Like a hungry hyena that once wandered battlefields, now you’re quite the knight impersonator, Durion.

Though my power was meager, I couldn’t just stay cooped up in my room while wanting to help Durion.

Seo Yeon agreed with me, so we went downstairs to the living room to assist Durion. At first, Durion scolded us to go back upstairs, but after seeing me wield the magic wand somewhat competently, he stopped insisting I leave.

Just as I thought we’d managed to fend off the guards somewhat and could finally breathe easy, Queen Dienne arrived—dressed formally, flanked by the captain of the royal guard.

They truly never gave us a moment’s rest.

Upon seeing Dienne, Seo Yeon gulped and hid behind me. She wasn’t an ordinary queen. True to being the younger sister of the spirit master Lape, she possessed formidable skill as a spirit master herself.

The late king, who despised spirit masters for supposedly being enslaved by spirits of the Sitar clan, had banished Veronia from the palace simply for marrying one.

But Gillian had seized the throne with his own hands—no one could object to Queen Dienne being a spirit master.

And Dienne was just as powerful and ruthless.

“Enough with that clumsy knight act. Hand over the royal heir. Nothing will happen to you.”

No matter what Dienne said, Durion didn’t flinch.

“You wield your tongue as skillfully as Lape. The Duke warned us to be most cautious of your kind.”

“If you think my power is merely a silver tongue, I’ll show you how mistaken you are. And one more thing—you seem to have forgotten, since it’s been so long. There’s another reason you should fear me.”

I knew that reason too, so I pulled Seo Yeon behind me and took an offensive stance.

“That I’m extremely… underhanded!”

I know that too!

Dienne immediately sent her spirit toward me—Water Spirit. Her greatest strength lay precisely in commanding water spirits.

But I had the magic wand Sikar gave me. I swung the wand and easily blocked the attack she sent my way.

Her gaze, as if saying “See?”, still held calm confidence. In hand-to-hand combat, I’d be at a disadvantage—but wand versus spirit? I could hold my own.

And I also had Durion’s sword—the blade that could cut through spirits, magic, anything.

Sikar had specially crafted this sword for Durion, excelling particularly in slaying spirits—even the sword’s afterimage chased fleeing spirits to their very tails.

That sword embodied Sikar’s deep affection for Durion.

Durion blocked the front, cutting down the spirits I hadn’t managed to intercept.

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. It’s rare for siblings to both be so vile. There won’t be another pair like you two ever again.”

“And you won’t leave this place alive.”

Dienne smiled and stepped back. As she retreated, the royal guards, led by their captain, surged forward all at once.

Judging by their red uniforms, these were the elite First Guard Unit. Their numbers were considerable, so we took a step back.

“My Lady, if things turn unfavorable, you must flee. Go outside, mount the white horse—it will guide you to the snowy mountains.”

With so many guards, I couldn’t help but feel tense. But before fleeing, I believed Sikar would come.

“No, Durion. The Duke will surely return to us. Surely.”

If he didn’t return… then he must be dead.

The thought made tears suddenly spill down my cheeks.

“I miss Sikar so much… hicc…”

If Sikar saw me, he’d tease me, asking if I liked him that much.

I wouldn’t mind being teased—if only he could return safely, I’d ask for nothing more.

In this situation, I couldn’t afford to wallow in sentimentality and tears—I quickly wiped them away.

“So, Durion. Let’s endure! We must endure—absolutely!—until the Duke arrives!”

Durion looked at me and saluted, as if pledging his loyalty.

“I won’t disappoint you, My Lady!”

Vika Lamberst realized Sikar was cornered—he couldn’t move forward anymore.

“The Duke is trapped!”

Jeremi Iker, halting his retreat, turned around.

“I’ll help!”

But soldiers had gathered in scattered groups, surrounding Sikar like a colosseum—so densely that Sikar himself was barely visible.

Gillian, standing at the center, had no intention of yielding any path.

“If you die, nothing else will stand in the way—everything will proceed smoothly.”

“You’ve strained that foolish brain of yours.”

Gillian wasn’t entirely pleased. He felt like he was forced to amputate a rotting, yet essential, right arm.

“Everything I learned, I learned from you. In that sense, you were truly useful. It’s bitter for me to have to discard you.”

“You’ll never discard me. You never truly claimed me to begin with. It was all your delusion.”

Reidox, who had confirmed before mounting his horse that Jeremi and Roen were coming here, paused his departure to wait for them.

But soon, he realized something was gravely amiss.

Jeremi and Roen, who seemed moments ago poised to charge toward this location, suddenly turned around for no apparent reason and sprinted back toward the stream.

Sensing the situation worsening, Reidox decided they must leave quickly. He handed the reins to Veronia.

“We should depart first, Your Highness.”

“Reidox, you’ve always been cautious in your choices since childhood. Seeing you urge haste, it must be urgent. We must hurry.”

“I shall follow you.”

Just as Reidox was about to mount his horse, Kian grabbed his collar.

“Master!”

“It’s urgent now—if you have something to say, tell me later.”

“No! I won’t go.”

“Kian, we don’t have time to argue over this. Let’s talk while we ride.”

“In a situation this dire, I can’t abandon the Duke. I’m not leaving.”

“You’re acting like a child, throwing a tantrum—unlike yourself.”

“This isn’t a tantrum.”

Kian glanced once at Veronia, then looked back at Reidox.

“I am this person’s—Your Highness’s—son, correct?”

Veronia watched Kian with intrigued curiosity, while Reidox glanced at her with slight embarrassment before turning back to Kian.

“Yes. You are Her Highness’s only son. In other words, the royal heir of this kingdom.”

The twins watching curiously ahead gaped at the revelation that Kian was the royal heir, then quickly shut their mouths.

“Then I shall issue my first command to you, Master. I must go immediately to rescue the Duke. Come with me.”

Reidox could only stare helplessly at Kian. His mission was to safely extract both Kian and Veronia.

But Kian was soon to become the sovereign he would serve—and now, his first command?

Reidox looked toward Veronia as if pleading for help. But she merely watched Kian with great fascination.

“Master? Did Reidox teach you, Kian?”

“My apologies, Your Highness.”

“I expected someone raised in the Saga house to lack royal bearing—but you carry the nobility and dignity of royalty as if raised in the palace itself. Do as Kian says. Let’s go rescue the Duke. I don’t know why, but if the royal heir wishes to save him, we must.”

Kian turned his head and looked squarely at Veronia.

“He raised me.”

“Hmm?”

“Duke Sikar Blake raised me.”

The Sitar clan raised the royal heir who carries spirit master blood?

The Sitar clan tended to look down on spirit masters, given their own ability to freely manipulate spirits summoned by spirit masters.

That the Blake family—the last remaining bloodline of the Sitar clan—had raised her own child astonished Veronia.

Her previously calm eyes widened in shock.

“Yes. Now I understand. That’s why Duke Blake came to rescue me—to save the mother of the royal heir he raised himself… This is truly astonishing. Reidox, obey Kian’s words.”

“Your Highness, but your safety and his must come first.”

“Isn’t this a command? Do you intend to disobey?”

Reidox was flustered. Unable to immediately agree, he let out a long sigh. Meanwhile, Kian had already mounted his small pony.

“Even without your permission, Master, I will go. To fulfill my duty to the one who raised me. That’s what my mother and master taught me.”

Without waiting for Reidox’s reply, Kian spurred his horse forward. Reidox mounted his own horse with a resigned smile.

“There seems to be no other way. I too shall go to assist His Highness, the royal heir. I humbly entrust the safety of my twins to Your Highness.”

“You mean those children now galloping after Kian?”

“What?”

When Reidox turned his surprised gaze toward where Veronia was looking, the twins were already riding hard after Kian.

Reidox spurred his horse to chase after them without even pausing to bow to Veronia.

Veronia, too, smiled and mounted her horse.

The battlefield was pure chaos.

Numerous soldiers surrounded Sikar, trying to capture him alone, while behind them, Vika Lamberst’s group struggled to carve a path toward him.

From afar, Sikar’s faint silhouette showed blood streaming from his head.

Even at a glance, the situation looked dire. Sikar had only one usable limb—his right arm—with which he fought the enemies.

Kian gritted his teeth as he charged toward Sikar, concentrating as Vika had taught him, summoning every spirit he could muster while riding.

Behind Kian, galloping on horseback, spirits began trailing him like afterimages.

But they weren’t afterimages—they were Fire Spirits. Gathering one by one as if flames erupted from Kian’s body, their forms grew considerably large.

When Kian finally reached the soldiers, Vika’s group—and even Gillian—noticed him.

“It’s the royal heir! Capture the royal heir!”

“The royal heir may be slain immediately! Slay him now!”

“I shall grant a great reward to whoever brings me the royal heir’s head!”

Lape and Pasium shouted even louder to boost the soldiers’ morale.

But such words meant nothing to Kian. He charged only toward where Sikar was.

Finally reaching the soldiers blocking Sikar, Kian hurled all the fire spirits he had gathered toward them and shouted:

“Don’t you dare touch my father!”