be the price for my joining?”
“Do you have something you want?”
“Yes.”
Rubbing his hands together, Luyan mentioned an unexpected name.
“Baron Theford.”
The prince looked puzzled.
The illegitimate child of Grand Duke Kalosi… Baron Theford, a disgrace to the royal family—why bring him up?
Looking at the prince, Luyan smiled ominously.
“Let me beat that man up, and I’ll leave immediately.”
❀ ❀ ❀
At the Pierrot villa in the north, Leia also received unexpected news.
“Monsters are running wild?”
“Yes. It seems they are even attacking settlements.”
This was serious.
Leia glanced sideways at Helix.
“…How many have appeared? It’s not increasing continuously, is it?”
“Fortunately, it seems no more are crossing over.”
Phew.
At least Helix wouldn’t have to seal himself away saying, “This is my fault.”
‘But attacking settlements… this is truly serious.’
Leia gave an order to Knight Biden.
“Explain in more detail.”
“The situation is somewhat complicated.”
Currently, the northern region of the Kingdom of Peyron was land without a lord.
The terrain was rugged and the population sparse, so nobles had not sought to claim it as their domain.
Without a lord, there was no protection.
The people of the north were barely holding back monsters using volunteer militias and hunters, without soldiers sent by a lord.
Only weakened monsters could cross the Hel Mountains, making this possible.
However, things had recently changed.
Stronger monsters had begun crossing the Hel Mountains and entering villages below.
The northern people were terrified.
“So residents from nearby villages are flocking to the villa and requesting help.”
“Help?”
“Yes. They are asking the Pierrot Knight Order to eliminate the monsters with its military strength.”
As he spoke, Biden felt uneasy.
The young noble lady Leia Pierrot was raised in comfort.
He worried she might agree to help without considering practical issues.
Leia replied immediately.
“Refuse.”
“Shouldn’t we help them immediately?”
Leia and Helix expressed opposing views and looked at each other.
Helix said firmly,
“Of course we should help. Protecting the weak is the noble duty.”
“Being treated like free mercenaries—how is that a noble duty?”
“…”
Helix raised an eyebrow.
“Think about it. This isn’t our domain. We have no obligation to protect or defend it.”
“But the knight order is here anyway. Using force won’t wear anything out.”
“It will.”
Leia said decisively.
“Swords, shields, and spears all wear down. So do our knights’ joints. What if someone gets injured fighting monsters they’ve never even seen before?”
“Y-Young Lady…”
Knight Biden looked at Leia with admiration.
She continued,
“And since this isn’t anyone’s domain, it’s still royal territory. If our knight order draws weapons while eliminating monsters on state land and word gets out, what do you think will happen?”
Leia’s expression grew serious.
“Those hostile to our family will seize the opportunity.”
They would claim military action on state land near the border, suggest rebellion, accuse the Pierrot Ducal House of treason—there would be no end to such allegations.
“Lady…”
Biden was impressed by her insight, unusual for someone so young.
“How perceptive you are.”
“I am a bit perceptive.”
“Not just a bit. Such quick and accurate judgment—truly of the Pierrot family.”
“Knight Biden knows his stuff. In our house, this is just like drinking cold soup.”
In the warm atmosphere, Helix interjected with some discomfort.
“So you’re saying we leave the villages threatened by monsters as they are?”
Leia smiled.
“I have something to rely on.”
❀ ❀ ❀
“Helix, Helix.”
Helix woke up in the middle of the night.
A figure dressed in black was calling him from beside his bed.
“…Leia?”
She was wearing a loose robe and had covered her face, but it was unmistakably her.
She pulled her hood down further.
“Do I look like Leia to you?”
“Leia, fool someone else. I can sense your mana.”
“Tch.”
In truth, even without sensing mana, it would have been impossible not to recognize her.
Just by the faint glimpse of her blue, shimmering eyes between the robe and hood, one could tell who she was.
Helix sat up.
“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
