3

A pleasant chorus of hammer strikes rose up into the stark winter sky.

Alice put a hand to her forehead and glanced across the barley fields at the jutting silhouette of Rulid.

A week had passed since the invasion by the army of darkness. Many of the homes on the northern side of the village had burned down, but because the elder ordered that almost the entire village put their callings on hold to work on construction, the rebuilding was proceeding quickly. Sadly, twenty-one villagers had been too slow to escape and had lost their lives. Three days ago, there had been a ceremony at the church to mourn them all.

Alice was asked to join in the funeral, and after it was over, she rode on her dragon to inspect the northern cave. The long cavern, which Bercouli had ordered sealed, had been excavated to a width large enough for a burly orc to fit through comfortably, and the part that was closest to the Dark Territory showed signs of a longtime camping area.

The invaders hadn’t opened up the entire length of the cave in a night. They must’ve sent in a team of engineers from the dark side and then resealed that end. When Eldrie checked on the status of the cave, he had no idea that behind the cave mouths, a team of goblins was already inside and working on reopening both ends.

It was a level of tenacity and prudence that was unthinkable from goblins and orcs in the past. Just this one incident alone made it clear that this was not at all like the simple scouting raids that used to happen time and again.

Rather than recollapsing the cave mouths, Alice temporarily blocked the brook that flowed from the center, where the white dragon made its nest. Once the cave was flooded, she unleashed the multitude of frost elements she’d prepared, sealing the cave with ice rather than rock.

Now, unless an arts caster on Alice’s level used heat elements to melt the ice, no one would be able to pass through.

Alice looked from Rulid back to the snowcapped mountains in the distance and attached the last sack she had to Amayori’s left leg.

“Um…Sister?” asked Selka, who’d been helping her pack for the journey with a brave and unfaltering smile. “Father…wanted to see you off, too. He’s seemed absent all day, ever since he woke up. I’m…I’m sure that deep down, he was happy that you came home. Please, I want you to believe that.”

“I understand that, Selka,” Alice whispered, hugging her sister’s little body. “I left the village as a criminal and came back as an Integrity Knight. But the next time…if I finish all my duties, I will come back as Alice Zuberg. And then I’m sure I’ll be able to say, ‘I’m home, Father,’ like I should.”

“…Yes. I’m sure that day will come,” Selka said with a sob, looking up and rubbing at her face with the sleeve of her habit. Then she turned to the black-haired young man sitting in a nearby wheelchair and energetically told him, “Be well, too, Kirito. Get better soon, so you can help my sister.”

The young nun put her hands around his downturned head, made the sign of blessing, and stepped back a few paces.

Alice approached Kirito, gently took away the swords he was holding, and placed them in the sack fixed to Amayori’s saddle. Next, she easily lifted the slight young man and sat him on the front part of the saddle.

She’d considered leaving Kirito behind in the village and asking Selka to take care of him. If she headed for the Eastern Gate, where the real battle against the forces of darkness would commence, Alice would be overcome with duties as one of the guardians of the human army. She wouldn’t be able to care for Kirito all day long like she did now.

Even still, she decided to take him along.

The night of the attack last week, Kirito had taken his sword and tried to go to the village. He still had the will inside of him to fight for others. It only made sense that the key to getting his old self back would be at the battle to protect the human realm.

She would tie him to her own back with ropes if that was what it took to protect him. Alice embraced her beloved sister one more time.

“…Well, I should get going, Selka.”

“I know. Take care…and make sure you come back, Sister.”

“I promise. And…say good-bye to Old Man Garitta for me, too. Be well…and study hard.”

“I will. I’ll be a good and proper holy woman…and then…one day…”

Selka couldn’t finish her sentence. She put on a brave smile, her face crinkled and tearstained. Alice caressed her head, then let go and walked over to her dragon, feeling her reluctance to go, and got onto the rear of the saddle, behind Kirito.

She nodded down to her sister, then turned her gaze to the blue sky. With a light crack of the reins, the dragon began bounding powerfully through the barley field, scarcely affected by the weight of two humans and three swords.

One day, she would return here.

Even if she fell in battle, at least her heart would come back.

Alice brushed aside the droplets stuck in her eyelashes and barked, “Hah!”

She felt weightless as the dragon left the ground.

Amayori caught the updraft, circling as it raced up into the sky.

She burned the images into her mind: vast fields and forest, Rulid with its brand-new roofs sparkling in the sun, Selka racing after her with both arms waving.

Alice tapped the dragon’s neck, directing it to the east.