My Choice Was to Protect Her Body…

A week after the celebration, the mansion once again bustled with activity. Servants rushed about preparing, and even Baron Elgodo himself could be seen taking command to ensure everything was arranged to perfection.

In contrast, Ayato stood quietly, eyes shut, a wooden sword in his hand.

Slowly, a faint white aura began to seep from his body, transparent and wavering, before it faded away with a long exhale.

“As I thought… this is far harder than I expected.”

Ayato was training in body reinforcement magic, following Elyn’s comment from a few days ago.

“Your movements and combat instincts are well honed, but your striking power is far too lacking compared to fighters who use reinforcement magic!”

Because of that, Ayato now devoted his training to learning how to circulate enhancement magic throughout his body, to boost his physical strength.

“Even so… why is it that my breath always runs short whenever magic is involved? I can’t even use that ice bullet properly anymore…”

The question lingered in his mind even after finishing his drills: Why does using magic drain me so much faster than physical training?

Unfortunately, few in the mansion truly understood magic. Selphira ojou-sama might have an answer, but Ayato suspected her explanation would only raise more questions.

As he mulled over his doubts, he happened to cross paths with Elyn in the corridor. He glanced around, then called out.

“Elyn! Why do you look so serious?”

“Hmm? Ah, V. It’s nothing—I was just thinking.”

“I see. By the way, why does the mansion feel even busier than it did during preparations for the celebration? Is there another important event being held?”

“About that…”

Elyn leaned closer, lowering her voice.

“This morning, sudden news arrived—the Commander of the Knights will be visiting the mansion today.”

“The Commander of the Knights?”

“Yes. Her name is Aurellia Kraise. She has served as Commander for ten years now.”

“What kind of person is she?”

“As far as I know, nothing describes her better than her overwhelming strength. She is one of the key reasons the Lanteracia Kingdom managed to repel the monster horde that nearly overran the capital.”

“She’s that strong?”

“Indeed… and she did it when she was only seventeen.”

“Seventeen?!”

“In my entire life, I’ve only seen her once—back when I was still in the Royal Military Academy. Silver hair, a flawless physique, unmatched speed and strength. Even when my entire squad ganged up on her in training, not a single one of us could so much as scratch her.”

“Aurellia Kraise… that strong, huh…”

“That’s why, V… we must remain vigilant. There’s no way someone of her caliber would come to a small city like this without a grave reason. Understood?”

Elyn’s eyes narrowed meaningfully, as if sending him a coded warning.

Ayato nodded, replying in a tone of understanding.

“Right. I’ll be more careful—especially with my tongue.”

Elyn dipped her head in satisfaction, relieved that her message had reached him.

“Good. As long as you understand. I’ll continue with my preparations. Make sure you’re ready as well.”

“Of course.”

With that, the two parted ways, each beginning their own preparations to welcome the mansion’s most distinguished guest.

...

That evening, a woman with silver hair tied into a ponytail stepped down from a carriage.

Her footsteps echoed firmly, each one carrying an undeniable elegance. The evening breeze stirred her hair, the tied strands swaying with every confident stride.

“Welcome to our humble city of Lunareth, Commander of the Knights, Aurellia Kraise-dono.”

“Yeah.”

Baron Elgodo’s warm greeting was met with a single word, yet it did nothing to lessen the respect he showed his guest. He escorted the Commander and her twenty knights into the main hall for the welcoming reception.

The banquet was lavish, considering the short notice of her arrival. But no matter the food, no matter the entertainment, nothing brought even a flicker of expression to Aurellia’s face.

Her stoic gaze never changed, leaving Baron Elgodo and his retainers uncertain of her satisfaction.

Time passed quickly, and soon the main course was nearly finished. The true business was about to begin.

“Well then, Commander-dono, now that we’ve filled our stomachs, let us move to a more private room to discuss—”

“There’s no need.”

It was the longest sentence Aurellia had spoken in half a day.

“Um, but—”

“Let’s get straight to the point. Baron Elgodo Lunareth. Do you have something you wish to tell me?”

“…Pardon?”

The Baron blinked, bewildered by her sudden question from across the table.

“Allow me to clarify. More precisely, I wish to confirm something. Are you hiding anything from me?”

“My apologies, Commander-dono, but if you ask whether I’m hiding things, of course there are plenty! For example, one of the mansion’s toilets got clogged recently—surely not something worth discussing with you, hahaha!”

He forced a laugh, trying to deflect with a joke. Instead of amusement, Aurellia’s gaze only grew sharper.

“Then you admit you are hiding something from me.”

“As I said, there are trivial matters I hide from you because they’re not worth discussing. Since they’re useless to discuss, I simply left them unsaid, haha…”

Words spilled from his mouth like a leaky faucet. But the more he tried to cover the truth with humor, the more cornered and drenched in sweat he became.

“Baron Elgodo Lunareth, I am the one who decides what is trivial and what is not. Speak. All of it.”

“Ahaha—why, just the other day I accidentally gave my daughter extra allowance! I thought I had forgotten for the week, but it turned out it was the third time already, haha!”

He rambled nonsense, spinning lies on the spot. Aurellia’s eyes never left him, cold and piercing, waiting for the dam to break. Inevitably, it did.

“And then… then…”

“Then what, Baron Elgodo Lunareth? Has your stream of lies finally run dry?”

“That…”

Every excuse he concocted, her gaze crushed. His words stumbled, and in the depths of his heart he resolved himself: That man saved us. I will never betray that pact to the dogs of the kingdom. Lunareth… Lunareth must never remain chained to this rotten kingdom!

The moment that thought crystallized—Aurellia was already before him. She slammed his head into the banquet table.

CRASH! The wooden surface split in two, shards scattering. A protective ward saved the Baron from instant death, though he slumped into unconsciousness. Aurellia followed with a measured flicker of healing light—just enough to keep him stable, proof she had no intent to kill.

Screams, sobs, hurried footsteps toward the exits. Panic spread as Aurellia’s knights moved in to block every escape, while Baron Elgodo’s soldiers scrambled into defensive formations with sheathed blades.

Kaelyn’s hand shot up in a sharp signal, restraining her subordinates from acting rashly against one of the strongest beings on the continent. Trembling, she forced her voice steady:

“Commander… why would you—”

“YOU!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO FATHER?!”

Selphira’s piercing cry cut through the hall.

“Selphira ojou-sama—ah!”

She bolted forward, hand raised to strike Aurellia across the face—only for her wrist to be caught. A brutal slap resounded, sending her sprawling.

Selphira froze, clutching her reddened cheek. Aurellia calmly adjusted her gloves, eyes as cold as steel.

“How convenient. I had intended to ask you the same question. Selphira Lunareth.”

Kaelyn snapped out of her stupor, rushing to shield Selphira with her own body. Focus! Don’t falter now! she screamed inwardly, clawing back her resolve amidst the crushing tension.

But in Aurellia’s eyes, Kaelyn was no more than a child standing before a storm—fragile, one touch away from shattering. And with but a touch to her shoulder, Kaelyn crumpled, her courage breaking like glass.

The strongest among them felled with a mere gesture—and with her, the morale of every soldier collapsed. None remained able to stand for their mistress, except one person—

“—Kuh!”

“…?”

A blade flashed toward Aurellia’s neck from her blind spot. But with a single raised finger, she stopped the strike cold.

Ayato was hurled back as Aurellia flicked his sword aside with nothing more than her fingertip. She glanced at her finger in passing, almost curious.

Seeing the fleeting distraction, Ayato lunged back in, unleashing slash after slash. Each one met with that same single finger.

Kaelyn’s heart sank. Helpless before Aurellia, shame burned in her chest. And yet… Ayato, weaker than she, still dared to fight.

Tears stung her eyes as she snapped back into command, signaling her troops to secure Baron Elgodo while she herself pulled Selphira back to safety.

Aurellia eventually clenched her fist. Her punch slammed into Ayato, sending him flying. By sheer instinct, he managed to raise his blade, cushioning the impact.

Turning away from him, Aurellia’s eyes locked back onto Selphira. But this time, Kaelyn stood firm, sword drawn, its tip leveled at Aurellia in defiance.

Their standoff lasted but a breath—before another strike came from behind. Aurellia twisted aside, moving faster than the eye, her elbow driving into Ayato’s face.

CRACK! His body sailed through the air, crashing into the wall. Stone and timber shattered into debris, dust clouding the hall. This time, his body no longer rose.

“…?”

Once again, Aurellia glanced at her own elbow, as if she hadn’t even realized the blow she had delivered—a strange thing indeed for someone of her caliber.

“What on earth… No matter. There are more important matters.”

Once again, Aurellia strode toward Selphira, now surrounded by mansion soldiers with Kaelyn at the front line.

Her face was set firm, eyes sharp upon Aurellia—so different from before. Ayato’s reckless courage had sparked something inside her.

If someone weaker than me can face her head-on… then I can too! I will protect Selphira ojou-sama!

White light flared around Kaelyn’s body, the wind itself seeming to rally to her side. The glow blended with a faint green hue, and in the blink of an eye, she launched forward, stealing the initiative before Aurellia could react.

A flash of steel swept for Aurellia’s neck. With the barest motion, the commander evaded, countering instantly with a crushing strike aimed for Kaelyn’s exposed stomach. Kaelyn barely pulled back in time.

Holding her breath, Kaelyn forced her body faster, wind magic sharpening her every step. Yet it seemed useless. Every strike missed its mark, while she struggled frantically to avoid Aurellia’s return blows—each one powerful enough to end the fight outright.

Several near-misses she managed to deflect with her blade. But every block came at a cost—the strength in her grip waned, and numbness crept into her hands.

My hands… they’re going numb!

Seeing her faltering stance, Aurellia shifted. A sweeping kick aimed at Kaelyn’s legs forced her to leap—straight into the perfect range of Aurellia’s spinning follow-up.

One devastating punch slammed into her sword arm. The blade flew free, spinning through the air. A second strike from Aurellia’s left hand crashed into Kaelyn’s cheek.

Her body was hurled aside, smashing against the wall beside Selphira.

Her body trembled violently as she struggled to remain conscious.

“Elyn…!”

Selphira’s scream tore through the hall as she fumbled out a hidden healing stone, hands shaking.

“O…jou…sama… forgive… me…”

“Stop talking! Why… why did it have to come to this…?!”

Tears welled in Selphira’s eyes as she pressed the stone to Kaelyn, desperately pouring healing light into her battered guard.

The victor’s eyes flicked toward her fallen opponent, then swept to the mansion soldiers. Their bodies froze as Aurellia’s glare landed upon them, the image of one woman crushing their strongest fighters burning in their minds.

Her gaze swept the hall as if searching for her next challenger. Most cowered together in fear, yet a few fools lunged, thinking they saw an opening.

One strike from the commander was all it took to fell them.

As she prepared to finish the task, the air shifted.

A sudden chill spread. Frost crawled over the floor and walls, breath misting in the freezing air.

Aurellia’s eyes turned toward the source. From the rubble, a figure emerged.

The boy of ice walked forward, each step freezing the ground solid. He picked up his shattered blade, his breath ragged, white mist spilling from his lips. His body shook, veins screaming with pain, yet he forced himself upright.

His eyes darted across the hall. He considered freezing the entire chamber into crystal—but dismissed it, unwilling to risk harming his comrades, especially the one he swore to protect: Selphira ojou-sama.

Damn… if only I could fully control this output… and this sword…

Instead, Ayato began encasing the broken edge of his sword in jagged frost.

Alright! Now…

Their eyes met. This time, there would be no surprise. Aurellia had already locked onto him.

I can’t rely on ice bullets—they’re too inaccurate. That leaves only one option!

Ayato narrowed his eyes and charged. In that reckless rush, he still spared a thought—his sword swung to conjure a crystalline wall shielding Selphira and Elyn.

Then he swung at Aurellia.

She brushed the strike aside with her bare arm. Ayato seized the moment, ice spreading from his sword to bind her limb, racing down to freeze her legs in place.

“Haaaaa!”

He roared, forcing every drop of magic into accelerating the frost, ready to take the counterblow from her unguarded side.

For an instant, her body was bound in ice.

Got—

“…!”

Ayato’s eyes widened. Cracks splintered, and with a single flex, the ice shattered.

He leapt back, but Aurellia was already upon him.

He swung wildly to drive her away, but she weaved past each blow. Her hands seized his shoulders—then her knee crashed into his gut, nearly emptying his stomach.

Before he could breathe, an elbow slammed into his back.

Ayato crumpled, gasping, his body wracked with pain.

Even so, a faint smile crept across his lips at the sight of the thick ice wall encasing Selphira ojou-sama.

But hope died in an instant.

Aurellia raised her hand, white aura gathering. She tapped the wall.

Just once.

The barrier cracked. Then shattered into glittering fragments, as fragile as glass.

You’ve got to be kidding me… that easily…?!

Ayato could only stare in disbelief. Kaelyn lay collapsed, too weak to stand, Selphira ojou-sama was cornered against the wall, trembling in fear.

Aurellia stood beyond the shards of ice, and once more, her voice cut through the hall:

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Selphira turned her face away.

“You won’t answer?”

“N-no… there’s… nothing I’m hiding from you…”

Her voice was soft, unlike the girl Ayato knew.

“Haa…” Aurellia sighed, then seized the front of Selphira’s gown. She hauled the noble girl off her feet, suspending her in the air.

Every eye turned toward Selphira, struggling against Aurellia’s grip—

SLAP!

The crack of palm to cheek echoed through the chamber.

Her skin flushed red, lips quivering as she fought to hold back tears.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

The same question, again.

Selphira forced a trembling smile of defiance—then repeated the same denial.

The price was another strike.

One, two, three, four, five times the same exchange.

Until the beautiful face of the noble girl was swollen, red, and battered.

All the mansion’s soldiers, along with Ayato and Kaelyn still sprawled on the floor, shed tears. None of them could bear to watch their mistress suffer such torment, yet not one of them had the strength to intervene.

Growing weary, Aurellia finally released her grip. Selphira, the beloved daughter of Baron Lunareth, collapsed to the floor. The hem of her once-elegant gown, now soaked through, was proof of a body too fragile to withstand further lies, even if her spirit still tried to remain strong.

Seeing their mistress fall helplessly stirred the bodies of the soldiers still standing, instinct urging them forward. But the deadly aura radiating from Aurellia stopped them cold. It was an ultimatum made clear: approach, and you die.

Aurellia’s eyes flicked toward a sword lying nearby—most likely Kaelyn’s. As though reading her intent, Ayato began to panic, thrashing despite the agony wracking his body.

No sound left his throat no matter how he tried to scream. Yet it wasn’t just him—the entire hall had fallen silent, drowned beneath the oppressive killing intent that surged the moment Aurellia took the blade in hand.

The world seemed drained of color, reduced to black and white. Every breath felt unbearably heavy. And in that stillness, the only thing that could be conveyed was death.

But while everyone stood frozen, powerless, Ayato alone caught a glimpse others missed.

Beneath that overwhelming killing aura, he sensed sadness—regret, disappointment, and sorrow—etched faintly in Aurellia’s expression.

This woman… she…!

Clinging to that uncertain feeling, Ayato wagered his life. He forced his broken body upright, ignoring the screams of his veins, the blood pouring from his wounds, and the cracks in his bones. Nothing would stop him now.

In this world painted in the shadow of absolute death, Ayato found his voice. His choice had already been made.

“STOOOOOP!!!”

His cry shattered the silence, and Aurellia’s sword halted mid-swing.

Staggering, swaying, Ayato dragged himself forward until he collapsed into a deep bow before Aurellia—right at Selphira’s side.

“Please, spare Selphira ojou-sama’s life! We… we contacted nobles from the Tenneth Kingdom to secure food and medicine! They also promised us troops to help suppress the monsters overrunning the Fenlareth Forest! And… and besides that, we made a secret agreement to allow the slums to remain, and to accept immigrants from Tenneth territory! That’s everything! That’s all of it! So please—!”

“That’s enough.”

Hearing the boy’s heartfelt confession stirred something within Aurellia. But elsewhere, the soundless crack of a breaking heart went unnoticed.

With a sharp motion, Aurellia drove the sword into the floor, splitting the stone beneath it. Then, with a calm stride, she turned toward the exit, her knights following silently behind.

Just before leaving, she glanced back once at Ayato, still bowing low. For the first time that day, her scowling face softened, a faint curve of her lips betraying a fleeting smile.

Then she was gone. Yet the hall stayed silent and taut, weighed down by the secret just exposed.

At last, the soldiers stirred into action. Some rushed to fetch healers for the wounded, others carried the unconscious Baron Lunareth back to his chamber.

As Kaelyn and Selphira’s injuries were tended to, both cast sharp, burning looks toward the boy still kneeling on the floor.

In his heart, Ayato had already resolved to leave. The price of his choice was too great.

When he turned slightly to glance at Kaelyn, resting against the wall, she immediately looked away. Ayato understood, bowing his head briefly before drawing in a long breath, bracing himself for the consequences to come.

“…!”

What he saw was no longer the noble princess he’d protected, but a girl whose eyes blazed with the murderous hatred.

Ayato forced himself to meet that abyss of loathing—until finally, from the depths, words came forth.

“What was that?! Are you serious? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”

Ayato shut his eyes, steeling his heart.

“My father, I, and every citizen of this city have fought desperately to keep that secret safe… and you—YOU!!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! REVEALING EVERYTHING TO OUR ENEMY!!! YOU!!!”

Her furious voice rang louder and louder, each word cutting deeper.

“I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU SAVE ME! I SHOULD HAVE DIED TO THOSE FOREST MONSTERS INSTEAD! DO YOU THINK YOU SAVED MY LIFE?! NO! I AM A DAUGHTER OF HOUSE LUNARETH! MY LIFE BELONGS TO MY PEOPLE! I DO NOT FEAR DEATH! BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR TONGUE, THEY WILL SUFFER! BEGONE! BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!!!”

Ayato clenched his fists, teeth grinding into his lip until both began to bleed.

He had known this was the price of his decision. But no one’s heart is strong enough to be impervious to words like daggers.

Fighting back tears, Ayato forced a final smile.

“Thank you… for everything.”

…

“Looks like the secret is out.”

Two hooded figures floated in the clouded night sky. From beneath their cloaks glowed pairs of crimson eyes, far from anything living. Their stench was not of the living either.

“No matter. Sooner or later, she would have sensed it. And the seed we’ve planted won’t be so easily erased.”

“You’re right. Besides, they still don’t even realize who it is they’re truly up against.”

“There’s no need to rush. The more prepared we are, the sweeter our reunion with the True Mother will be… Yes, the most awaited reunion of all.”

“Understood!”

“All of this—for our True Mother!”

Grins spread, revealing sharp fangs, and their laughter echoed, breaking the silence of the starless night.

****

Phew, this ended up being the longest chapter yet—and also the closing for the Mansion Arc.
Progress has been kind of stuck here and there, but at least two of the heroines have been introduced. I wonder if it’s obvious which ones they are, haha. 

Come on, me! Push through all the obstacles so I can finally finish my very first novel!