"Ahhh—those old men's chatter was so boring. Finally, it's over."

Inaya stretched her arms and tilted her head back, letting the dappled sunlight filtering through the branches fall across her face as if she had just escaped some ordeal.

"Well, that's too bad. I actually found it kind of interesting. Does that mean I'm officially in the 'old man' category now?"

Hielaina cupped her face between her hands, pretending to panic—but her exaggerated expression didn't fool anyone.

"Considering the things you've told me about your past," Inaya said dryly, "that wouldn't be too surprising."

"Why are you suddenly being so rational?"

"Huh? Would you rather I said you're aging before your time?"

"Otto and the others aren't old either."

"They're soldiers."

"So am I."

"..."

Somehow, their conversation turned into a pointless argument, but Inaya clearly wasn't about to back down.

"You've only been a soldier for two months. I heard from the others your professional skills aren't even up to standard."

As she spoke, she wagged her index finger in mock scolding.

"If I succeed the throne and become Emperor, I'll also be the Commander-in-Chief of all three branches of the military. I might not match the average Night Knight in combat skills, but I have studied grand strategy. I'm genuinely interested in military theory."

"Commander-in-Chief of what now?"

"..."

Hielaina hadn't expected to lose the argument to Inaya's ignorance. Sighing, she began explaining Dazilet's military command structure from the top down, even though Inaya clearly wasn't paying attention.

After several minutes, Inaya waved her hand dismissively. "You know, after hearing all that, I still think 'aging before your time' suits you better. My apologies for interrupting your senility."

She turned her head aside, as if physically trying to delete all that tedious information from her brain.

"Politics really is too complicated for a little kitten, huh?"

Hielaina reached out and patted Inaya's head. She had to admit, being a head taller made it easy—and surprisingly comfortable—to rest her hand there, though the little "kitten" in question didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.

"Your Highness, you should be more careful in public," Shatiel interjected as she stooped to pick up Hielaina's military cap, which had fallen to the ground during their scuffle. She brushed off the dust and, taking advantage of the brief standoff, set it neatly back on Hielaina's head. The silver-haired girl was far too eye-catching; to hide it, she usually tied her hair up high and tucked it under her hat.

"You really don't know your limits. After all those sparring matches, you still don't understand your own strength?"

"But as I recall," Hielaina countered, "I always win."

The two squared off again, fists raised and eyes blazing, but before they could start, Shatiel swiftly intervened.

"Let me go! I must answer this kind of provocation with action!"

Since carrying a princess in her arms would be highly improper—At least she can't do it in public—Shatiel chose the next best thing: tucking Inaya neatly under one arm. It didn't exactly help them avoid attention, though.

"See? I win again~" Hielaina said smugly, striking a graceful pose as she flashed a condescending smile.

"That's not fair!" cried the little black cat, wriggling in protest.

…

From an aesthetic and artistic perspective, the small town was not only charming but also immaculately clean—too spotless to be the result of mere rainfall. Hielaina observed the neat streets and well-kept buildings and couldn't help wondering: did they have people specifically hired just to clean? Or perhaps every resident was required to follow strict sanitation regulations on top of their regular work in agriculture and handicrafts. Otherwise, there was no way a rural town could stay this pristine.

During their leisurely stroll, the trio stopped by the local church. Its wide interior, stark contrast of light and shadow, and solemn altar surrounded by frescoes and intricate carvings all combined to create an almost transcendent, oppressive grandeur—something that could make ordinary visitors feel awe and fear in equal measure. For a town-level church to achieve such an effect was impressive, and it helped explain why, in a country where public enlightenment was still limited, religion continued to dominate so firmly.

"Please, you have to help us! We're not like those devout fanatics—we still believe in the glory of Dazilet!"

Just as they caught sight of Otto and his group, the three heard a man shouting in desperation. Something was clearly happening.

"What's going on?"

In front of several Night Knights stood a man in a gray robe, with curly black hair and a thick beard—clearly a local. But why was he talking to Otto's unit?

"You're back," Edwin said, approaching them as the trio arrived. He quickly explained the situation.

According to him, the man claimed that his village had been attacked by some kind of monster. That's why he'd come here seeking help from Dazilet's army. It was just that, upon entering town, he had first run into some of the off-duty Night Knights chatting in the street—leading to the current scene.

"Monster?" Hielaina frowned, tilting her head slightly. The answer was not what she had expected.

"Who knows," Edwin replied with a shrug. "That's just what he said."

He didn't seem to have much more information, so Hielaina turned toward Inaya.

"Don't look at me! How should I know anything about monsters?"

Inaya rolled her eyes in exasperation. Whether she was more irritated at the situation or at Hielaina's expression was anyone's guess.

"You've lived in the north for so long and never heard of such things? This doesn't sound like something from the south at all."

"What's with your prejudice against the north…? We're not living in some dark age anymore. How could there still be monsters?"

"The dark age? What does that have to do with it?"

"…Don't tell me you actually think monsters are common in the north?"

"Who knows? They write about them in novels all the time."

"…"

Cultural differences could be so fascinating.

For reasons unknown, remnants of the ancient civilization—or perhaps civilizations—that once existed were far rarer in the southern regions. People there could only piece together fragments of records and half-forgotten words to form incomplete stories, guessing at what might have occurred in that lost age. The Holy Church, however, possessed far more information. They had woven the events of the dark age into parables and hagiographies—tales of saints or divine miracles—and thus, among the people living under the Church's rule, knowledge of that distant past was much greater than in the south.

So when someone mentioned "monsters," northerners would instinctively associate them with that ancient period. But for the southerners, most—like Hielaina—had their impressions shaped by literature and legend. The lands north of the desert had become, in their imagination, a realm of fantasy tales. And truth be told, that wasn't entirely wrong.

"In any case," Inaya said, folding her arms into an X, "there are no man-eating monsters in the north. No wars against monsters. That's just a misconception."

"Eh? Really? No monsters at all?"

The "monsters of the north" were a major theme in fantasy literature, so Inaya's firm denial was a bit disappointing.

"What are you even disappointed about? Isn't it good that such things don't exist?"

"That's not what I meant…"

Hielaina laughed awkwardly and turned her attention back to the man who had come to ask for help. Otto was still talking to him, while Andrea, after a long silence, finally asked,

"Where is your village?"

"North of here—about a hundred and twenty kilometers away."

"That far?!"

They exchanged surprised looks.

That area was now under the control of the Holy State of Davole. Why would someone travel so far south, just to seek out the Dazilet army for help?

"The monster killed our village priest. Even if the Church helped us deal with the creature, they wouldn't spare us afterward."

"Why not?"

The man hesitated, lowering his eyes before answering.

"You might not know this, but the Church of Davole has never treated us—those who were later assimilated—as true believers. Their policies discriminate against us, and we receive none of the support that proper church members are supposed to have. If they learn that the priest was killed, they'll just say it was because our faith wasn't sincere enough—that we brought divine punishment upon ourselves. It's happened before…"

His expression darkened. The weight and tension in his voice didn't sound like an act.

"When the ceasefire agreement was signed, part of northern Takhki was indeed ceded to Davole," Hielaina explained, realizing not everyone present knew that piece of history.

"So that's why you came to us?"

"Yes. We heard there was fighting nearby, so we thought the Dazilet army must be close. I've been traveling south without rest for three or four days before finding you…"

"It was close not long ago," Edwin said with a wry smile, while the others fell silent in thought.

The man's demeanor matched his story, but they couldn't afford to take him at his word. Besides, a "monster attacking a village" sounded a bit too far-fetched.

"You said a monster attacked your village," Nordhausen asked, leaning forward slightly. "Did you actually see what it looked like?"

"I did! It looked like a serpent—no limbs, and huge! When it coiled up, it was taller than a cabin!"

The man's voice rose as he spoke, his hands spreading wide to illustrate its size.

"At night, you can't even tell where it's coming from. The whole place feels surrounded by snake-like things. We lost so many people trying to escape that night… Some saw its face—it had no eyes, just rows upon rows of teeth, and its tongue stretched out like vines…"

Perhaps his terror still lingered; the man spoke rapidly, as if recounting it could ease his fear. Judging from his description, the creature truly lived up to the word monster.

"So, you mean there might be more than one of them?"

"I—I'm not sure. They hide during the day. We couldn't see them from the church. But on the first day it came, I saw only one."

"…"

They exchanged uncertain glances. No one knew what to make of this.

"All right," Andrea finally said, breaking the silence. "I'll report to headquarters. Otto, take your squad and go with him to investigate. Don't act until you've gathered enough information. Nemilic's squad will stay here in case the General Staff sends urgent orders."

That settled it. The others nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. Thank you so much…"

Hearing that the Night Knights would offer assistance, the man hurriedly bowed — the gesture was unmistakably that of the traditional greeting used in the Takhki region.

"No need to be so formal. Oh, right — you haven't told us your name yet."

"My name is Idri."

"Good. Idri, we'll need some time to prepare — probably won't set out until late afternoon. In the meantime, get some rest. You said it took you three or four days to get here. I'll have someone bring you lunch."

"Such generosity... I can't thank you enough..."

After saying that, Idri bowed again. Seeing this, Andrea tried to calm him once more before the man was led away by one of Nemilic's squad captains to get food.

"To be honest, what do you make of all this?"

Once Idri was gone, Hielaina turned to Inaya. The latter's expression had grown serious after hearing his account.

"I'm not sure either," Inaya admitted. "According to Church doctrine, 'All that is twisted and unclean shall be driven out by the Holy Spirit.' So, theoretically, it shouldn't be a monster from the Dark Era—if that's worth trusting. When it comes to 'monsters,' that's the only kind I can think of."

"Could it be man-made?"

"That... is possible, but I've never heard of such a thing. Either way, we'll know once we see it for ourselves."

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