Zion didn’t delve into reasons or emotions.
He simply reached a conclusion unconsciously.
Despite this, he didn't deny the thought; instead, he found himself accepting it.
'It might just be a feeling...'
Zion had never thought of Hanette as more than a friend.
When they first met, Hanette assumed she would escape and constantly clashed with him.
But over time, they grew closer and eventually accepted their engagement.
'Can we maintain this after marriage?'
Though they were engaged, Zion rarely felt uncomfortable.
Occasionally, they disagreed, but a conversation always resolved things quickly.
Marriage, however, was a binding promise, likely bringing significant changes.
'Even if we don't love each other... we mustn't hate each other.'
Their marriage didn't start with love.
Even if they trusted each other now, they might come to doubt and despise each other later.
That's why Zion feared marriage, delaying it to steady his turbulent heart.
'What should I do...?'
They could delay the marriage, but breaking the engagement was impossible.
He knew too many of Hanette's secrets.
Moreover, leaving Hanette behind would likely unsettle him.
'I just have to try harder.'
Zion slowly withdrew his hand and took the reins of his horse.
Hanette, seemingly lost in thought, snapped out of it.
'Wh... what?'
Hanette found herself caught in a strange atmosphere.
During their conversation, Zion suddenly reached out and caressed her cheek.
Despite being covered by a glove, his touch felt gentle and tender.
'...What was that about?'
It was a fleeting moment, and neither spoke.
They just silently gazed at each other.
What was Zion thinking?
'Did I have something on my face? Why isn't he saying anything?'
Hanette instinctively touched her face, feeling self-conscious.
Zion, looking ahead, remained silent.
She couldn’t fathom his thoughts, nor read his expression.
"Hey, what's up with you?"
"...What?"
"Why... why did you touch my face?"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I'm not uncomfortable. I was just curious."
"Well... I don’t know. It just happened."
Hanette wanted to probe further but reluctantly gave up.
Though brief, she couldn't forget his eyes and expression.
The pained gaze and hesitant face had captivated her.
'What does he think of me...?'
Hanette lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
At first, Zion likely saw her as a Crazy Young Lady, but now he treated her as a fiancée and partner.
He subtly took care of her and even asked her not to leave.
What was his reason for accepting their marriage?
'Does he expect something from me?'
But such a question was irrelevant for Zion.
As the Marquis’s son, he lacked neither money nor connections.
He had proven skills, and many nobles were interested in him.
There was no need for him to be tied to the Duke’s house.
'But he protected me. He always wanted to stay by my side.'
Zion never demanded anything from her.
She always received but never gave anything in return.
She wanted to reciprocate more, but Zion might find it meaningless.
'Does he see me as a woman?'
Hanette cautiously turned to look at Zion.
She stared for a while, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! No way."
"What's funny now?"
"You’re just so weird."
"Can you explain what's weird?"
"Would you understand if I did? That's why you’re still a kid."
"Sigh... If I'm old, you'd call me old. What if we were the same age?"
"Hmm... idiot?"
"Nothing changes. Will you call me that even after we get married?"
"I’ll see how you behave."
"You'll probably call me strange no matter what. I can already see it."
"You are strange. Why do you have to be so great?"
"How many times do I have to say it? I'm not that great."
"Would we be here if you weren't? Even with the mage title, we wouldn't have gotten permission without you."
Hanette answered lightly, squeezing her hands.
To Zion, she was just a burden.
Though occasionally helpful, her level didn't significantly improve.
'If I reach a similar level... maybe he’ll notice me.'
Alain Kingdom's frontier region, Fort Nakmor.
Like Fort Teroden, Fort Nakmor rarely faced beast attacks.
It primarily served to build defensive lines and reduce blind spots.
Due to its lower importance, it housed fewer troops, leading to reduced pay and increased night duties, making it less desirable for soldiers.
"Are we staying here tonight?"
"Unless something urgent happens, we'll be here until tomorrow afternoon."
"Hoo... we have some time then?"
"You’ll have to give up on drinking. If you get caught drinking here, it won’t end well."
"I brought some just in case."
"You still haven't learned. You need to quit drinking first..."
When two knights started arguing, Seran habitually intervened.
Enrite, having grown accustomed to this, didn't even glance at the two.
'They're skilled but too unique.'
Enrite roamed the frontier with Seran and the knights.
Battle locations and times were always irregular, with various beasts attacking the front lines.
Yet, no one had died, and injuries were quickly treated by Enrite.
'The squad has grown, and the knight order is well-known now. It's much better than a few months ago.'
Enrite never revealed his identity after joining the Seraiz Knight Order.
He simply followed Seran’s orders as a knight.
Thus, Seran had gathered comrades and earned their reputation on his own.
'Though the Purple and Silver found out...'
Despite hiding his appearance and power, he couldn't escape those two.
They were at a high level and fellow Setinos Quasars.
But since they cooperated, they wouldn’t interfere.
'It's time to meet Zion Laird...'
News about Zion Laird had spread among the soldiers.
Zion Laird was currently at Fort Teroden and had already fought beasts.
He quickly dealt with them with his fiancée, resulting in no casualties, surprising the lords.
'Has he gotten stronger? With his fiancée too...'
Enrite instinctively sensed something and turned around.
He felt the presence of the Magic Sword beyond the fortress gate.
But it was eerie, ominous, and filled with malevolent intent.
'Exceed Rain!'
Enrite widened his eyes, staring at the gate.
The dark Magic Sword Exceed Rain was approaching Fort Nakmor.
Though there were troops inside, they couldn't withstand Exceed Rain.
"Seran! We need to run!"
"What? Why?"
Seran quickly approached, leaving the knights behind.
If a Setinos Quasar said to run, there must be a reason.
He usually stayed calm, but today he showed panic.
"Your knight order can't defeat it! Run now!"
"Can you explain..."
"Is it too late?"
Enrite tensed up, readying his full strength.
If Exceed Rain was close, they would suffer some damage.
Depending on the situation, he might have to transform his body into a Magic Sword to stop Exceed Rain.
'...Why is it so quiet?'
Enrite felt uneasy, questioning the situation.
If someone held Exceed Rain, they would radiate power and charge the fortress.
But there were no signs, and the soldiers were calm.
'It's getting closer.'
Finally, the soldiers on the wall started moving.
They were checking the identity of those outside, ready to let them in if confirmed.
Anyone with Exceed Rain would be treated as an enemy, and the soldiers would respond immediately.
'Why...'
Unexpectedly, the gate opened.
Knights on horseback began to appear.
Enrite quickly identified the knight with Exceed Rain but couldn’t move.
"Zion Laird..."
"Ah, so that’s him..."
Enrite stared at a young man in disbelief.
A destined one had taken hold of Exceed Rain.
And he wasn’t consumed by it, perfectly controlling it while hiding its form.
'He's not attacking.'
Zion observed Enrite, pulling the reins of his horse.
He sensed the presence of El Tesoykve from Enrite.
Though he had noticed this before, there was nothing he could do, so he entered the fortress quietly.
'We can talk.'
Enrite hadn’t released his power.
It meant he didn’t want to fight and left room for conversation.
Of course, what Enrite would do after the conversation was uncertain.
'We should meet separately. I need to resolve this tonight.'
Fort Nakmor, inner fortress corridor.
The lord of Fort Nakmor welcomed Zion and Hanette as honored guests into the inner fortress.
He also provided decent food and rooms with beds for their stay.
Though they should adapt to the local conditions and gain experience, Zion couldn’t refuse the lord’s hospitality for Hanette's sake.
'I need to hurry.'
Before entering the inner fortress, Zion exchanged glances with Enrite, conveying his thoughts.
Enrite seemed to understand, nodding quietly before disappearing with Seran.
If he delayed or avoided the meeting, Enrite would likely see him as an enemy.
"Hanette, reconsider. I can sleep with the knights..."
"We already talked about this. What’s bothering you?"
"Sigh... We're engaged, not married, right? Shouldn't we keep some decorum..."
"Do you really want to be formal here? And isn’t there no difference between being engaged or married for us?"
Hanette replied curtly, stopping in front of the room.
Before, she might have agreed with Zion, but now there was no reason to.
She trusted him and had accepted their marriage.
"You're right, but people will misunderstand. If we’re seen like this in the frontier..."
"What about it? What's wrong?"
"Uh... Technically nothing, but..."
"Are you that embarrassed to share a room? Are you... thinking something weird?"