Chapter 312: Uninvited guests
"I don’t think I even need to say this," Emma murmured as she stood beside William, her head resting gently against his shoulder.
"...but you are not allowed to risk your life."
Her eyes never left the horizon where the newborn sun slowly rose from behind the hills, bathing the world in pale golden light.
William smiled warmly at her words.
"Of course." His voice carried effortless tenderness. "My life belongs to you now." He turned slightly to look at her. "How could I dare risk something that’s yours?"
Emma hummed softly without hesitation.
"The only reason I’m not participating in this is because of the villagers and Nana." Her fingers tightened around his hand. "Protecting them is your responsibility."
Then she looked up at him quietly.
"And my responsibility is protecting you."
William held her hand with the same tenderness he always had.
How many times had he done this already?
He couldn’t remember anymore.
Yet even now, every time he intertwined his fingers with hers and felt the warmth of her delicate hand resting against his own, a familiar heat still rushed through his chest and down his spine.
Ah.
He truly was hopelessly in love with her.
"I understand," he said softly. "At most, it’ll take three hours before I’m standing beside you again." A faint smile touched his lips. "And after that, we’ll move somewhere far away from all this."
Emma had worried about Nana enduring such a long journey, but William had already assured her earlier that he would simply put the little girl to sleep before they traveled.
Aside from that, they had little tying them down here.
Yes, they had settled into this village.
Yes, Emma had slowly begun to know the people living here.
But neither of them had ever learned to grow attached to places or possessions.
Not in the way they were attached to each other.
Nothing else in the world could become irreplaceable to them.
Then William’s gaze shifted toward the distance.
"They’re approaching," he informed calmly.
He slowly exhaled a sigh and stepped forward.
"I’ll go welcome them."
The casual confidence in his tone almost made it sound as though he were speaking about ordinary guests arriving at their doorstep.
But Emma knew better.
She alone understood what kind of monsters were on their way toward this peaceful haven.
And because of that, her grip on his hand tightened ever so slightly before letting go.
No matter how much faith she had in William’s strength...
No matter how flawless the strategy they had prepared seemed...
None of it was enough to truly calm her heart.
Not when the man she loved was about to stand against one of the strongest units in the entire world.
William gently assured her, "I am not going to fight them, Em. Just need to let them know what could happen if they were so eager to provoke me and destroy our peace."
Emma faintly smiled, "So I need to use my best barrier, huh?"
William winked, "Of course, you can expect some heavy fireworks."
....
Kevin was nervous.
And honestly, he had every right to be.
He was one of the seven individuals currently heading toward the village where William and Emma resided.
There was also a secondary unit acting as backup, though they would only reveal themselves if these seven failed.
Of course, if someone managed to defeat the people in this group, the backup force would become meaningless anyway.
After all, the individuals gathered here were monsters in their own right.
Kevin himself was the Apostle of the Angel King.
Beside him walked Astaroth, the commander of the strongest legion on the continent, a man whose very presence carried the weight of countless battlefields.
Then there was the woman renowned as a monstrous prodigy among magicians. Someone who had effortlessly created artifacts influential enough to alter the world itself and climbed to the Third Seat of the Great Hall.
Merlin.
The witch dressed entirely in black, feared as one of the strongest witches alive.
Then came the swordsman trained personally by the former Sword Saint.
A man who had never once been defeated in a battle of blades.
The wielder of the Shadow Blade.
The holder of the Second Seat of the Great Hall.
Lancelot.
And finally...
The man whose very name overshadowed everyone else present.
The one carrying the greatest pedigree among them all.
A young man walked at the front with a golden sword resting at his side, calm and unwavering.
At merely twenty-seven years of age, he had already ascended to the First Seat of the Great Hall.
Arthur.
The Dawnbringer.
The remaining two members were elite warriors personally selected by Astaroth.
Their task was simple.
Protect the civilians.
Everyone here understood just how catastrophic this confrontation could become once it started. And since the people they came to capture had chosen to live among ordinary villagers who had nothing to do with any of this, civilian safety had been made the highest priority.
"Nervous?"
The question came from Kevin’s left.
Merlin.
The ever-smiling witch walked calmly beside him, her dark robes swaying gently with each step.
Kevin let out a quiet breath before answering honestly.
"Well... she’s my friend. And he’s the person she loves." He rubbed the back of his neck lightly. "So naturally, I feel conflicted about all this."
Merlin’s grin widened mischievously.
"Then isn’t this the perfect opportunity for you?" she asked teasingly. "Break their relationship apart and claim your first love afterward."
Kevin could only give a helpless, wry smile.
"Your words can be unbelievably cruel sometimes." He shook his head faintly. "And Emma was once your student too. At least show a little sympathy."
Merlin merely shrugged.
"I’ll admit she’s a brilliant girl." Her smile softened slightly. "But according to what most people believe, she’s simply being forced into hiding alongside William."
Kevin’s brows lifted at that.
"And you don’t believe that?" he asked carefully.
Merlin grinned at him, "Well, we shall find out."
Kevin watched her for a few more moments.
Just then, Arthur came to a sudden halt.
Everyone turned towards the man with confusion written over their faces.
"Arthur?" Lancelot asked, "Is there something wrong?"
The man’s eyes narrowed as he muttered, "We are being watched."
Everyone instantly went on alert, inspecting the area, guards held high and ready to charge any moment.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice resounded, saving them from needless efforts.
"I didn’t imagine I would be attending guests this early in the morning."
Every single pair of eyes turned in the same direction at the same time.
The same spot which was empty until now held a specific person.
A young man in his early adulthood.
Platinum golden hair as if reflecting sunlight.
Blood red eyes that could pierce through one’s skin and peek at their soul.
And a presence so dim that if not looking at the person specifically, one surely would miss noticing him
There stood their target. The subject of countless debates and speculations.
The one they came to suppress and take back.
The first one to move was Lancelot.
The same man who once showed trust and confidence in William.
Taking out his sword, Lancelot said, "First and last warning, William. Surrender and we would leave with you in silence."
William faintly smiled.
Silence, huh? He loved peace and silence.
But right now?
He was eager for some chaos.
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
