“Kalian, do you like Victoria?”
“Huh?”
Kalian flinched at the sudden question.
For the past few days, we had been hanging out with Victoria, and today was no different—we were waiting for her again.
Victoria never really attended classes properly at school.
She was always hiding somewhere, doing something else, and only showed up after classes ended to invite us to hang out.
“We’ve been meeting Victoria a lot lately, and every time, your reaction is… unusual. You might not realize it yourself.”
“It’s not like that. Victoria is a friend from overseas, so I’m just helping her adjust.”
“Oh, sure. You say that, but you haven’t stopped smiling the whole time.”
He had changed a lot since spending time with Victoria.
Playing together was one thing, but he no longer reacted strongly when their shoulders brushed or when they held hands.
If nothing else, that was a huge step forward.
Just from that alone, it felt like putting him and Victoria together was worth it.
I nudged Kalian’s side.
“I’ve introduced you to so many girls before, and you pushed them all away. So why are you getting so close to Victoria?”
“Was it because she literally threw herself to save you? Or do you find her childlike innocence charming?”
“Be honest. I’m the only person you can tell everything to.”
He scratched his cheek at my persistent questioning.
“If I had to say…”
“If you had to say?”
“She… feels similar to me. So I can’t help but keep looking at her.”
“Explain in more detail.”
“It’s nothing complicated. It’s just… when I look at her, I get the feeling that she’s always curled up. Kind of like me.”
She looks like she’s curled up…
On the surface, Kalian seemed confident, but I knew very well that he was always shrinking away because of his fear of women.
But what did he mean by saying Victoria seemed that way too?
Even Kalian didn’t seem to fully understand why he felt that way.
Maybe he was sensing something I couldn’t. He had always had good instincts.
“Oh, there you are, Kalian!”
Just then, a burly man approached the bench where we were sitting.
He was already massive, but with the armor he wore, he looked even bigger.
As he got closer, a shadow fell over the ground.
Victoria was following behind him.
Kalian glanced between the man and Victoria before asking,
“What brings you here?”
“What do you mean, what brings me here? Aren’t you happy to see your big brother after so long?”
“I am, but…”
“If you’re happy, then come here!”
The man grabbed Kalian by the waist and lifted him up as if he weighed nothing.
He spun him around in the air like a child before pulling him into a tight hug.
This man, treating Kalian like a baby, was Hubert Bright—Kalian’s older brother.
He was someone who fought demons at the border.
What was he doing all the way in Arcana?
Once the “plane ride” ended, Kalian asked again,
“I never heard you were coming back from the border. When did you arrive?”
“I had to leave in a hurry at dawn, so I didn’t have time to send word. If this were a regular break, I’d have had dinner with you and our parents. It’s really a shame.”
“A hurry… So you came to Arcana for a reason?”
“Not just here. My men should be visiting other locations as well by now.”
There were only a few reasons why the commander of the border fortress would rush to the capital.
Most likely, he was here to request reinforcements or supplies.
Hubert’s expression turned serious.
“The demons are moving at the border. Normally, we just exchange scouting skirmishes, but this time, something feels different.”
“Are they trying to break through the fortress?”
“Maybe. Or they might have another plan. Either way, we need more troops. That’s why I came down here—to request reinforcements.”
“I see.”
Kalian nodded, then pointed at Victoria, who was standing beside them.
“But why did you come with her?”
“She’s from the Grace family, one of the guardian houses of the border. So, she’s coming with me this time.”
“She’s going to the border…?”
“What, you two already know each other?”
Hubert looked at Kalian and Victoria before bursting into laughter.
Then, he patted Kalian’s shoulder.
“Hahaha! I was going to ask you to come with me anyway, so this works out perfectly. Since you two know each other, communication should be smooth.”
“You came here because of me?”
“To be honest… yeah. I’ve secured a lot of other troops, but if I can borrow your strength, there’s nothing to fear. So, what do you say? Will you come with me?”
“Well, I…”
Kalian opened his mouth without much hesitation.
Grab!
I quickly seized his shoulder.
Kalian looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if asking what was wrong.
This proposal—he had to refuse.
Under normal circumstances, accepting wouldn’t be an issue.
Experience in demon subjugation at the barrier would be valuable for him.
But not this time.
Because Victoria was involved.
Victoria was the Demon King.
A demon.
How could it be right to massacre demons in front of her? It absolutely wasn’t.
We had built up a good relationship with her, and I wasn’t about to let that be ruined like this.
Besides, something about this situation felt off.
Victoria, the Demon King, was supposedly from one of the guardian families of the barrier? That made no sense.
This had to be someone’s scheme.
And most likely, that someone was Alcatraz.
Which meant this was a flow of events orchestrated by Alcatraz.
We couldn’t let ourselves get swept up in it.
“That won’t be possible,” I said, shaking my head before Kalian could respond.
Hubert furrowed his brows.
“Wade… You were here too. I was so happy to see Kalian that I forgot to greet you. It’s good to see you.”
“Kalian is a student of Arcana, living a fulfilling life there. It’s too soon for him to go somewhere as dangerous as the barrier.”
“Isn’t it natural for Arcana students to grow through facing danger?”
“At the very least, they have the right to choose their own dangers.”
“Kalian is stronger than any soldier at the barrier. Even if he were to face danger, I would risk my life to protect him.”
Hubert pulled out a scroll and unrolled it.
It was a military draft order.
“I’ve already gone through the proper procedures with Arcana to receive Kalian’s assistance.”
“So, from the start, you planned to exploit your own brother?”
“I know you’re Kalian’s closest friend and that you’re worried about him. But I’m his brother. I care about him too.”
“And is it normal to ask a brother you care about to risk his life?”
“Kalian is the greatest knight I know. He wouldn’t abandon his duty just because he’s afraid of dying. My brother isn’t a coward like you.”
“You’re impossible to reason with.”
Rip!
I snatched the military draft order and tore it to shreds.
Kalian looked flustered, while Hubert’s face twisted in anger.
“How about this? The legal reason for taking Kalian with you just got shredded and scattered into the wind.”
“You… Do you even realize what you’ve done? The mission to defend the barrier is sanctioned by the Emperor himself. You just—”
“—committed treason against the Empire, right? So, what will you do now? If you want to report me and have me executed for it, go ahead.”
“Wade… You really haven’t changed at all. Always interfering, acting like you’re Kalian’s real family.”
Hubert glared at me for a moment, then simply told Kalian they would talk later and left.
Kalian spoke with concern.
“Is this really okay? This is an urgent matter.”
“It’s fine. If the barrier were so fragile that it would fall without you, it would’ve collapsed long ago.”
“Still…”
“Are you worried about Victoria? Is that why you want to go?”
“Ah, no.”
Kalian’s gaze followed Victoria as she walked away.
She had only given us a short farewell, saying she had to leave for the barrier with Hubert.
“Are you sure?”
“…Actually, I am a little worried.”
“I could tell from how hesitant you were when refusing earlier. But even if your brother comes asking again, make sure to say no. You have your reasons.”
“If you’re that concerned, I’ll go check on Victoria myself. That way, you won’t have to go.”
“You’d do that?”
If Kalian and Victoria met at the barrier, who knew what might happen?
Victoria was already beyond my control, but I couldn’t let Kalian go to a battlefield filled with demons.
So instead of sending Kalian, I decided to go myself.
Besides, I needed to keep an eye on Victoria to make sure nothing strange happened to her.
At the western border, where the Empire ended, stood the massive wall that blocked the demons’ invasion.
“It’s bigger than I imagined.”
As I traveled toward the barrier, I marveled at the towering wall outside my window.
And that was just the inner wall.
The imperial border troops were stationed there, training and stockpiling supplies in preparation for war.
Beyond that lay the outer wall, where direct encounters with demons were possible.
Border patrols typically meant heading out that far.
Since this was my first time seeing the barrier up close, I took in the sights.
Not that there was much to see—it was mostly just an enormous wall.
The only particularly noticeable detail was the stakes planted in front of it.
Sharpened wooden pikes were scattered around, with demon corpses impaled on them.
A classic tactic to demoralize the enemy.
After undergoing a security check at the entrance, I completed the entry procedures and stepped inside the fortress.
The interior of the barrier was surprisingly spacious.
There were designated areas for storing carriages and stables, along with neatly arranged siege weapons for repelling large-scale attacks.
The ground floor felt a bit empty, but judging by the structure, there were likely rest areas and lodgings further up.
After stepping out of the carriage, I followed a soldier who guided me toward the commander’s office.
“Haha! You’re here, Wade!”
The moment I entered, Hubert greeted me with a boisterous laugh, waving me over.
…What the hell?
Just a few days ago, he looked ready to kill me, and now he’s acting all friendly?
“I’ve been waiting for you. Come, have a seat.”
“You were waiting for me? I did send notice of my arrival, but I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
“What are you saying? You’re Kalian’s closest friend. Why wouldn’t I treat you well?”
That only made things more suspicious.
Hubert ordered a soldier to bring warm coffee.
He handed me a cup before leisurely sipping his own.
“This worked out perfectly. Now we can get straight to business.”
“What business?”
“Kalian.”
As we talked, Hubert glanced toward the entrance.
Following his gaze, I saw a familiar figure standing there.
“…Why are you here?”
It was Kalian.