The Holy Kingdom of Valkran’s Holy Knights Group was abuzz with an unusual tension.
Typically a rather carefree and light-hearted bunch, one might expect the unexpected tension to weigh on them, but not a single knight seemed burdened by it.
“Have you all heard the news?”
Tyrion, the Grand Commander of the Holy Knights Group, gazed over his assembled knights with a serious expression.
Their eyes too reflected the gravity of the moment.
Naturally so.
“The Saint, who had been at the Academy, is returning to the homeland.”
“Wooohoo!”
“Saint Aria! Saint Aria!”
At the news of Aria’s return, numerous knights erupted in joyous cheers.
To them, she was nothing less than an idol coming to meet them, and how could they not be overjoyed?
Nevertheless,
“…”
Commander Tyrion maintained his solemn expression.
Among those who regarded the Saint with reverence, pride, and paternal affection—what could be called ‘uncle-fans’—he was one who had cherished Aria as his own daughter for the longest time.
Recently, however, he had received a thunderbolt of a letter from this cherished daughter.
The content was a request to give a proper welcome to her friends who were visiting the Holy Kingdom.
Though Aria’s intent was purely to ensure her friends were well taken care of, the situation could not be interpreted any other way by the knights.
Because everyone already knew.
Among Saint Aria’s friends… was none other than the Hero of this era.
Indeed, the fact that Saint Aria, the crown jewel of the Holy Kingdom, was bringing a ‘man’ to their homeland was a situation rife with urgency.
“We shall begin preparations for the welcome now.”
Though the ‘Hero’ they were to greet was the one destined to save the beleaguered world, that was of little consequence to the knights.
For the Knights, nothing was more important than the safety of the Saint.
…
One might argue their focus on safety was laced with more personal emotions.
“Things are looking bad…”
One man among them sighed deeply.
Another nearby nudged him inquisitively.
“Hey Dannes, is something wrong?”
“Ah… Laurence.”
“Ah, that’s right. Now that I think about it, weren’t you Lady Aria’s Guardian Knight?”
“Y-yes…”
Dannes wiped cold sweat as he answered.
Most members of the Holy Knights had once met the Saint, reinforcing their protective tendencies further.
Almost every Paladin carried a cherished memory of the Saint.
‘Lady Aria…’
Had she simply been an ordinary Saint, things might not have come to this. Unfortunately, the Saint under Dannes’ protection wasn’t cut out for such formality. Instead of ruling with aloof dignity, she often traveled among the common folk, extending her divine power wherever help was needed.
Dannes sighed as he recalled her tirelessly moving from knight to knight, healing them with her hands, regardless of their rank.
Even though Lady Aria did this to enhance her divine powers and assist as many as she could, others perceived it differently.
Picture it: a sightless or deaf girl approaching the humblest of knights, offering aid out of sheer duty—not even out of obligation but pure compassion.
Even during training, she cared for their injuries without reservation. How could anyone fail to admire her?
Remarkably, everyone present had experienced her kindness at least once.
Dannes was no exception.
Hence, most knights went beyond admiration…
“Ughhh!”
From mere knights howling with hostility,
“Who cares what a Hero is! If he steals our Saint, he’ll face our wrath!”
Even a cry dismissing the Hero altogether,
“If he makes her cry even a single tear… I’ll stake everything to obliterate him…”
Some knights even exuded a dark aura, as if ready to plunge the world into darkness upon the Saint shedding a tear.
Dannes scratched his head at the knights’ barely contained fury.
Even Commander Tyrion, though calm, was sharpening his blade, ready to strike down anyone unworthy of the Saint.
If this Hero arrived, bloodshed seemed inevitable.
‘This is bad…’
At first he acknowledged this mindset but as more knights joined in, a growing madness seemed to creep into their ranks.
How could he not worry?
Frankly, letting this escalate unchecked could be catastrophic.
‘I should explain this…’
Left unchecked, the Saint would return to a pack of half-maddened Paladins ready to face the Hero.
It was better to explain the situation early.
‘A letter would be best.’
He couldn’t outright call the knights insane but could hint at exercising caution when dealing with the Hero, perhaps mentioning the Paladins’ excessive reaction to a female Saint bringing a man with her.
Then, a question struck Dannes.
‘Does the Saint truly care for the Hero?’
The Hero… though to Dannes he looked more like a kid.
A tall kid compared to the petite Saint, but still shorter than himself.
What mattered more was something else.
The two were always together.
Aria had always strived to protect the Hero.
Looking back, it seemed excessive.
How exactly did the Saint feel about the Hero?
‘Saint Aria…’
He had seen how the Saint conversed with others, a serene, comfortable expression on her face.
As if speaking to an old friend.
Contrastingly, the Hero’s demeanor was different.
‘He seemed to harbor special feelings for the Saint…’
The Hero might have noticed it, but Dannes was sure Saint Aria hadn’t. The way she looked at him seemed maternal rather than romantic.
Still, one point was evident—whatever the Hero felt for her was far from ordinary.
Perhaps, one day, the Hero would confess.
Given what the Saint had done for him—even risking her own life—it was only fair to assess this person properly.
Though the Hero seemed decent at first glance, Dannes was wary.
‘For now, I’ll let things be, but if anything happens…’
No matter who was stronger, Saint Aria’s happiness—or suffering—was what mattered.
Thus resolved, Dannes suddenly stiffened.
‘I’m no different.’
Realizing he harbored the same protective thoughts as his fellow knights, he chuckled to himself.
