Chapter 46

Miss Shaya stood on tiptoe, raising both hands high to signal that she wanted a drink too, but Xiarette went to the other side and brought her a glass of orange juice.

Although she knew that Sheffy was two years older than her, for some reason, it just felt like *this* was the drink she should have.

Sheffy Harl, swallowing her pride, hugged the glass of orange juice and took a few sips. Her eyes sparkled faintly, and she no longer showed any interest in the wine.

Xiarette swirled the wine glass in her hand. In truth, she wasn’t used to drinking these wines either.

But in front of Sheffy… one had to act a bit like an elder sister.

The wine reflected her peerless beauty, and the long-standing sadness in her heart became all the more vivid amidst the swirling light within the glass.

“These cousins don’t really like me… but there’s nothing that can be done about it.”

“I overheard earlier—was it because you stole their spotlight?”

“It’s more than just stealing the spotlight… Members of the Wright Family all take great pride in becoming the Hero of their generation. But there can only be one Hero. Those who aren’t chosen never get another chance. A few years ago, the family held the Holy Sword attunement ceremony. They all thought Cousin Karl would be the one chosen. Yet, in the end, it was me. So ever since then… things gradually turned out like this.”

“No need to bother with them.”

“Sheffy…?”

Sheffy Harl tilted her head back and finished the orange juice in one gulp.

Though it was orange juice she drank, she slammed the glass onto the table as if she had just downed a strong liquor.

With a casual flick of her long black hair, she pointed at herself with her thumb and gave Xiarette a dashing smile.

“It’s no big deal! Xiarette becoming the Hero wasn’t some kind of fluke. Let me ask you a question—if it had been Karl who became the Hero back then instead of you, would you have felt jealous?”

“Of course not… I wouldn’t care who became the Hero. I just want the place we live in to be peaceful and safe. As for glory and all that… Sheffy, you know me—I really don’t care about it.”

“Then that settles it!”

Sheffy placed her hands on her hips and waved her finger as she drew this conclusion.

“They, more or less, aren’t pure of heart. But Xiarette, you’re far better than them! True strength isn’t just about power—it’s about the heart! Look at me—my younger sister scolds me at home every day, always saying I’m idle and irresponsible, never showing me a good face. Have I ever let it bother me? Aren’t I living freely and happily?”

Xiarette looked at the small figure before her… Those azure eyes were slightly widened.

There was a subtle sense of reassurance that was hard to describe.

Hmm… whether in her past life or now, Sheffy was always working hard to build up Xiarette’s emotional defenses…

She said that true strength wasn’t just about power, but also about the heart.

But what she didn’t know was that the source of her elder sister’s strength…

—It all came from her.

Xiarette slowly tilted her head back and drained what little wine was left in her glass.

With the glass now empty, it naturally no longer reflected her sorrow.

Or rather, the wine could still be refilled, but her sorrow was already gone.

Seeing that her words had had an effect, Sheffy gave a proud hum, grabbed Xiarette’s arm, and pulled her forward again.

“Alright, alright…! I already said it—being chosen by the Holy Sword was inevitable for you. If you don’t believe me, go home and ask Sylatrella! But let’s not talk about this now. It’s time to get some cake—I’m starving!”

“Mm, since you want cake, we’ll head there first. Follow me.”

“Yay! I get to eat… huh…? Xiarette, wait, something’s happening.”

“Sheffy?”

Just a moment ago, she had been cheerfully heading straight for the cake.

But Xiarette was surprised to see Sheffy suddenly stop behind her.

Turning back, she saw that Sheffy was now staring at the ceiling with a completely different, indifferent expression.

She seemed to be waiting for something.

Suddenly.

—All the lights in the banquet hall were abruptly extinguished.

**48. Let’s Set Out**

The lavish lights were suddenly snuffed out. This unexpected change naturally triggered a wave of startled gasps and exclamations from the guests.

The entire hall was plunged into darkness.

Now, only the faint moonlight shining through a few glass windows allowed the silhouettes of people to be barely visible.

“What’s going on?!”

“I don’t know! What’s happening?”

But the so-called panic lasted for only an instant.

Very soon, the guests regained their composure in the darkness and began discussing the situation with some amusement.

Hmph~ no need to panic.

Thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t unusual for a banquet of this scale to include some sort of unconventional segment. For instance, perhaps they were about to focus the lights on the Hero for a short speech in the dark? Or perhaps His Majesty the King was about to appear and speak personally?

Whatever the case, there was nothing to worry about.

After all, today the Royal Grand Hall of Cormier was protected by the Kingdom’s strongest security forces. If even this place wasn’t safe, then there would be no safe place left in the entire Kingdom.

Thus, despite the surrounding darkness, the nobles resumed their chatter, and the sound of clinking glasses and light laughter soon returned.

However…

It wasn’t until the grand hall’s doors were thrown open with a loud crash that a soldier burst inside, urgently pushing the doors wide and shouting in terror—completely shattering the precarious calm in the room!

“En… enemy attack! Protect His Majesty the King! Protect His Majesty!!”

Boom!!

Before the echoes of his voice had even faded, the crisp sounds of glass cups shattering rang out as they hit the floor. The ground shook violently, as if in an earthquake, and the intense tremors completely destroyed the nobles’ composure.

“Run!!”

“Damn it…! What in the world is going on?!”

“Help… someone help!”

Screams, collisions, and the sound of frantic shoving filled the air. The sudden, unknown terror swept through the entire hall, leaving not a trace of its formerly noble and elegant atmosphere.

It was precisely because they were powerful and privileged nobles that they valued their lives so dearly.

The crowd surged toward the doors like a tide, scrambling to escape, as gusts of wind rushed into the now chaotic main hall.

Not everyone was fleeing.

Xiarette and Sheffy Harl leaned against the wall amid the commotion, remaining still.

Sheffy continued to gaze up at the opaque ceiling, while Xiarette understood—she was using Visual Penetration to extend her vision to the broader dome above.

Xiarette rose slightly and peered out through a window, trying to observe the situation on the open ground where the fleeing nobles had gathered.

Outside, the nobles wore expressions of panic, running in circles, while the members of the Wright Family had all drawn their swords. Together with the Kingdom’s Knight Order, they formed a protective circle around the nobles, every face grave and tense.

As she observed, Xiarette also began analyzing the situation.

“Rushing out now could be even more dangerous… judging from that earlier tremor, it must have been a massive magic attack that struck around the hall. And we don’t know if a second wave is coming. Sheffy, have you confirmed the situation?”

“Xiarette can’t even have a peaceful birthday…” Sheffy first muttered softly, then turned her head to respond to Xiarette’s question.

In the darkness, Sheffy’s spirit-filled eyes shone even brighter.

“It *was* a magic attack, but not exactly like you said. The earlier strike hit the hall head-on, but it was blocked by the protective barrier covering the hall.”

“I see… so that’s what caused the tremor just now… In that case, isn’t it dangerous for them to stay outside? At least in here we still have the magic barrier.”

“It’s the same no matter where they are.” Sheffy Harl crossed her arms over her flat chest, squinting her eyes and clicking her tongue with a shake of her head. “That strike just now already shattered the protective barrier. All the magic from the Light Magic Crystals used for illumination was diverted to support the barrier in an emergency. The lights going out—that’s proof the barrier has been broken.”

“Hiss… is that for real… if that’s the case, then whoever this is, they’re definitely not friendly…”

Xiarette knew well that the *Protective Barrier* surrounding the hall had been constructed using her own father’s magic.

A protective spell reinforced with tenth-tier magic—being shattered in a single blow… it was simply inconceivable.

Through the window, she could see that the Head of the Wright Family, Eclight, was already wielding a broad sword, escorting the King and other members of the royal family to a separate open area, away from where the nobles had gathered. The Wright Family members, seeing this, were also moving to regroup with them, leaving only the elite of the Kingdom’s Knight Order to guard the nobles.

Everyone outside was pacing and gazing anxiously at the sky, searching for the source of the earlier magical strike. The air buzzed with noise.

“They won’t find it.” Sheffy sat calmly against the wall, stating this with certainty.

“Sheffy, do you mean… the enemy used some kind of invisible magic to hide themselves?”

“You won’t find them in the sky right now. That magical blast just now was more like a greeting.”

Sheffy spoke leisurely, but what she said next left Xiarette momentarily stunned.

“I checked earlier. The source of the magic hasn’t reached the Royal Capital yet. I’m not exactly sure where it is, but it’s still outside the city.”

“You’re saying… the attack came from *outside* the Royal Capital… and it still had this much power?”

If anyone else had said this, Xiarette wouldn’t have believed it. But if it was Sheffy—then it could only be the absolute truth.

One had to remember, the Royal Grand Hall of Cormier was at the very center of the Royal Capital. If the attack came from outside the capital, it would have been an incredible distance no matter the direction!

“Well, it’s simply the fact.” Sheffy closed her left eye and wiggled her fingers. “But the enemy should show themselves soon. Xiarette, you felt it too, didn’t you? Something is approaching.”

That was true.

Xiarette closed her eyes to sense the flow of magic—and the abnormality was glaringly obvious.

—A vast, chaotic surge of magical energy was sweeping across the skies just outside the Royal Capital. Its form couldn’t be discerned, but one thing was clear: it was dangerous.

And to possess such magical power, and to appear at a time like this…

Xiarette stood up.

Rather than confusion, her gaze toward Sheffy now held more resilience and resolve.

“For something of this level… it could only be a Six-Winged one, right?”

“The nature of the magic looks similar, but it’s hard to say. We’ll see once they show up. The only thing I can be sure of is that it’s not my father, nor my mother. As for the other two Six-Winged… tch, it shouldn’t be them either.”

“They’re here to take you back…?”

“Can’t say for sure.”

“It doesn’t matter even if we can’t say for sure.”

Sheffy Harl lifted her head proudly in the dark.

Before her, a streak of golden light washed the stained-glass window in brilliance, erasing its colors.

That determined, faint smile… to her ears, the worries and chaos outside the window had already fallen silent.

Sometimes, what the ears hear isn’t determined by the ears themselves.

—It’s when you only want to hear *her* voice… that all the world seems to comply, unwilling to intrude.

“As long as you still don’t want to go back, no matter who comes… your big sister will help drive them away, alright?”

“…”

Thump.

Sheffy Harl suddenly turned her head sharply to the side!

Hm?

Xiarette was puzzled—did Sheffy sense something again?!

She certainly had sensed something!

Sheffy raised her small hand to cover her cheek, astonished to find it faintly warm.

Eek… it wasn’t just faintly warm anymore.

Even when she had gulped down boiling fish soup straight from the pot, it hadn’t been this hot!

*Xiarette, you silly girl…!* Your own birthday banquet was probably ruined because of *me,* and here you are saying something like that—why?!

After a moment…

Sheffy suddenly lifted her head again, flashing her tiny tiger tooth with a mischievous, adorable grin as she pointed at Xiarette.

“You little Xiarette…! I don’t need you protecting me! Don’t forget, I’m a Demon Clan Princess! If a Six-Winged comes to catch me, whether I go back or not depends entirely on my mood! Hmph… follow me!”

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