Eyolian led Mr. Eldric—her father in the public eye—to one of the five points that supplied the magical barrier around the town with the mana necessary to sustain it.

  That was the task assigned to him, as he was the only Rune Master in the distant town of Frostwell.

  Eyolian walked at the front, followed by Mr. Eldric, while three knights trailed behind, scanning their surroundings cautiously.

  Their mission was to protect Mr. Eldric. Being a Rune Master meant he was weak in combat.

  Eyolian wasn’t supposed to be here, but she volunteered because she didn’t want anything to happen to Mr. Eldric. She had faced some opposition, as she was still under scrutiny due to the incident with the Imperial Knightess. The only reason she and Noah were freed from the cells beneath the castle was the town’s siege and the arrival of the specialist for Noah.

  But Eyolian didn’t back down. Her argument was that she wouldn’t let her father step into danger with such weak protection.

  On any other day, the security around him would have been much higher—at least ten knights—but the current circumstances and the shortage of knights left the situation as it was. That worked in Eyolian’s favor, allowing her to be here.

  Even Lady Aileen was supportive, arguing that her husband was too important to go with so little protection. She even suggested that Lord Garrett accompany him. However, her proposal was also rejected for logical reasons.

  Lord Garrett and his son, Cadet, would soon be heading to the frontlines to boost the morale of the knights and deal with threats beyond an ordinary knight’s capability.

  So, Eyolian made herself available. She walked cautiously and steadily along the wide stone path.

  The morning sun had already risen, but the road was devoid of life and the usual bustling activity. This was due to orders from the town lords.

  Everyone was to remain indoors. Anyone who disobeyed would bear the consequences.

  Eyolian was surprised that there were no riots. It was as if every resident obeyed without complaint. That wasn’t how crowd control typically worked, in her opinion. But since it was effective, she didn’t complain.

  Besides, she knew how capable Lady Elara was at managing her town.

  Eyolian sometimes wondered why they were still just lords and hadn’t risen in rank as any noble would desire. But Lady Elara was a complex character—difficult to understand, let alone predict her thoughts.

  The only thing Eyolian grasped about her was that she most likely wanted to remain at a lower rank deliberately—probably due to her past.

  "It's too quiet," one of the knights commented, his voice slightly trembling.

  His companions turned to him, their body language demanding silence.

  Eyolian paid them no attention, focusing on her surroundings.

  The knight was right—the silence around them was suffocating. Only the sound of the harsh wind and falling snow filled the air.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The stone path was still covered in snow, but not deep enough to hinder walking. The previous night had been more rainy than snowy, allowing them to move at a relatively fast pace.

  A few minutes passed, and one of the mana supply points for the barrier came into view. It was an empty circular space—no houses, bridges, or crossings.

  It stood out against the symmetrical design of the town. Additionally, the ground was made of dark blue stone, contrasting with the usual gray color of the most common stones.

  Four robed mages, each holding wooden staffs, stood at four points within the circular area. As soon as they noticed the approaching group, one of them stepped forward while the others adjusted their formation to cover his absence.

  "Please, Grandmaster Eldric. We have been expecting you," said the mage, addressing only Mr. Eldric. He didn’t spare a second glance at the knights behind or at Eyolian, mistakenly assuming she was a knight as well because she carried a sword.

  In the empire, there was a clear hierarchy between knights and mages. Knights, being the majority, were always pressured by the rarer and more sought-after mages.

  Above both mages and knights were those with even rarer talents, like Mr. Eldric, a Rune Master. Even the high-and-mighty mages bowed their heads in his presence.

  "Very well. I will need your assistance, as there are still four more points to attend to," Mr. Eldric instructed the mages before turning to Eyolian and the knights.

  "The knights will take over protection duty from you."

  He stepped closer to Eyolian, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  "Be careful. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to run and get reinforcements," he said, his last words almost a whisper.

  Eyolian simply smiled gently and said, "Don’t worry. I know what I’m capable of."

  Mr. Eldric held her gaze for a long moment before sighing and walking toward the center of the circular area, followed by the mages.

  She and the four knights took their positions around the circle, standing at the same points where they had found the mages, drawing their swords just in case.

  Could anything go wrong with their mission? Eyolian didn’t believe for a second that everything would go as they wished.

  The attackers who besieged the town had planned too meticulously to overlook small details. And Mr. Eldric wasn’t a small detail—he was, in fact, one of the best Rune Masters in the empire.

  There was no way this group hadn’t anticipated that a Rune Master would be used to strengthen and stabilize the magical barrier.

  The real question was, how would they respond to this initiative?

  Eyolian suspected that before the execution of their plan, they had likely sent infiltrators and traitors whose sole mission was to sabotage their efforts.

  She briefly wondered why they hadn’t simply tried to destroy the five mana supply points that gave life to the barrier. But her guesses were as good as anyone else's.

  Perhaps they didn’t have enough people for it, or they truly believed that the town lord would comply with their demands. Or they feared triggering a hidden defensive mechanism that could alert neighboring towns after the barrier was deactivated…

  Her train of thought was cut off by the soft glow of blue light that ignited within the circular area. She glanced sideways to observe.

  Intricate rune lines spread across the entire perimeter of the space, expanding further and growing more complex. Mr. Eldric’s hand channeled mana into the center of the circle, while the four mages, standing at a distance, provided raw mana for the spell and for Mr. Eldric to direct it.

  A faint smile appeared on Eyolian’s face, but it quickly vanished as she focused sharply.

  Her senses picked up a shift in the nearby wind. Without even looking, the mana within her body flared up, coating her weapon in a formless energy.

  With a long upward swing, the air pressure reversed direction, deflecting the daggers and magical spells aimed at Mr. Eldric.

  Eyolian took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto the rooftops of the nearby houses, where three figures clad in black clothing and light leather armor had appeared. Their faces were covered.

  She assumed a defensive stance, glancing at her fellow knights. Their reaction was slightly delayed, but they steadied their defenses in time.

  She looked back to where Mr. Eldric was kneeling on one knee. But instead of focusing on his task, his gaze was on her—filled with deep concern.

  Eyolian’s heart wavered slightly, but now wasn’t the time. She had to focus on protecting him.

  She nodded at him with all the confidence she could muster and waited until he returned the nod.

  Only then did she refocus on the figures, whose numbers had grown—from three to five, then from five to eight.

  This would be difficult.

  And yet, Eyolian’s expression remained cold and unbothered.