Chapter 25: Roble Holy Kingdom (3)
"That hit the spot…"
Arche let out a long breath as she set down her empty cup of water.
It had been days since she'd eaten a proper meal.
Training under Kaiser left her with only the bare minimum of food — as he'd put it, "It helps you focus."
And while it certainly did, it also left her starving.
So when she finally reached the Holy Kingdom, hunger came before sleep.
Her body was tired, but the fatigue seemed dulled — likely thanks to the Ring of Growth she wore.
"You eat more than I expected," Neia said, blinking.
"Usually I don't," Arche replied with a small shrug. "But I hadn't eaten properly on the way to Roble."
"Ah, so you're not from here. Where are you from?"
"The Baharuth Empire."
"The Empire, huh…"
Neia's eyes widened slightly. She remembered hearing that the Empire had changed drastically under its new emperor — including measures that weakened the power of adventurers.
To have reached Adamantite rank despite all that… this girl must have been bold beyond measure.
Neia prided herself on knowing most of the great adventurers by name, but she had never seen Arche before.
Perhaps — she thought — Arche was the rumored new Adamantite adventurer from the Empire.
"You should eat something too," Arche offered. "It's on me."
"N-no, I'm not much of an eater…"
"Then eat while you can. You never know when the chance will come again."
Coming from a seasoned adventurer, that statement carried weight.
Neia glanced at Arche thoughtfully. Soldiers, she realized, were different from adventurers.
A soldier had supplies, orders, and a chain of command.
But an adventurer? They had only themselves — and the will to survive.
Perhaps that was the difference between people who lived in safety… and people who lived in danger.
Neia smiled faintly, pushing away that somber thought.
"So, uh… where are your teammates?"
"Don't have any," Arche said plainly. "I'm a solo team."
"S-solo!?"
Neia's jaw dropped.
Of course, there were solo adventurers — but they were usually bronze or iron ranks, beginners who took simple fetch quests.
For an Adamantite to go solo? That was unheard of.
The missions of high-ranking adventurers were deadly — dragon hunts, undead purges, escorting royals through cursed lands.
They required coordination, trust, and teamwork.
To face such dangers alone meant one thing:
Absolute confidence.
Neia recalled how Arche had effortlessly crushed those workers earlier — the calm precision, the overwhelming magic.
She'd even taken down Jaiya, an Orichalcum-level monk, without breaking a sweat.
That wasn't confidence. That was certainty.
Neia found herself admiring Arche deeply — maybe even idolizing her a little.
It felt strange, meeting someone her age who had already stepped beyond human limits.
Fourth-tier magic, Adamantite rank, solo adventuring — all at once.
It was like meeting a living legend.
Even here, in the Holy Kingdom, only High Priest Kelart Custodio and Princess Calca Bessarez were known to wield fourth-tier magic.
....
"Arche."
The voice came from behind them — calm, deep, and familiar.
"Kaiser?"
Neia turned at once.
The young man standing there didn't look particularly imposing — lean, pale-haired, with eyes so dark they looked almost like the night sky before dawn.
And yet… there was something about him.
Not the blazing fire of a commander, but a quiet, suffocating stillness — the kind that comes from someone who has seen far too much.
Neia thought of Remedios Custodio, the fiery commander of the paladin order.
If Remedios burned like a raging flame, this man burned like a starless void — cold, controlled, and infinitely heavy.
Wait… she called him Kaiser?
Her mind froze for a moment.
The Kaiser — the Guardian of Humanity, the greatest hero of all time, the legend who defeated demons, gods, and kings alike.
A name passed down through generations, the symbol of mankind's strength.
Neia had grown up on those stories.
Of course, modern scholars insisted "Kaiser" was just a title — a name carried by heroes throughout the ages, not one immortal man.
But still… to meet someone who bore that name stirred something deep inside her.
He looked too young — maybe in his early twenties — but somehow, his presence filled the room.
....
Kaiser turned his gaze toward Neia and smiled faintly.
"Sorry for interrupting your meal. I'm Kaiser — Arche's guardian, you could say."
Guardian? Neia thought. Makes sense… Arche's strong, but still young. He must be a mentor of some sort.
They didn't look related, but there was a sense of quiet familiarity between them — the kind that came from trust.
"I'm Neia," she said, quickly standing up. "Arche saved me earlier — some bad people were harassing me."
Kaiser's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There's no shortage of people like that. The kind who take advantage of others while pretending to struggle themselves. They make me sick. People forget how hard it is to earn a single coin."
At the mention of money, Arche frowned, her tone slightly sharp.
"Let's… not talk about money, please."
Neia blinked — realizing too late that she'd touched on something sensitive.
Of course, even as an Adamantite, Arche hadn't always lived comfortably.
Not long ago, she had known real poverty.
"Anyway," Kaiser said, his tone softening, "I've got some business to take care of. I'll be away for a bit — will you be all right here?"
"Don't worry about me," Arche said. "Even if I look delicate, I won't break that easily."
"I wasn't that worried," Kaiser replied with a half-smile.
"Either way, I'm Adamantite. Nothing to worry about. But…" She tilted her head. "Is it something serious?"
Kaiser's smile faded slightly.
"Let's just say… it could be."
The calm before the storm seemed to settle between them — a sense that something vast and dangerous was already moving in the shadows beyond their quiet meal.
"…Looks like this one's going to be a headache."
Kaiser murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Arche's eyes widened slightly at the words. For a brief moment, her emotions flickered — surprise, worry, something else — but just as quickly, her face returned to calm neutrality.
She had always been good at controlling her feelings.
Neia, on the other hand, had no idea what Kaiser meant. A headache? What could possibly trouble someone like him?
After a short pause, Arche spoke quietly.
"A… deserter, then?"
Kaiser chuckled softly.
"If only it were that simple."
"…Please, just come back safely," she said.
"Thanks. And, Miss Neia—" he turned toward her with a faint, almost teasing smile, "try to be good company for Arche, will you? She's so busy working all the time she doesn't have any friends."
"I—I'm not sure you should be the one saying that, Kaiser-sama…"
Kaiser snapped his fingers lightly — and in an instant, he vanished.
Arche sighed.
"He always says his piece and disappears…"
Neia blinked, dumbfounded.
Teleportation again. Just like that — gone, without a sound.
Do all mages treat teleportation like walking these days? she thought in disbelief.
....
Still, what lingered in her mind wasn't the magic — it was the last thing Kaiser had said.
She doesn't have any friends… huh?
Looking at Arche's composed face, Neia could guess why.
To reach such power at such a young age, Arche must have spent her whole life training and fighting.
How much time had she ever had for something as simple as friendship?
It was admirable… but also sad.
Neia smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek.
"Well then… if you'd like, I can show you around. I grew up here in the Holy Kingdom, so I know the place pretty well. You might be interested in the magic shops, right?"
"A little," Arche replied.
"And, um… if it's not too much to ask, could you tell me one of your adventures? Not anything personal — just, you know, one of your stories. You must have plenty as an Adamantite adventurer."
"Sure," Arche said, taking a small bite of her dessert bread. "But if you're that curious, how about you come with me instead? On an adventure."
"E-eh!? W-wait, you're Adamantite! I'd only get in the way!"
"Having a ranger around is never a bad thing."
"M-maybe not, but… wait, did I ever tell you I use a bow?"
Neia blinked. She only had her paladin's sword with her — no sign of archery gear.
Arche swallowed another bite of bread, speaking casually.
"Your arms have calluses — the kind you get from drawing a bowstring. And your footsteps are light, controlled. I used to travel with a ranger back in my worker days; your gait's just like his. Only… yours feels more natural. Maybe you were born for it."
"H-hah… I guess I got that from my father," Neia admitted, flustered. "But I want to be a paladin, not a ranger."
Arche tilted her head slightly.
"Who says a paladin can't use a bow?"
"Well… no one, but… no one ever has."
"Then you can be the first."
Neia froze. The simple confidence in Arche's voice left no room for argument.
After all, this was the youngest Adamantite in history — the first solo Adamantite adventurer.
If anyone had the right to talk about being "the first," it was her.
Neia sighed softly.
"Honestly… I'm still just a squire. If I stand out too much, it'll just cause problems. Soldiers are supposed to follow rules, after all."
"Then prove your worth another way," Arche said evenly. "Show them your skill as a ranger. You sensed me approaching before those workers did, didn't you? And they weren't weak — that monk was easily Orichalcum level. Yet you noticed me first. That's impressive. Ever had any formal training?"
"Uh… no, not really."
Arche gave a quiet hum, the corners of her mouth lifting just slightly.
"Then it's talent. And talent like that shouldn't go to waste."
For a moment, Neia didn't know what to say.
To be seen — truly seen — by someone like Arche filled her with an unfamiliar warmth.
Maybe, just maybe… this was the start of a new kind of friendship.
"Then do it."
"Huh? J-just like that…?"
Arche's calm eyes softened slightly.
"Life only happens once, Neia. It's better to regret doing something than regret never trying. You'll always wonder what could've been. Stop worrying about what others think—just follow what you want to do. Who knows? You might become the first 'Ranger Paladin' in history. If it's something you'll regret either way, at least make it a regret you chose yourself."
Those words carried the quiet weight of experience.
Arche knew what that path looked like—how much pain came with chasing your limits.
She had done exactly that: thrown herself into relentless training, lost friends, and endured solitude until she reached the realm of the Adamantite, the peak of human strength.
And yet… her eyes still burned with the will to climb even higher.
Despite all she'd achieved, there wasn't even a hint of arrogance—only quiet determination.
"D-do you really think I could become one?" Neia asked.
"You'll never know unless you try. And I'll be here for a while anyway—until Kaiser returns, at least. Why don't we form a party? Just part-time, whenever you're free from squire duties."
"W-what? You'd really…!?" Neia stammered. "I mean, I'd love to, but… why?"
Arche tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Call it an investment in the future. You've got talent. I'd rather nurture someone with potential than waste it. Besides, having a ranger around never hurts."
Neia's voice trembled.
"I-if you don't mind… I'd love to work with you!"
A rare, almost shy smile touched Arche's lips.
"Huh. Guess Kaiser was right after all. I really don't have any proper friends."
To Arche, Kaiser was her savior, mentor, and the man she respected most.
Her former team, Foresight, were comrades—but not friends.
She had spent so long repaying debts, chasing strength, running forward alone… that she'd forgotten what it felt like to simply have someone beside her.
Now, looking at Neia's bright, earnest expression, she felt a small warmth stir inside.
A warmth that almost felt like… joy.
And Neia—who had also spent her days surrounded by rigid rules and shallow acquaintances—felt the same.
Maybe this, finally, was what real friendship felt like.
"Then when should we—"
A voice suddenly cut through the restaurant.
"Pardon the intrusion!!"
The sharp metallic clang of armored boots echoed through the air.
A group of paladins entered, scanning the room until their eyes locked onto Arche.
They strode forward, and Arche's face immediately fell into a weary expression.
Great. Just when I was starting to relax.
In her experience, whenever soldiers or nobles came running with that kind of urgency, it was never good news.
The exhaustion she thought she'd forgotten came flooding back.
The lead paladin stopped before her and bowed slightly.
"Adamantite adventurer, Lady Arche—Her Highness, the Holy Queen Calca Bessarez, requests your immediate presence."
Arche sighed, still chewing a piece of bread.
"First the Emperor, now the Holy Princess… what is it with royalty and timing?"
Her tone was casual—almost disrespectfully so—but she didn't stop eating.
If they were going to interrupt her meal, she saw no reason to drop her manners either.
The paladin leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper—so quiet that only someone with a ranger's senses could catch it.
"It's an emergency request… a royal family member has been abducted by the demons."
Arche's expression hardened instantly, the air around her growing heavy.
Neia, sitting beside her, went pale—her hands trembling around her cup.
This wasn't just a mission.
This was a national crisis.
A kidnapping by Ain's forces—the enemy of all humanity.
An act that could spark war itself.
And in that moment, as the quiet tension spread through the tavern, Arche stood up slowly—her eyes burning with resolve.
"So much for rest."
The Guardian's disciple was about to move once more.
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