A light breeze swept up dust, dancing through the air.
The air between the two people seemed to cool by several degrees, as if it had partially frozen.
The surrounding adventurers who were watching couldn't help but hold their breath, not daring to make even the slightest sound.
The crown prince's brows sank slightly, and his gaze seemed to grow colder.
But soon, sensing the tense atmosphere, Aurelian was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
"Brother, what my teacher means is that I can't always just listen to you all anymore."
"After all, I've grown up, haven't I?"
She revealed a very gentle smile, one that even caused faint illusions to appear before the crown prince's eyes.
It was as if, standing before him, Aurelian was still that respectful, obedient, well-behaved little sister.
Her face full of smiles, innocent like a child.
But her words, that was not the tone of someone being obedient.
At some unknown point, like a seed buried in the soil, it had sprouted tender green shoots and continued to grow.
She had become independent, with thoughts of her own.
'This shouldn't be…'
The crown prince's hand, which had been suspended in midair, awkwardly withdrew.
"That's true. Aurelian has reached this age as well."
"After all, you've come here to train."
He wore an extremely amiable smile, the awkwardness of being refused not showing on his face at all.
"If there's anything you need, feel free to mention it. Your brother will support you."
"Thank you very much, brother."
Aurelian smiled, placed both hands at her waist, and gave him a dignified, slight bow.
Then, staring straight into the crown prince's eyes, Aurelian spoke seriously.
"All we need is for the front lines to be opened for us, so we can pass through unhindered all the way to the border."
Looking at Aurelian's serious expression and listening to her request, the crown prince felt somewhat surprised.
"You want to go deep into the monster rift? But that's far too dangerous…"
"Brother." Aurelian smiled and interrupted him.
With a very confident tone, she said slowly, "I have a teacher."
Just four short words made the crown prince freeze in place.
But very quickly, he came back to his senses and smiled politely.
"So that's how it is."
He waved his hand, signaling an officer beside him to come over.
"Inform the frontline soldiers, when they see the princess's unit, no credentials are required. Let them pass immediately."
The officer clasped his fists toward the crown prince and shouted at once, "Yes!"
The crown prince nodded slightly, and the officer quickly turned and left.
"Aurelian, you've grown up."
The crown prince looked at Aurelian, and there seemed to be a hint of relief in his eyes.
"So have you, brother."
Aurelian maintained her smile. Beneath that smile, even the sky seemed a bit clearer.
"You're becoming more and more like Father."
As her words fell, the crown prince brought his legs together, stood at attention, placed his right fist over his chest, and gave Aurelian a military salute.
"May you return victorious."
The wind gradually picked up. Thick clouds in the sky were blown apart, breaking into pieces that rolled toward the horizon, revealing the deep blue sky above the crowd.
Dust on the ground was stirred up along with the synchronized footsteps, as if it were about to meet the white clouds above.
The demi-human unit marched away in unison. Their uniformly silver armor radiated powerful pressure, like a group of resilient envoys of nature.
The surrounding adventurers watched the harmonious scene between the siblings, feeling something stirred in their hearts.
Who said the royal family had no affection?
On the other hand, that man wearing a black coat, he didn't look like a good person at all.
As Aurelian departed, the crown prince watched the demi-human unit slowly disappear, then turned around.
Leading his troops, he left as well.
———
The southern battlefront of the empire lay at the edge of national territory, and there were three such lines in total.
One lay near a city.
Outside the city stood an extremely sturdy wall, built to resist constant enemy harassment.
Stationed along the edge of the city's defensive line were many powerful knights, keeping watch at all times for monster invasions.
If this line were breached, all the southern cities would fall into grave danger.
The second line was the main battlefield where monsters and imperial forces clashed.
Soldiers of the army fought without pause against the monsters spilling out from the rift.
Naturally, this was also the most terrifying battle line.
But the final line…
That one was stationed at the very edge of the empire.
Strictly speaking, it had already left imperial territory.
There existed a monster rift flickering with purple light, within which flowed strange, void-like energy.
This rift had appeared more than ten years ago. It continued to grow, constantly spewing out monsters the world had never seen before.
Even now, the monster rift still existed, and compared to over a decade ago, it had grown significantly larger.
Monsters poured out at an even faster rate, and that void-like energy had become increasingly chilling.
It was as if some powerful being slept on the other side of the rift.
If it awakened, it could burst forth and tear the world apart.
Thus, a group of fearless warriors was needed to constantly investigate and clear the depths of the rift.
They were adventurers.
Those adventurers gathered several kilometers away from the rift.
Tower after tower of strangely shaped structures stood between rocky cliffs, their walls flashing with strange colors, sealing the rift within a barren stretch of land.
The deeper one went into the cluster of buildings, the stronger the monster aura pressing forward became.
Adventurers would accept missions from certain guilds in the city. Only with the issued permits could they cross the battle lines and enter the rift.
And now, the adventurers planning to investigate the rift today had long gathered outside the towers.
The leader of one adventurer team hoisted a massive axe on his shoulder and asked the adventurer beside him with a grin, "Yo! Isn't that Captain Hansen? What are you hunting today?"
"Hmm… Rift Demon Rabbits. And we're required to collect fifty Rift Demon Rabbit eyes."
"Such a dangerous mission, and you actually dared to take it?"
Hansen shook his head and sighed.
"No choice. There are over a dozen people in the team who need to eat. If we don't risk our lives, what can we do?"
———
As they waited for the rift to open, the two chatted idly.
But suddenly, a very powerful presence came from behind them.
A military unit composed of demi-humans was slowly approaching from the rear.
That overwhelming pressure made both captains shudder, and they exclaimed in unison, "What an intense aura!"
"Could it be the crown prince's army personally arriving!?"
But when they saw the distinctive bone-forged silver armor on the soldiers, they immediately dismissed the idea.
"Demi-humans?"
"A unit made entirely of demi-humans, huh? Interesting."
Many adventurers folded their arms, equally drawn by this extremely unique force.
The powerful aura emanating from the unit was like a hunting wild leopard, giving all the adventurers a faint sense of danger.
But there were always adventurers with peculiar personalities who wanted to provoke unfamiliar visitors.
This one was a very handsome blond warrior. His flowing long hair further highlighted his good looks.
He spoke to the adventurers beside him.
"I'm actually interested in that human knight at the front."
As the other party gradually drew closer, he couldn't help but whistle at the cold, aloof knight.
But at the very moment the sound rang out, a chill crawled up his spine and flooded his brain, making him feel suffocated.
Even under the blazing sun, goosebumps covered his entire body.
He couldn't even tell where that terrifying presence was coming from, yet his body trembled uncontrollably.
Even when facing powerful monsters from the rift, he had never felt fear like this.
Finally, the demi-human unit passed in front of him.
Gwen, who led them, didn't even glance at him.
Just passing by was enough for that icy aura to make his limbs feel cold and numb.
This knight was very powerful.
And what he sensed wasn't just her own strength.
There was also the power coming from the strangely shaped equipment she wore.
If he were to duel this knight one-on-one, he might not necessarily win.
This unit was extraordinary.
But what puzzled him was that the oppressive presence that had made him tremble earlier hadn't come from this knight.
'So who was it…'
In an instant, his heart jolted violently.
It was as if a pitch-black gaze had appeared behind him.
A terrifying stare locked onto him.
The blond adventurer was instantly drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air.
A teammate beside him noticed his condition and laughed as he patted his shoulder.
"Pia, first time I've ever seen you like this."
"Scared?"
"No… I…"
He forced a bitter smile and slowly raised his head, seeing an extremely noble figure at the very end of the unit.
It was a girl wearing a dignified crown.
Her silver armor was like light bursting forth from the sky, and her elegant posture radiated a gentle, benevolent presence.
The adventurers' minds shook at once.
Behind that noble figure, there seemed to be a white cloud following closely.
Something appeared to be lying on it, though they couldn't see clearly.
The demi-human unit walked straight toward the gate guarding the rift.
The guards at the gate looked up, then deeply bowed toward the noble figure at the center of the unit.
The heavy gates pushed aside sand and slowly opened, allowing the entire unit to pass.
The adventurers waiting outside were completely stunned.
They had waited so long and still hadn't received approval for today.
On what basis did that unit get through?
On what basis did the guards open the gates without a second thought?
Just because they were all women?
"Because she is an imperial princess." A cold voice rang out beside Pia.
He froze, utterly confused.
Just moments ago, there had been no one behind him.
So how had this voice come from his back?
Pia spun around abruptly and locked eyes with Viktor's calm gaze.
In that instant, he understood.
That terrifying presence from earlier, it came from this man.
"And one more thing."
The cold voice didn't stop, continuing evenly, "Today, we've reserved the place."