Monzuro vaguely remembered the distant past. Long ago, there was a perfect dragon, a supreme being that ruled over the Caronbellaz continent. However, a demon, and the growing power of humans, began to pose threats. Ultimately, a human wiped out the dragons, and remnants of those dragons became beings like the Four Calamities.
- The dragons underestimated humans and died miserably. I won’t make the same mistake.
Understanding this, Monzuro waited patiently for the right time. But the Shadow Dragon approached humans and was quickly extinguished. With plans disrupted, Monzuro now sought to consume the remaining Calamities.
- I am different. I will become stronger and then annihilate all humans.
Duke Adelaira's estate, Zion's room.
Zion had returned to the capital of Alain Kingdom with Hanette. They had come back earlier than expected, but to distribute the treasures, they needed the king’s approval. Enrite had also needed to report on the recent hunt, so he had accompanied them, promising to meet again later.
Now, Zion had to visit his family to pay respects, and if the king summoned him, he would have to rush to the palace.
‘It’s good to be home. How did I endure all that time?’
Zion lay on his bed, reminiscing about the days spent in the border regions. Often, he slept on the ground and didn’t feel comfortable even when inside fortresses. He couldn’t wash properly, and meals were scarce, leaving him perpetually tired. Yet, he persevered and achieved more than he had hoped for.
‘…It was because of Hanette.’
Zion thought of Hanette, likely in the next room, and turned his head carefully. He didn’t want to show any weakness in front of her. No matter how tough it got, he endured, always listening earnestly to what Hanette said. He needed to act normally to keep Hanette from being unsettled.
‘Could I face those monsters without Hanette?’
The Three Demon Lords and the Four Calamities. He had barely defeated the Shadow Dragon, one of the Four Calamities, with Hanette’s help. Although Enrite participated in the battle, his role wasn’t crucial. Zion had only used the flames Hanette provided to launch his sword attacks.
‘Seran didn’t do much…’
Seran was strong among young knights, but compared to Hanette, he seemed weak.
‘It really seems like Hanette is the protagonist…’
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Zion quickly sat up. Hanette, dressed elegantly, entered the room.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this.”
“Right? How do I look compared to before?”
“Hmm… you look a bit slimmer.”
“Really? I didn’t notice.”
“You must have endured a lot.”
“You say that as if you didn’t go through the same.”
“We’re different.”
“What’s different?”
“Well… I can’t quite explain. Let’s just say it’s like that.”
Hanette chuckled and headed towards the table. Zion got up from the bed and sat opposite her.
“You’re going to your family home?”
“I have to. You’re coming too, right?”
“Would I let you go alone?”
“I was wondering what to do if you didn’t come.”
“If I don’t go, you’d get scolded.”
“They’d think our engagement is falling apart.”
“They’d torment you, saying you can’t even take care of your fiancée properly.”
“They’d give me a hard time. Or they might rush the wedding.”
“…You’re saying it might make things more complicated?”
“Since it’s an arranged marriage, we can’t back out. We need to finish it quickly.”
“They might not let us go back to the border regions.”
“That’s why you and I need to stick together. It’s better if we get along well.”
“Aren’t we already close?”
“Well… they might want more.”
The two fell silent, exchanging looks. The implication of “more” carried many meanings. They might have different ideas about it, but it made them think ahead.
“Don’t get me wrong. I meant we need to show that we care for each other.”
“Haa… I thought you meant something else when you said ‘more’.”
“Having a child?”
“What else could it mean?”
“Hah… Let’s just hold hands. That’s enough, right?”
“Why just hold hands? Let’s link arms properly.”
“…Is that so?”
Zion nodded, accepting her words. Holding hands seemed too blatant, but linking arms would show their relationship clearly. Engaged or married couples often linked arms in public.
“If we walk around linking arms, it’ll look like we’ve grown closer, right?”
“Probably.”
“They’ll think we got closer while in the border regions?”
“Maybe…”
“Since we achieved a lot and brought back treasures, they’ll see us as capable, right?”
“Most likely.”
“Then, what do we need to do?”
“Just link arms with you?”
“We just need to stick close for a bit. It’s not hard, right?”
Hanette smiled and extended her right arm. Zion reluctantly lifted his right arm.
“You should lift your left arm.”
“…Can’t we just let this slide?”
“Hmmm… fine, I’ll let it go. You’re finally listening to me?”
“I’ve always listened to you.”
“You listened but didn’t follow.”
“I did…”
“Enough talk. If I say no, it’s no. Got it?”
Zion felt incredulous but didn’t argue. Seeing Hanette's confident demeanor, he felt somewhat at ease. If Hanette could be satisfied this way, he could make concessions.
‘I need to keep her happy. She’ll be stronger than me.’
They both relied on Magic Swords, but the results were different. He had struggled to obtain Exceed Rain, while Hanette had always had Brecht. No matter what he did, he couldn’t surpass her talent.
‘I just have to trust Hanette. I have nothing to fear now.’
Royal Palace, Royal Banquet Hall.
Today was the anniversary of the kingdom's founding, and royalty, nobles, and other key figures had gathered at the palace. Earlier, a memorial service was held at the royal cemetery to honor past kings and those who dedicated their lives to Alain Kingdom.
After the memorial, grand festivals were held not only at the palace but also in the capital and other regions. Only those recognized by the king were allowed into the palace, even if they were nobility.
“…Didn’t you know, Hanette? How did you come back and enter the palace right away?”
“How would I know? I don’t care about these things.”
“If I’d known, I would have returned later.”
“Right. Maybe we should have stayed at the estate.”
Hanette looked around and answered quietly. Royals, influential nobles of Alain Kingdom, high-ranking holy knights from the Kinesien Sacred Order, heads of the Magic Society, and specially invited knights. The gathering was so imposing that even a Duke's daughter like herself felt pressured.
“We can’t avoid it now. We’ve achieved too much.”
“And brought back treasures?”
“Exactly. Not everyone can do this.”
“If we had claimed to be sick, we could have avoided coming.”
“Then what about me?”
“You could come alone.”
“That would look worse. They’d say we’re having issues.”
“You could say you’re also sick.”
“Then the king would address it. Do you really want that?”
“…It’s better to be here.”
Hanette looked at the king with a dissatisfied expression. If the king addressed them, it would involve both their families. Robbenz and Freed would take it seriously, and they’d face a barrage of scolding.
“The White Apostle is here, right?”
“He has to be. He’s a Setinos Quasar and a cardinal.”
“The Silver Rogue won’t come?”
“No, he’s too busy with missions.”
“What about the others?”
“The Purple Divine Archer is the same. The Blue Sage might be here.”
“Is the Silaze Knight Commander here?”
“Probably. He fought with us.”
The king would likely summon Seran to honor his contributions. Perhaps the king was also curious about the knight order the White Apostle had joined. Since they defeated one of the Four Calamities, they deserved proper recognition.
“Should we just stay quiet?”
“If no one recognizes us, we might pass unnoticed.”
“Do you know anyone here?”
“Hmm… Marquis Frandique? What about you?”
“I know him too. And who would know a Crazy Young Lady?”
“They don’t call you a delinquent anymore.”
“Of course not. I have skills now. Oh, and I’ve made achievements.”
Hanette responded proudly, smiling with satisfaction. After earning the title of mage, no one called her a delinquent anymore. Bringing back significant treasures from the border region had stunned her family. Now, even in the capital, rumors were spreading, and people, including commoners, were giving her new nicknames.
“Will they call me the Mage Lady now? I think the nickname is well made.”
“…Isn’t it normal to remember names?”
“That’s boring. A nickname adds fun.”
“Like Setinos Quasar?”
“Hmm… that’s not bad either.”
Hanette replied nonchalantly, hiding her true feelings. She couldn’t tell Zion she wanted to become a Setinos Quasar yet. She wasn’t certain and was still considering it.
“…I haven’t seen Barhen lately.”
“He should be around here somewhere.”
“Seems hard to get out of the palace.”
“Maybe the king is making him work a lot in your place.”
“Me? Oh, that…”
Zion remembered being offered a position in the royal knights and chuckled. Hanette sighed, looking at the knights guarding the king.
“Yeah, that. How could he think of
using me like that?”
“He thought using you as an excuse would get me out of it.”
“I risked my life, do you understand?”
“I did too, so it’s fair…”
Zion suddenly fell silent, noticing someone. Hanette followed his gaze and saw Barhen approaching with a woman in a dress.
‘The third princess. I heard Barhen got engaged to her… isn’t it too soon?’