"Dante, Miss Yulia, can we skip going out today?" Dante shuffled into the commander's office, voice weary. "It's snowing outside—I'll freeze solid if I step out again." He addressed Yulia, already floating in the air.

"Snow? I've only seen it a few times in the Royal Capital!" Yulia zipped over, eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. "I didn't notice it this morning. Did it just start? Come on, let's play in the snow, Mr. Dante!"

"The snow here isn't like the Royal Capital's—it's freezing cold," Dante pleaded. "Spare me, Miss."

"No! I want to go! I want to go!"

"Then go alone!" Dante ignored her whining and slumped onto the sofa. "I drank too much last night—headache's killing me."

"No! I want to go! I want to go!" Yulia shouted, and nearby objects began floating.

"Alright, alright, I get it," Dante sighed. "Put those down first. We'll go after lunch, okay?"

And so, another day as Yulia's babysitter began for Dante.

Dante Graywhite—the kingdom's strongest warrior, once a soldier of unmatched fame, the Sword Fiend who struck terror on battlefields. That enigmatic figure with silver hair and a sardonic smirk had wiped out an entire Corpse Eater gang on his first day at Fort Posein. Now, he was wrapped around a little girl's finger.

*Sigh*. Her magic kept growing. If this continued, she'd ride him like a horse with endless energy. He needed to drain her power—or his life would become unbearable.

"Hey, Mr. Dante, are you listening? Mr. Dante? Mr. Dante!"

"Huh? Sorry, I zoned out for a second."

"Yesterday, I used far-sight and saw a giant gray bear beat a Corpse Eater in the forest! Weren't Corpse Eaters the Kings of Cilia?"

"Oh, the Ashfire Giant Bear? It specializes in eating Corpse Eaters. It's the only creature in the Corpse Chill domain that can wield fire—so it hunts those fire-fearing monsters."

"Then why did so many Corpse Eaters come down last month?"

"Well... ah, right. Once Corpse Eaters form colonies, they prey on nearby Ashfire Bears. It's a weird ecosystem. I haven't read much—I'm not an expert."

"Can we go play with the bear-bears?"

"Yulia, we agreed to play in the snow after lunch."

"Snow! Snow! It's almost noon—let's eat fast, or it'll all melt!"

"Huh? I just finished breakfast..."

"Mr. Dante always sleeps in! Come on, eat!" Yulia half-dragged him out of the office.

Outside, the Elaine Maid—who'd been silently waiting—naturally followed them to the mess hall.

Yulia and Dante had been at Fort Posein nearly two months. The Elaine Maid treated Dante with indifference. Except for delivering documents and explaining things on day one for Lawrence, she'd never spoken beyond greetings.

Dante thought a proper talk with the Elaine Maid might help handle Yulia, that wild child. But Elaina seemed to dislike him, keeping her distance. *Such a headache*.

Helpless against Yulia's antics, Dante was equally lost with ice-queen types like Elaina. He'd steal glances at Miss Aileen, meticulously caring for Yulia in her maid uniform, and sigh.

Her noble demeanor and familiar beauty nagged at Dante—he couldn't place where he'd seen her. Miss Aileen's strictly professional attitude made closeness impossible.

Lunchtime hadn't peaked yet. Dante sipped clear soup with little interest, having just eaten. Yulia, as always, enjoyed her meticulously prepared noble-style meal.

"Yulia," Dante looked up from across the table. "Don't you go to school? Just staying here?"

"I turned six recently," she mumbled with her mouth full. "School starts at nine. And Elaina's my teacher!"

"Huh? She teaches everything alone?" Dante stared, surprised, at Elaina's expressionless face.

"I possess the Blessing of the Doe," Elaina replied—a rare direct address to Mr. Dante. "I can handle basics like etiquette and magic."

"The Blessing of the Doe?" Dante tilted his head, searching his memory. "I feel like I've heard of it..."

"I'm done! Snow time! Snow time!" Yulia jumped up, using magic to fling open the mess hall's tightly closed windows.

She flew out, facing the biting wind. She exhaled excitedly at the endless snowy landscape—then zoomed through the window.

"Freezing! Yulia, close them! Ah, careful! No—don't go out the window!" Shivering uncontrollably, Dante chased after her, rushing out of the fort. Only Miss Aileen remained, clearing the dishes.

As always, Dante wasn't good at handling Yulia.