Chapter 10

Ashel Gronhildt (2)

After the training, it was free time, but Ashel, having only changed her clothes and washed off the sweat, had no choice but to move somewhere immediately.

As she followed Kaelan, she fell into deep thought.

'Was that man one of the Seven Princes?'

The man who had given her a strange look during training.

She knew that rumors about the newly enthroned Seven Princes in the castle had been rampant recently.

Ashel, who had become a knight of the Grand Principality Castle after a long wandering, did not know much about Caldric.

However, seeing how the ruthless deputy commander Camson had been so tense, she could somewhat grasp the status of the princes.

She had no idea why such a person wanted to have a conversation with her.

Could he have noticed something? A faint sense of unease crept into her heart.

"Please keep in mind that the person you will meet now is the new master of the Seven Princes' seat. Please be careful with your words and actions."

"......"

After hearing Kaelan's final warning, they arrived at a spacious room at the end of a long corridor, where he was seated.

Click.

The door closed, and Ashel, now alone facing the Seventh Prince, bowed politely.

"It is an honor to meet you, Seventh Prince. I am Ashel, an apprentice knight of the White Lin 5th Knight Regiment."

Bright golden eyes stared intently at her.

"Sit down."

The Seventh Prince gestured to the opposite seat.

Ashel sat down, feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

Silence filled the room for a moment.

The Seventh Prince sipped his tea without a word, and Ashel, with nowhere to look, stared at her teacup.

Soon, an unexpected question broke the silence.

"Are you hiding your strength?"

"......"

"I can't understand why someone with your skills is just an apprentice knight. I'm curious why you're hiding your strength."

Ashel's mind was filled with two questions.

How did he know? And why was he asking?

If he had noticed during the training, it was truly astonishing.

From such a distance, what could he have perceived to notice this? Magic power? Or some other anomaly?

"......I don't understand what you mean."

For now, she denied it.

Ashel calmed her inner turmoil and observed the Seventh Prince's reaction.

He continued without changing his expression.

"If you plan to deny it, let's get straight to the point."

The point?

Even now, she didn't realize.

The previous conversation was not the important issue.

"White Moon Clan."

......Her heart sank.

"I heard they were completely wiped out, but there was a survivor. Why did you come to the Grand Principality Castle?"

Ashel's mind went blank, and she couldn't say a word.

'How......'

She could somehow understand how he noticed her hidden strength.

But how did he figure out she was from the White Moon Clan?

It was the deepest secret she held, something no one else knew and should never know.

Her instinctive and unconscious reaction was to shoot a glare at the being in front of her.

"Stop wasting your time. It's beyond your power."

The indifferent voice in her ear made Ashel snap back to reality.

The Seventh Prince's gaze was deep and calm.

Feeling overwhelmed by the static pressure, she slowly retracted her hostility.

"......"

Indeed...... it's beyond my power.

The being sitting in front of her is the ruler of Caldric.

A top-tier powerhouse in the entire continent, known to be even stronger than the monstrous Five Senses of Sainthea.

The fact that he instantly saw through her hidden strength alone showed the vast gap in their abilities.

Any attempt at an ambush or escape would be futile.

Feeling powerless, Ashel bit her lip hard, tasting the metallic flavor of blood.

She had come this far, overcoming despair and hopelessness to find a way forward, but to end up like this before even trying?

"What do you want from me?"

Shaking with anger, she managed to force out the words, and the Seventh Prince's expression changed subtly.

"It seems you have some misunderstanding. I'm not trying to intimidate you."

"......"

"What are you so afraid of revealing your true identity? This is Caldric, not Sainthea. In this land where there is no racial discrimination, being from the White Moon Clan shouldn't make a difference."

Ashel gritted her teeth.

It's easy to say in words.

No one who hasn't experienced it can understand.

The sorrow of losing her clan and homeland, the loneliness and anxiety of being the sole survivor thrown into the world, the pressure to do something.

This is Caldric, not Sainthea.

A land of power and opportunity where one can achieve glory if they have the ability.

Rationally, Ashel knew this.

But the deep-seated wariness that had been imprinted in her heart since the day her clan was destroyed made her unable to trust anyone easily.

What do you know, you......

"But I understand."

Ashel was taken aback.

"I can understand. The grief and sorrow you carry deep in your heart, the anxiety and loneliness. The excessive wariness I see in you now must stem from all of that, right?"

......What is this person saying?

Ashel looked at the Seventh Prince with a slightly dazed expression.

He spoke again.

"I will help you."

***

In the world of Rasa, various races exist.

Aside from demons, the most numerous and powerful are humans, elves, and merfolk, along with many other minor and rare races.

The White Moon Clan was a very rare race with a very small population.

They looked no different from humans but had the ability to convert magic power into their unique properties.

Weaker races often live in tribal units in the wild, away from the general population.

The White Moon Clan lived peacefully in their own territory in the Alten Mountains, located in the extreme northwest of Sainthea.

But their downfall came suddenly.

A few years ago, the White Moon Clan was completely wiped out by Sainthea, leaving only one survivor.

The Ashel sitting in front of me now is that sole survivor.

'She wandered for a long time to find other surviving clan members.'

But Ashel couldn't find any.

Despite the many dangers and years of searching across the continent, she found none.

After a long wander, the place she settled was here, in Caldric.

She couldn't give up the slim hope that there might be other survivors.

Caldric is a land that values ability above all.

If she could prove her worth here and establish herself, and if she could gain a reputation as a White Moon Clan warrior across the continent.

Perhaps a surviving clan member would hear the news and come to find her.

Even if no one came, she might at least have a chance to avenge Sainthea by accumulating power and influence.

......This is why Ashel came to Caldric.

She hid her strength and identity as an apprentice knight because she had only been in Caldric for a short time and was cautiously observing the environment.

The White Moon Clan usually looked no different from humans, but when they used their unique abilities, their skin turned white.

Eventually, she would reveal herself and become a Black Lin of the Grand Principality Castle. But......

"I will help you."

I will pull you to my side before that happens.

I continued.

"I have a rough idea of why you came to Caldric."

"......"

"To spread your name and draw surviving clan members, or to seek revenge on Sainthea, or both...... Your expression tells me I'm right."

Ashel's face was now filled with shock.

It was a natural reaction, having her inner thoughts completely seen through.

It was time to get to the main point.

"If your goal is that, I propose you become my bodyguard."

Ashel was momentarily stunned.

This must seem like a random and out-of-the-blue suggestion.

"What......"

"I will be doing many things from now on. I need a bodyguard to follow me. As a sword of the Seventh Prince of Caldric, as a close confidant, and as a warrior of the White Moon Clan, this is a good opportunity to spread your name across the continent."

"......!"

"Isn't it more effective to use my name rather than relying solely on your own power to achieve your goal?"

It was a perfect proposal.

My offer would be an extremely effective way to achieve the goal of spreading her name across the continent.

Ashel blinked without a word.

Then, with a look of incomprehension and renewed wariness, she asked me.

"......Why?"

Of course, she would ask that.

It was the expected reaction.

To her, my offer would seem like an unexplained and one-sided act of kindness.

She would think that a ruler like me wouldn't really need a bodyguard.

Of course, I genuinely needed a bodyguard and her strength, but I couldn't say that.

"There is no special reason."

I said dryly.

"If I must say, it's as I mentioned earlier. I understand your situation. And I noticed your abilities by chance, which naturally drew my interest."

"......"

Ashel still looked skeptical.

Indeed, such an ambiguous answer wouldn't convince her.

A valid reason.

I had spent an hour before the meeting thinking hard but couldn't come up with a proper excuse.

I considered a typical scenario where I had some connection with the White Moon Clan...... but it didn't feel right.

What connection could there be between a human and a small race living deep in the mountains?

Even if I fabricated a story, it would be risky to lie, as it could be exposed sooner or later.

I didn't know much about the White Moon Clan.

So, the conclusion was to just make up a plausible excuse, even if it didn't instill much trust.

For now, it was enough to get Ashel to accept my offer.

It was arrogant to think I could gain her trust by revealing all her secrets in the first meeting.

Our friendly relationship could be built gradually after pulling her into my service.

"It seems my answer isn't satisfactory. But is the reason that important?"

I emphasized the core point again.

"I want you to be my bodyguard, and you will have a better opportunity to achieve your goal. That's all there is to it."

Regardless of the reason, my offer is an excellent opportunity for Ashel.

There couldn't be a better plan for her current situation, especially one that allows her to use the authority of a prince.

Ashel's brows furrowed, showing deep contemplation.

I sipped my tea quietly, waiting for her response.

After a long silence, she spoke.

"If you want me as a subordinate, why not just take me as you please? Why make this proposal and ask for my acceptance?"

A ruler could easily take an apprentice knight as a subordinate, so why not do that?

"Because I respect your will. As I said, I'm not intimidating you with your secrets. If you have a better plan, you can refuse my offer."

Though I said this, I would be in trouble if she refused.

I subtly inserted the words 'secrets' and 'better plan' to put a little pressure on her.

"......One last question. How did you know I am from the White Moon Clan?"

"It's part of my abilities."

I dismissed her question succinctly.

In a world with magic and all sorts of abilities, a vague answer would suffice.

Ashel, looking at me with a slightly dissatisfied expression, finally said.

"I accept your offer. I will become the bodyguard of the Seventh Prince."

......Done!

I smiled inwardly with great satisfaction.

"You said your name is Ashel. Do you have a surname?"

"......Gronhildt."

Ashel hesitated for a moment before giving her full name.

"Ashel Gronhildt."

Ashel Gronhildt.

The sole survivor of the White Moon Clan.

A supporting character in the game who was a strong ally to the player and had the potential to become as powerful as the princes.

She won't trust me completely and will remain wary, but we will have plenty of time to build trust as we work together.

At least now I have a reliable bodyguard.

It's time to head to the Seventh Prince's domain.