“Knights, forward!”

While Rosha leisurely enjoyed the respite, the imperial knights adeptly dealt with the incoming demons.

Among them was Marian, who had accompanied them as Rosha and Cassis’s fencing instructor.

Swish-

She unleashed a straight beam of light towards a monster.

A precise, razor-sharp strike without any wasted movement.

Though somewhat aged, Marian’s swordsmanship remained razor-sharp, even with one eye covered by an eyepatch.

Moreover, having served as the captain of the imperial guard, she seemed well-acquainted with the knights, shining even more brilliantly on the battlefield.

“Hmm, so that’s how they fight.”

After single-handedly toppling a demonic beast, splattering himself with its blood, Nardil nodded his head. The warriors who had volunteered from the delegation seemed to share his assessment.

Having endured two trials, the imperial forces certainly appeared well-trained.

They formed teams to confront the demons, with at least one skilled swordsman supported by the others.

And those with innate abilities or magic aptitude judiciously lent their power when opportune.

Just like Rosha was doing now.

“Everyone, move back.”

As she gathered her mana and extended her hand, a massive fire barrier appeared, herding the smaller demons together. Immediately after, a massive blazing fireball descended upon them.

Boooom!

The ground shattered, flames spewing in all directions.

Amid the inferno, three streaking fire arrows pursued the fleeing demons that had narrowly escaped.

Whipping their long tails, the arrows split off along different routes before successively impaling the demons.

“Ooh…”

The seamless flow of magical techniques was so impressive that spontaneous applause was warranted.

Naturally, Nardil’s conviction only solidified further.

‘Indeed, I must bring her back to the Kingdom.’

No matter how he considered it, that was the only answer.

While the Atica Kingdom had sorcerers and magicians, none possessed the overwhelming firepower and versatility she displayed.

However, if there was an issue…

‘That imperial Duke named Froy Echerzen.’

He was well aware of the rumors surrounding the man.

While everyone seemed to fear him as a patricide and such, in the Kingdom, merely having a reason was enough to avoid consequences, so he didn’t particularly care about that.

What intrigued him was the exact nature of their relationship for the Duke to constantly accompany her.

‘They may not be betrothed, but they seem quite close. If he were to oppose her coming to the Kingdom, it would be a major problem.’

Nardil watched the Duke, who did nothing but occasionally rescue people from danger, with a skeptical eye.

If he possessed an ability, shouldn’t he be taking the lead instead of relying on others to fight for him?

Or did he simply believe there were enough people to fight in his stead, so he needn’t exert himself?

“Th, thank you, Your Grace.”

“You saved my life.”

Considering his notorious reputation, it was astounding to see knights timidly approach just to express gratitude for this small assistance.

As the monsters were cleared, a temporary lull set in.

While people checked their gear or conversed with new acquaintances, Nardil immediately approached Rosha with praise – one way to ingratiate himself, after all.

“I observed the magic you displayed earlier. Despite the frequent shape-shifting, the way all your mana flowed seamlessly like water was truly an impressive level.”

“You were able to see that, Your Highness?”

Blinking widely as she countered, she had an unexpectedly adorable side, unlike her composed demeanor while using magic.

That fleeting moment ended as she began scrutinizing Nardil from head to toe.

And with good reason. He was covered in the unsightly blood of the monster he had felled.

‘Now I see why the people of Atica wear such light clothing.’

Rosha inwardly murmured.

Not just due to the heat, but because the Kingdom’s warriors didn’t spare their bodies in combat. In close quarters with monsters, a single layer could mean the difference between injury or not.

Fortunately, likely thanks to his innate ability, Nardil’s body remained unscathed, save for his tattered clothes.

Eyeing his ruined top that was barely worth wearing, she carefully asked:

“Shall I pour some clean water over your head? It might be unpleasant to ride like that without washing off the monster’s blood.”

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”

“…It’s really not though?”

Koko muttered after exchanging glances with Nardil’s dark horse.

Oblivious to their exchange, the man continued:

“But if it troubles you, I’ll gladly wash up.”

He truly was making an effort to appeal to her, prompting an amused laugh.

However, at that very moment:

Ding!

Warning! The third trial is approaching somewhere on the continent.

The previously lively atmosphere instantly chilled at the sudden appearance of the blue window.

Knights cleaning their swords, teachers and students conversing – all froze, staring ahead in trepidation.

Despite being the third trial they faced, some still trembled faintly, unable to acclimatize.

But Rosha had no chance to pay attention to such things.

For a discreet notification had reached her ears:

-You are the target of the third trial.

…What?

Rosha went rigid.

Briefly glancing around, it seemed no one else had heard that notification.

Once confirmed, a flurry of thoughts raced through her mind.

‘I’ve never heard of such a thing happening in the third trial?’

A target – did that mean someone would be attacking her?

Just how would that mechanic apply?

While she had a rough idea of the third trial’s contents, her mind reeled from this unprecedented ‘target’ aspect.

After a brief silence.

Nardil, the head of the delegation, spoke with a grim expression:

“…I believe we’ve hunted enough monsters. It would be best to return, and quickly if possible.”

* * *

With everyone agreeing to Nardil’s suggestion, the monster hunt ended earlier than scheduled.

On the return journey to the capital.

The sun had descended behind the mountains, its crimson rays casting long shadows over their procession. Rosha gazed vacantly at the shifting shadows, lost in deep thought.

It was then that Froy rode up beside her.

“Rosha. Is there some problem?”

A problem? There were plenty of problems.

For starters, the blue window’s warning about the third trial commencing had appeared before everyone’s eyes.

However, the ‘problem’ Froy referred to wasn’t that.

‘…Should I tell him I’ve become the target of the third trial?’

Meeting his violet gaze, Rosha briefly hesitated.

But since she still didn’t understand what being the ‘target’ entailed, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to explain after learning more. For now, she simply shook her head.

Yet Froy gradually furrowed his brow and abruptly pressed further:

“No problems at all? Then could you swear on the holy shrine?”

“Huh? Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

“Perhaps. But your expression doesn’t seem to be that of someone without any problems.”

Unconsciously, Rosha touched her own face, only to meet his skeptical gaze.

‘…His intuition is incredibly sharp.’

Additionally, his observational skills were exceptional, and he was quite adept at leading questioning.

If she misspoke here, she would undoubtedly be forced to reveal the truth, so she tightly sealed her lips while rolling her eyes.

It was at that moment.

Froy suddenly extended his arm to block her path, startling her. She had thought he was merely pressing for an answer, but that wasn’t the case.

“Stop for a moment!”

Jolted, she looked ahead to see over a dozen imperial knights approaching stiffly on horseback from the opposite road.

Behind them was a group of imperial nobles and their subordinate knights.

And…

‘Why are they out here?’

It was the Emperor, surrounded by his imperial guards.