Chapter 51: 51

Of course, she didn’t know when that time would come. If it was before their marriage, she’d leave without hesitation. But if it came after, what then? For now, she could only think, “Maybe things will work out somehow.”

‘Why am I doing this?’

Hanette asked herself as she entered the shop. But she couldn’t find an answer, repeating the question over and over. What did she really feel about Zion Laird?

‘…I don’t know.’

She kept thinking about it, but eventually shook it off. Maybe she was just fond of him, giving him her heart temporarily. Over time, those feelings would naturally fade.

‘It feels like I’m the one being held back. Supporting him… how ridiculous.’

* *

Duke Adelaira’s mansion, Zion’s room.

Zion lay on his bed, lost in the silence. Recently, he hadn’t been sleeping well, and his motivation seemed to wane. While he wouldn’t give up on training his sword skills and enhancing his magic, right now, he needed to rest and focus on something else.

‘I hope it doesn’t happen… but it shouldn’t.’

Zion slowly turned to face the door. Hanette said she’d be out briefly and suggested they talk later. She had her reasons for going out, but during that time, she might encounter the protagonist.

‘The protagonist should handle things well.’

With Exceed Rain and El Tesoykve out of the way, five Magic Swords remained. Among them, the protagonist wielded the most powerful and dangerous one. Using its thunder attribute allowed for tremendous power and speed, but it put a heavy strain on the body. Misusing the thunder Magic Sword could lead to severe side effects and aftereffects.

‘…He’s resilient, so he’ll endure.’

The protagonist was adept with the Magic Sword and had a natural resistance to the thunder attribute. Though he couldn’t completely ignore the pain from the thunder attribute, he endured it and continued to fight. This made him grow stronger, both physically and mentally, as the story progressed.

‘Hanette is a genius too… She’ll do fine without me.’

He wasn’t worried about that. Hanette would quickly improve, using her exceptional talents, and receive help from the protagonist and other allies. If she could reach a happy ending after a long and complicated journey, that would be enough.

‘Now, I need to find my own path.’

Even if Hanette ran away, their engagement wouldn’t be broken, and he could still gain a lot from the relationship. Money, connections, power, information, business—all could come through Duke Adelaira’s support, and his family might give him some consideration as well.

‘Maybe I should make friends if I have time. Someone like Hanette…’

Zion frowned and closed his eyes tightly. How close had they gotten that he was now thinking of finding a friend like Hanette?

‘Is that why I told her not to go?’

It was an impulsive remark. He asked if she wouldn’t go if he told her not to, if she’d listen to him. He knew it was impossible, yet he let his emotions take over.

‘She’ll go… even if I say not to.’

Zion felt sleep coming and quickly opened his eyes. He couldn’t sleep yet. He needed to be ready until Hanette returned to the mansion. He had to be prepared to respond immediately if anything happened.

‘The rebels won’t move.’

The rebels wouldn’t even be mentioned until the mid to late part of the story after the protagonist appeared. They were secretly growing their strength during this time, meaning they wouldn’t attack Hanette or take unnecessary risks.

‘The ambush before was…’

Zion sensed a subtle change and immediately got up. Negative emotions were seeping in from somewhere—fear, terror, hostility, confusion, desperation. These weren’t his feelings but someone else’s.

“Could it be…”

Zion summoned Exceed Rain and spread his magic throughout his body. Intense emotions flowed from Exceed Rain. As he infused his magic into Exceed Rain, a purple afterimage began to form in front of him. The afterimage expanded, creating an oval-shaped space.

‘Something’s gone wrong.’

Zion quickly stepped through the space, moving rapidly. It was a form of spatial movement, allowing him to arrive at the location marked by his magic in an instant.

‘Hanette…’

* *

It was an evening darkened by twilight. The ground shook, and something rose sharply from the earth. The impact caused the carriage to tip over, and the horses pulling it were torn apart. The bodyguards responded quickly, but some were injured.

‘Why… why is this happening?’

Hanette hid behind the overturned carriage, surveying the chaos. The ground was shallowly dug up, and arrows continued to rain down. She needed to escape quickly, but she couldn’t move.

‘How can this happen in the capital…?’

It was unthinkable for such an event to occur inside the capital, where the king and many nobles resided, and where numerous troops were stationed. Yet, they had defied expectations, ambushing with magic.

‘Why are they targeting me?’

She couldn’t understand their intent. Why were they trying to kill her? This was the second attack, making it seem like a vendetta.

‘Should I use magic now?’

Hanette hesitated, unable to unleash her magic. The bodyguards were nearby, and the attackers hadn’t approached yet. Using magic wouldn’t necessarily turn the situation around, so she decided to be cautious.

‘But to protect the bodyguards, using magic might be the right choice.’

The bodyguards were suffering because of her. None had died yet, but there were injured, which was already a burden. If she could run, she wouldn’t worry, but with arrows raining down, she couldn’t move.

‘If I stay still like before…’

The ground began to tremble again. Hanette recognized the signs and tensed up. The arrows had stopped, as if giving them a chance to escape. But moving now would expose them to more arrows.

‘What should I do?’

She could use magic, even if it meant being exposed. But if she used magic to block their magic, the carriage would be destroyed, and the bodyguards would be injured. Trying to run would only invite arrows.

‘Zion…’

Hanette clutched her necklace, suppressing her fear of death. The necklace was supposed to help her, but she knew it couldn’t solve this. A single necklace couldn’t save her.

“Get up! Run…”

Hanette paused and looked down. A deep purple light was emanating from her necklace. A purple oval formed right next to her, emitting a bright light.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

“Ahh…”

“Grr…”

Dark purple magic surged forth in arcs. Cries of pain and the sound of collapsing buildings echoed nearby. Amid the chaos, someone emerged from the oval space.

“…Are you okay?”

A young man with silver hair thrust his sword into the ground. The purple sword absorbed the magic, and the trembling ground gradually stilled.

“Zion…”

“Let’s move. It’s too dangerous here.”

The bodyguards quickly moved to protect Hanette as Zion led them to shelter behind a building.

“Phew… I shouldn’t have let you go alone. I’m sorry.”

Zion gritted his teeth, scanning the area. He had anticipated every scenario and was sure Hanette wouldn’t be attacked. But the rebels had appeared again, and the protagonist was nowhere to be found. This outcome was his fault.

“……”

Hanette stared at Zion in silence, recalling his promise. He said he’d always help and keep her safe, no matter what happened. Zion remembered their promise and came running.

‘I can’t leave him.’

Her heart raced, suppressing all her senses. Heat surged through her body, and her cheeks flushed, though her mind felt cold.

‘Then…’

Hanette made a decision and reached out. Her pale hand met another hand, gently interlocking fingers.

“Sister?”

“Is this how it’s done?”

Hanette held Zion’s hand tightly, whispering softly. Her magic flowed into him, rapidly filling him with immense power. Although it wasn’t a method to use frequently, it worked when needed.

“…Were you pretending not to know?”

“I was giving you a pass since you’re younger.”

“At that time, I had no choice…”

“It’s the same now as it was then. You saved me. I want to help you too.”

Zion looked at their joined hands, swallowing his silence. Hanette’s magic surged into him, quickly replenishing his strength. Though her magic had limits, this method wasn’t always available.

“Now I’ll ask. Will you stay by my side?”

“What? Why ask that now…”

“You can answer later. I’ve already made my decision.”

“……?”

Zion didn’t think deeply, turning his focus back to the rebels. Dealing with them came first. With his magic restored, he could use sword aura again, and the city guards would soon arrive. He wanted to fight the rebels himself, but he couldn’t risk Hanette and the bodyguards.

‘Has the story changed? If not…’

There had to be a reason for this unexpected event. Too many things had deviated from the norm. Was there something fundamentally wrong?

‘It could be manipulated.’

He’d sometimes thought about it but dismissed it as mere speculation. The world and characters matched what he knew, but if the story was adapted, differences were inevitable.

‘So… should I take action?’

Zion’s eyes gleamed with resolve. If he couldn’t foresee the future, he could take a more proactive stance. But that was a problem for later. For now, he had to act swiftly to protect Hanette.

‘I should eliminate the rebels now. That way, Hanette will be safe.’