[Morgan's words put you on high alert.]
[You will not allow anyone to harm Morgan.]
[Even with her on your back, you grip your sword tightly.]
[Innate Talent Activated: Blessing of the Lake+.]
[With your heightened resistance to magic, you can sense a faint presence in the air.]
[However, you cannot determine its nature.]
[But if Morgan says it is magical residue, then that must be the case.]
"Rei, put me down."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Between a knight and his princess, there were always unspoken desires, but in moments of crisis, they buried them deep within.
Not just for themselves, but for each other.
As her feet touched the earth again, Morgan felt no relief.
"Rei, something is wrong."
"Yes." Rei nodded.
"Even I can sense the disturbance now, Your Highness."
"What… could this be?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Morgan no longer wore the playful demeanor she had on horseback.
Instead, she adopted the cold, analytical gaze that she presented to the world.
"Rei, be careful."
"I will, Your Highness."
[You draw your sword, scanning the surroundings with utmost vigilance.]
[You shield Morgan behind you, swearing to protect her with your life.]
[Your focus sharpens beyond anything you've ever experienced.]
[Yet, there are some threats that heightened awareness alone cannot prevent.]
[You and Morgan continue your cautious advance.]
[A shadow suddenly strikes at you both.]
[By the time you react, it is already upon you.]
Rei had never encountered a creature that could close the distance so swiftly.
The night deepened.
Surrounded by the dense forest, he couldn't immediately discern its form, but his instincts screamed louder than his thoughts.
"You will not harm the princess!"
Without hesitation, Rei unsheathed his new sword.
Though it wasn't as familiar in his grip, he had no time for complaints.
All that mattered was wielding it for Morgan's sake!
Clang!
The clash of metal rang out in the darkness.
Even from a single exchange, Rei could feel the sheer force behind the enemy's attack—it was unlike anything he had faced before!
But the most shocking revelation was yet to come.
The wind parted the heavy clouds above, allowing moonlight to pierce through the darkness.
The forest, once cloaked in shadows, was illuminated by its silver glow.
Rei's eyes widened, his breath caught in disbelief.
For standing before him—
Was no man, nor beast, but a suit of armor!
An empty suit of armor, moving of its own accord.
And in its gauntleted hands, it wielded a massive greatsword.
So the force I just clashed with… was this?!
Rei inhaled sharply, but his resolve did not waver.
Because standing behind him—
Was the one to whom he had sworn his undying loyalty.
Retreat?
Not even death could make him consider it!
No matter what it was, if it dared to harm Morgan, he would never stand anywhere but in front of her!
However—
Just as Rei was about to launch another charge at the armor, Morgan suddenly stopped him.
"Rei, there's no need to fight anymore."
"It won't move again."
"Huh?"
Hearing Morgan's words, Rei finally realized that ever since the empty armor had fully revealed itself, it had remained motionless. The menacing aura it once exuded was completely gone.
Taking a deep breath, he thrust his sword at it.
The moment the blade struck, the suit of armor disintegrated into flower petals, scattering gently to the ground.
Rei could hardly believe what he was seeing, but he quickly grasped that this must be part of some kind of magic.
He turned to Morgan.
"Your Highness."
"It's magic." Morgan affirmed his thoughts. "Let's keep searching the area."
"Understood."
[You and Morgan resume your investigation.]
[Soon, you discover more suits of empty armor just like the first one.]
[However, each one behaves exactly the same—after executing a single powerful slash, they cease all movement.]
[And each time your blade strikes them, the fearsome-looking armor dissolves into petals once more.]
[After several encounters, Morgan calls you to a stop.]
"Your Highness."
Rei looked at the petals scattered across the ground.
"What exactly… is this?"
"It's likely the work of the same magician who previously concealed the name of the other heir." Morgan replied in a restrained voice.
"These suits of armor were probably never real to begin with. They were always petals—we only perceived them as armor."
Magic capable of making people believe flower petals were suits of armor?
Had anyone else said this, Rei would have found it impossible to believe.
But the one speaking now was Morgan.
Despite their countless nights of intimacy, Rei had never forgotten that she was an exceptional magician.
And when it came to magic, her words had never once been questionable.
However, a new thought quickly occurred to him:
"Your Highness, then why do these suits of armor stop after just a single strike?"
"Because—"
Morgan turned to look at the knight still gripping his sword.
"These are likely nothing more than sentinels meant to ensure the activation of a particular spell. The magician behind this probably never expected someone like you to charge forward and confront them head-on."
"Rei, your bravery has helped me uncover this."
Hearing Morgan's words, Rei merely smiled calmly and sheathed his sword.
"Your Highness, I'm only fulfilling my vow."
"As long as I am here, I will never let harm come to you."
"However, I do have a question—if they went to the trouble of setting this up, why not program the armor to engage in full combat? That would have been far more effective."
"It couldn't possibly be… that the magician was simply too lazy to do so?"
"I don't know."
Morgan's expression grew complicated.
"But I can feel that new troubles may soon arise."
"Rei, will everything we've built be destroyed once more?"
Seeing Morgan's expression, Rei said nothing more.
He pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back as he whispered:
"That won't happen."
"Your Highness, I swear on my life."
"No one will take away what rightfully belongs to you."
"The figure who will sit upon the throne in the end—will always and only be you."