Zion had spent considerable time honing his swordsmanship and trying different techniques.
Whenever he had spare time, he focused on augmenting his magical power and sought advice from various mages to use his magic more efficiently.
As a result, his magical capacity increased while his consumption decreased, allowing him to use sword aura multiple times in succession.
'If necessary, I can draw magic from Hanette.'
Hanette possessed even more magic power than he did.
The Blue Sage had acknowledged this, noting her rapid recovery rate.
Moreover, with her continuous magical augmentation, her power reached even higher levels.
"Hey, I can fight too, you know?"
"It's not that I'm underestimating you. You're my partner, so I need to protect you."
"...So that's why you told me to stay close?"
"It means trust me."
Zion glared at the wyverns, then unleashed Exceed Rain.
A stream of dark purple energy flowed from Exceed Rain, forming a shape.
The soldiers, witnessing the scene, couldn't help but express their awe.
"Who else can I trust but you?"
Hanette muttered quietly, carefully releasing her magic.
The dark purple sword aura shot towards the sky, like purple ink stretching across a blue canvas.
"What did you just say?"
"I said you’re amazing."
"Not that amazing."
"You are. My partner should be at least this good."
"...?"
Zion refocused on the wyverns, adjusting his stance.
Though his sword aura had struck the wyverns, one narrowly escaped.
The surviving wyvern roared and spat a fireball.
"Hanette! Stay by my side..."
"I'll handle this. You take care of that one."
Hanette replied calmly, manipulating her magic.
Soon, her magic transformed into bright red flames, dispersing in all directions.
The flaming fragments passed through the soldiers, forming a large barrier.
"Trust me. I can stop it."
Zion hesitated briefly, then nodded slowly.
Hanette's eyes glowed with a golden hue, her vast magic flowing out.
"How can I not trust you?"
Zion smiled and swung Exceed Rain.
Dark purple magic surged upward once more.
The fireball approached the fortress, but Zion stood firm, channeling his magic.
"Keaaak!"
The remaining wyvern was cleaved by the sword aura and plummeted.
The fireball the wyvern had shot collided with the flame barrier.
Hanette focused briefly, then spoke softly.
"No big deal."
The fireball couldn't penetrate the flame barrier and quickly dissipated.
Hanette watched it vanish, then leisurely withdrew her magic.
"Oh..."
"She blocked it..."
"Was that sword aura earlier?"
"What just happened...?"
The soldiers whispered among themselves, keeping an eye on the duo.
Zion, feeling exhausted, remained vigilant.
The rapid depletion of his magic had taken a toll on his body.
"Whew..."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You’re not hurt, right?"
"Are you trying to act tough in front of me?"
"I'm not acting..."
"I guess you do need me."
Hanette grabbed Zion's left hand firmly.
Magic from her body flowed swiftly into Zion's through his right arm.
"What would you do without me?"
"I still had a bit left."
"What were you planning to do with that bit?"
"I'd recover over time."
"What about during a battle?"
"Maybe run away?"
"That's why I can't leave you alone. I should've been the knight commander."
"I offered you the chance. You turned it down."
"You really are a brat... Sigh..."
Despite her words, Hanette smiled faintly.
She was merely replenishing his magic, but not everyone could do that.
It required a substantial amount of magic to spare.
'I can protect him too.'
It was the third time she held his hand.
Though they both wore gloves, the magic transferred smoothly.
She was curious about how he drew her magic but didn't ask.
Knowing she was helping Zion was enough for her.
'But you won't rely on me...'
Zion always tried to handle everything alone.
He would step up for her but never ask for help himself.
He endured and allowed himself to be taken advantage of like an innocent child.
"You’re the most unique brat I've ever met."
"Of course. How many 19-year-old brats are there?"
"At least you trust me... I'll let it slide today."
"What are you letting slide?"
"You always make mistakes."
"What mistakes do I make?"
"You have to figure that out yourself."
"You're being unreasonable again."
"What do you know? As the older one, I have to be patient."
"What if I were older? What would you say then?"
"I'd call you an old man."
"Of course. What else could I expect from you..."
Hanette looked down at their joined hands, noticing a change.
Before, she felt nothing when they held hands, but now she sensed a faint connection.
'He's drawing more of my magic. Has he gotten stronger...?'
Hanette felt anxious but steadied her mind.
If she couldn't even share her magic with Zion, she'd be useless.
She needed to elevate her magical abilities to help Zion.
'I can't fall behind. If I do, I'll never catch up.'
The frontier region of Alain Kingdom, Fort Alieard.
There were occasional reports of beast sightings, but no battles occurred.
Since Alain Kingdom didn't attack first, it was more accurate to say the beasts didn't invade.
Still, they had to be prepared, as beasts could infiltrate other forts or blind spots.
"...Are you sure they were wyverns?"
"Yes! They said they were definitely wyverns!"
"That's strange."
Valtz reviewed the report, deep in thought.
Three wyverns appeared near Fort Teroden and approached suddenly.
Fort Teroden didn't provoke them and prepared to defend against the attack.
No matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn't understand the report.
"Wyverns don't leave their territory unless hunting. Why attack Fort Teroden?"
"Fort Teroden is investigating, but they haven't found any reason yet."
"Hmm... They wouldn't see the fort as prey..."
Most beasts lacked intelligence but didn't attack recklessly.
They often fled in fear before the battle began.
Of course, they sometimes invaded for no reason, which could be considered natural behavior.
"We'll think about that later. What were the battle results?"
"There were no casualties, and all three wyverns were killed."
"That's odd too."
Wyverns were harder to deal with than other beasts.
Typically, beasts approached from the ground, allowing defenders to use the fortress's advantage.
But flying beasts like wyverns attacked from the air, negating the fortress's advantage.
There should have been casualties, and killing all the wyverns wouldn't have been easy.
"Did a strong knight step in?"
"Yes! The Lychnis Knight Order killed all the wyverns!"
"The Lychnis Knight Order? I've never heard of them. Who are they?"
"...Ah! The Lychnis Knight Order consists only of Zion Laird and Hanette Adelaira! They brought a few temporary knights too!"
"Those two..."
Valtz, recognizing the names, showed interest.
The noble and his fiancée whom the Silver Phantom wanted to mentor.
He knew they were coming to the frontier but didn't know their exact destination.
He hadn't expected to hear about them like this before meeting them.
"I see. They've already started making moves."
"I'm sorry! I didn't understand!"
"I wasn't talking to you. Things are getting interesting."
Valtz had heard about their skills.
A swordsman who could use sword aura and a mage with the title of a mage.
If those skilled individuals were involved, it was no wonder they easily handled the wyverns.
"I must meet them. They might be stronger than I expected."
They had reportedly killed all three wyverns without casualties.
They must have attacked immediately upon spotting the wyverns, ending the fight quickly.
"There must be a reason he brought his fiancée."
Hanette Adelaira, Zion Laird's fiancée, had trained at the Rivdad Magic Academy before earning her mage title.
She was the Blue Sage's apprentice, a talented individual.
"To find an apprentice, I might need to go to the capital."
Valtz was also looking for a suitable apprentice.
But his knights didn't show potential, and others didn't meet the minimum standard.
Though he wanted to leave the frontier for a while, he couldn't due to the unpredictable beast attacks.
"...The White One stayed in the capital too."
Valtz had already contacted the White Apostle, exchanged greetings, and parted ways.
The White Apostle operated secretly, hiding her identity.
Though he didn't inquire further, there must have been a reason she came to the frontier.
"Two outstanding knight orders have emerged."
They were better than insignificant knight orders or mercenary groups only seeking profit.
At least they earned their pay.
If they continued building their reputation and achievements, Alain Kingdom might heavily support them.
"Should I leave them alone?"
Newly established knight orders often grew arrogant, believing they could do anything.
They acted recklessly, disregarding others, and sometimes faced significant defeat or annihilation.
Valtz had seen such incidents frequently, so he couldn't ignore them.
"The Sylase Knight Order will be managed by the White One... but there's no one to keep the Lychnis Knight Order in check."
The Lychnis Knight Order consisted of two young members.
Despite their exceptional skills, they lacked experience in the frontier.
Considering the occasional bandit raids and beast ambushes, an experienced knight needed to guide them.
"Keeping them under my wing for a while might be best. Teaching them will improve their skills. Their rank isn't too low... I should look out for them."