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A few days later—I had been discharged from the hospital and was riding in a carriage from the royal capital to the town of Rudro, where my home was located.

I had spoken to the Adventurer’s Guild about the “Empire’s Mages.”

I told them that the recent battle had been instigated by the Empire’s mages, and that they were targeting Aine.

However, even though they were called the Empire’s mages—it seemed they weren’t affiliated with the Knight Order maintained by the Empire itself. In other words, while there might be collaborators among the Empire’s knights, it would be difficult to completely uncover their identities through that connection.

Still, I had no intention of pursuing this too deeply. If I were alone, I might be able to march into the Empire and settle things myself… but I have Aine.

If I’m going to protect her, then at least for now, the correct answer would be to stay by her side and not approach the Empire either.

That’s why I canceled several jobs and decided to return home.

Aine, sitting beside me, asked me a question.

“What kind of place is the town where you live, Lynoah?”

“Hmm, well, it’s just an ordinary place. It’s smaller than the royal capital, and there aren’t that many people either.”

“I see… Then why don’t you work in the royal capital?”

“I’m not exactly a workaholic. When an S-rank adventurer is needed… well, it would be something like a national crisis.”

“You say that so casually. Though I hope such things don’t happen very often.”

“Ahaha, at least since I became S-rank, it hasn’t happened all that much. There are other adventurers too. Besides, I didn’t become an adventurer to protect the country. That’s a knight’s job. Right now, I’m here to protect you.”

“…Don’t say such embarrassing things straight to my face.”

At my words, Aine averted her gaze and turned away. When she pointed out it was embarrassing, perhaps it really was. But my feelings for Aine are genuine.

We’ve told each other that we “love” one another, so I have no intention of hiding those feelings.

“It’s fine since I’m telling you the truth.”

“…You really have that side to you, you know. Like you’re naturally oblivious or something…”

“Oblivious?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing. But I don’t intend to just sit here being protected either.”

Aine touched her collar and murmured quietly. Surely she was thinking—if only the collar weren’t there, she could fight properly.

In fact, that’s precisely why she’s being targeted. Without the collar’s risk, Aine could probably fight decently too.

However, I don’t wish for Aine to fight.

“Even when I say I want to protect you, you never quite agree, do you?”

“W-Well, of course. I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Just having you by my side means I’d never think of you as a burden.”

“That’s the kind of thing I’m saying is embarrassing! Geez!”

Aine’s face flushed slightly as she raised her voice. Perhaps I teased her a bit too much… I smiled softly and touched her cheek.

“Sorry, but this is also the truth.”

“…Fine. I’ll forgive you. But you can’t work until that eye heals, okay?”

She must be worried about the eye I still had covered with an eyepatch—I’d already proven I could fight even without both eyes functioning, but Aine was worrying as much as ever.

“In that case, maybe I’ll leave the housework to you.”

“! W-Well, of course I’ll do it. I’ll do anything!”

“You’re really eager to say that… Were you always this domestic?”

“H-How rude… I helped Mother with housework too, so I can do that much.”

“That was quite a long time ago, wasn’t it?”

“I’ve been living alone since I became a knight! Just watch… I’ll show you my housework skills!”

Aine declared this indignantly.

Though I felt some slight anxiety—in the swaying carriage, I headed toward my home together with Aine.

I don’t plan to increase my adventurer work much either. I want to stay by Aine’s side as much as possible and cherish her… that’s how I’m thinking.

To that end, I’ll need to find a way to remove the collar after all. Starting from there—but before that, I’ll savor the happiness of being able to stay by her side now.

Our life together has only just begun.