The joy of the Vanzhas residents died down, replaced by whispers of fear. The coalition army drew closer. The pressure of their mana made the very air feel heavy. Alrain immediately moved forward, standing right beside Arvin, staring sharply at the sea of enemies approaching like a tidal wave.
"My Lord..." Alrain began, his eyes locked on the enemy. "As you suspected, this war is inevitable. They are truly intent on destroying us."
"I knew this would happen." Arvin replied casually, brushing a shard of ice from his shoulder. "From the beginning, that mad King never liked the Vedegra family. Even before he was crowned, he considered my family a thorn in the side of his throne."
Arvin turned, looking at Alrain's tense but determined face. For a moment, his cold gaze softened, realizing that what came next would be a slaughter.
"If you are afraid, it is better for you to retreat now, Alrain." Arvin said flatly. "Take the citizens who cannot fight and leave the city. You don't need to fight here with me."
Hearing his master's words, Alrain turned sharply, his expression offended.
"There is no way I would leave you to fight alone, My Lord!" Alrain rejected him instantly, his voice firm. "Who do you take me for? A coward?"
Alrain manifested a sword made of wind and lightning magic, pointing it toward the enemy with absolute conviction.
"Until the end of my life, I swear to always remain faithfully by your side. I don't care what kind of hell lies ahead. Because you..." Alrain's voice trembled slightly, but his eyes shone with a painful honesty. "You are the most precious person in my life! More precious than my own soul!"
Arvin remained silent for a moment, hearing the confession for the umpteenth time. He looked into Alrain's blazing green eyes. There was no doubt, no fear, only pure love and loyalty.
Arvin took a long breath, then turned his face back toward the enemy, hiding a very faint, subtle smile on his lips.
"Do as you wish." Arvin replied shortly.
"Attack!"
The command for the assault from the royal forces echoed across the field. Like a dam bursting, thousands of soldiers ran forward, roaring as they surged toward the city.
In the rear, royal mages and mercenaries began chanting their spells. The sky was instantly transformed into a multi-colored display of magic circles. Fireballs, lightning spears, and massive boulders hurtled through the air, aimed directly at the Vanzhas forces.
Clang! Boom! Crack! Bang!
Arvin blocked every magical strike with a wall of ice, shielding the entire army and the gathered residents of Vanzhas. Seeing the intensity of the assault, the blood of the Vanzhas soldiers began to boil.
"My Lord, we will advance!" cried a captain of the elite Vedegra force, ready to draw his sword to protect his master.
But a hand rose, stopping their movement instantly.
"Hold your position!" Arvin's voice sounded calm, yet it carried a deadly weight.
"If you advance, I cannot release my magic!" Arvin stated firmly, his eyes fixed sharply on the sea of enemies. "I do not wish to kill my precious people because they were caught in the aftermath of my own spells! You wait here, let me go forward!"
The order was absolute. The soldiers and the citizens, all prepared for combat, could only swallow hard and restrain themselves. They knew all too well that if their Master had spoken, the power about to be unleashed was not something they could withstand.
"Alrain, I entrust the command of the troops to you! Ensure not a single enemy slips through to the city!"
"As you command, My Lord!"
Just as Arvin finished giving his orders, the royal mage squad launched another attack. Several elite mages from the Vedegra force moved quickly, manifesting a massive magic shield in the air.
Boom!
The enemy's long-range magical strikes slammed into the shield, creating a deadly yet beautiful display of magical fireworks. However, not a single spark touched the ground where Arvin stood.
In the midst of the chaos, Arvin walked forward casually. His steps were slow but steady, heading toward the thousands of enemies charging at him with faces full of murderous intent.
"Alrain, stay vigilant! There are many rats hiding around the forest!" Arvin called out without looking back, continuing his walk toward the crowd of enemy troops.
"As you command, My Lord."
Alrain took a step back, his sharp eyes sweeping the trees on the left and right sides of the main road. He stepped aside to let his master take the center stage.
Zap!
Suddenly, Arvin's figure vanished completely.
He moved with invisible speed, closing the distance between himself and the enemy's front line in the blink of an eye. Arvin stopped right in the middle of the road, then raised one hand forward with an open palm.
The temperature dropped drastically. Breath-vapor began to appear from the mouths of the charging enemy soldiers.
Woosh...
A bone-chilling cold wind blew fiercely, accompanied by snowflakes falling from an unknown source.
Alrain, watching from behind, stared at his master's back with complete admiration. His heart beat rapidly, not from fear, but from the sheer allure of that power.
Magnificent! Alrain exclaimed in his heart. My Lord is truly magnificent! His back... so sturdy and unwavering. Besides being handsome, he is also so strong. Our hope of taking revenge on that bastard King will surely be realized if it is with Lord Arvin.
Alrain's eyes sparkled, as if stars were held within them. In the midst of this life-and-death situation, his thoughts drifted toward something deeply personal.
Oh, God, owner of this universe, Alrain prayed in his heart, I really want to have him. Do I have a chance to make him my husband?
But before he could sink deeper into his sweet fantasies, his killing instinct screamed.
Zoom!
A deafening sonic boom rang out. It wasn't the sound of enemy magic, but the sound of wind magic created by Alrain himself. Alrain darted with incredible speed toward his master.
Clang!
The loud ring of clashing metal sounded right at Arvin's side.
Alrain was already there. His wind sword blocked a fire magic sword aimed at Arvin's neck by a red-haired man who had appeared suddenly from the shadows of the forest.
"Don't you think you can touch my beloved Lord with those filthy hands!" Alrain hissed in a mix of annoyance and rage.
The red-haired man was shocked to see his attack blocked so easily. Without showing any mercy, Alrain spun his body and delivered a whirlwind kick layered with wind magic.
Thwack! Crack! Woosh! Bang!
His heel struck the man's ribs with the horrifying sound of breaking bones. The attacker's body was sent flying backward, soaring through the air before finally crashing into a large tree trunk, causing it to topple instantly.
Arvin glanced briefly, his expression remaining flat.
"Good job, Alrain!" Arvin praised. His tone was sincere, yet his face remained as cold as ice. "But I do not need your help! I can handle it myself."
Alrain's chest felt tight hearing those words. That subtle rejection always hurt, as if reminding him that he wasn't needed. However, he did not back down and chose to ignore the heartache.
"Regardless of whether you need it or not!" Alrain argued firmly, his voice trembling slightly. "I will always protect the one I love! Please let me do whatever I want for the person I love! My life belongs to you, so let me use it to protect you!"
A brief silence fell between them. Arvin looked at Alrain with an unreadable gaze.
Suddenly, Arvin's eyes narrowed.
With a flash of movement, Arvin drew his sword and swung it toward Alrain's neck. Alrain gasped, thinking his master was finally angry with him.
Clang!
However, the sword did not cut Alrain's neck. It stopped right beside his ear, parrying a small purple needle that had shot out from the forest. The poisonous needle fell to the ground, hissing as it melted the grass beneath it.
Alrain's eyes widened. He hadn't even noticed the sneak attack because he was too focused on arguing with his master.
"M-My Lord, why... why did you protect me?" Alrain asked softly. "You could have just left me here."
Arvin sheathed his sword again with an elegant motion. "Because you are my precious person!" Arvin replied shortly, then turned his back to head toward the enemy forces again.
That answer hit Alrain harder than any physical strike. His heart seemed to stop for a moment, then raced frantically as his emotions became a chaotic mix. It was the most honest confession he had heard from his master's mouth in months.
Alrain's courage overflowed. In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, he stared at Arvin's back with a hopeful gaze.
"My Lord! If this war ends and we both survive... I want you to be my husband!" Alrain requested loudly, not caring who might be listening.
Arvin fell silent for a moment. He didn't immediately reject the idea, nor did he immediately accept it. He only turned his head slightly, looking at Alrain from the corner of his eye.
"After more than two years of you being here, I don't even know your age." Arvin said. He didn't answer the request, yet his tone did not sound like a rejection. "How old are you now?"
"Twenty-six!" Alrain answered quickly.
Arvin didn't reply further. He turned his body, facing the attacking enemy forces once again. He stepped forward, leaving Alrain standing alone.
However, unknown to Alrain, a thin smile etched onto Arvin's face as he turned away. It wasn't a cold or cynical smile, but a sincere one that hinted at a new hope.
Alrain stared at that back in confusion.
"If you are silent, it means you agree to be my husband!" Alrain shouted recklessly. "I will take it as an acceptance!"
Arvin still didn't answer, continuing to walk away with his cloak fluttering in the snow-wind he had created.
"Damn you!" Alrain cursed, caught between annoyance and happiness. "You're always like this!"
But the strange romantic moment had to end.
Clang!