CHAPTER 230: WAR [7]

Alice wanted to save everyone—and that was the right thing to do.

It was, after all, the reason we were here in the first place.

That’s why we infiltrated the enemy base.

...but just because we had taken care of the Ravran demon tribe here didn’t mean the danger was gone. If anything, it was only beginning.

There had to be a trap somewhere.

Normally, a servant couldn’t disobey their master. But considering the situation, I was willing to bend that rule.

So, I stepped forward before Alice, blocking her path.

"Julies, what’s the matter? Is there a problem?"

"There are no more Ravrans to deal with," I replied quietly, scanning the dimly lit tent. "But that doesn’t mean we’re safe yet."

I pushed aside the heavy flap and stepped inside, with Alice following right behind me.

Inside, a group of people lay bound and unconscious, their breaths shallow, their faces pale. The air smelled faintly of blood and smoke.

Alice’s eyes widened as she spotted two figures lying at the front. She rushed toward them, her voice trembling slightly.

"Marc, Nazar!"

I raised a brow. "You know them?"

"They’re part of the guerrilla unit," she said, kneeling beside them. "I sparred with them when I was young."

It was rare—almost unheard of—for a noble to remember the names of ordinary soldiers, especially from just one training session.

Even now, she looked at them with genuine concern, checking their pulses, inspecting their wounds.

"Fortunately," she murmured, "neither of them seems seriously injured. We should get them medical support quickly."

I placed a hand on my sword hilt. "Wait, my lady. Please rest easy. I’ll carry them."

She looked up at me, puzzled. "You’re going to carry both at once?"

I met her gaze. "It’s inefficient, I know. But there’s no time to waste."

The truth was, I didn’t want her touching anything—or anyone—in this place until I was certain it was safe.

As I crouched beside the unconscious soldiers, something cold brushed against my spine. A faint, crawling sensation, like eyes watching from the shadows.

Then it appeared.

[Alice’s Demise Progress]

[35% → 37%]

A chill ran down my spine as the system notification blinked before my eyes.

A bad omen.

The closer she got to saving others, the closer death crept toward her.

I clenched my fists, forcing down the dread rising in my chest.

’It’s not over yet. Whatever’s waiting for us in this tent—it’s not done with her.’

The danger was still here, unseen but breathing down our necks. I could feel it, like the air before a storm.

"Anyway," I said, breaking the uneasy silence, "there are others here who need help. It’s not like you’ll only make one or two trips. I’ll handle things on my side."

Alice turned toward me, her silver hair catching the faint glow of the lantern light. "No, leave tasks like that to me. You should focus on protecting everyone from any remaining Ravran stragglers that might appear."

I could see she meant it—her sense of duty always came first, no matter how reckless it made her.

"...I could take the support role," I countered, "and you could cover me instead."

My voice came out calm, steady. But inside, I was desperate. I couldn’t let her be in front again. Not with that damn percentage ticking up.

She studied me for a moment before a soft, knowing smile curved her lips. "Ha-ha, alright. I’ll make sure not a single hair on your head is touched."

Her confidence would’ve been reassuring if it didn’t make me want to scream.

"Then I’m in your debt," I replied with a wry smile, hiding the turmoil clawing at me.

"Don’t worry," she said, tightening her grip on her sword. "My tactical sense may still be developing, but I’m not blind to our situation."

I wanted to believe her. I really did.

Alice rose to her feet, brushing the dust from her knees. Her eyes glimmered with determination beneath the flickering light of the tent’s lanterns.

"You think I’m walking into danger without realizing it, don’t you?" she asked softly, her tone almost teasing.

I didn’t respond immediately. I was too busy scanning the surroundings—the shadows near the tent poles, the gaps between the crates, the subtle, almost imperceptible flicker of mana in the air. Something here was wrong.

When I finally spoke, my voice came out low. "You realize it, yes. But you underestimate it. That’s the difference."

She turned her head slightly, meeting my gaze. "You make it sound like I have no sense of self-preservation."

"Because you don’t," I said bluntly.

That earned me a faint smile. "You’ve gotten bolder lately."

I exhaled through my nose. "Someone has to be. Every time you say ’I’ll protect everyone,’ it’s like you forget there’s someone who’s supposed to protect you."

Her expression softened at that. The kind of softness that made me regret saying it—but not enough to take it back.

"...Julies," she said after a pause, "do you really think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been lately? The way you step ahead of me before every doorway. The way your hand hovers over your sword even when it’s quiet."

"I’m doing my job," I replied.

She shook her head. "No. You’re doing more than that. You’re treating me like I’m about to break."

I didn’t answer. Because she was right.

If she knew what that glowing system message meant—if she knew that every time she tried to save someone, it brought her closer to death—she’d hate me for keeping it secret.

But I couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not until I found a way to stop it.

"I’ll be fine, Julies," she said gently, as if reading my silence. "I’m not some fragile noble girl who can’t handle a battlefield."

"Maybe not," I said, "but even the strongest people die when they stop being careful."

She tilted her head, her silver hair swaying. "And you think I’ve stopped being careful?"

"...I think you’re too willing to trade your life for others."

For a moment, her eyes flickered—just a hint of guilt, or maybe sorrow. Then she smiled again, small and wistful.

"If someone has to pay the price, then let it be me."

My hand tightened into a fist. "That’s not noble—it’s stupid."

Her smile deepened, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "Maybe. But if stupidity can save someone, I can live with that."

"...No," I muttered under my breath, "you can’t live with that."

Without wating for her response, I turned and walked towards prisoner’s and slumped prisoner’s body back up to my shoulders.

Then a new system notification appeared.

[Alice’s Demise Progress]

[35% → 33%]