The road ahead gradually widened.
Not abruptly—but with the quiet confidence of a place that had nothing to prove.
The Royal Capital revealed itself slowly, as if allowing only those worthy enough time to prepare their eyes and hearts.
From the distance, I could already see it.
White stone walls layered upon one another like rising waves, towers piercing the sky in disciplined symmetry, banners fluttering calmly rather than proudly. Unlike Wynmor, which felt warm and lived-in, this place radiated authority. Not oppression—order.
Power that had settled in and grown old.
I leaned slightly toward the window, resting my forehead against the cool glass.
So that's the capital…
It was larger than I imagined. Larger than any city I had seen in either life.
The carriage wheels rolled steadily, the sound rhythmic, almost soothing. Around us, the escort formation moved in practiced silence.
And that was when I noticed it.
The number of guards.
…That's strange.
At first, I thought I had miscounted. But no—there were definitely fewer knights riding alongside us now. The spacing between them had widened, gaps subtly filled by distance rather than steel.
I scanned the road ahead, then behind.
No signs of disorder. No panic. No broken formation.
They probably went ahead for land or route survey.Yes… that makes sense.
The capital was close, after all. This kind of precaution would be normal.
So I said nothing.
The carriage continued forward.
For several minutes, everything felt… calm.
Too calm.
Then—
The carriage lurched violently.
The sudden stop threw me forward, my shoulder hitting the inner wall as the sound of metal clashing echoed outside.
"Tch—!"
I braced myself instantly, hand already moving toward my sword.
Outside, shouts erupted.
"MONSTERS—!"
"Defensive formation!"
The peaceful road shattered into chaos.
I pushed the curtain aside and looked out.
Miniatures.
Small, grotesque humanoid monsters with jagged weapons and uneven limbs poured out from the tree line. Their eyes glowed faintly, movements erratic yet coordinated enough to be dangerous.
I counted quickly.
Twenty… no—more.
Around twenty-five.
Knights moved in immediately, shields locking, blades flashing. There were roughly twenty of them—each miniature was being handled by two knights, just as trained doctrine dictated.
Steel rang against crude weapons. Dirt and blood stained the road.
But even with proper formation, numbers mattered.
And something else bothered me.
Miniatures this close to the capital?And in this number?
That shouldn't happen.
Then I felt it.
That old, familiar pull in my chest.
A memory surfacing.
I was younger then. Smaller. Weaker.
The walls of the Wynmor estate loomed behind us as Mina adjusted the straps on her gloves, her expression unusually serious.
"Out here," she said, voice firm, "you don't get second chances."
Arisa stood beside her, arms crossed, tail flicking slightly with irritation.
"Real monsters don't wait for you to finish thinking," she added. "They kill you while you hesitate."
I swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the practice sword.
We were just outside the estate grounds—far enough that the guards wouldn't interfere, but close enough that help could come if things went wrong.
At least, that's what they told me.
The miniature emerged from the bushes with a shrill screech.
I froze.
My heart pounded so loudly I thought it would burst.
"Move!" Mina shouted.
I tried.
My legs didn't listen.
The monster rushed me, its blade raised—
And then—
It fell.
Cleanly.
Arisa stood between us, her sword dripping with black blood.
"Fear is normal," she said calmly, turning to me. "Staying frozen is not."
Mina knelt in front of me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Look at it," she said gently. "Memorize this feeling. The smell. The sound."
I forced myself to look.
The body twitched once… then stopped.
"This," Mina continued, "is what happens when you're too slow."
They didn't comfort me.
They didn't soften the lesson.
They taught me reality.
Over and over again.
Different monsters. Different terrains. Different mistakes.
Each time, my fear lessened.
Each time, my blade became steadier.
Until one day—
I was the one standing in front.
And they were watching from behind.
The memory faded as a miniature slammed into a knight's shield, knocking him backward.
Reality snapped back into focus.
The formation was holding—but barely.
Fatigue was setting in.
And then I saw it.
Two ogres.
Larger, heavier monsters lumbered toward the rear of the convoy—toward the carriage.
Toward Tesselia.
No.
I didn't think.
I moved.
The carriage door flew open as I jumped down, boots hitting the ground hard.
"Rio—!?" someone shouted.
I unsheathed my sword.
The blade sang.
I stepped into the fray.
The first miniature lunged at me.
One strike.
Its body separated cleanly before it even understood it was dead.
Second.
Third.
Fourth.
My body moved on instinct—feet positioning, wrist rotation, blade angle perfect.
Time slowed.
Within a single minute—
Five miniatures fell.
Not crushed.
Not hacked.
Cleanly cut.
The ogres roared, turning toward me now.
I didn't let them close the distance.
"Ice Sphere."
Cold mana condensed instantly, forming a dense orb between my palms before launching forward.
It expanded midair—
And shattered.
The ogres froze solid, expressions locked in surprise before collapsing into frozen debris.
Silence followed.
Then—
More hooves.
More armor.
The king's carriage emerged from behind, its escort joining the battle with overwhelming force.
The remaining monsters didn't last long.
Within moments—
The road was quiet again.
Only the smell of blood and frost remained.
I exhaled slowly.
My arms felt heavy.
The king approached, his gaze sharp—calculating.
"Well fought," he said.
I bowed lightly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
He studied me for a moment longer.
I could tell what he was thinking.
A-rank… at least.
But he said nothing.
The journey resumed shortly after.
Inside the carriage, exhaustion caught up to me fast.
I leaned back, sword resting beside me.
Tesselia sat across from me, unusually quiet.
We spoke softly—about nothing important.
The rhythm of the road lulled me.
My eyes closed.
Tesselia
He fell asleep mid-sentence.
It was… sudden.
One moment, Rio was speaking softly, his voice calm despite what had just happened.
The next—
His head tilted slightly to the side, breath evening out.
Tesselia noticed immediately.
She stopped talking.
And simply watched.
He looked different when asleep.
Softer.
The tension he always carried—whether as a noble, a fighter, or something more—eased away. His brows smoothed, jaw relaxed, hands no longer ready to reach for a weapon.
She had seen him fight.
Seen him kill.
Seen how effortlessly he moved when danger appeared.
And yet—
Here he was.
Asleep.
Vulnerable.
Human.
Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.
She remembered the way he stepped forward without hesitation.The way his blade cut cleanly, without cruelty or excess.The way he noticed the ogres before anyone else did.
He didn't even look proud…
That unsettled her.
Most men—knights included—sought recognition.
Rio didn't.
He acted because he had to.
Slowly, carefully, she reached out.
Her hand hovered near his sleeve.
She hesitated.
Then pulled back.
Not yet.
Instead, she adjusted the blanket slightly, ensuring it covered his shoulders.
A small gesture.
One no one else needed to see.
Her expression softened.
"Idiot…" she whispered quietly.
But there was no bite in it.
Only warmth.
I woke up about half an hour later.
The carriage had slowed.
Light poured in through the windows.
I blinked.
…We're here.
The Royal Capital gates stood before us.
As I stepped down—
A blinding light swallowed my vision.
I raised my arm instinctively.
And crossed the threshold into a new world.