“Is it very dangerous? It’s not a high-ranking monster, is it?”
Harriet, oblivious to the tension in the air, spoke nothing but the truth.
“It’s an upper-tier monster!”
“…What did you just say?”
“Even if the entire Rune Knights charge at it, they wouldn’t be able to handle it… except for the Commander.”
“Then why did they take Edwin?! Are the knights protecting him?”
“He’s standing right at the front, so how could they protect him?”
At those words, Dana’s rationality snapped.
She had heard rumors that the knight order was full of lunatics, but taking a civilian along?
And putting him at the front as a shield?!
Her legs lost their strength.
As she collapsed to the ground, Harriet crouched beside her.
“Are you okay? Are you cold?”
His words didn’t reach her at all.
Memories of her time with Edwin flashed through her mind—
Their first meeting.
The warm meals they shared.
Their conversations.
Even the affectionate gaze he gave her.
And last night…
Edwin had healed a deep childhood wound Dana hadn’t even realized she carried.
She always thought she was numb to loneliness.
But in truth, it was just an old wound that had scabbed over and calloused.
Edwin was the only one who had ever soothed it.
‘He’s someone precious to me.’
The moment she realized that, Dana made up her mind.
‘Now, I have to protect him.’
Forcing strength back into her legs, she stood up and asked Harriet,
“Where is Edwin right now?”
“He should be at the Fraken habitat… But going alone is dangerous!”
And yet, knowing that, they still sent Edwin there?
What if he got hurt? What would she do then?
Dana exhaled deeply.
Her burning mind seemed to cool slightly.
“Wait here. I’m going to Edwin.”
With those final words, Dana headed to the training ground.
As expected, the potions she had stocked up yesterday were still there.
This should be enough to keep her going, even if she ran out of stamina.
A stamina potion could extend one’s life in a dire situation.
With her arms full of potions, Dana strode out without hesitation.
Harriet followed closely, and the curious eyes of the knights trailed after her.
The knights even paused their training, following her with interest.
One of them, unable to suppress his curiosity, finally asked,
“Are you in a relationship with Command- no, I mean with that administrator?”
Of all the things to be curious about right now…!
Dana shot him an exasperated look.
“Yes, I am! So take me to Edwin already!”
The knights gasped in astonishment.
“Whoa.”
“Wow.”
Among them, the most level-headed, Vice Commander Dante, stepped forward.
“Wouldn’t it be better to wait for now? He’s safe.”
“I just need to get these to him!”
Dante pondered for a moment.
‘If she’s the Commander’s lover… she must be just as stubborn.’
With a serious expression, he gave orders to his subordinates.
“Open the armory.”
***
Meanwhile, at the Fraken Habitat
Edwin had set out at dawn, climbing the mountain without even wearing armor.
The knights accompanying him took care of the occasional low-tier monsters they encountered.
“Has the Fraken awakened?”
One of his subordinates replied.
“It seems to have just woken from hibernation. The ground trembled at the base of the mountain.”
“I see.”
As they climbed, the number of monsters increased rapidly.
Before they could even determine the cause, creatures began descending the mountain, attacking people.
Among them, the Fraken was a particularly troublesome threat, capable of devastating an entire village.
Unlike other monsters that perished when their core was destroyed, the Fraken could regenerate using residual magic in the mountain.
Its massive size and overwhelming strength made it difficult for even the most skilled knights to handle.
As they ascended, Edwin felt faint tremors beneath his feet.
Possessing a supernatural sense, he could perceive the energy of magic.
And he could also sense the ominous presence of the monster.
Following the powerful aura, he stopped in front of a cave.
The entrance was blocked by a massive boulder.
Drawing his sword, Edwin stared at it.
The knights behind him tensed, holding their breath.
Edwin took a small glass vial from one of his subordinates.
The violet liquid inside was a potion designed to agitate and awaken monsters.
Uncorking it, he poured the liquid at the cave’s entrance.
A deep, rumbling sound grew louder from within.
Boom. Boom!
The Fraken, now fully awake, began to stir.
The tremors shook the ground so violently that even standing upright became difficult.
Cracks began forming on the massive boulder blocking the cave entrance.
Craack—Crackkk—
Starting from the center, the fissures spread outward until—
Boom!
The boulder shattered.
Large fragments rained down from above, but Edwin agilely leaped away, dodging them with ease.
A deafening roar followed.
The Fraken had completely destroyed the cave’s entrance.
Dust and debris billowed into the air.
Through the thick dust, a massive face emerged.
The Fraken was just as enormous as expected.
A large horn protruded from its forehead, and its ears twitched restlessly in excitement.
As it slammed its front paw down, the cave trembled and began to collapse.
“It’s been a while.”
Edwin said, lazily waving his hand.
Having just awakened from a long hibernation, the Fraken was ravenous.
The beast stretched its limbs, letting out an earth-shaking roar.
The knights instinctively pinched their noses.
“Ugh… Yep, morning breath after deep sleep is no joke.”
“Is it just me, or is it worse than last year?”
Whether or not the creature understood their words, the Fraken suddenly became more agitated.
With its mouth wide open, it lunged toward the knights, ready to swallow them whole.
Razor-sharp fangs and a purple tongue barreled toward Edwin.
“Still the same as ever.”
Watching the Fraken repeat its usual attack, Edwin clicked his tongue in boredom.
Then, with a swift leap, he planted his foot on the monster’s jutting jaw—
And in a split second, he vaulted onto its horn.
The Fraken, clearly irritated by Edwin’s presence, violently shook its head.
Yet, as if standing on solid ground, Edwin maintained perfect balance and climbed even higher.
And finally—
CRACK—!!
Edwin’s sword struck the Fraken’s core.
The core, embedded in its forehead, was massive and solid.
Without precise strength and accuracy, it was nearly impossible to break.
The moment the blade pierced it, the Fraken blinked in shock and staggered backward.
It barely managed a few steps before collapsing with a heavy thud.
The sheer weight of its body carved deep grooves into the ground, sending up clouds of dust.
Its form flickered, then rapidly crumbled into dust—
Dissipating into the air.
“What are you standing around for? Seal the entrance again.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The knights, who had been staring blankly at him, brought over a large boulder from nearby.
Then, just as before, they used it to block the entrance of the cave.
“Let’s go now.”
“Aren’t we going to rest?”
The knights, exhausted from climbing the mountain, asked.
“Then you guys can rest if you want.”
Without showing any signs of fatigue, Edwin began descending the mountain.
As he shook his head, dust scattered into the air.
I can’t meet Dana looking like this.
He decided he needed to shower before she woke up.
Just as he was making his way down, it happened.
“Edwin!!”
“…….….”
The unexpected voice made Edwin stop in his tracks.
A slender woman was desperately calling out to him.
That voice—it was unmistakably Dana’s.
There was no way he could forget it.
But…
“A helmet…?”
It wasn’t just a helmet.
Without any armor, Dana was running toward him, wearing only a helmet and gauntlets.
Her awkward movements made her look like a frog.
“It’s me.”
She took off the helmet.
Her usually neat hair was now disheveled.
The knights behind her urgently shouted to explain.
“She said that she absolutely had to go to the Comman… No, to Sir Edwin…!”
“Yes, yes! We made sure she was dressed safely! But wearing full armor made it impossible for her to walk, so…”
The knights speaking were holding stamina recovery potions.
Edwin quickly assessed the situation.
Dana had come looking for him.
Because she was deeply worried about him.
The realization made Edwin’s eyes widen.
A surge of exhilaration filled his chest.
Just as he was about to call out to her—
Dana leaped into his arms.
Her slender arms wrapped tightly around him…
“……….”
And Edwin—
He couldn’t say a single word.
