My hand with the horse's reins trembled.

"... eh,"

Tedra, who sat in the carriage's passenger's seat, held her in by holding her hands together tight and unstoppable.

If you lose your mind, your whole body will tremble, you will be tormented by self-loathing and guilt, and you will be reminded of the unpleasant sensations transmitted through your hands.

The face of that boy, who laughed like crazy, crept up on his eyelid and couldn't leave.

Tedra shook her head to shake them off.

"You've never killed a man before, my second son."

"Dear Kreutz……………."

Kreutz in a black cat sitting on the back of a horse pulling a carriage is looking at Tedra with those golden eyes.

"…… I didn't become a knight to hurt people"

"Huh. You're saying it was meant to protect people, right?

"Yes."

"But reality doesn't. You didn't know it was someone else's" loved ones "you cut off to protect someone."

The reality that was poked out earlier tells the story that no one can protect them without hurting them.

She (Sirtina) trumpeted the other "who wants to protect" for her "who needs to protect".

"You didn't know that protecting and hurting people was an act of equivalence."

Kreutz's words pierce him.

"So you were weak."

……

"How do you feel about killing people for the first time?

"Kan, huh?

Tedra swallowed up the words when she said there was no such thing.

Golden eyes are narrowed to explore.

"Never again,"

After a beat, Tedra opens her mouth.

"I thought I'd never forgive you again."

……

"Like I said, I didn't become a knight to hurt people. I became a knight to protect my loved ones."

Even though I was born a nobleman, I didn't come down with that heavy "role".

A good brother is the one who carries on the trail of his parents. My sister is kind enough to connect with other nobles. He wanted his youngest son to be free to do whatever he wanted, and the two of them played a "role" as all the nobles he could do.

That's why I wanted to be a knight.

"I wanted to protect my proud brother. I wanted to protect my loving sister. I wanted to protect my great father. I wanted to protect my mother. They wanted to protect their beloved people, their kings, their queens, their princes, their friends."

Cutting off was a simple thing.

He just wants to protect his precious family. And he wants to protect those his family cares about.

"But two years ago, I couldn't protect the person I wanted to protect... my sister."

On the contrary, I hurt her and betrayed her and abandoned her.

"Regret is slow, know the truth is helpless, apologize won't arrive... I couldn't do anything for her..."

I've always regretted it.

I've been moaning.

I've always resented you.

I've always hated you.

All the time... yes, all the time. Two years ago, I couldn't help but erase that stupid, shallow, ignorant, unsaved self.

So when she (Sirtina) was chosen as the Virgin's escort, she decided to arrive as well.

I know how weak I am.

I also knew it would be a trap.

Still, this is the time I wanted to protect her.

That's why.

"I'm sorry to kill people again. However, I would still fight my sword to protect Sirtina. [M] I think that's what I can do, and that's what I have to do."

"Huh. You're sweet, second boy. Silty doesn't want to help you or your prince in any way, no matter how many crises you face. And you're telling me you're gonna protect Silty like that?

"It must be embarrassing for me to say that I'm weaker than she is to protect her. So I protect the things she doesn't protect."

After seeing her for two years, she wasn't so weak that she had to protect herself.

He had the strength to truncate even the things he cherished "back in the day" for the things he cherished "now".

That's why I stir up my sword.

"I will protect the things she trumps. If that's me or Lady Fract, I'll protect myself and Lady Fract. Until this journey is successfully completed, I'm sure it will only be luggage for you to protect us. At the end of this journey, don't make a cause for the fools in this country to blame..."

Those of us who abandoned them two years ago will blame them for not being satisfied with the title "Prince" or "Duke's Seal" at the end of their journey.

If they were forced to leave the country without any reward for any self-righteous reason, they would be forced to retain it as their own power.

"I know it's not you who do this to those people. But we'd better have a little less firepowder to get off."

I'm sure that's why the king allowed himself, who is only a knight apprentice, or a prince whose attitude is only magnificent and who can do nothing on his own.

If one of you dies, you don't have to go before, but you just have to lose one of your arms.

And it is believed that it is Tedra who will present herself and protect the prince who is likely to do so.

"What kind of move do you want?"

……

"Even one of my arms is for the rotten thoughts of this country."

Protect the Prince. Protect yourself, too.

At the end of this journey, I will laugh in front of the kings.

I say, "Everyone's safe."

"That's the only way I can protect Sirtina."

"Hehe, haha!! Interesting! The one with the boulder silty and the blood. I thought it was just the ones who weren't worth saving, but why not? I don't hate people like you. Don't let him die until this journey is over. That way, I won't have to help you get your word to Silty."

"Eh?"

"A little more sword arms should be polished by then. If you can't finish with a single blow, you'll be considerate."

"Ah, yes"

If I nodded at the words that seemed to be spinning with pleasure, Kreutz, who jumped off the back of his horse just to say that the story was over, turned into a black horse and ran with Alhardt to Sirtina, who was riding Karen.

"Be strong. I have to be. Now it's time to protect it."

I can put my strength in my hand holding the reins.

The tremor stopped at some point.