"Though they all have some strength, what strikes me as odd is this. Little sister, you seem far too weak," Archibald said, eyeing me with keen interest.

I had no urge to reply. My mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape this danger.

No matter how I thought, the answer was always the same—nowhere to run.

"Scared? That’s fine. Fear is natural. Have you realized how precious life is now?"

"Heh… heh heh…"

I forced out two dry laughs before falling silent, my breath tight with tension.

He raised his hand toward me. Endless danger surged in my chest. I wanted to dodge but couldn’t move. From the corner of my eye, I caught a blinding bolt of lightning—crackling with terrifying force—as it slammed into Archibald.

Archibald reacted instantly. His eyes flashed; he’d sensed the strike coming—or perhaps he’d been guarding against it all along. A blue ring materialized beside him, its center rippling with translucent waves, deflecting the fierce lightning assault.

Rosalynde Arnold stood there in pure white battle skirts, sword raised.

"Stay away from her, you disgusting creep!"

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating."

Archibald’s eyes gleamed.

"Rosalynde Arnold. Ranked thirteenth in the Avaria Empire’s Radiant Order. A young genius knight who reached the Radiant Tier at just seventeen. Have you finally stepped forward, unable to hold back?"

At that moment, the little girl Archibald had dodged regained her mobility. Wrapped in pink flames, she charged diagonally at him, standing before me.

To me now, she wasn’t a deadly assassin but a savior. Smash this liar into the ground! Make him eat dirt!

But a trace of worry nagged at me for Eunice. I saw her cough up a mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale.

My body was ordinary to begin with. Though she’d somehow granted me a bit of power, I was still fundamentally weak.

I worried for Eunice—no, for my own body. What if Archibald’s strike ruined it beyond repair?

Archibald fell silent, a cold smirk curling his lips. He raised a palm toward the charging dragon-blooded girl. The blue ring floated in the air. Her fist, wreathed in pink flames, crashed down like it was hitting a mountain—no, even a mountain would’ve crumbled under such force. Yet the terrifying blow failed to break Archibald’s defense.

The ring vibrated. In an instant, the pink flame was flung backward, sent flying.

How could this be?! That powerful girl defeated so easily?

"Didn’t expect it, did you? Why waste effort scheming when you could’ve easily crushed a dragon?" Archibald chuckled.

Everyone froze in shock. Even the furious, slit-pupiled girl suddenly stilled.

Rosalynd’s face paled. She’d sensed something—her cheeks drained of all color.

Archibald glanced at me, chuckling twice. "Since you’ve learned life’s value, I’ll spare you trouble."

A mix of confusion and relief churned inside me, making me queasy.

What is this guy doing? Is he insane?

"As I said, I never fight pointless battles. With my goal achieved, you’re no longer my target."

He walked to an open spot and stamped the ground.

"Perfect. This will be the final stage."

Archibald spoke slowly. "You’re all so shocked. Especially you, genius knight. You’ve guessed part of it, haven’t you?"

Rosalynd’s voice trembled. "You… you people actually…"

Archibald grinned smugly. "Our goal was never dragon blood. It was the noble Princess Royal you guard here—Princess Hylle."

Rosalynd shuddered violently as her suspicion was confirmed. Injuries piled up; she swayed, unable to stand. Her delicate face held no trace of color.

"We secretly lured the awakened dragon Felice to the Princess’s area. Patrol knight Rosalynd clashed with the intruding Felice. Calculations showed Felice, growing stronger upon awakening, would win. Radiant-tier Rosalynd would fall. What would a gravely wounded Rosalynd do then?"

Rosalynd gritted out a word.

"Call for help!"

"Exactly! Call for help!"

Archibald clapped excitedly.

"Endangered Rosalynd would seek aid. Minor issues arose—Felice targeted others first, Rosalynd delayed calling help, and I was exposed by a powerless brat. But it mattered little. When I shifted focus to an unrelated person, Rosalynd emerged. She called for help while attacking me, buying time for Felice to recover and pin me down—to save others."

Archibald sighed.

"Yet only two guards remain beside Princess Hylle: Crown Knights Garia and Vagrenna, ranked twentieth and thirty-ninth in the Crown Order."

"You!"

"Don’t rage yet. Guess who’s coming to your aid this time?"

"Damn you!"

Rosalynd’s brow furrowed. Her sword hand shook uncontrollably.

"Excited? You should be! I’m itching to jump!"

Archibald rubbed his hands together, visibly thrilled.

"After your special call for help, powerful Crown Knights Garia and Vagrenna will split—one to assist you. Then our Chaos Cross Chapter ambushers step in. They’ll overwhelm the lone guard. Well, ‘overwhelm’ is too much—just delay them. A few deaths won’t matter. The rest will take the helpless Princess Hill. She’s under ten, I hear. I hope they’re gentle—don’t scare the child."

Events had spiraled beyond expectation. The pressure on Rosalynd was unimaginable. News of the Princess’s capture would shake all of Avaria.

"When I heard the King’s plan, I nearly collapsed in fear—then thrilled beyond control. Kidnapping an empire’s Princess Royal? Even we in Chaos Cross never thought our King this reckless."

Archibald’s face glowed with fanatical devotion.

"A King worth following forever."

I, dazed the whole time, finally snapped to. Archibald’s tall, thin figure looked like a madman to me.

Rosalynd suppressed her fury. "Kidnapping Avaria’s Princess Royal—you fear no imperial wrath?"

"Of course we fear it. Even as the world’s top dark organization, Chaos Cross won’t defy a nation. But funds ran low. The King whimsically planned this. Don’t worry—we won’t harm Princess Hylle. Just a trade with your royal family."

"A trade? What trade?"

"Details later. For now, my battle begins." Archibald gazed at the distant sky. A red streak of light sped toward us.

Its arrival meant Chaos Cross’s plan had succeeded.

Seeing it, Rosalynd finally crumpled to the ground.

She strained to rise, propping herself up with her hands, but her injuries were too severe.

"Don’t… come…"

I saw Rosalynd’s eyes redden. Huge tears streamed down her face.

The strong girl I knew was utterly broken, not a shred of resolve left.

She struggled weakly, then lost all strength. Rosalynd slumped, fainting onto the earth.

For her, fainting was perhaps a mercy.