Chapter 863

As Kiole stood frozen, unable to speak, someone approached Mayra and picked up the bloodstained hailstone that had rolled across the ground. Dressed in a black uniform, with chin-length brown hair and a small frame. Kiole recognized her face vaguely and began to recall.

‘I saw her at a party... The Cavalry... One of the Deputy Commanders...?’

He couldn’t remember her name. He didn’t even remember the name of a servant who’d been with him for ten years—how could he be expected to remember the names of the countless members who stood behind Yuder Aile? In any case, it became clear that the one who threw the hailstone wasn’t Princess Mayra, but that Cavalry member.

To land a perfect hit like that in this weather and darkness, with such a harmless-looking face? Hard to believe—but knowing she was in the Cavalry, nothing about it surprised him anymore.

The Cavalry member, Kanna, glanced at Kiole, who was still standing there in a daze, and turned coldly to Mayra.

"Princess. Please refrain from acting on impulse. This time it was a person, but if it had been a monster, someone could have gotten hurt."

"I'm sorry. I just heard something that sounded right and reacted without thinking..."

"Haa... I guess someone really was getting hit. Not by a monster, though."

There was a strange yet familiar metallic scent coming from both women. Kiole finally noticed that both Mayra and Kanna had blood staining parts of their skin and clothing. His shoulders flinched.

‘...Blood... that’s blood...!’

"So then, Sir Diarca, why were you still here without evacuating? And that person—he seems to be your servant. Why were you getting beaten up by your own servant?"

At Mayra’s words, Kiole completely forgot the shock of the blood scent and jumped in surprise.

"How... how did you..."

"That servant has pretty noticeable blond hair. You’re dragging around a blond boy trying not to show him off—would’ve been stranger if I hadn’t noticed."

"Th–th... ah..."

Kiole’s mind suddenly went blank.

They’d run into each other quite a bit during the time they'd spent in the same mansion, thanks to Duke Hern. And with Kiole’s odd behavior trying to hide the prince, it would’ve been weirder not to remember.

But Kiole had genuinely believed that others, like himself, wouldn’t spare even a flicker of attention toward someone’s servant or some lowborn commoner. It was a total shock. In truth, Mayra had only barely recovered from witnessing her father's gruesome death, and she had no deep interest in them at all. She didn’t even care if Kiole answered her. But he had no way of knowing that.

"That is, well..."

"But what are you going to do about that servant? Are you just going to leave him there? Looks like he’s not breathing, face-down in the mud."

"A—ahhh!"

Only then did Kiole grab the back of Kachian’s neck and pull him hastily out of the mud. The boy was an absolute wreck. The back of his head had swelled badly from the hail, and blood had begun to seep out. His clothes and face, having been smashed into the muck, were so filthy that even Duke Diarca wouldn’t have recognized him as the Crown Prince.

"......."

Normally, Kiole would’ve panicked, wiping off the mud, checking his condition—but now, looking at the unconscious Kachian, he felt only a swirl of complicated emotions. The look in Kachian’s eyes earlier, his words when he kicked Kiole and tried to make him kneel—those images kept replaying in his mind.

"If you're going to carry him, would you like some help?"

"Huh? Ah..."

At that moment, Kanna approached and asked expressionlessly. Kiole blinked in surprise and nodded awkwardly. As she supported Kachian’s body so he could lift him, something briefly flickered in Kanna’s eyes—but Kiole didn’t notice it.

"This person..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. It’s just... the monster might get close soon. Let’s go. The others are waiting."

Mayra turned her head toward Kanna, who murmured strangely. Kanna shook her head like it was nothing and stepped away from Kiole and Kachian, walking ahead.

Through the hail and darkness, a short distance /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ ahead, the servants of Duke Hern, some rescued non-Awakeners, and several Cavalry members stood waiting, guarding the group. The non-Awakeners looked despondent, and some were wiping tears from their eyes. Intimidated by the somber atmosphere, Kiole quietly followed behind the group, carrying Kachian. Coincidentally, Mayra and Kanna were nearby again.

"If the one you’re carrying is too heavy, our members can help."

"No, this is fine..."

"Alright then. I only asked because your cheek is really swollen. Must hurt quite a bit."

"......."

How can she speak like she knows something? Kiole was still uneasy when Mayra glanced at Kanna.

"Oh, I wasn’t talking about you, Princess, when I mentioned the cheek."

"...I know."

Mayra hadn’t said a word, yet Kanna responded like she already understood. Mayra simply nodded, like she was used to this, and began walking again.

‘Cheek... the Princess? Now that I think about it... she had a swollen bruise too. Was she hit? By who? Who could possibly dare to strike the First Princess of House Hern?’

Kiole finally noticed the red, swollen mark on the visible side of Mayra’s pale cheek and was shocked. Even while hurt and soaked in ceremonial mourning clothes, she hadn’t complained once and walked on her own, refusing to be carried.

He stared in amazement at this side of her he hadn’t seen before—when suddenly, someone shouted from up ahead.

"Monster up ahead!"

Kiole jumped as if something exploded under his feet. Unsure whether to put the prince down and prepare to fight, he hesitated. Kanna’s voice cut through sharply and calmly.

"How many?"

"About... ten! Not exactly sure!"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"That’s manageable. We’ll break through directly. Don’t run—get ready and hold your positions!"

Surprisingly, the others—except the Cavalry—didn’t panic. As if they’d already experienced this before, no one reacted as dramatically as Kiole. While two Cavalry members gathered the non-Awakeners, including Kiole, Kanna, the one who had thrown the hailstone earlier, knelt on one knee and touched the ground.

An unseen force surged as Kanna’s eyes lit up a brilliant blue.

"...Yes. Exactly twelve. Same type we’ve seen before. No abnormalities. They’re split on both sides. When I give the signal—wipe them out!"

"Got it!"

The Cavalry members spread out with military precision. Even though there were fewer of them than there were monsters, none showed any fear.

Soon after, faint vibrations signaled the monsters’ approach.

‘Am I really just supposed to stand here and do nothing?!’

Kiole began to hyperventilate, wanting to flee. Just then, someone beside him spoke.

"You seem tense. Don’t worry. If it were fifty of them, maybe running would be better—but ten’s nothing."

He turned to see a Cavalry member with a relaxed face. Although he bore some battle wounds, his expression was completely calm. How could a group barely a year old act this composed?

‘Are they just overestimating themselves because they’ve never faced a real monster?’

Kiole thought back to the time he fought a monster during Imperial Guard training. Even a half-weakened monster used for training was horrifying and powerful. That had been safe, because it was training—this was real.

Yuder Aile was an outlier, a freak—but Kiole didn’t know enough about the other Cavalry members’ strength to trust them.

"...But it’s dark... You can’t even see ahead clearly—how can you all..."

What if—just what if—they failed to deal with the monsters? What if they abandoned the rest and fled?

"I—I’ll fight too."

"Oh? Brave of you. Especially with those legs shaking like that..."

"What?!"

"I mean, thanks, but no. Not trying to insult non-Awakeners—it’s just that we’re the best equipped to handle this. If someone unfamiliar jumps in, it could make things worse."

"......."

"Hah. That sounded pretty cool, didn’t it? It’s one of our Commander’s famous lines. I’ve been dying to use it someday—finally did. Anyway, we’ll never abandon you. Even if we die, we’ll get you out safely. So just stay right here, alright?"

Got it? The Cavalry member grinned and patted Kiole’s shoulder. From his fingertips, power radiated and formed a semi-transparent shield around him.

"......."

"They’re here!"

With Kanna’s sharp cry, the monsters appeared. Their glossy black eyes glimmered in the dark, and just as Kiole flinched in terror, Cavalry members hidden in ambush moved from both sides and launched their assault.

The battle didn’t last long. It wasn’t as overwhelming as Yuder’s power, but still, not a single Cavalry member suffered major injury. Breathing heavily, covered in blood, they had successfully taken down all twelve monsters.

"Hah... Haa..."

"Anyone injured?"

"Nope."

"None breathing? Good. Move out immediately!"

Kanna raised her hand in a signal, and the Cavalry reformed their formation seamlessly, standing ready to protect the non-Awakeners once more.

Kiole walked behind them, still carrying the Crown Prince, watching the Cavalry’s backs.

Originally, as a knight, he should have been the one protecting others.

But now, he was the one being protected from behind.

The very person he’d tried to save with loyal devotion had slapped him in the face and refused to trust him—while the Cavalry members he had scorned were protecting them without question.

Without expecting anything in return.

That realization, for the first time, sparked something strange inside Kiole da Diarca.

Something unseen was growing deep in his heart, and as he walked, the hail continued to fall upon their heads.