Chapter 18
My ideal type, huh. I said without taking a breath,
“Someone handsome, tall, capable, and with a good personality.”
“That’s specific.”
“Of course. Our values and sense of humor should match too, and oh, the age gap can only be up to four years older or younger.”
“Four years?”
“Yes. Any more than that, and it’d feel like a generational gap.”
“…”
His expression suddenly darkened. What’s wrong?
That’s when it happened.
Pyoong! Bang!
It must be midnight. Fireworks shot up by mages embroidered the night sky.
“Oh, looks like fireworks.”
I mumbled, but there was no response from Kaiden.
Fireworks were always beautiful to watch. The citizens of the capital must be forgetting their worries while gazing at this stunning spectacle.
But amidst the dazzling fireworks, I felt a strange energy.
It was a kind of instinct. I narrowed my eyes, staring at the sky, and muttered,
“What’s that?”
As the fireworks burst and lit up the sky, I saw faint black dots scattered across it. Those black dots were flapping their wings, getting closer and closer.
Only when they were close enough for me to notice could I make out what they were. Kaiden and I leapt to our feet and shouted,
“Monsters!”
* * *
Marius Gratie.
Born as the Crown Prince, destined to become Emperor. It was only natural for him to receive people’s attention and love.
Marion, too, had sworn eternal loyalty, saying she was nearly blinded by his presence the moment she saw him.
But today, Marion dropped a bombshell.
“I’m no longer interested.”
Marius had thought Marion would be overjoyed if he asked her to dance.
He assumed her avoiding his gaze was all due to shyness.
But today, the look in Marion’s eyes as she faced him was nothing more or less than the look one gives a complete stranger.
‘Why…?’
He couldn’t understand. All Marius knew were Marion’s sparkling eyes.
How had things changed so suddenly?
His gaze fell on Lucas, who was chatting with noble ladies at the banquet hall.
‘Marion taught Lucas swordsmanship, didn’t she?’
Marius realized.
Lucas must have thoroughly charmed Marion.
‘That lowborn thing fawns over men’s faces. Lucas has a decent enough face, so she must have fallen for him.’
Marius felt a surge of anger rising within him.
Back when she was gushing about his face, calling it the second coming of an angel or blessed by the goddess of beauty—when had she flipped completely to Lucas?
‘How dare she betray me? She doesn’t know her place. But this time, I’ll show her mercy.’
Marius wanted to punish Marion but decided to take a conciliatory approach this time.
That lowborn thing would be overwhelmed with gratitude if he extended his hand to her again.
As Marius was lost in these thoughts,
“Everyone, run!”
Crash!
“Kyaa!”
“It’s a wyvern!”
* * *
“Royal Guard! Protect His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”
“Yes!”
“Kyaa!”
During the Emperor’s birthday banquet, flying monsters—wyverns—attacked the palace.
It wasn’t just the palace. The capital must have turned into chaos with wyverns invading as well.
‘Monster Break.’
Damn it, the original story had begun, of all the rotten luck.
I had dreamed of escaping this stage and living well somehow.
“Save me!”
“Kyaa!”
Screams and cries for help filled the air. Kaiden and I frantically climbed the stairs.
Kaiden grabbed the captain of the Royal Guard and asked,
“How many monsters?”
“There are roughly three wyverns attacking the palace…”
The eyes of Sir Note, the Royal Guard captain, trembled.
“And the capital?”
“We estimate about ten.”
“I’ll head to the capital.”
“But, Your Grace! You must protect His Majesty…”
Ignoring his words, Kaiden turned to me.
“Marion. You protect the palace. Can you handle it?”
“I can.”
“But…”
Kaiden trailed off.
He was worried I might faint at the sight of blood. But what could I do?
“Don’t worry. I can take those things down with my eyes closed.”
“…Don’t push yourself. I’ll be back soon.”
I gave a quick nod and ran toward the source of the screams.
Nobles were crying, fleeing, and tripping over each other in chaos. Fearing I might see blood, I kept my gaze fixed upward.
Outside the palace, two wyverns were flying menacingly in the sky. Mages were desperately casting barriers to keep them out.
One had already entered the palace, half-destroying it. Knights and soldiers were preparing bows and carrying weapons.
“At that speed, when will you ever take it down?!”
I snapped at the knights, scolding them. At the same time, I grabbed a sword from a nearby soldier and ran toward the wyvern, deep in thought.
‘Damn it. What do I do? I can’t see blood.’
It was a huge dilemma.
I had to kill the wyvern, but killing it would inevitably cause blood to gush like a fountain. Then I’d faint. And there were two more wyverns outside the palace.
[You said you faint at the sight of blood! What’s your plan?!]
Bled shouted in my head.
He’d said he’d act separately for a bit, but now he was flying beside me.
‘…So you *can* fly, huh?’
[Is that the issue right now?! Run away! It’s dangerous!]
Bled’s shouting calmed my excited mind instead. Having someone panicking beside me somehow made me feel more composed.
I slowly came to a stop.
The screams of people. The roars of the wyvern. The knights trying to hold it back but failing miserably.
“I’m the only one.”
[What?]
Think.
I’m the only one who can save these people. I have to figure out how.
[Marion?]
I looked down at the sword and muttered,
“Aura…”
A Swordmaster is someone who can wield aura. By infusing a sword with aura and swinging it, tremendous power can be unleashed.
And aura begins with me.
I slowly closed my eyes.
[Wh-What are you doing closing your eyes?!]
Bled’s horrified voice rang out. But soon, it faded away.
I felt the energy spreading within my body.
Slowly, slowly.
I coated my skin thinly with aura outside my body. The sword was no longer necessary.
Clang.
I discarded the sword.
And then I opened my eyes wide.
“I can do this.”
* * *
“I’ll take on the wyvern!”
Crown Prince Marius shouted. Then Lucas, standing beside him, shouted as well,
“Your Highness must preserve your sacred body! If you get hurt and make the Empress cry with worry, that won’t do. Step back!”
To Marius, this sounded like, *‘If you get hurt, your mother will cry and worry, is that okay?’*
Lucas had indeed meant it that way. Marius ground his teeth and glared at him.
“Insolent!”
“It’s the concern of a younger brother for his older brother!”
“Grrk!”
“E-Evacuate!”
The wyvern thrashed wildly, swinging its arm. One of its wings had been pierced by a spear thrown by a soldier.
It was a critical moment. The wyvern’s swinging arm was dangerously close to Marius. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword with a do-or-die resolve, when—
“Move aside.”
Whoosh! Something swift passed between them.
It happened in an instant. The figure—too fast for ordinary eyes to follow—leapt onto the wyvern, stepped on it, and then jumped.
Red hair tied high in a ponytail fluttered in the air. Marion spun, her light blue dress, torn at the hem, billowing. It was like watching an acrobat.
And then,
“Die!”
Boom!
She slammed her fist into the wyvern’s head.
“Grk.”
The wyvern let out a short cry.
Marion landed softly, turning her back to the motionless wyvern.
Thud!
The wyvern collapsed, blood trickling from its mouth.
Silence fell over the scene.
Everyone present stared at Marion.
She opened her eyes, which had been closed. Looking at her fist, unstained by a single drop of blood, she muttered,
“It worked?”
A shiver ran through Marius’s entire body.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
