Chapter 58

Ines Harness did not know her family.

Before she was old enough to understand, her parents, who were adventurers, died, leaving her as the only survivor.

Young Ines moved from one home to another, staying with her parents' fellow adventurers, until she was eventually taken in by the 'Harness Orphanage' in the capital city.

──There, she found many children with eyes like hers.

The orphanage director and staff were kind.

It wasn't a family.

But it was something warm, something close to it.

They welcomed her with open arms, gave her warm meals, and provided her with new clothes.

And those kind, warm people extended their hands, inviting her to live with them.

But Ines couldn't help feeling that she would never truly be one of them.

Because──.

"You are a harbinger of misfortune."

She had been told this as she moved from place to place.

Indeed, it seemed that something bad would happen wherever she went.

Each time, she was told:

Your parents were unlucky.

That's why they died.

You, too, are like your parents, unlucky. Bad things happen when you are around.

So, you are a harbinger of misfortune.

Your parents were kind to us, but we have repaid that kindness.

So, please, go to another place.

Thus, wherever she went, she was told the same thing and was eventually driven away.

But the people at the orphanage never said such things, no matter how long she stayed.

As time passed, months turned into years, and Ines gradually became accustomed to and felt at ease in that place.

Strangely, nothing bad happened there.

Maybe.

Maybe, here, it was okay for her to be here.

She began to think so.

She made friends to play with and grew closer to the staff.

So, Ines continued to live there without any problems, growing up healthy──or so it should have been.

But on a very sunny day.

When Ines casually stepped out into the orphanage's courtyard and raised her hand to the sky, she noticed something strange floating there.

It was a very beautiful, thinly glowing 'membrane'.

──What is this...?

Ines, curious, continued to stare at it.

Then, a small boy noticed the glowing object at the tip of Ines's hand, ran over, and playfully reached out to grab it──and instantly, part of his body was severed.

That was the moment it became clear that Ines was a bearer of an extraordinary [Blessing].

The [Blessing] Ines received bestowed upon her a power beyond imagination.

A 'Sword of Light' that could cut through anything.

A power so overwhelming that, if she so desired, she could easily slaughter an entire army of a nation without any training.

──Just one person with such power could destroy a nation.

Ines was judged as such by the people in positions of power who governed the country.

A power that could bring immense benefits if used correctly, but could also cause great disaster if misused, a power so isolated──the girl received it without any preparation.

A person whose mere existence could threaten a nation.

The country could not afford to leave such a person unchecked.

Ines was ultimately taken in by the orphanage while simultaneously being educated and raised by all the [Six Saints] as her mentors.

──And so, several more years passed.

At the tender age of 14, Ines was given the title [Divine Shield] and appointed to the important position of senior knight in the kingdom.

For a girl of such a young age to hold such a position was unprecedented in the kingdom's history.

But no one objected.

Because by then, her extraordinary martial prowess──or rather, her terrifying power was already widely known among the people.

──It was said that she could split a small hill in two during a mere training exercise.

──It was said that she could obliterate a swarm of flying dragons with a single stroke during a mission.

──It was said that she could destroy the base of a bandit group that had long been raiding caravans in a single night.

At first, these stories were dismissed as exaggerated rumors, but as more people witnessed the actual evidence, the unbelievable rumors became undeniable facts, and her reputation grew even more.

Moreover, she was intelligent, quick to absorb knowledge, and already possessed the level of knowledge required for a mid-level management position. She also passed the national examination to become a senior knight with top honors.

The fact that she was an orphan with no family and chose the orphanage's name as her surname when she was knighted also contributed to her popularity, and [Divine Shield] Ines quickly gained widespread support from the people.

Her young age even added to her charm.

There was no reason to doubt her.

The people of the kingdom welcomed her with open arms.

It was the moment a new 'legend' of the next generation was born, following the [Six Saints].

Thus, upon being knighted and given the title [Divine Shield], Ines was assigned a task.

To be the guardian and caretaker of the king's only daughter──the young Princess Linneburg.

Ines was somewhat surprised.

She intended to dedicate her life and soul to the kingdom as its 'sword' and 'shield.'

Yet, a guardian──that was fine, but a caretaker?

Despite her doubts, she accepted the job.

When she started, she found the job strangely suited her.

To put it simply──it was very enjoyable.

The princess was bright, intelligent, and talkative, telling her stories and tales of distant lands as if reading from an encyclopedia.

Ines was often dragged into the princess's whimsical games, which, though challenging, felt very fresh to her.

Because──.

After that incident, the children at the orphanage began to keep their distance from Ines, and she had not played with anyone since.

After apologizing to the boy whose arm she had severed, she no longer spoke to the other children.

Fortunately, the boy's arm was treated by the director and returned to normal.

But from then on, Ines avoided getting close to the other children.

If she got too close, they might be frightened.

If she wasn't careful, something similar might happen again.

Indeed, when she approached, everyone avoided her and kept their distance.

Even when they passed in the hall, they silently made way for her, casting wary glances from afar.

The emotion Ines felt from everyone's gaze was close to fear.

A fear of the unknown, of something that could harm them.

She had accepted that this was inevitable.

Even when the staff encouraged interaction, she firmly refused.

She had done too much.

There was no way she could be accepted as one of them.

Except for the unruly troublemaker, Gilbert, who often challenged her to fights with a wooden stick.

Apart from such exceptions, no one tried to touch Ines anymore.

So, for Ines, talking and doing something together with someone of a similar age, even if there was an age difference, was a long-forgotten feeling.

It made her very happy.

So much so that she sometimes forgot it was a task assigned to her.

Even when she occasionally performed her duties as a guardian, it was all enjoyable.

Being relied on by the princess and responding to her.

Protecting her.

For the first time, she felt a sense of purpose in her life.

She began to believe that she could live here.

Ines thus pledged to live for the country and dedicate everything to protecting the princess she served.

──But six years later.

Their relationship came to an end.

The princess's 'trial' had begun.

The exceptionally talented princess had overcome all tests and procedures at the fastest pace in history and earned the right to undertake the trial for the succession to the throne at the age of 14.

According to the kingdom's laws, to formally inherit the throne, one must complete a single task.

This task involves descending into the 'Unreturning Labyrinth' and bringing back some form of achievement. The exact nature of the achievement is not specified, but it must be something obtained by one's own hands and must satisfy the king and the people.

During this time, the person undertaking the trial must not receive any help.

Therefore, as a guardian, she could not accompany her.

It was inevitable.

She had accepted this, believing that the princess would surely overcome the difficult trial.

She would wait until then.

But──.

Immediately after, a sudden attack by the abyssal creature, 'Minotaur,' occurred.

It was an assassination attempt on the princess.

The princess narrowly escaped with her life.

Ines was frustrated.

If she had been there, she would have never allowed such a thing to happen.

She deeply regretted leaving the princess's side.

And to make matters worse──she felt jealous of the man who suddenly appeared and saved the princess, a man named Noll.

The princess, whom Ines was supposed to protect, was saved by someone else.

Despite knowing he was a savior, she felt jealous.

A jealousy that her role──her very existence and purpose, was being taken away.

──Ines was a bit confused by her own feelings.

It was the first time she had experienced such a feeling.

She had been the one envied, not the one who envied others.

It was something she had never even imagined.

After that, the man──Noll, with whom she had to work, was extraordinary in every way.

He stood unscathed against the lethal miasma of the 'Black Death Dragon' and single-handedly subdued the [Catastrophe Dragon] that was about to destroy the capital.

He charged into the heart of the Imperial Army's powerful artillery, which was about to obliterate the kingdom, and single-handedly destroyed the ten-thousand-strong army.

He brought the near-dead dragon back to life with the help of the [Healing Saint] Sain and proposed a direct invasion of the empire, which no one had ever thought possible.

He proved it could be done with the help of the young demon, Roro, and brought a miraculous victory to the kingdom.

All of this happened in just one day.

The achievements of that single day alone were countless.

──There was no way she could match that man.

She thought.

She felt she had seen a height she could never reach.

She didn't know when it happened.

But at some point, Ines had completely accepted her defeat.

──She was not allowed to lose to anyone.

To protect the kingdom that had given her life from all threats.

That was her role and the duty of someone who had received the power of [Blessing].

She believed this without doubt.

She thought she had made the necessary efforts.

She had strived to be strong and dedicated everything to it.

But all of that was negated in just one day.

Completely overturned by the existence of one man.

She realized that she had been protected many times.

She could do nothing but be protected.

She wondered what her life had been all about.

The role she had envisioned for herself was nothing but an illusion.

That illusion was shattered in an instant by the man who suddenly appeared──Noll.

──But, why?

It didn't feel so bad.

Rather, she felt a sense of liberation from various things.

"The young demon boy will be under our protection."

It was at that moment.

The prince announced the king's decision to everyone.

The young demon, Roro, needed someone to take care of him.

He was in danger, even at risk of his life.

Therefore, someone with power needed to be by his side to protect him.

That boy.

Abandoned by his companions, with nowhere to go──

As a 'demon,' he was inevitably shunned and ostracized by society.

Someone needed to protect that small boy.

──"I will do it."

Before she knew it, Ines had volunteered for the task, without a clear reason.

"I want to take care of that boy.

Please, let me take care of him."

She said.