“Mm-hmm, here we go!”

With a cute cheer, Ray readjusted the large backpack on her back.

—Second Princess Raymira Rii Arceus.

The princess who suddenly decided to accompany me.

She wore a deep hat and lightweight clothing, but it was immediately clear that she was beautiful. Currently, her hair was tied back, but as the ‘Second Princess,’ she usually wore her long hair down and carried out her public duties with a dignified attitude. That gap still stuck in my memory.

“…So?”

Ray turned her attention to the corpse of the Black Grizzly again. Surrounding it was the scorched earth I had inadvertently burned.

“So… how did you do this?”

“………”

I took a few seconds to think and then answered briefly.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“I’m serious. I just kind of waved my hand, and this happened.”

“Waved your hand, you say…”

Ray, unusually, looked at me with an exasperated expression.

“This… looks like the aftermath of an S-rank monster rampaging… Everyone’s going to be surprised.”

“Re… really?”

“Really! It’s almost impossible to cause such a massive explosion with magic!”

No, no.

That’s a bit much.

I’d only ever focused on the way of the sword, so I had no idea about magic’s common sense.

By the way, designated ‘S’ refers to a ranking system for monster strength.

The lowest rank is E, and the highest is S.

Once the rank reaches B or higher, the danger level increases drastically.

Monsters ranked A or higher are considered catastrophic.

Just existing is enough to cause natural disasters, threatening the destruction of cities, villages, and even entire countries.

The fact that my magic was on par with a designated ‘S’ monster… that was way too much of a stretch.

“Arios… could it be your skill is ridiculously strong?”

“Stronger than that ‘Sword Saint’?” I laughed. “No way, not that much.”

She was probably just being considerate.

After all, I had been exiled from my family for not gaining the Sword Saint’s skill, and she was likely trying to be kind about it.

That little girl who used to be so small… she’s grown into quite the person.

“Wh… why are you looking at me? Is something on my face?”

The princess blushed as she spoke.

“Oh.”

This was bad.

I had been so impressed that I had stared a little too long.

“Sorry. It’s nothing.”

If everything went smoothly, I was supposed to serve as Ray’s bodyguard.

As the proud heir of the Macba family, I was determined to fulfill that duty.

It might be a bit presumptuous of me, but… at least until she returns to the castle, I want to be a proper ‘bodyguard.’

Well, without a doubt, that orphan—Dudley—would end up taking my job.

“Oh! That’s right!”

Ray clapped her hands together as though she just remembered something.

“I’ve been improving my skills little by little. So, when it comes to combat, you can rely on me!”

“Ah… weren’t you a ‘Holy Mage’?”

“Yes! I trained with my brothers in the castle!”

A Holy Mage.

Among the mages living in the Arceus Kingdom, it’s a high-level attribute that only a few percent can use. Since it allows the user to cast stronger spells than other attributes, it becomes a significant force in combat.

Ray’s birthday was a little before mine.

She received her skill on her 18th birthday and had probably been honing it ever since.

“Got it. If the time comes, I’ll see that skill of yours in action.”

“Yeah, yeah! Make sure to watch carefully!”