Chapter 28

Just a moment ago, the Black Iron Vanguard, led by their captain Kairon, charged straight into the heart of the enemy’s camp.

“Those Black Iron Vanguard guys have completely lost their minds!”

“Charging into the midst of those terrifying demons? Are they insane?”

Thanks to them, the surviving members of the Vanguard managed to retreat safely.

But, frozen in fear, they could only watch from a distance as the Black Iron Vanguard fought bravely, too scared to lend a hand.

They wanted to turn and run without looking back, but the last shred of their conscience kept their feet rooted.

And now, they were stuck, unable to move.

“Kairon…”

Abelin was no different.

She had wanted to follow Kairon when he charged in alone, but someone else held her back.

“Don’t pay them any attention.”

“But Kairon is fighting alone. Even though he’s the second strongest in the Vanguard after the commander, if we leave him like this…”

“I told you clearly. Don’t even give them a glance.”

Neias, the second-in-command of the Silver Guards and the knight who had been with Abelin since she joined the Vanguard, spoke firmly.

“I know he’s a righteous and good person. But Lady Abelin, you must think of the future.”

“My future…”

Abelin had never forgotten, not even for a moment.

Why she had joined the Vanguard and what she would do next.

***

“Lady Abelin, you must retreat immediately.”

“Retreat? Why? This is the country where I was born and raised. Why suddenly…?”

“There’s no time to explain. You must retreat, right now!”

“W-wait. Llewellyn, is Llewellyn safe…?”

“…I’m sorry. We couldn’t protect him.”

***

The moment she had to leave.

Abelin had never forgotten that moment, not even for a second.

The Vanguard was just a refuge they had no choice but to enter to shake off their pursuers.

Of course, helping the Vanguard fend off the demons was meaningful and righteous, but Abelin had no intention of staying with the Vanguard forever.

But the tragedy was unfolding right before her eyes.

“Still, this isn’t right. I’ll go help now!”

“Lady Abelin!”

Neias shouted to stop Abelin, who was about to rush out.

“You must leave it be. The strength of that monster is unknown. If you fight it recklessly and something happens to you, what then?”

“So you’re saying I should just watch until Kairon and his subordinates fall?”

“If you get seriously hurt, what about your younger brother, Llewellyn, who’s being held captive in our homeland?”

“Ah…”

At the mention of ‘Llewellyn,’ the fighting spirit burning in Abelin’s eyes instantly faded.

“Think calmly. Sir Kairon won’t be defeated so easily. He might even manage to take down all the enemies and come out alive.”

Neias made a comment that seemed to praise Kairon.

But what followed was…

“Even if he doesn’t, he’ll at least exhaust that monster’s stamina.”

“Neias!”

“This is a realistic judgment. Unfortunately, you must leave Sir Kairon and his subordinates to their fate. And in the end, you, Lady Abelin, will deliver the final blow to the weakened monster. That way, we can definitely defeat the monster, and your name will shine even brighter!”

“My name… Ugh!”

Abelin clenched her teeth.

Even as cowards hesitated to flee, she couldn’t take her eyes off the Black Iron Vanguard and their captain, Kairon, fighting valiantly.

Though the situation was desperate, their fight was all the more beautiful because of it.

The bond of trust in their comrades.

The quick reflexes and judgment that came from focusing solely on the enemy before them.

“Wow, they’re fighting so well!”

“I knew Sir Kairon was strong, but I didn’t know he was this strong! At this rate, the Black Iron Vanguard might wipe out the remaining demons by themselves!”

The Vanguard members cheered at the valor of the Black Iron Vanguard and Kairon.

Perhaps, with the cowardly hope that they wouldn’t have to step forward and the battle would end smoothly.

But there was another problem.

“No. They won’t last long like this…”

Though it wasn’t visible to the ordinary members, Abelin, who noticed the subtle changes, sighed.

It was true that the Black Iron Vanguard was holding their ground and fighting well.

But all the Vanguard members had already been fighting for over two hours and were exhausted.

They had mustered their spirits for a brief moment, but that was only temporary.

The situation quickly became dire.

“Hey, look! The monster is about to charge again!”

The Cerberus crouched low.

A clear signal of danger, ready to leap and attack.

“Don’t look, Lady Abelin.”

“Please shut up, Neias… Ah!”

Abelin, who had coldly retorted to Neias, saw something in her eyes.

Commander Balthazar and his guards, who had been waiting in case of an emergency.

Abelin was about to shout for the guards to help, but at that moment, she saw it.

In the midst of the guards on the high ground, Commander Balthazar was calmly watching the battlefield.

And seeing the commander’s indifferent gaze, she realized.

For some reason, Commander Balthazar had no intention of helping Kairon.

“Hey, now that I think about it, why aren’t the guards stepping in? They’re just watching?”

“They’re preparing for an emergency, right? Isn’t this the emergency?”

The members who realized this began to murmur.

And finally, the Cerberus, who had been observing the situation, started charging towards the Black Iron Vanguard.

“Th-the monster is moving!”

“Sh-shouldn’t we run now?”

Kairon rushed out to stop the charging monster, leaving his subordinates behind.

Exhausted and without fire support, the Black Iron Vanguard began to crumble under the relentless assault of the demons.

Abelin bit her lip so hard it bled, trying to turn away, but…

[Even if something goes wrong, it should only be me. You mustn’t get hurt. Understand?]

[Let me escort you to the fortress, Princess.]

[You seem to have the strength to speak, that’s good. Even if you’re not feeling well, make sure to eat your meals.]

[Haha, what’s with that… Thank you.]

“…Neias.”

“Yes, Lady Abelin.”

Abelin’s calm voice made Neias respond obediently.

Thinking that Abelin had finally given up, Neias felt relieved.

“The demons will keep invading this world next month, and the month after that. Right?”

“That’s correct. But the Vanguard will continue to hold them off for quite some time, and once you, Lady Abelin, regain your rightful position, you can provide even more support…”

“Then it’ll be too late.”

“Huh?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Abelin silently drew the sword she had sheathed.

Seeing this, Neias felt his resolve crumble.

“Lady Abelin, I beg you. You’ve held on so well until now. Please, for the sake of the country, harden your heart a little more.”

“No, that’s not the issue.”

Abelin turned her head and looked at Neias with determined eyes.

“If I want to have a place to return to, we can’t let the demons run rampant. Right?”

“That’s true, but the Vanguard has held out well so far. Even though an unexpected variable has occurred now, they’ll somehow hold out longer!”

“That’s right. They surely will. But for the Vanguard to hold out longer, there’s one more condition needed. That is…”

Abelin’s eyes were wide open as she stared.

At Kairon, who was facing the unimaginably huge demon alone.

“He must survive. That fool, who calls himself the core strength of the Vanguard.”

Having made up her mind, Abelin took a deep breath and spoke.

“Everyone, listen to me!”

A short but intense shout.

The frightened Vanguard members felt an odd pull towards Abelin and focused their attention on her.

“We are the Vanguard, ready to die. But now, we’re just using our comrades as shields and watching from afar. It’s utterly shameful! There’s no hope if we continue like this. If the Black Iron Vanguard falls, those demons will come after us again.”

At Abelin’s courageous words, the hesitant Vanguard members began to murmur.

“Th-that’s right. If we don’t stop the demons, they’ll spread all over the world, right?”

“Like Lady Abelin said, we have nowhere to run. It’s better to fight and die!”

Abelin raised her sword high as she looked at the battlefield.

“If we run, we’ll die. If we fight, we’ll survive. Now, let’s move forward together! Defeat the demons and survive together! Charge!”

“Ch-charge!”

“Let’s defeat those demons!!”

As Abelin leapt towards the battlefield, the Silver Guards followed first, and then the Vanguard members began to move in unison.

“Th-this is…”

Seeing the Vanguard members regain their fighting spirit and follow Abelin, Neias was left in a daze.

But seeing the changed looks in their eyes, Neias realized.

‘Maybe I was worrying for nothing. Lady Abelin is indeed destined to be a shining sun. Then what I must do is…’

Soon, Neias also steeled his resolve and shouted.

“Everyone, charge! The Silver Guards will lead the way! Follow Lady Abelin!”