“Haah, what should I do about this?”
Perseo had no choice but to rub his temples.
The child from the Shield Tribe who had come seeking him.
The fate of this child would change depending on the choice he made.
Having just reached adulthood, she was no older than his own son.
Was it right to send her to her death?
But he couldn’t keep her hidden in this land forever.
There was always the risk of her being discovered.
And if that happened, the conflict could escalate.
Perseo had no choice but to make a decision.
A choice for the greater good—banishment.
“I’m sorry. This is for the best.”
“I understand. Thank you, Perseo.”
She was soon driven out of the land of the Bow Tribe and forced into the Empire’s territory.
After watching the child cross into foreign lands, Perseo found himself deep in thought.
Was it right to continue standing by and watching his own people kill each other?
It was then that the three tribes, who had been observing the situation, finally began to move.
To stop the fighting.
*
The war was forcibly ended when the three tribes divided the territories of the Shield and Spear.
That was where Argin’s story ended.
“I made such bold promises to protect her, but failing to keep that promise still haunts me.”
It must have been a truly significant event.
Even though I had experienced five regressions, which were also major events, it seemed that both my grandfather and mother had gone through their own trials and tribulations.
Especially my mother, as a woman.
“Who are these worshippers?”
Frennila, who had joined the conversation, asked with a stern expression about the perpetrators of the old scars.
“…My guess is that they are the so-called dark mages.”
Argin carefully voiced his speculation.
He had heard from the child of the Staff Tribe that traces of voodoo had been found among the infected.
Voodoo is one of the most complex and difficult forms of magic, and it was said that parts of its texts were lost during the civil war.
Samarat, I told you, you fool.
But now, there’s no one left to hold accountable.
The Spear Tribe has been wiped out.
Yet, I don’t feel any satisfaction or relief.
Only emptiness fills my heart.
If my grandchild hadn’t appeared, could I have endured this terrible feeling?
I’m not sure.
Upon hearing the identity of the culprits, Frennila’s expression turned fierce.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The medical tent was far too small to contain her overflowing rage.
As she stepped out, she saw a nearby tree and, with all her strength, punched it.
“Uaaah!”
Crack!
The tree couldn’t withstand the force and began to tilt.
Frennila, undeterred, continued to punch it.
Like chopping with an axe, the tree eventually lost its balance and fell to one side.
‘Why do they torment me, us, the prince? Why? Why? I’ll kill them. I’ll definitely kill them. I’ll kill them, kill them, kill them.’
She felt like she would burst if she didn’t vent her anger.
If she didn’t behead those dark mages or whatever they were as soon as possible, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.
‘One month.’
She set a deadline for herself.
One month, including the time needed to complete the cure.
She would finish everything within that time.
Her bloodshot eyes turned westward.
Kazein, the former capital of the Spear Tribe.
According to Pipi’s information, men wearing black masks were seen coming and going there.
Don’t even think about dying peacefully.
I’ll make you experience firsthand how reality is more terrifying than hell.
*
After spending nearly a full day sharing stories, my grandfather left to escort the refugees of Arsaces.
Frennila has also been busy lately, making it hard to see her.
Thanks to the intensive care from Svioha and Rii, I was able to get out of bed quickly.
Werhe’s condition was worse than expected, so it seemed more treatment was needed.
Lying in bed, I thought a lot.
From my mother’s story to my grandfather’s.
Three generations had gone through significant events.
If it weren’t for divine intervention, it would be hard to comprehend.
Still, everything seems to be going well so far.
But is it really okay?
I can’t help but view the current situation negatively.
It’s like the eye of a storm—calm, but eerily so.
My mind is a mess, and after being unable to move for days, I felt the need to sweat.
To loosen up my stiff body, I went outside.
Wandering aimlessly around the camp, I eventually found myself at the training grounds.
Even at this late hour, warriors were still training.
One figure in particular caught my eye—a small girl wielding a disproportionately large sword in a corner.
It was Erka.
While the other warriors were training in pairs, why was she training alone?
Come to think of it, she always trained alone.
Curious, I approached her.
“What is it? Have you recovered already?”
As soon as she sensed my presence, she stopped her swing and turned to look at me.
Even though I had seen her in the previous duel, the scene still felt surreal.
Given her size, even if the sword was made lighter, it shouldn’t be easy to wield.
Does she have some kind of gravity-defying ability?
“Why are you training alone?”
Startled by my question, Erka seemed momentarily flustered.
Did I touch a nerve?
“…I’m used to being alone! It’s more comfortable training by myself than with those who aren’t on my level.”
But she still seemed lonely.
In fact, perhaps due to the influence of the spirit, her long hair usually reminded me of a wolf with perked ears, but now it felt more like a droopy-eared Chihuahua.
“Hey, don’t disturb my training and get lost!”
She swung her scabbard around, shooing me away.
I dodged and ran off, scratching my head.
What was that about?
“Excuse me.”
“Huh? Do you need something from me, Your Highness?”
“Why does Erka always train alone?”
“Huh? Erka?”
I stopped a warrior standing at the edge of the training grounds and asked.
The unexpected question seemed to catch the soldiers off guard.
But there was no real reason to hide it, so the warrior answered honestly.
“At first, it wasn’t like that. You know how it is—some guys saw her appearance and thought they could mess with her, but they all got wrecked.”
After that, no one dared to challenge her.
But even that seemed to bother her.
“The chieftain said, ‘You cowards with no ambition! It’s better to train alone than with you weaklings.’”
“And then?”
“Huh? That’s about it.”
…That’s the reason?
Hmm, what can I say?
I’m at a loss for words.
It’s like a disastrous collaboration between an overly skilled, socially awkward boss and clueless subordinates who take everything at face value.
For a moment, I wanted to say, “Hey, look at your boss’s face!” but I held back, fearing Erka might snap, “Who asked for your concern?”
Suddenly, I remembered Erka jumping around and laughing excitedly when we were set to spar in the decisive match.
Thinking about it now, it feels oddly poignant.
Sighing, I picked up a shield lying in a corner of the training grounds and went back to Erka.
After experiencing the chimera attack, I felt the need to train my body a bit.
I had actually thought about training in martial arts before.
Even when I was in the imperial palace, and when I was training with Werhe, I felt it—the lack of overwhelming talent.
No matter what weapon I practiced, I could never get the hang of it.
So, I had decided to spend my time on other things instead of martial arts.
But the moment I first held the turtle shield, my mindset completely changed.
Why hadn’t I thought of using a shield before?
There must be something to it—the moment I first swung the shield was still vivid in my mind.
Of course, the best way to learn shield techniques would be from my grandfather, but he’s currently absent, and Werhe, who had been overseeing my training, is still recovering.
“What is it? Are you here to disturb my training again?”
“Erka, would you like to train with me?”
“Wha, what? Aya! …You want to train together now?”
She bit her tongue.
Flustered, her ears turned red as she looked up at me.
“…It’s too early. Our levels don’t match!”
Pretending to be indifferent, Erka refused.
But the way she kept glancing at me betrayed her true feelings.
Why does she live so exhaustingly?
Deep down, she wants to train together.
“I want to be able to protect myself. Could you help me? If I receive your guidance, I feel like I could improve quickly.”
Clasping my hands together, I pleaded with her.
Her hair seemed to bristle.
After rolling her eyes and pretending to think, she finally nodded reluctantly.
“…Just this once.”
Easy.
Thanks to that, I secured a free combat instructor.
I’ll be able to borrow her expertise for training until Werhe returns to the frontlines.
“Watch closely.”
Whoosh!
She demonstrated the basics, swinging her sword and shield.
As expected of the chieftain of the Sword Tribe, renowned for her close combat skills, her understanding of other weapons was also impressive.
While Werhe’s teaching method involved learning through small, physical movements, Erka explained everything theoretically and demonstrated it in practice.
‘Not bad. If I keep learning like this for a few more days, my skills will improve quickly.’
…But I didn’t know then.
A few days?
How terrifying the obsession of a lonely, old maiden chieftain could be.
Her mental age seemed to match her appearance, as her tantrums were no less than those of a child.
…
“Is the prince here? Let’s go train!”
Does this kid not need sleep?
It’s still the time when owls are hooting.
It’s no wonder she’s so short, I thought, but I didn’t say it out loud.
My life is precious, after all.
Ever since that day, Erka started barging into my tent at all hours.
“…Isn’t it a bit too early? Can’t we rest in the morning?”
“A warrior must always be ready, for you never know when you’ll face battle! Get up now!”
“Just for today.”
“No! We must train together!”
Get up, get up!
Before I knew it, she had climbed onto my bed and started jumping on me, delivering physical blows.
Ugh, my organs are being crushed.
I surrender, I surrender!
“…Haah, fine. I’ll go.”
In the end, I couldn’t withstand Erka’s tantrums and reluctantly got up.
“Good, good! I’ll wait outside!”
Excited, she ran out of the tent.
What would happen if I just went back to bed?
I wanted to, but I didn’t.
The future was all too clear.
Maybe I shouldn’t have meddled.
I think I’ve messed with the wrong person.
“Come out quickly!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
Still half-asleep, I grabbed my shield and stumbled out to the training grounds.