"Frostbite... it's been a while since I heard that nickname."
Serenade laughed bitterly.
"I was once like that. As my relationship with him grew cold, so did I."
Just thinking of that time sent chills down her spine.
Serenade's fingers dug into her own arm.
"But now that His Highness treats me warmly, I no longer need to pretend to be cold."
Ice melts in spring.
As Ash began to warm, the frostbite receded. It was that simple.
"...It's been a while since I was called the 'Mad Dog.'"
A fleeting remorse passed through Lucas's stern eyes.
"I had those days."
When he'd bite anything on command like a rabid dog.
And even... the time he almost bit the hand that fed him.
"...Whether His Highness commands me as a mad dog, I act as one; and if commanded as a knight, I act as one."
After all, he was just a sword.
He moved according to the will of the one who wielded him. It was that simple.
"In the end,"
Serenade took a deep breath.
"It was his transformation that allowed us to change."
Lucas silently agreed.
Indeed, compared to Ash's transformation, the changes in Serenade and Lucas were trivial.
The prince, who once pushed himself to the edge, desperate to destroy himself, had transformed.
He became as warm as the spring sun.
Lucas gently inquired,
"Aren't you afraid of his transformation?"
Lucas had been forewarned about Ash's change.
- "Hey, guard. From tomorrow, I'll act differently."
- "But no matter my appearance or behavior, I am still me. Undoubtedly the Ash you've always known."
- "Trust me and continue to support me as you have. I request this of you."
The day after those words, Ash changed.
Despite the warning, Lucas sometimes felt a chill down his spine.
Is this thoughtful, benevolent ruler really the same person he had sworn allegiance to?
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Serenade spoke with conviction.
"His essence hasn't changed."
From their childhood,
That radiant boy's essence remained unchanged.
"Even if his actions, speech patterns, and even beliefs change - I can tell. The Ash I loved remains unchanged."
"How can you be so sure?"
As Lucas asked, Serenade smiled mischievously, reminiscent of her playful younger self.
"It's a lover's intuition."
Immediately after, Serenade mumbled, twirling a strand of her hair.
"Well, we're divorced now..."
Watching her, Lucas chuckled.
"I feel relieved... that you're here, Miss Serenade, to share these concerns."
"Hm?"
"I'll trust your intuition as well, Miss Serenade."
Lucas gave a soft smile, a sight that made Serenade widen her eyes in surprise.
He wasn't one to smile like that.
"...You've changed a lot, Captain Lucas."
"We've grown up. All of us."
For a moment, Serenade and Lucas locked eyes, looking at each other, who were once on the brink of friendship but eventually remained distant.
And always between them was the memory of young Ash.
"All I wish for is His Highness's happiness, Captain Lucas."
Serenade murmured softly, to which Lucas nodded in agreement.
"I feel the same, Miss Serenade."
"Let's serve him from our respective places."
"Of course."
Lucas stepped aside, bowing slightly. Serenade, with a gentle nod, walked into the manor first.
And when the two entered Ash's bedroom on the third floor-
"Snnn..."
Ash was soundly asleep.
Papers scattered across the bed, he leaned against the headboard, having left the light on.
Lucas and Serenade, sharing a wry smile, tidied up Ash's sleeping area. Lucas organized Ash's writing materials, while Serenade gently laid him down, pulling the covers over him.
Looking at the sleeping young man, seeing traces of the boy they knew from their youth,
"Sweet dreams, Your Highness."
Serenade whispered softly and withdrew. Lucas turned off the bedside lamp.
With a soft click, the room was plunged into darkness. Taking a last glance at the peacefully sleeping Ash, Serenade and Lucas silently stepped out.
***
...Several days had passed.
My condition hadn't improved. It seemed like fatigue and a cold had struck simultaneously.
The fever wouldn't subside, and I groaned, a cold towel draped over my forehead. What rotten luck.
"It's the fall. As the days get colder, it's especially crucial to be cautious during these transitions," Damian, who visited me every morning and evening to provide me with holy energy, remarked.
Apparently, healing magic couldn't remedy fatigue or a common cold.
Its visible effects were more pronounced with more severe wounds or injuries.
But, being imbued with this much holy energy was believed to be beneficial for rejuvenation. Ugh.
Anyway, given the circumstances, I lay in bed, received brief reports, and issued general directives.
Initially, I was a bit concerned, but even in my absence, Crossroad operated pretty smoothly.
Of course, it wasn't as efficient as when I was on the ground, but it was moving decently well.
'Perhaps this is how a typical lord or a typical commander operates.'
Not visiting the field, only issuing and receiving orders and reports through documents and messengers...
"...Hmm."
Even so, this wasn't my style.
"I want to jump out of this bed and see the field in person!"
"Yeah, yeah. First, you need to get better."
Evangeline, who came to get my review on an independent exploration plan, chided me. Grumbling, I looked over the plan she had drafted.
It was the plan to circle the cleared Zone 6 dungeon once more. We had to avoid the Midas area since the commanders of the Nightmare Legion could appear there...
'I really need to hit level 50.'
I was currently at level 49. I wanted to quickly hit 50 just like the other main party members and learn the ultimate move, but with my physical condition as it was...
"We'll take care of it ourselves and return safely, senior. You just take your time and rest."
And true to their word, they managed just fine.
In my absence, they either sought help from the Holy Grail Seekers waiting at the base camp or organized teams with the likes of Jackal or even Lilly(!) and systematically reviewed each of the Zone 6 dungeons.
The other sub-parties were leveling in the early areas.
Watching the party members grow stronger and level up every day even without me made me feel somewhat ambivalent. Ugh.
Not just the dungeon exploration but internal affairs were handled impeccably as well.
Especially after appointing Serenade as the chief advisor of internal affairs, she frankly managed things better than I did.
This included maintenance of the forward base and city tourism plans.
"Here's the magic stone sales report, Your Highness. Please take your time reviewing it."
Using transparent magic stone sales profit sharing, they greatly boosted the city's finances.
The magic stones were safely presented to the Imperial Family. From the remaining ones, they didn't touch the share for the existing Crossroad merchants.
The remaining magic stones were then distributed and sold throughout the continent.
"The quality of the magic stones is exceptional. We started distribution primarily to allied kingdoms' royal families. We are already receiving a slew of follow-up orders."
While scanning the report after hearing Serenade's update, I mumbled,
"To be honest, I thought the Silver Winter Merchant Guild would absorb all the smaller southern guilds."
They preserved the existing magic stone sales routes, fairly divided the magic stone quantities with the existing guilds.
Only the surplus from the south was managed by the Silver Winter Merchant Guild.
Given the wealth of Silver Winter and their rapport with me, they could've monopolized the market, but...
"Heh, as I told you before, our guild's goal is coexistence."
Handing over a report indicating a large deposit of gold in the Crossroad city's treasury, Serenade grinned.
"It's easy to crush others with size and profit from it, but that's a very shortsighted way to do business. We simply choose a path that benefits us in the long run."
"That's really impressive..."
I need to learn some business philosophies later. It seems it'll help.
Thus, everyone became self-reliant. The city ran smoothly and safely.
"15 heroes in the reserve party, 3 parties. They're ready for frontline deployment."
Several sub-parties became combat-ready due to continued independent explorations.
"Gasp... Did I somehow grow stronger?"
Lilly surpassed level 35, completed her second-class job change, and unlocked the skill [Fire Wall].
Hey, didn't you quit your on-site job? You keep accompanying your boyfriend on expeditions, and that's why you're leveling up!
"...I don't even join in the explorations, so why am I growing?"
Saintess Margarita mumbled hesitantly.
Margarita was leveling up without even taking part in combat. From her perspective, it must have been perplexing.
"Well... healers naturally gain experience just by healing. You're always working at the temple, so that's why your level is rising even without being on the front lines."
In any case, the heroes grew steadily.
"We've completed the training of two new infantry units!"
The ranks of the regular soldiers were also bolstered,
"The repairs to the primary walls of the forward base are complete, Your Highness!"
Over half of the forward base had been repaired, making it now functional as a makeshift fortress. And as preparations for the winter supplies and firewood were smoothly progressing,
[STAGE 12]
- Time until commencement: 3 days
The next defense battle loomed.
***
This season's monsters were the Scorpion Legion.
In other words, scorpions.
They crawled close to the ground, their exoskeletons tough.
They had high resistance to ranged weapons like arrows. Their venomous tails possessed piercing power that was incredibly threatening. Their two pincers were sharp and strong.
They were robust, formidable, and tough warriors. Facing them head-on would not be easy.
"Despite their toughness, their weakness is clear."
From the forward base,
Seated in a wheelchair that belonged to Evangeline (borrowed from Lilly), and wrapped in a thick blanket atop the freshly repaired walls, I said,
"Their underbelly isn't armored. If we can somehow target that area, they can be taken down easily."
"So, there are two methods. Either flip them over and strike..."
Evangeline smirked, and I mirrored her grin.
"...or simply attack from below."
Put another way,
Laying mines would easily take care of them.
Which is why, at this moment, the southern plains of the forward base were laden with mines.
Not only that, but we also selected artifacts that activated on contact with the ground.
'There are more weaknesses, of course.'
The Scorpion Legion has low magic resistance. While they have high poison resistance, they're highly susceptible to other status effects.
If we are equipped accordingly, they can easily be taken down.
But the mines alone are sufficient. We're in for some fun fireworks.
"They're coming!"
A scout atop the forward base's tower, overseeing the south, shouted. Then Lucas, standing at the edge of the wall, raised his hand and shouted,
"All units, prepare for battle!"
Click! Click! Click!
Heroes and soldiers swiftly armed themselves and took aim.
The command for this defense battle was handed over to Lucas from the start. I planned to just observe from the back. After all, I'm a patient...
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
It didn't take long for the dust kicked up by monsters to appear from the southern horizon.
A horde of scorpions with shimmering dark exoskeletons scuttled forward, their many legs chaotically propelling them.
It was both a creepy and intimidating sight, given their sheer numbers.
'It seems my guys prepared hard even without me.'
The feeling was akin to watching a younger sibling, who claims they can run errands without their older sibling, clutching their money and heading to the store.
With such feelings, I intended to comfortably watch how well our troops would defend without me.
"Huh?"
Something strange caught my eye.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
From the side of the Scorpion Legion charging in from the south,
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop-!
...five knights suddenly appeared, all mounted on horses.
Leading them was a young girl with long black hair, her silver crown gleaming.
"Muahahahaha-!"
With a laugh that seemed mismatched to her slender voice, the Dragon Lady who had suddenly sprung into action shouted,
"Crossroad, I have returned-!"
Then, without hesitation, she charged directly into the flank of the Scorpion Legion.