A column of Holy Knights in silver-white full plate rode southward along the road on tall warhorses.
Ahead of them, the high walls of Diborne City were already faintly visible.
They had been built to keep the subhumans at bay.
On the road below the walls trudged families, civilians dusty and terrified, clutching their children.
When they caught sight of the knights, they shrank to the roadside, stealing glances at the leader.
Remedios felt the stares and scowled. She turned her head, her gaze falling like a hammer, and the onlookers immediately lowered their eyes.
So the civilians are already flocking to Diborne City… the front must be worse than we thought.
Her gauntleted hand tightened around her sword hilt. She shot a cold glance over her shoulder at Helant, her eyes lingering on the Mithril Rank Adventurer badge on his chest, contempt flashing across her face.
If she had not been sent to escort him, she would still be spilling blood on the front line.
"Your name is… Helant, isn't it? After a whole day's ride, you still haven't told me what you can possibly do to earn Her Highness the Holy Queen's attention." Remedios kept her back to him, her voice languid.
What could a mere Mithril Rank Adventurer change about this war?
Other than a handsome face, was there anything exceptional about him?
A long moment passed before Helant's voice drifted up from the roadside behind her.
"Good girl, it won't hurt. Just a moment more."
The tone was one used to soothe a child.
Remedios yanked on her reins and wheeled around.
"Big brother, I'm all right. You should save your mana for the soldiers on the front." A little girl with her left arm severed tried to push Helant away with her remaining hand.
The child's bravery made Helant's heart ache. He gently pinched her cheek, then lifted the stump. "Since I saw it, I can't very well leave it like this."
A soft holy light blossomed from his palm, wrapping around the ruined arm.
The warm radiance bathed everyone present, so gentle that even Remedios swallowed the reprimand on her tongue.
"My hand grew back!" The girl waved her newly formed pink fingers, her eyes shining with gratitude and awe. "Big brother, you're so strong. You must have saved lots of people at the front!"
"Of course. I came this time to save many more."
Helant ruffled her hair, swung back into the saddle, and rode on.
Remedios glanced sideways at him, still dissatisfied. "A trick like that hardly matches your arrogant talk."
So what if he could heal? Her own sister, Kelart, could cast resurrection, and even she could not turn the tide.
To Remedios, Helant was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well who had never seen the ocean.
"I truly don't understand why Her Highness asked for an Adventurer instead of seeking aid from the Kingdom."
Helant's handsome face remained unruffled beneath the barbed words, as though the mockery had nothing to do with him at all.
After all, Remedios was still a useful piece. Sending her to the torturers or to Neuronist Painkill could wait.
He was too soft-hearted.
"Helant, you're far too soft!"
Clementine's voice whispered beside his ear as twin stilettos flashed like cold lightning toward Remedios's eyes.
Clang!
Remedios reacted instantly, bringing her longsword up in both hands to parry the razor-sharp points. She glared at the figure crouched impossibly on her horse's brow. "Who are you?!"
Had her reflexes been even a heartbeat slower, those cones would have skewered her eyes.
Cold sweat burst across her back as she studied the madwoman before her.
"Tch, pretty quick for a frog in a well." Clementine twirled the cones away and looked down at her loftily. "Even if you've never seen the wide world, learn some humility."
Before Remedios could answer, Clementine vanished in a flicker and reappeared perched in front of Helant, facing him.
Only then did the surrounding knights react, swords flashing as they formed a ring around the pair.
"She's a friend of mine. Please indulge me," Helant said mildly, smiling at Remedios as though nothing had happened.
"Your friend?!" Remedios's glare could have flayed flesh. "That maniac just tried to kill me!"
She could still feel Clementine's naked killing intent crackling in the air.
"Give me… give me a reason… why should we not kill her?" She gripped her sword one-handed, a breath away from slashing.
The other knights tensed, ready to strike.
"We're almost at Diborne City. Let's keep our eyes on the larger picture. If you clash with Clementine here, innocent blood will spill." Helant's gaze swept meaningfully over the knights.
Damn it!
Remedios slammed her blade back into its scabbard, fury and frustration blazing in her eyes. "Keep your pet on a leash!"
The rest of the knights lowered their weapons, eyeing the lunatic woman warily.
"My, such a temper." Clementine nestled against Helant's chest, her playful grin softening into tender coaxing. "There, I struck a blow for you."
She noticed Remedios's shoulders trembling with suppressed rage and added sweetly, "After all, some frogs truly have never met a real predator."
She had bristled from the moment she saw Remedios's contempt toward Helant.
Part of it was the mocking delight of toying with a clown, but mostly it was the instinct to shield the man she adored.
Helant heard Remedios's breathing grow ragged and, hiding a smirk, changed the subject. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"Oh?" Clementine's hands roamed over him, a wicked smile curving her lips. "You came to the Holy Kingdom, not just to return my stiletto, I hope..."
She knew perfectly well he was here to crush the subhuman crisis; his belief in human supremacy ran even deeper than the Theocracy's.
But that would not stop her from teasing him.
"I'm afraid I had no idea we'd meet," Helant apologized, truthfully. He had not expected her to be here.
"Is that so?" Clementine feigned disappointment, rubbing against him. "Ah, how I miss my little babies~~"
"They never leave my side." Helant drew the stilettos from his storage space and offered them to her.
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