Chapter 196 — After the Storm

  The battle across the three fronts had ended.

  The northern raid team had succeeded.

  Seraphine returned with the help of Gruthak and his brothers.

  The breach in the wall had been contained by the party [Meteor Fall].

  Ivaline had survived an assassination attempt by Selvara.

  And the southern front…

  The southern defenders had fulfilled their duty.

  They had acted as bait, drawing the Beast Army away from the walls.

  And they had done it splendidly.

  Perhaps too well.

  Most of the enemy forces had been drawn toward the southern battlefield.

  But among them—

  General Silva himself had entered the fight.

  Sir Caelum and his party [Dragon Piercer] had held the line and ordered a full retreat.

  Most of the army survived.

  Most of the members of [Dragon Piercer] survived as well.

  Except for one.

  Sir Caelum.

  Who stayed behind to face General Silva alone.

  The Assembly Point

  Ivaline returned to the assembly yard inside the fort.

  Members of [Meteor Fall] were already there.

  Borik and Thorne lay on stretchers, heavily wounded but still breathing.

  Sister Elysha moved between the injured with glowing healing magic.

  “Oi! Little miss!”

  Garron called out.

  The veteran adventurer frowned at Ivaline with a stern expression.

  “Where were you when the wall cracked!?”

  “Why?”

  “…Did you run away because you got scared?”

  He asked bluntly.

  He had not seen the girl anywhere during the crisis.

  Either she had died…

  Or she had fled.

  As a leader, he needed to confirm everyone’s condition.

  “So you panicked and ran, huh?”

  “No.”

  “…Bathroom?”

  “No.”

  Garron narrowed his eyes.

  Now that he looked carefully—

  Ivaline clearly had the posture of someone who had just finished a fight.

  Her clothes were damaged.

  Her breathing steady but slightly heavy.

  “…Then—”

  Sching.

  A curved blade suddenly appeared beside Garron’s throat.

  “….”

  A chakram hovered against his neck.

  Selvara slowly revealed herself from thin air.

  She wore a playful smile.

  But her eyes held a lethal warning.

  “Please do not pressure my husband too much.”

  Her voice was sweet.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Alright?”

  “…What is the meaning of this?”

  Garron stayed calm.

  But several nearby adventurers immediately drew their weapons.

  They remembered the story.

  The Beastwoman spy who had delivered crucial intelligence yesterday—

  Only to betray them the very same day.

  A chameleon assassin.

  And now she was threatening Garron.

  Someone everyone here respected.

  “Selvara. Stay.”

  “Hnnng… alright.”

  She made a dissatisfied sound that was half a whine and half a moan.

  Then she lifted her hands and stepped back before wrapping her arms around Ivaline from behind.

  Openly.

  Affectionately.

  Garron rubbed his temple.

  “…Silver Ward. Please explain.”

  “…Alright.”

  Ivaline quietly asked Chronicle to summarize events.

  Then she spoke.

  Selvara had been ordered to assassinate her.

  They fought.

  Ivaline defeated her.

  They talked.

  They reconciled.

  Another assassin arrived.

  Selvara protected her.

  Ivaline killed the second assassin.

  She healed Selvara.

  Selvara became their ally.

  That was why she was here.

  “….”

  “….”

  “….”

  The adventurers stared at each other.

  None of them knew what to say.

  Then—

  A shout came from the wall.

  “The northern raid team returned!”

  “They captured the Beast Army’s supply wagons! Three full carts!”

  “What!?”

  Everyone rushed toward the north gate.

  Reunion

  They saw Seraphine leading the returning force.

  The moment she spotted Ivaline—

  She ran.

  “Husband!”

  “Mm. You’re safe.”

  Seraphine opened her arms wide.

  Ivaline stepped forward into the embrace.

  “I’m back… we won…”

  “Welcome back.”

  pat

  pat

  Ivaline gently patted her back.

  Behind them, adventurers hurried to drag the captured supply wagons inside the fort before the enemy could pursue.

  In the distance, Lyra could be seen dragging Garrick by the collar.

  The man looked like someone who had spent all the luck of his life in a single day.

  The hug might have lasted longer—

  If someone hadn’t poked Seraphine on the shoulder.

  “Hello, big sister ?”

  “…You.”

  Seraphine jumped away and raised her staff.

  Lyra also lifted her grimoire.

  Several adventurers raised their weapons.

  “Whoa, whoa! Relax. I’m not your enemy anymore ?”

  “What does that mean!?”

  “Well… I’ll be blunt.”

  Selvara crouched behind Ivaline and hugged her again.

  Then she flashed a seductive smile.

  “I would like to apply to become our husband’s property.”

  “WHAT DID YOU SAY!?”

  “I DO NOT APPROVE!”

  Seraphine and Lyra shouted at the same time.

  Both rushed forward and demanded an explanation.

  Ivaline explained the situation again.

  Both mages blinked.

  Then they looked at each other.

  “Well… if that’s the case…”

  “She offered freedom.”

  “And then you saved her life.”

  Selvara giggled.

  “How could I not fall for our husband’s charm?”

  “NOT OUR!”

  Lyra lunged first.

  “You’re not even her wife yet!”

  Seraphine grabbed Lyra’s collar and yanked her back.

  “You’re not one either! I’m the only wife!”

  “A mistress also counts as wife!”

  “You’re not a mistress!”

  Chaos erupted.

  Selvara laughed quietly.

  Ivaline simply watched the argument with her usual blank face.

  News from the South

  The supply wagons were escorted to the storage hall.

  Everyone waited for the rest of the army to return.

  The southern force arrived in waves.

  The first group looked excited.

  They talked about how close they came to breaking the enemy line before the retreat order arrived.

  The second group spoke nervously about Silva appearing on the battlefield.

  But they still believed in victory.

  Because Sir Caelum was there.

  The third group arrived.

  Rivel.

  Vaelis.

  Both of them looked pale.

  “What happened?”

  Ivaline ran toward them.

  Vaelis froze.

  Then suddenly hugged Ivaline tightly.

  Her body trembled.

  Ivaline slowly hugged her back.

  “…Silva appeared on the frontline.”

  Vaelis whispered.

  “Sir Caelum and his party engaged him.”

  “…What?”

  Nearby adventurers went silent.

  The Beast General had personally entered the battle?

  Before anyone could ask more—

  Three more figures appeared at the gate.

  Mira.

  Lysette.

  Sylra.

  Lysette’s voice suddenly shattered the courtyard.

  “…Close the gate.”

  The guard hesitated.

  “Huh? But Sir Caelum is still—”

  “CLOSE THE GATE NOW!”

  Her scream cracked.

  The soldiers flinched.

  The heavy wooden gates began to close.

  THUD.

  THUD.

  THUD.

  The sound echoed across the fort.

  Everyone stared at the three returning members of [Dragon Piercer].

  Each of them held the same necklace.

  The gem in the center was shattered.

  “…Lover necklace.”

  An adventurer whispered.

  Another nodded grimly.

  “If one wearer dies… the other gem breaks.”

  Silence spread across the courtyard.

  Someone forced a laugh.

  “…No way.”

  “Sir Caelum is fighting Silva.”

  “He’ll come back.”

  “…Right?”

  No one answered.

  Lysette collapsed to her knees.

  “…He ordered us to retreat…”

  Her voice trembled.

  “We refused.”

  Sylra clenched her teeth.

  “He hugged us.”

  Mira wiped her tears.

  “…And told us to live.”

  The courtyard became unbearably quiet.

  Finally someone asked—

  “…Where is he?”

  Lysette closed her eyes.

  “…Holding the line.”

  Sylra whispered.

  “…Alone.”

  The truth settled over the fort.

  Sir Caelum.

  The Tempest Knight.

  The banner of their hope.

  Had fallen.

  Rage

  “DAMN IT!”

  An adventurer slammed his fist into a wall.

  Another kicked a crate.

  “Why didn’t we stay!?”

  “Because he ordered it!”

  “That idiot knight!”

  Someone drew their sword.

  “I’m going back out there.”

  “What!?”

  “I’ll kill that beast!”

  Others stood up.

  “I’m coming!”

  “We can’t just sit here!”

  Chaos erupted.

  Then—

  “…Stop.”

  Everyone turned.

  Ivaline stood in the center of the courtyard.

  Her expression was calm.

  But her eyes were cold.

  “…Sir Caelum fulfilled his duty.”

  Silence fell again.

  “If you run out now…”

  Her gaze swept across the crowd.

  “…you will waste the life he traded.”

  The words struck harder than a shout.

  Weapons slowly lowered.

  From the healer’s tent, Borik forced himself upright.

  “…The kid’s right.”

  He winced from pain.

  “Heroes die so fools like us get to live.”

  Thorne coughed beside him.

  “Aye.”

  “If we throw that away…”

  “…he’ll haunt us.”

  A veteran adventurer raised his sword.

  “For the Tempest Knight!”

  Another joined.

  “For Sir Caelum!”

  Soon the entire courtyard roared.

  “FOR THE TEMPEST KNIGHT!”

  Even the wounded shouted.

  Even the healers raised their hands.

  Ivaline did not shout.

  But she slowly raised her sword.

  Her chest burned.

  Her mind felt hot.

  Something twisted inside her.

  Chronicle spoke quietly within her mind.

  Perhaps… the feeling you have now…

  is called rage.

  Far to the south—

  A lonely battlefield still held the body of the knight who bought them this future.

  And inside the fort he saved—

  His legend had already begun.