Chapter 115.2

“Impressive. They’d make fascinating chimeras.”

In this dire situation, there was only one person who remained nonchalant—Arad.

Click.

Standing fully armed, he climbed to the roof of the tallest factory in the Guild.

In one hand, he held a telescope.

“President! It’s dangerous!”

The staff responsible for the Guild’s security shouted at him in alarm.

Among them were senior knights Eote, Sir Rosie, and Carrot, who had been assigned to the Guild instead of the Northern Great Barrier.

“President! Please get inside the building immediately!”

Chief Teo also cried out urgently.

“It’s probably safer near the Barrier! Let us escort you there!”

Despite their pleas, Arad shook his head.

“It’s dangerous no matter where I am right now.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Mary.

“Don’t you agree, Mary?”

“…”

“Mary?”

But something seemed off about Mary.

“Mary?”

Her full attention was fixated on the white orc leading the charge toward the Guild.

The Orc Lord Hunster.

The very one who had killed Arina’s father, Baikal Rune Renslet.

Fully clad in Imperial Steel armor and wielding weapons of the same make, Hunster stood there.

Twitch!

Arina’s heart, which had been calm and filled with love and peace in recent days, was now violently stirred.

Whirrr!

From the mana core in her dantian to the circle in her heart, everything within her roared into a fierce storm.

“I must kill him! With my own hands, no matter what!”

Stagnant skills? Dangerous techniques? None of it mattered.

As long as she could avenge her father, she was willing to sacrifice even her own life.

Right now, Arina was neither a ruler nor anything else.

She was simply a daughter standing before her father’s murderer, bound by the unyielding Renslet creed: to repay both grace and vengeance in full.

“But… I must protect Arad!”

However, she couldn’t act on her impulses.

The inhibitor to her emotions stood right beside her.

It was none other than Arad Jin.

If anything were to happen to Arad while she was away…

Even if she managed to achieve her revenge, it would feel utterly meaningless. She might spend the rest of her life drowning in self-loathing.

“Go.”

It was then that she heard Arad’s firm voice.

“…What?”

“The largest white orc over there—that’s Hunster, isn’t it?”

“!!”

“You think I wouldn’t know your true identity? That you’re an illegitimate child of the royal family?”

Arad spoke as if he fully understood Mary’s feelings.

Though riddled with misunderstandings and errors, the truth remained: the late Grand Duke Baikal was indeed Mary’s biological father.

“Repaying grace and vengeance is the Renslet creed, isn’t it? So, go.”

“President…”

“But make sure you come back victorious. And don’t get hurt too badly.”

With a faint smile, Arad gazed at Mary—who was really Arina.

“N-no! I’m staying here to protect you!”

Though his suggestion was incredibly tempting, Arina refused.

Staying by Arad’s side was far more important.

“Is that so?”

Arad tilted his head at her response, then spoke again with a sly smile.

“Well~ if that’s the case, I’ll just take revenge in your place.”

“What?!”

Not only Arina but also Eote, Carrot, Rosie, and Teo—standing behind them—were all shocked.

“I, too, am a subject of Renslet. I’ve received much kindness from Her Majesty, and above all, I’ve been greatly helped by you, Mary.”

“That’s…”

“As a loyal citizen of Renslet, how could I sit idly by when an enemy stands right there?”

Arad spoke casually as he prepared to leap off the factory roof.

Jumping down unassisted would have been deadly, but Arad likely had some magical tools to help him land safely.

“W-wait! You can’t! It’s too dangerous!”

No one knew Arad’s combat skills better than Arina.

Even with his arsenal of unconventional magical tools, Arad couldn’t be safe in the chaos of close-quarters combat.

Moreover, protecting him amidst such a fight would result in far greater losses for both Arina and the knights.

“If you don’t want to see me charge in, then go yourself.”

“!!”

Just as he was about to leap, Arad grinned and tapped Arina on the shoulder.@@novelbin@@

“Hunster… is a master-level monster. The orcs and druids with him are senior knight-level opponents.”

Arina asked him, perplexed by his apparent confidence.

Hunster was a master-level foe, and the Mary he knew was only at the level of a senior knight.

Why was he so confident she could win?

“Mary has the sword, armor, and magical tools I made for her.”

“??”

“And that’s not all. The senior knights and staff guarding the Guild are also equipped with enchanted armor and tools. If we lose even with all this, we’d better hand in our paychecks.” Ř𝖆ℕốᛒÊṣ

“But they’re using magical tools made by dark sorcerers!”

“Hah! If their tools are Eastern porcelain, mine are Northern celadon!”

“…”

Arad was putting his faith in superior equipment.

“So, go swing that sword to your heart’s content.”

His gaze shifted to the pure white magic sword at Mary’s waist.

“But if I go, who will ensure your safety…?”

“I have Sir Eote, Sir Carrot, and Sir Rosie of the High Tower by my side. Even a sword master wouldn’t pose a threat.”

As Arina hesitated, Arad gestured to the three senior knights behind him.

“And besides, luck tends to follow me around. Even if they get close…”

Click.

He drew a magnum from his belt.

“I trust the tools I’ve crafted. And I trust Mary, who wields them.”

“…!”

“So, Mary, trust me as well.”

“Yes…!”

No matter his reasoning, Arina couldn’t refuse when he said it so earnestly.

“…Thank you.”

With Mary’s steel-gray eyes, she looked at Arad.

It might be because of moments like this—his thoughtful gestures, his words.

Perhaps it was these little things, one by one, that continued to make Arina’s heart remain firmly tied to him.

Feeling the thundering beat of her heart, Arina leaped off the factory building in a wide arc.