“Sir Walm, thank goodness you are safe!”

“The journey was harsh, but we managed somehow. Justan, come here. It’s Moritz.”

“Good to see you made it. What’s the situation like?”

“Not favorable. They seized the initiative with surprise attacks and pre-emptive strikes. The Crest Kingdom army has reached the outer defensive line of the Zerebes Mountains. All external supply and communication routes, except the waterways, have been cut off.”

Fragments of conversation drifted through the wall. They made one thing unmistakably clear. The war between nations had begun again. Even though she was one of those involved, Ayane couldn’t grasp the reality of it. It felt like distant information of something unrelated, like voices coming from a radio.

“…So we just barely made it.”

“Yes, exactly. Aside from the withdrawal route at Cape Gala, where Lord Friug’s company is pulling back, all six passes of Zerebes are completely sealed.”

“If we’d been any later, we would’ve been caught in the blockade.”

While slipping through the surveillance net and crossing enemy territory, Ayane had been in a constant state of extreme tension. She could barely keep up, clinging on for support. There had been no time to think about anything beyond the next step. The moment she set foot on Selta soil and finally breathed out in relief, everything changed.

Now idleness was pure poison for Ayane. Her thoughts spiraled into dead ends, dragging her into a bottomless swamp of memories. Small choices, casual conversations, things that could never be undone… she found herself regretting them over and over again.

Even her happy memories began to look distorted. If only this were a dream, how much better that would be… But the naked killing intent from her best friend in the mining town, and the brutal battle at Eskish Fortress, were undeniable reality. The pain gnawing at her heart was real.

“…It really is real…”

Returning to Selta turned her worst fears into certainty. A full-scale war was now unavoidable. No, it had already begun, breaking out everywhere. What should she do? Heal people again? And then again in the next war? There was no end in sight. Her gaze naturally fell downward. There was no way she could bring herself to look ahead.

As Ayane clenched her teeth, a shadow fell over her. Looking up, she saw Maya, who had shared her days until now. Sitting down and hugging her knees, Maya met the eyes of the healer who remained seated on the ground.

“Are you grieving over Lady Makoto… or the fact that war has begun?”

“…Both.”

Like tangled threads, the two tragedies intertwined, wrapping tightly around Ayane’s heart, shaking even her beliefs.

“What Makoto did, someone I lived next to every day… and the reckless actions of my homeland… they were both hard to accept. To be honest… I still haven’t fully come to terms with either.”

For Ayane, the Crest kingdom was the place that had taken her in when she first wandered into this other world, an irreplaceable home. Anyone in her position would feel the same. And then she realized. For Maya, who was born in Crest, her attachment and values toward her homeland must run even deeper.

“Um… Maya, I…”

Foolishly, Ayane had been so consumed with her own problems. Was she going to repeat the same mistake she made with Makoto? As she struggled to find words, Maya smiled gently. Then, softening her tone slightly, she spoke.

“This might sound cheap… but I think of you as my little sister.”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden confession, Ayane froze. Maya returned to her usual tone and continued.

“It’s a bit of a story, but… I’m a war orphan. I don’t have a family. I grew up in a church orphanage, and when they recognized my skill for magic, I became an assistant healer in the Crest army… because that was how I could survive.”

Despite her confusion, Ayane listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word.

“I never had any noble desires like wanting to save people or be useful. My life was colorless, tasteless… just going along with what I was told. Even when I was assigned to assist you…”

She paused briefly.

“But as I spent time with you, in Crest and in Mayard… I started to think, if I had a family, if I had a little sister, maybe it would feel like this. Hehe… even though I’ve never actually had one. For me… you’re someone I want to keep living alongside. I don’t know what’s right. But all we can do is struggle, hesitate, and live as best as we can. So… let’s keep living. Let’s do our best.”

The warmth in her eyes softened the trembling anxiety and loneliness within Ayane.

“…Yeah.”

It was a short reply but the meaning and emotion behind it spoke volumes. Maya smiled, then glanced toward the open door and spoke out.

“The person who’s eavesdropping over there thinks so too, right?”

Caught completely off guard, the one hurriedly trying to step away from the half-open door was none other than the battle-hardened imperial knight. His flustered movements were almost comical, so unlike his usual dependable self. It made Ayane’s lips curl into a smile.

“…Hehe. Yeah, I guess so.”

Her mood was still heavy, and fear and uncertainty about tomorrow remained. Still, she had found the resolve to move forward, even if it meant groping through the darkness.

“Walm?”

“…Yes?”

The imperial knight tried to sound calm, but his voice was slightly higher than usual. It was a habit he had when trying to hide something. After spending so much time with him, Ayane had come to recognize it.

This person was frighteningly good at suppressing and masking himself. Just as Maya had done for her, Ayane looked directly into his eyes and declared.

“There are so many painful things, but I don’t want to give up. Let’s live, truly live, in this world, with everything we have.”

“…I see. Yeah… you’re right. I’ll… keep living too.”

It was awkward, but Walm smiled. Ayane felt a small weight lift from her shoulders.

“We need to get to the frontline infirmary. There are injured people who need help.”

Among the soldiers and civilians who had fled the provisional border zone, there were many injured. Even now, people were wounded along the retreat route at Cape Gala. Some would likely die before even reaching the treatment facilities in the naval port city of Anxio. Ayane had already resolved herself to take up her post at the frontline field hospital, as requested.

“Lady Ayane, Lady Maya… are we being left out here?”

“Truly, a grave injustice.”

“Hey you idiots! Let go of me! Stop crowding the doorway, it’s narrow!”

The ones grumbling like restless spirits were Justan, along with the escorts and the liaison officer Moritz. They were now bickering among themselves, trying to shove the imperial knight out of Ayane’s line of sight.

“Hehe… I just… don’t want anyone to die.”

Mixing her true feelings into a quiet laugh so no one would notice, Ayane let the words slip. It would be easy to give up, to be crushed by this unwanted reality. And maybe, at times, she would falter. Even so, as long as people lived, they had to keep fighting.

With that resolve in her heart, Ayane began moving forward once more, determined to see everyone around her live on.

Translator – Lyxxna