"You saved my father from Wildfire," Eris said, her voice trembling. "But I… I couldn't save yours. He died because of me…"
Andrea slowly shook her head.
"Your power exists to defeat the Demon King. Who you can save along the way, and who you can't… that's just chance. You feel guilty because you can't save everyone? Even the Hero can't be everywhere. In the end, you're still just a person."
"I… I still feel ashamed."
Andrea smiled.
A tired, sad, but honest smile.
"I understand. Come here. I know what you need right now."
Eris sat beside her.
Andrea wrapped her arms around her.
Not as a warrior.
Not as a champion.
But as a human being.
It was exactly what the Hero needed:
a warm, sincere embrace from the one she respected most.
From the one she most loved fighting beside.
From the one she had long wanted in her party—not just now, but forever.
Eris's heart longed for a comrade.
A friend who understood her.
Someone strong.
Someone unafraid to show weakness.
And in that moment, grief, gratitude, and attachment blended together inside her. She didn't know what was desire, what was emotion, what was confusion—only that she felt safe near Andrea.
Eris leaned closer.
Andrea was surprised, but she didn't pull away.
The Hero gently kissed the Champion of the Wolf Knights.
Andrea froze for a heartbeat… then slowly returned the kiss.
Not out of passion.
Not out of desire.
But because in that fragile moment, both of them needed to feel that they were not alone.
The kiss didn't last long.
It didn't need to.
It was enough to calm the hearts of two warriors, if only for a moment.
Tear‑stains still marked Eris's face.
Andrea's as well.
And both of them knew:
the battle was over, but the journey within their hearts had only just begun.
The Quiet Between Heartbeats
Andrea pulled Eris close, and the two warriors lay beneath a single blanket. Nothing happened between them—nothing but breathing. Together. In the same rhythm. Their hands intertwined, fingers gently laced.
"Will this cause trouble?" Eris asked, still a little flustered.
"What kind of trouble?" Andrea raised an eyebrow.
"That we're doing… this behind Young Wolf's back."
Andrea smiled, though behind the smile lay exhaustion and grief.
"Wolf Rule: bonds between females don't count as betrayal. The pack leader doesn't mind. As long as we're not playing with another male, it's not cheating. And Young Wolf… he likes brave females."
"So you've done this with other girls too—" Eris began, but Andrea pressed a finger to her lips.
"Hush. Right now it's just you… and me. Nothing else matters."
"Just you and me…" Eris whispered. "Yes… nothing else matters anymore."
The two warriors finally released the tension they had carried for days. Not with swords, not on the battlefield, but in a quiet room where no one disturbed them. Grief, fear, loss, and attachment blended together inside them—and both held onto the other so they wouldn't collapse.
No one knew what happened inside that room.
Except for one person.
The Princess.
Anabella had followed Eris, and she stood by the door when she heard the voices. Her heart was already shattered by her father's death—but when she realized that Eris had not come to her, but had sought comfort in Andrea's arms…
…that hurt her the most.
She didn't cry.
She had no tears left.
Only a soft, bitter sigh escaped her lips, and a faint, mocking smile appeared on her face—but the smile wasn't for Andrea or Eris.
It was for herself.
The Princess didn't listen any further. She turned away from the door and walked off. To the one person she wanted to see most after Eris.
To Noelle.
The half‑elf maid who had always been honest with her.
Who never wanted anything from her.
Who didn't look at her as a title, but as a person.
And whose presence she needed now more than anything.
The Princess and the Half‑Elf
Floralys had always loved books. She had her own library in the castle, filled not only with tales of Heroes but also with rare magical tomes. Elves live long lives, and Floralys had read more than most scholars ever would; as an earth mage, she practically knew every book on earth magic by heart.
But she was not the one in the library now.
Noelle sat at one of the long tables, a thick volume on water magic open before her. The half‑elf maid quietly turned the pages when the library door opened and the Princess stepped inside. Her footsteps echoed between the tall shelves, as if the library itself had taken notice of her.
Anabella stopped at Noelle's table and glanced over the titles spread out before her.
"These are all spellbooks," Noelle remarked without looking up. "If you want stories about Heroes, you'll have to find those yourself."
The Princess took a deep breath.
"Noelle… what exactly is the wolf rule?"
Noelle turned a page, then tilted her head slightly.
"It was originally invented because of Ironclaw," she began. "We needed something to keep her beast instincts under control. She was willing to learn anything in exchange for treats."
"So it's not just about… naughty things?" the Princess asked cautiously.
"That depends on what you mean by naughty."
Anabella flushed bright red.
"That's not what I meant. I just… I don't know how to say it without sounding strange. Eris and Andrea… found comfort in each other's arms."
Noelle finally looked up at her and studied her for a moment.
"I don't understand why you're jealous," she said at last. "It's not like they're riding a man's sword."
The Princess's eyes widened.
"I just… I would have preferred if Eris had cried on my chest instead."
Noelle sighed and tried to return to her reading.
"It's a survival instinct among female warriors," she explained. "They survived a life‑and‑death battle where their fate was sealed. When that happens, they release the built‑up tension with someone they respect as a fellow warrior."
"So you're saying… Eris will never choose me?" the Princess asked softly.
"Of course she will," Noelle shrugged. "If you use the Amorcap Elixir."
Anabella stared at her in shock.
"But that would never win her heart!"
Lessons in Strength
Noelle tilted her head as she studied the Princess, then slowly closed the book she had been reading.
"No. To win Eris's heart, you'd have to be at least as strong as Andrea," she said calmly.
The Princess lowered her gaze.
"So I really have no chance?" she asked quietly. "I always thought I had no hope with her because we're both girls. But now that I know Eris… leans that way too… suddenly the obstacles feel even bigger."