"Was that really enough?"
Sitting atop the dragon's back, Jeanne glanced over at Saintess Enya beside her. The young woman was currently patting her own chest with a expression of immense, lingering relief—a far cry from the unyielding, dignified leader she had just portrayed in the camp below.
It was plain to see that the Saintess's actual nervousness ran deep. Her earlier iron fortitude had been drawn almost entirely from having Jeanne by her side.
"Phew... I thought my heart was going to jump straight out of my chest..." Enya squatted on the dragon's back, muttering to herself for a good while.
Her intense anxiety stemmed not only from her brother's intimidating status, but also from years of conditioned submission whenever she faced him. After so long, bowing to his authority had become almost second nature.
"Though... talking to him today didn't feel as terrifying as I remembered," Enya mused aloud, looking back down at the shrinking snowfields.
"What are you mumbling over there all by yourself?" Jeanne leaned closer, watching her with genuine concern. She wanted to make sure she hadn't flown the girl into a breakdown.
"I'm fine, really! No need to worry," Enya caught herself, quickly standing up and waving her hands to reassure Jeanne.
"As for attacking them..." Though the temptation to end the threat right then and there had been strong, Enya shook her head after a moment of quiet reflection. "I want to see what choice he ultimately makes. But if he insists on resolving this through iron and blood, then I must trouble you to lend your strength."
She had not abandoned the option of force entirely; she simply held out hope that Enciodes would make the right choice, rather than piling up more tragic, senseless deaths.
"Now you're actually starting to look like a true Saintess," Jeanne noted, studying Enya's changed posture. "When we first met, you seemed like someone with zero voice in your own home. Turns out taking charge isn't so hard for you after all."
The transformation was striking. People rarely changed so thoroughly overnight. It wasn't merely a shift in perspective—it was almost a total reinvention of character.
Jeanne knew such capability couldn't just materialize out of thin air. Enya had likely possessed these sharp political instincts all along, choosing to keep them hidden until now.
"I always had the capacity," Enya admitted, letting out a soft, helpless sigh. "But given the delicate balance inside Kjerag back then, displaying those talents would have done more harm than good. Especially with Enciodes pushing his radical reforms so aggressively—had I shown my hand earlier, the Vine-Bear Court might not have tolerated my existence."
She shook her head softly. While she had never explicitly hidden her intellect in daily life, few in the clergy had ever paid enough attention to notice.
"Living in the narrow cracks between those forces couldn't have been easy," Jeanne said softly, looking at the young woman. For Enya, the title of Saintess had been less of a divine blessing and more of a heavy chain.
"Easy or hard, we all preserve this realm in our own ways," Enya replied casually. "I was simply playing the role of mediator between them."
Perhaps in years past she had pondered what her life might have been like had she never been chosen as Saintess. But as time wore on, she had adapted to the weight on her shoulders.
"Besides, my efforts weren't entirely in vain," Enya added, a warm smile gracing her lips as she pointed toward the valley below. "Look—even in times as dire as these, there are still people willing to stand by my side and fight for Kjerag."
Jeanne followed her gaze. Down near the outskirts of the settlement, a dense gathering of armed warriors had assembled across the snowbanks. The Paleroches Clan and the Browntail Clan had brought practically every able-bodied fighter they could muster.
Yet among the traditional banners stood an unexpected group: a contingent of loyalist Silverash guards, led directly by Ensia!
Though young Ensia looked visibly nervous standing before the assembled clan forces, her eyes turned bright and resolute the instant she spotted her older sister descending from the sky.
"Your Holiness! How did the meeting go?!" Arctosz called out the moment the dragon touched down.
"Your Holiness, did you see my sister?!" Sciurus rushed forward as well, her face tight with worry. "Is she safe?!"
Both clan representatives let out collective sighs of relief seeing Enya return unharmed, eagerly surrounding her for news from the high camp.
"The situation remains uncertain," Enya reported soberly. "Enciodes did not give a firm pledge to choose peace. Everyone must prepare for the distinct possibility of battle."
The news fell within expectations. No one had truly believed Enciodes would abandon his tactical advantage so easily.
"As for Ratatos, I caught sight of her from a distance," Enya added, turning to Sciurus. "She is being held in a quartered shelter. Her movement is restricted, but she does not appear to be in physical danger. She simply declined to come out and meet us."
Hearing Sciurus's anxious question had reminded Enya that, in her earlier tension, she had forgotten to ask Enciodes directly about Ratatos's status. Luckily, she had managed to spot the Zalak chief through a window, saving her from an embarrassing admission.
"Now, everyone, prepare our defensive lines," Enya instructed, her voice clear and commanding. "Though we hope for a peaceful resolution, we cannot surrender our initiative to the enemy!"
Under Enya's leadership, the combined clan forces set up their defensive array outside the settlement limits—a strategy agreed upon by all parties. They strictly refused to let open battle erupt inside the town itself.
As protectors of Kjeragandr's people, they refused to drag innocent townspeople into the crossfire.
"I leave the perimeter in your capable hands," Enya said, turning toward her younger sister. "I have matters to address with Ensia."
As Enya walked toward the anxious young snow leopard, Valais stepped smoothly up to Jeanne's side, bowing her head in a solemn, formal gesture.
"Lady Jeanne, we are deeply grateful for your assistance," Valais said, her tone grave and sincere. "Would it be possible for your dragon to lend its might to our defensive line if battle erupts? It would prove decisive in turning the tide."
"Your Saintess already asked me the same thing," Jeanne replied casually, leaning against her sword. "I will only step in if full-scale combat becomes unavoidable. The rest is up to your own people."
"That is more than enough," Valais bowed deeply once more. "Thank you."
Meanwhile, Enya had reached Ensia, looking at her younger sister with mixed affection and exasperation. Without warning, she reached out and flicked Ensia lightly on the forehead.
"Ouch! What was that for?!" Ensia rubbed her forehead, looking up with a goofy grin.
"What were you thinking, bringing Silverash house guards all the way here?!" Enya asked anxiously, examining her sister for any signs of harm. "Are you not worried about what might happen to you given your status?!"
"Ehehe... I was worried about you, Sister! I couldn't just sit back while you walked into danger!" Ensia scratched her head, her expression turning surprisingly firm. "Besides, if no one from the Silverash family showed up here, wouldn't people assume our entire house supported brother's coup? I had to stand here as a representative for those of us who still believe in peace!"
Hearing her younger sister speak with such conviction, Enya's lingering worry softened into pride. The snow leopard cub she used to protect had truly grown up.
"You still need to exercise caution," Enya cautioned gently. "Even if you convinced the guards, how on earth did the Black Knight allow you to leave the estate with a armed escort? Did she not attempt to stop you?"
"Ehehe, I anticipated that beforehand!" Ensia puffed out her chest proudly. "So I contacted the Doctor earlier and asked her for a subtle little favor!"
Enya blinked in curiosity, glancing over at the Doctor, who was currently directing workers to pile snow into makeshift earthen ramparts. What kind of favor could the Doctor possibly arrange to hold back a warrior as formidable as the Black Knight?
At that very moment, deep within the Silverash family manor...
Dressed in her casual attire, Degenbrecher stood bare-handed in the central courtyard, her cold, sharp gaze fixed on the intruder blocking her path.
Steam radiated off Blaze's body in waves as the Rhodes Island elite operator rested a massive, whirring chainsaw-sword against her shoulder, grinning fiercely at the former Champion of Laterano.
"I told you before," Blaze smirked, her eyes gleaming with wild excitement as the heated air blurred the space around her. "You and I were destined to have a real fight!"
"Hmph," Degenbrecher replied coldly, rolling her shoulders as she reached for a pair of secondary armaments resting against the wall. Though her body had not fully recovered from her previous injuries, she accepted the challenge without a second of hesitation. "Don't get too arrogant, girl—or you'll be looking for a medic before the snow melts!"