“This is just the backlash from the Abyssal Erosion. It’s nothing serious…”
Even though she couldn’t struggle, Isavel still wanted to act tough.
“Nonsense.”
Nora interrupted her, her hand warm and steady as she grasped Isavel’s cold, trembling wrist without the slightest hesitation.
“If the enemy showed up now, what could you possibly do?”
Isavel’s delicate body stiffened for a moment, and the strength of her resistance slackened considerably.
She closed her eyes and turned her head away, unwilling to meet Nora’s gaze.
She knew Nora was right. If an enemy showed up right now, she would likely die by their hands.
It was her mistake—she hadn’t anticipated that the backlash from the Abyssal Magic’s erosion would be so terrifying.
But as the Villainous Saint, she would never admit her mistake out loud.
Besides that, she just felt awkward.
It was the awkwardness of being cared for by someone else.
She had always been the master of the Oracle Hall, the pillar of support for the Rose Knights, Queen Flandre’s trump card… Even when disguised as Selis, she was always the one comforting others.
No one had ever cared for her when she was weak, never given her anyone to rely on.
This—this wasn’t like her Villainous Saint persona at all!
The more she thought about it, the more Isavel refused to meet Nora’s gaze.
Nora didn’t say anything more either.
She just maintained the posture, gently stroking the back of Isavel’s hand with her fingers.
It was said that doing this could silently comfort someone in pain and give them the reassurance of “I’m here,” soothing their panic and anxiety.
Of course, Nora had just heard this from someone else.
After a short while, as if suddenly remembering something, she pulled out a Crystal Vial from her bosom.
The liquid inside was as blue as the ocean, and the label indicated that Teresa had specially prepared this Potion for its calming effect.
“Teresa gave me this.” She explained softly, uncorking the vial and bringing the Potion to Isavel’s lips.
“After she learned I would be heading to Bliss Fortress, she gave it to me on purpose, saying you might need it.”
Isavel opened her eyes, looked complexly at the Potion, then at Nora.
Nora gave her a small smile and said, “See? I’m not the only one worried about you.”
Isavel hesitated for a moment. In the end, she parted her red lips and sipped the Potion down in small gulps.
A gentle liquid slid down her throat. Although it couldn’t dispel the Erosion, it was like a massive stone thrown into the chaotic depths of a well—the howling of the Abyss quieted, and the turmoil in her mind eased greatly.
At least, she wasn’t so dizzy and faint anymore.
After the Abyssal Erosion weakened a bit, an overwhelming exhaustion swept over her like a tide.
Isavel lay weakly on the bed, her face pale as translucent porcelain.
Nora still sat by the bed, holding her hand and refusing to let go.
Silence spread between the two, but the previous coldness was gone, replaced by a warm concern.
But very quickly, a vague sense of defeat welled up in Isavel’s heart.
If she remembered correctly, she was supposed to be the Villainous Saint, a nightmare that haunted countless people’s dreams.
Both Nora and Teresa should fear her!
But why didn’t they seem to fear her at all? Why did they seem to care about her so much?
So much so that… even a Villainous Saint like her was showing such a weak and pitiful side before them.
At this thought, Isavel unconsciously pulled the covers up to hide her reddening cheeks.
And it was so strange—Nora clearly liked Selis, and it was Selis who looked after Teresa too, so why were they treating Isavel herself even better?
If it wasn’t that she’d trained them into masochists, then maybe it was because they knew she and Selis were actually the same person.
But—that can’t be!
Was her disguise really that much of a failure?
If she’d been exposed so early, what was she supposed to do for the next few years?
Without the trials of life and death, how were these Rose Knights supposed to improve themselves?
How would they ever survive the Abyssal Demons’ encirclement?
“…Nora.” After a long while, Isavel called out softly, her voice carrying unprecedented exhaustion and an almost imperceptible hint of dependence.
“I’m here.” Nora’s reply was simple and steady.
“The Rose Knights…” she murmured, as if seeking confirmation.
“They’re fine,” Nora explained. “By now, they should’ve reached Snow City Fortress. As for their safety, with Renia there, you don’t need to worry.”
That assurance seemed to drain the last bit of strength from Isavel.
She slowly closed her eyes, the heavy exhaustion claiming her consciousness.
Her breathing gradually steadied as Nora reached out and gently smoothed the furrow between her brows with her fingertips.
She said nothing, simply staying by her side, her only pillar in that moment.
“Next time…” Nora’s gaze was resolute, her voice gentle, “Next time… I won’t let you make such a sacrifice again…”
As she gazed at Isavel’s sleeping face, Nora finally let out a quiet sigh, her eyes reigniting with determination.
……
Under the assault of the Norwich soldiers, the unsupported Snow City Fortress was also facing a moment of life and death.
With the final impact of the heavy battering ram and a deafening crash, the massive gate and a section of wall collapsed together.
The defensive Magic Circle shattered completely.
The enemy forces, like a flood, roared and surged into the city.
Inside the fortress, the street battles were brutal.
The defenders fell back step by step, every inch of ground dyed crimson with blood.
“Hurry! Hurry, this way!”
Under the Deputy’s command, Juliessa and a group of noncombatants fled in panic toward the underground passage within Snow City Fortress.
Most of them worked in logistics or were family members of the soldiers and officers.
When the fortress fell, they became those whom the defenders most desperately needed to protect.
“Reinforcements! Didn’t the Empire say reinforcements were coming? Where are they?!”
“Hmph, maybe it was all a lie. Stuff like that happens all the time on the battlefield.”
“They said the Rose Knights were coming to help. The name alone tells you they’re nothing special!”
“Heh, probably just another private army for the nobles, right? They’re just waiting for the Empire to fall.”
As they fled, their resentment grew with each passing moment.
After all, they knew the Empire had already sent reinforcements, but now that Snow City Fortress had fallen, those reinforcements had still not arrived.
Naturally, they directed their anger toward the reinforcements.
As for how far away the reinforcements were, how quickly they could arrive—those questions weren’t even on their minds.
What mattered now was that they needed a common enemy to help suppress their terror of the Norwich soldiers and keep themselves from falling into chaos as they fled.
Unfortunately, the Norwich soldiers also knew about this underground passage.
Not long after, they emerged into a wide underground area, only to find themselves confronted by Norwich soldiers wielding swords and knives, cruel smiles on their faces.
“For Snow City! Fight to the death!”
The Deputy raised his sword high, leading the soldiers protecting them in a desperate battle against the Norwich soldiers.
Juliessa, meanwhile, took advantage of the chaos to lead a group of women and children toward the far end of the underground passage.
But the defending soldiers were too few. Many Norwich Empire soldiers broke free from the melee and charged after Juliessa’s group.
At that moment, Juliessa muttered a spell and used Lightning Magic to knock down an unwary enemy.
She snatched his sword and stood guard in front of the women and children.
“Go! Quickly!”
“Juliessa?!”
“Don’t worry about me!”
Juliessa, an assistant blacksmith who had lived in Snow City Fortress for seven or eight years, was already close to many of these women and children.
Her act of covering their retreat brought many of them to tears.
At the same time, the terror they had been suppressing erupted at last.
“Where are the reinforcements?! Where?!”
“Damned Empire, how could you lie to us!”
“They—they’ve already abandoned us!”
The cries and wails echoed through the underground passage. The Norwich soldiers grinned wider as they closed in, surrounding Juliessa at the center.
Juliessa’s emotions were far from calm. She was nervous—about the imminent clash with these soldiers.
Her palms were slick with sweat on the sword hilt, her heart pounding wildly.
She was angry too.
The Empire’s promise of reinforcements hadn’t been a secret.
It was precisely because of that hope that she and the others had stayed in the fortress, waiting for the arrival of help.
Otherwise, they would have left and hidden themselves long ago.
But in the end, the Aos Empire had let them down.
The damned reinforcements were nowhere to be seen, the Norwich Empire’s assault was vicious, and after the fortress fell, it was already too late to escape.
Staring at the advancing soldiers, Juliessa knew that she was likely to die here today.
But… if she could drag one down with her before dying, it wouldn’t be in vain!
She gripped the sword hilt and, just as she steeled herself to charge forward, an urgent voice echoed from behind her—followed by an overwhelming surge of magic power.
“Ice Arrows!”
Countless arrows of ice shot from deep within the passage.
The cruel-faced soldiers, upon seeing them, looked as if they’d seen death itself and tried to flee, but the ice arrows still pierced straight through their hearts.
Juliessa spun around in shock, only to witness a sight she would never forget—
A familiar-looking girl slowly emerged from the darkness of the passage, icy magic swirling around her alongside a gentle holy radiance.
In her hand was a magic staff, her face worried yet determined.
Behind her were several other girls, each as gallant as she.
“Iserine?!”
Once she recognized who it was, Juliessa’s eyes filled with joy—only for it to be replaced by even deeper fear.
“No! Why are you here?! Run! The fortress can’t be held any longer! Take your people and go, quickly!”
She rushed to Iserine, pushing her anxiously. “Hurry, you fool! Now is the worst time for you to show up!”
But Iserine firmly gripped Juliessa’s hand. Noticing that she was unharmed, Iserine sighed in relief, her gaze still resolute.
“Juliessa, it’s been years. I’m not that little girl you used to know.”
“…What do you mean?”
Juliessa stepped back in confusion.
Iserine’s lips curled into a small smile. Then, she bent forward, with a hint of playfulness and gravity, and said:
“Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Iserine of the Rose Knights. I’ve come to Snow City Fortress to repel the Norwich Empire’s assault and end this war.”