“…”

It’s been a long time since she’s seen her grandfather’s face this close.

A conversation from long ago suddenly came to her mind.

-Grandpa, does this mean I can’t see my parents anymore?

-Yes. I’m truly sorry that you had to experience this at such a young age. Now, gather your courage and say your final goodbye.

After my parents passed away in a fire, the one who took on the responsibility of the Count’s title and cared for the three young siblings was none other than our grandfather.

The memory of him, holding back his tears in front of Rosha, who was nine at the time, and Cassis, who was ten, and only letting them fall when he returned to his room after the funeral, is still vivid in her mind.

But perhaps the grief of losing his son and daughter-in-law was too deep. One day, Grandfather, who had been the pillar of the Count’s house, suddenly collapsed and became unconscious.

“Grandfather… I’ve returned.”

She whispered so softly, as if not wanting anyone else to hear, swallowing her tears.

“I will protect this family in your place, Grandfather. I promise.”

So that, when grandfather wakes up from his long slumber, he can still see his home intact.

Rosha looked alternately at the wrinkled face of the elderly man and the quest window, which held the safety of the territory at stake, and made a brief vow.

A few minutes later, a proud Koko strutted into the room, catching her attention.

“I almost got into big trouble just now. Don’t forget the merit of me who cleverly saved you in that critical moment!”

“Thank you… Koko.”

He always has unnecessary things to say, but…

“Hehehe. I’ve also discovered some very interesting information. You’ll be shocked when you hear it.”

“Information? What is it?”

Puffing out his chest, Koko cleared his throat and relayed the information he had gathered.

“I overheard the conversation inside the carriage of the Marquis, thanks to breaking its soundproof spell… Apparently, there’s a rift nearby? He mentioned meeting your uncle there soon.”

“Ah… the rift. I see.”

“You already knew?”

“Yes, I just heard about it.”

“Really? Then, do you also know this?”

Perhaps hurt in his pride, Koko suddenly flew over to the grandfather. He closely examined him, and then said something utterly shocking.

“Someone intentionally put this old man to sleep.”

“What?”

“There’s a lingering scent of deceit from the remnants of magical energy on him. Judging by what I see, it’s not magic, but surely someone’s special ability!”

…What?

* * *

Time seemed to fly by without a moment to catch one’s breath.

Thankfully, the Duke left the mansion that day, but the relief was overshadowed by the looming cloud of suspicion in Rosha’s mind.

The reason her grandfather fell was because of someone’s special ability.

‘Who on earth did this?’

First, she thought of Duke Echerzen, the only person with a special ability she knew of.

Although she wasn’t sure of the specifics of his ability, it seemed unlikely that it was the type to put someone to sleep for years.

However, there is no way to be suspicious of Cedric, who seems to know a lot because he cares so much about his family.

‘By motive alone, it seemed probable that a relative could be responsible…’

“Hey!”

Suddenly, Cassis’s shout pulled her from her thoughts. He was crouched down, looking at her with concern.

“I’ve been calling you. Why didn’t you answer? Are you okay?”

Behind him, she saw a wooden sword casually left behind on the sandy ground of the training ground.

Oh, right. They were in the middle of a stamina training session.

She remembered running two laps around the training ground and then leaning against a tree to rest.

Massaging her sore legs, she replied:

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought.”

“What were you thinking about? You seemed really far away. Is it too hard?”

“Well… Of course, it’s hard.”

As soon as her body returned to normal, she came to the training ground every day for physical training. She expected it to be very hard since she hadn’t exercised at all, and it really was. 

On the first day, Rosha only ran three laps around the training ground, but she was so tired that she ended up sleeping for twelve hours. 

Of course, she had no intention of giving up. 

‘If I don’t train now, I’ll suffer later.’

But Cassis, who had no idea what his sister was thinking, retorted with his knees bent:

“I knew you would say that. Why did you suddenly ask to learn swordsmanship?”

“Huh?”

“Just give up the unnecessary hard work. If you’re too shy to say it, I’ll tell the master for you.”

From his demeanor, it looked like he was really going to say something.

Why is he acting like this? Rosha quickly grabbed Cassis’ collar and said:

“I said it’s hard, not that I hate it.”

“What?”

“I really want to learn. So don’t say anything.”

“…You’ve been acting weird lately? You used to hate this stuff, right?”

Suddenly, as if something came to his mind, Cassis whispered:

“Is someone threatening you? Are you trying to fight them together? If so, tell me instead of doing something useless.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then why are you suddenly doing something you never did? It’s like you’re a changed person.”

Whether it was because of his animal-like intuition, his remark was spot on.

Those deep red eyes, so similar to hers, stared at her strangely. Confronted with his gaze, Rosha hesitated to say anything.

There were many reasons for her sudden change. From the quest in front of her nose, the upcoming challenges, her grandfather who fell into a coma due to someone’s plot, to Duke Echerzen coveting her sacred artifact.

‘To solve all these problems, I need to build my stamina first.’

Strength may sometimes come from luck, but ultimately, it stems from physical stamina. She needed to be as prepared as possible when she had time.

But how could she explain all this?

“Well…”

As she hesitated, Cassis firmly shut his mouth, not even trying to hide his suspicious gaze.

Just then.

“Everyone, gather around if you’ve finished your individual training. We’re starting group training,” Marian shouted.

The knights who were stretching on their own gathered together. Cassis, who had been looking at Rosha, quickly turned and left.

‘Phew, crisis averted.’

She knew he would find it strange, but he asked much sooner than expected. Had she underestimated Cassis’ intuition?

‘I’ll have to think about how to explain it soon.’

She knew she would eventually have to tell her family about what she had been through.

But now wasn’t the time. If she told him now, he might dismiss it as a delusion. It would be easier to make him understand after the ordeal had begun.

Rosha prepared herself for Cassis’ next questions while watching the knights train. Soon, Marian, who was supervising the training, approached and asked:

“Child, how was your training today?”

Her voice, so much softer than when she addressed the knights, made Rosha smile.

“I managed to run two laps without stopping.”

“Oh, you’re building stamina quite fast. Maybe it’s because you’re young.”

Marian, with one eye missing, smiled gently and patted Rosha’s hair. She seemed pleased with Rosha’s quiet dedication, building her foundation without rushing to learn swordsmanship.

But that’s exactly what Rosha wanted.

‘I wanted to build stamina and get close to the future warriors anyway.’

And she personally liked Marian, who reminded her of the teacher who used to teach her swordsmanship. Though he ultimately didn’t survive to see the end of the trial.

“You should rest early today. While I appreciate your enthusiasm, it’s not good to overdo it in the beginning.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll just run two more laps.”

“How diligent of you.”

Rosha had planned to rest early today even without Marian’s advice. There were only 24 hours left for the ‘Anomaly Verification’ quest.

‘I should set out tonight with ample time. There might be unforeseen circumstances.’

She had done all the preparations she could do. She would deal with Cassis later.

Ignoring the gaze from the other side of the training ground, Rosha stood up. It was time to move again.