Published: July 3, 2025
On that day, Ryo, as usual, had lunch with Sera at the Feast Pavilion before heading to the Lord's Manor.
The reason for this was to conduct the mock battles that had become almost a daily routine at the knight order's training grounds.
However, when the two arrived at the Lord's Manor, it was evidently different than usual, bustling with activity.
Sera asked a nearby knight, "Yohan, what happened?"
"Oh, Lady Sera, Lord Ryo. We just received word from the royal capital. It seems that the Handalu Federation has declared war on the Duchy of Inberri."
Since both were neighboring countries to the Naitorei Kingdom, it could not be irrelevant to the kingdom.
However, Ryo's demeanor was clearly shaken.
"Ryo?"
It was the first time Sera had seen Ryo so flustered.
"No... my disciples are in the Duchy of Inberri..."
"Disciples?"
Ryo’s words caught even Sera off guard, leaving her unable to do anything but repeat his words.
"They're kids working at the trading company... Since they're just fledgling merchants, I don't think they'll end up on the battlefield, but if the federation were to advance as far as the public capital..."
"Ryo, calm down."
Sera then firmly grasped Ryo's hands.
She didn't say anything more or do anything else, but somehow just that gesture calmed Ryo's agitation.
"Thank you, Sera."
Ryo released her hands, a bit bashful.
"Oh."
Sera let out a sound so small that it barely reached anyone's ears.
"Yeah, I’m okay. If it’s Gecko, he’ll keep the kids away from the battlefield. If they practice every day, they should be able to use the ice wall by now. That’s perfect for protecting themselves, so it’ll be fine. Yeah, it’ll be fine."
Ryo repeated "fine" multiple times to convince himself.
"Ryo's ice wall..."
Sera had seen it before, and she knew that even a single layer wouldn’t break easily.
The idea of fledgling merchants being able to use something like that made her feel a little uneasy, but that was a secret.
At that moment, Squad Leader Eden passed by them.
Eden was the captain of the transport squad from the Run Knight Order, which had been stationed in the royal capital during the turmoil.
"Eden!"
"Lady Sera, Lord Ryo. Have you heard about the declaration of war?"
"Yeah, I just heard. So, is there a possibility of the knight order participating?"
Sera sought confirmation regarding their involvement.
While an ordinary knight might not know, Eden was one of the senior squad leaders and held a high position.
Thus, he was likely to have detailed information.
"No, it seems the knight order will not participate. The Royal Knight Order in the royal capital has also been devastated, and the participation of knight orders from the kingdom, including Run, is likely..."
"I see..."
Sera glanced at Ryo.
"I’m going, even if I have to go alone."
Ryo had already made his decision.
His disciples might be in danger. If he did not go now and something were to happen... he would probably regret it for the rest of his life. He understood that.
"Wait, Ryo. Most likely, through the 'mercenary request' system, volunteers will be gathered and dispatched from the adventurers' guild. The border is already sealed, so it would be difficult to leave the country as an individual. However, with a dispatch team from the guild, you can cross the border, so it would be better to go that way."
Sera was confident that Ryo would do whatever it took to go to the Duchy of Inberri.
If that was the case, it would be better to take a more certain route to ensure arrival.
"I see. Thank you, Sera. I’ll head to the guild right now."
With that, Ryo turned to leave.
But just before he could do so, he was enveloped in a soft embrace.
Sera had hugged him.
"Sera?"
"You never know what will happen on the battlefield. I truly want to go with you, but as a knight order instructor, I can't act recklessly this time. So... please be careful. I absolutely want you to come back."
Ryo couldn’t see Sera’s expression as she buried her face in his shoulder.
But the words spoken during such times are always the same throughout history.