I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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“……You mean you’re going to go yourself?”

Yunis looked at me with a surprised expression before her face hardened.

“While I admire your resolve, it’s too dangerous. It’s not that I doubt the skills of Lord of Crisis, but I can’t even imagine what might happen if we were to lose him.”

Yunis calmly reiterated her viewpoint.

“That’s right. It’s unreasonable for the commander to leave his post. Please reconsider.”

Jonathan added his thoughts. His usually expressionless black eyes seemed unusually complex today.

“I’m not saying it lightly either. I understand the weight of being a commander.”

I slowly opened my eyes that I had briefly closed.

“I’m confident I’ll return safely. If I go, it can end without loss of life. I don’t want to create other casualties by holding back.”

I turned my head to look at Jonathan.

“I saw how well you led the reinforcements in my absence.”

Calm waves rose in his black eyes.

“Trust me just one more time. I believe in you.”

There was still a palpable distance between us. He had never once shown himself as ‘Jonathan’ instead of ‘my adjutant.’

However, his sharp logic and clear intellect were certainly admirable. Judging solely from his ability to handle affairs, he might actually be more suited for the role of commander than I was.

I still couldn’t fully trust Jonathan as a person, but I trusted his abilities.

Jonathan wore an expression as if he had much to say, yet he couldn’t get a word out. I took a moment to capture his subtle movements and turned back to Yunis.

“I’ll leave tonight and return by tomorrow morning. I assure you, I’ll come back alive.”

I hadn’t made such assurances lightly, but this was the moment to sound confident, even if it was arrogance.

Some might say that leaving one’s post is irresponsible for a commander, but there’s no one way to shoulder responsibility.

While some leaders fulfill their duties by silently guarding from behind, others do so by stepping forward to ensure no one gets hurt.

I was definitely the latter.

Yunis looked at me with a perplexed expression, clearly struggling with whether to hold me back or let me go.

‘Just a little more push, and she’ll come around.’

The Yunis I had seen before was not one to completely disregard rational persuasion and stubbornly cling to principles.

Just as I was about to press my case further, someone beat me to it.

“Certainly, if the commander goes, there will be no further loss of life. But you cannot go alone.”

I turned my gaze to the speaker.

“I will go with you.”

Serenon’s pale blue eyes shone with determination.

“Your Highness… is that really you?”

Yunis looked at Serenon as if she couldn’t understand.

Seeing the astonishment in her eyes, it seemed she was led to assume that the Prince Serenon had come to the battlefield due to a public image reason.

It was perfectly reasonable for someone who received such treatment as a prince to only traverse safe areas, so it was natural for her to be surprised that he was stepping into the most dangerous situation directly.

“I’m a sword expert who can use aura. I should be sufficient as support for the commander.”

Serenon corrected Yunis’s remark. The determination he showed in taking to the battlefield with the title of Sword Expert while having such a powerful position as prince was evident. I squinted my eyes.

“However…”

“I won’t listen to any warnings about danger. It’s equally dangerous for you too, Commander. The one who has worked alongside you the longest should certainly go with you.”

Just as I was about to express the danger, I closed my mouth at the firmness of his expression.

Serenon was someone who would never back down once he made up his mind. I could easily guess that as long as I was going, he would go with me too.

“The Solarit Empire seems to be getting jealous.”

Yunis murmured as she quietly watched Serenon and me. She sighed deeply.

“It seems I can no longer stop you.”

Her expression was resolute.

“Go on. I will protect this place.”

The moment the Northern Reconnaissance Unit was formed.

“Why do you both look so troubled? Maybe you should call yourselves ‘Suffering for Fun’—or for short, ‘Suffering’.”

Yulian mumbled with a blank expression. I couldn’t quite tell if it was concern or mockery, but I decided to believe it was just concern.

“I have to go too… What are you thinking?”

Kasia glared at me with her piercing blue eyes.

“I believe I’ve given you a sufficient explanation for why you must stay behind, my lady. Please lighten your expression.”

Anyone would think I was leaving to grab a snack the way I was being treated. I sighed at the sight of Kasia, looking like a fluffy cat.

‘Would you like to join me for a spar, Lady Kasia?’

‘Ah, yes. I will.’

I had recently learned that Kasia held significant influence among the commoner knights.

Due to her stubborn spirit, which refused to bow to noble family offspring, she was already well-known among commoners and was the strongest among commoner knights, leading to a continuous flow of spar requests.

‘Well, it’s understandable that commoner knights wouldn’t dare to ask Serenon the Prince for a spar. It’s probably equally daunting to approach me, the commander.’

Just as Serenon was for noble knights, Kasia seemed to be for commoner knights.

‘Just in case, it’s better to have one of them stay back, to ensure the common knights don’t become complacent even if something goes wrong.’

I recalled Serenon and Kasia, both working tirelessly, and smiled gently.

“If you get hurt again, it’ll just be my trouble. Sigh. What would you do without me?”

So it seems the only one slacking off is this guy.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched Yulian shake his head, attempting to act all nonchalant.

Ever since the successful Holy Lane event, he had been flaunting his accomplishments like a concubine who just gave birth to a son, yet somehow, it didn’t bother me.

“Just come back alive. I’ll take good care of you.”

Yulian looked at me with his lovely lavender eyes sparkling as he smiled cutely.

“After all, I’m the only adorable one for the commander, right?”

He winked at me. In response, I finally laughed out loud and nodded my head.

“Anyone would think you’re going instead…”

“What? ‘You’? The Vice Commander?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

Yulian flared up at Serenon’s half-open glare.

Ignoring the bickering duo, I turned my attention to the man drawing magic circles, who was sweating despite the cold weather.

“You’ve been working hard since last time.”

“Oh! Not at all!”

The man wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly. He was the magician who had teleported me to safety during the Northern ambush.

Teleporting to a place I’ve never been before carries a high chance of failure. Teleportation magic is dangerous; even a minor miscalculation can easily result in severed limbs for the traveler.

‘Um… can I try as well?’

No magician would risk injuring the commander and Prince unless they were willing to shoulder responsibility, yet this man volunteered.

“Thank you for offering. If it weren’t for you, I would have ended up swimming across an ice lake.”

“Haha. That wouldn’t happen. I’m not entirely confident I can send you back safely either…”

The man looked at me with a slightly anxious expression.

“You promised not to hold me accountable even if the teleportation goes wrong.”

“Even if I suddenly send you to a desert country, you won’t hold me responsible. However, if I accidentally send you to the heavens, that could be a little complicated.”

As I treated it humorously, the man chuckled softly. He seemed to relax a bit, looking less tense. His eyes sparkled with intelligence.

“By the way, I’ve benefited from you twice without knowing your name. What is it?”

His shining eyes, somehow shimmering in my vision, made me impulsively ask. The man blinked and smiled broadly at my question.

“I’m Sian. It would be an honor if you remember my name, Commander.”

I carved his smile and name into a corner of my mind.

“The magic circle is nearly complete. I’ve thoroughly checked the calculations more than twenty times. In theory, it’s perfect.”

A few minutes later, after having his head buried in the ground, seemingly in agony, Sian finally looked up again. His face suddenly appeared as if he had aged ten years, and I felt a little sorry.

“You brought the teleportation artifact, right?”

“Yes.”

“All the magicians have infused their magic into it, and we’ve tested it. It should be able to overcome any interference.”

I fiddled with the artifact I had carefully tucked away in my pocket.

The teleportation artifact was indeed very handy. However, because it couldn’t transport one to places they had never been, while I could use it to return, I still needed the magician’s help to leave.

“Take care of yourself.”

“This is the fifth time I’ve asked, but come back alive.”

Kasia and Yulian said in turn. Despite their words being devoid of lingering sentiments, both wore concerned expressions.

“I’ll be back.”

I preferred to keep farewells short and straightforward, especially not too heartfelt. A tearful goodbye felt like truly heading to death.

After a light farewell as if I was just stepping out for a drink, I turned to Serenon.

“Are you ready?”

Serenon adjusted his sword sheath and smiled broadly.

“Of course. With my mentor accompanying me, there’s nothing to fear.”

I truly appreciated his unwavering trust. I stood on the magic circle alongside Serenon and nodded towards Sian.

“We’ll depart right away.”

“Yes.”

A hint of tension flickered across Sian’s face.

He took several deep breaths, squinting as he infused mana into the magic circle.

“Teleport!”

Bang!

A blinding light erupted that could dazzle the eyes. As the familiar disorientation turned my stomach, I slowly closed my eyes.

And then, a sharp pain poked at my shoulder, making me clutch at it.

Swish.

As the dizzying sensation settled, I became aware of hot liquid against my skin, prompting me to chuckle as I looked down at my shoulder.

‘Not bad, I’d say.’

Blood was soaking the snow from a gash torn long across my shoulder. The dangers of teleportation seemed to weigh lightly on my mind.

“Mentor, your shoulder…!”

“Shh. Keep your voice down.”

Serenon, whose balance wavered slightly, widened his eyes at the sight of my shoulder. I held my finger to my mouth, inspecting him closely. Thankfully, he appeared unharmed, without so much as a scratch.

Using a clean cloth I always carried, I hurriedly bandaged my wound, looking around as I did.

A densely wooded forest.

Moonlight dimly filtered through the tall trees.

“It seems we’ve arrived safely.”

The teleportation was a success.