I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

The first light of dawn spilled through the curtains, streaks of red and white casting across the bed.

Roland was the first to stir, realizing he wasn't alone.

His hand instinctively searched until it found the familiar curves of Stella beside him. She was still asleep, hair spread across her pillow, the faint mark of their bonded jewels glowing softly on her palm as it rested against his chest.

He could feel their connection, something unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

One could even say it was better than what they'd shared all night.

Suppressing a yawn, he let himself sink into the serenity of the moment.

For once, there was no urgent knocking at the door, no messenger calling his name, no Renar waiting with piles of documents and maps for him to review.

He simply lay there, listening to the steady rhythm of his wife's breathing and savoring the warmth of the shared blanket.

Roland shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, though she murmured and leaned closer anyway.

"You're staring," she mumbled without opening her eyes.

"Simply admiring the view, my dear," Roland replied. "Or am I not allowed to anymore?"

Her lips curved into a sleepy smile. "You were allowed before; there's no changing that. But now I can finally get up and give you the hug I've been wanting for the past twenty minutes."

Roland chuckled. "So, you're telling me you've been awake this whole time? And you didn't react to my touch… maybe I broke something. Too bad Elios won't speak to me so I can heal you."

"Relax. If something is broken, it'll just be the charm that keeps me from getting pregnant, idiot."

Roland froze, unsure if she was joking. He hadn't realized it worked like a ward. Maybe he had been a little rough. His mind briefly replayed the night before until he finally sighed.

"To be honest, I wouldn't mind it. I know, I know it's reckless. But we've been living fast so far."

He smiled, only to notice his wife was actually blushing while he stared at the ceiling.

They ate together, their meal brought up, so they wouldn't need to leave the room.

The bread was still warm from the hearth, the fruit sweet and fresh from the finest stores in the fortress, and the cuts of meat likely meant for the king had been set aside for the newlyweds instead.

They traded teasing remarks like an old couple, even though their wedding had been only hours ago.

Roland and Stella had only three days to enjoy themselves.

That was how long it would take for Prince Lucien to fully recover, and it matched the amount of time Renar predicted before they could launch another strike against the demons.

It wasn't until midday on the third day, as they walked along the ramparts, that the spell of their peaceful honeymoon broke.

A horn sounded from the watchtower, sharp and urgent. Roland's hand instinctively went to his sword, the old reflex returning in a heartbeat.

One of Zavar's men, a half-blood, suddenly ran them, his expression grim. "A rider from the east. It's not an attack yet, but you'll want to hear this yourself."

Roland gave Stella a quick glance, silently promising their day wasn't over yet, before following Zavar toward the council chamber.

The council chamber was already filling by the time Roland and Stella stepped inside.

King Halter sat at the head of the table, his son Lucien at his side.

"Sorry to cut your last day short, you two, but this is life. Now, sit, you're the last ones joining us."

Roland took his seat at the far end of the long table while Stella dragged a chair next to him.

Near the couple, Renar, Namar, and several human officers on one side, with Zavar and his half-blood commanders on the other.

Only after scanning the room did Roland notice a dust-covered rider standing near the entrance, his armor bearing the sigil of a spy unit.

"Report," Halter said, his tone sharp and commanding.

The rider bowed quickly.

"Your Majesty… the eastern watch has detected movement near Wraith Pass. Scouts confirm at least thirty thousand demons, accompanied by siege beasts. They're advancing slowly, likely conserving strength for a direct assault."

Renar leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "That's a strange route to take. If they're moving this way, it shouldn't be their main force…"

Zavar tapped a clawed finger against the table.

"My guess is that this is one of at least three groups. We need to identify the other routes, because if anything, they'll try to spread us thin, force us to divide our troops while they focus on either breaching a fortress or slipping past the barrier entirely."

Roland glanced between them.

"Spread us out, huh… In that case, I'll start working on producing more of those gems, but my resources are running low. It might be best to take cover behind the Light Spirit's barrier for now, at least for the civilians. That's where we need to protect at all costs. They won't care about fighting for a fort or two… I just have a feeling about this..."

Renar then looked towards the standing man and asked him the question everyone needed to hear.

"How far along the pass are the demons from our position?"

"Three days at their current pace," the rider answered. "But… there's more. They're dragging carts... Couldn't get close enough to see clearly, but it looked like prisoner's human and half-demon alike."

Roland sat back, fingers drumming lightly on the table as the room buzzed with low voices. Then he spoke, cutting through the noise.

"So… friends or foes, I need to see what this all means before we launch an attack. But we must not relax the measures we need in place for a new invasion."

His gaze swept the table, meeting each commander's eyes. "If this force is bait, we have to be ready for what's waiting behind it."

In the quiet that followed, Roland felt a faint, unwelcome stir in the back of his mind, Norelli's presence. The vampire had not spoken to him in days.

[You really don't see it yet, hero?] The voice mocking. [That formation… the cages… this isn't just a raid. I only needed a way to sneak a few kind demons out of this kingdom. So, you'll want to talk to me later if you care about stopping what's coming.]

The intrusion vanished as suddenly as it came, leaving Roland with more questions than answers. He forced himself to keep his expression neutral.

Roland while listening in on the meeting didn't know what to say, he wanted to think it was a great scheme Norelli cooked up to bring enslaved humans.

Truthfully, he had worked with the vampire before, but that didn't mean he was convinced the pale demon was truly on his side just yet.

At the same time, he didn't want to ruin the friendly relationship they'd built.

The back-and-forth bickering between Norelli and Elios in his head had almost become normal, and so far, Norelli had acted like a decent enough ally… or at least, shown that he was not an enemy.

Why else would he have helped him kill vampires and demons alike, not tens or dozens but thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, with the explosions in the capital...

Roland was sure that, out of everyone who had killed demons, the bastard ranked at least third, possibly even tied with Roland and Elios.

As for Elios, he remained silent. Roland could sense his disapproval, but there was a sliver of doubt within him as well.

King Halter cleared his throat. "Then we move forward with the plan. But I expect reconnaissance to continue. If this is bait, I want to know before we commit our full strength."

Renar cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to the map spread across the table.

"We have three days before they reach Wraith Pass. If we start preparing now, we can have all civilians moved to safety. As for the troops, we'll divide them into three groups: one defending each of the two fortresses, and the largest force protecting the Spirit's barrier. If any forts fall, all soldiers are to retreat and rally here."

Zavar gave a wide grin. "I don't mind leading my own at one fort. I know we've earned trust, but my people won't work well anywhere else."

"That's fine," Renar replied. "I'll take the barrier, and Roland will take the other fort. Prince Lucien, I hope you'll have enough mana to teleport us that day if anything happens."

Lucien focused inward, testing his mana reserves, then gave a short nod. "Only for one or two people, probably."

King Halter, who had no desire to see either his daughter or son join the fighting, nodded reluctantly. "Then it's settled, everyone knows their place…"

It was then that Stella raised her hand.

All three of her most important people, her father, her brother, and her husband, looked up at her at the same time.

"I'm not sitting this one out," she said, her voice calm but resolute. "If you think I'm going to stand behind the barrier while the rest of you fight, you're mistaken."

Roland's brow furrowed. "Stella—"

"I've fought beside you before, Roland. And I've stood beside both of you, Father, Lucien. I'm not going to start hiding now just because I'm married."

King Halter's lips pressed against his fangs, close to drawing blood.

"You will be with me, then."

Roland nodded. He wasn't going to have it any other way.