We moved as fast as possible through the corridors. At last, we reached an underground chamber where the family’s private teleportation platform is located. It’s as powerful as the strongest one available to the public. We didn’t use it earlier because it’s reserved for emergencies like this—according to Tiani, the cost of using it is double.

  Seeing Brendu and Tiani so quiet makes me a little nervous. Even my mind begins to wander. Did I do the right thing by rejecting the marquis’s help? He made it sound like something I could handle, but the crown prince still sent a Diamond rank as a guardian and support. Am I overestimating myself? What happens if I fail to stop the stampede? We’ll lose many people and territory for having refused the help.

  I feel Brendu’s hand wrap around mine just one step before the platform, and she jumps toward the Solar barony. “Everything will be fine… you always find a way to solve things, and if it gets complicated, Tiani will help you.” Her words calm me a lot—she read my state of mind perfectly.

  “Young Maki, my priority is Brendu’s safety. If ending the stampede is the way to keep her safe, don’t hesitate to ask me.” Tiani’s soft, calm voice finishes dispersing my unnecessary thoughts.

  My resolve hardens. I can’t fail. No—I won’t fail. I mentally slap myself and shake my head, forcing myself to think more positively. The marquis must be in a very complicated situation to ask me directly. He would’ve sent support without hesitation otherwise; the issue with Duke Dalam must have intensified at the border.

  As far as I remember, there were two heirs. The one most likely to win is said to be unstable, and there were rumors of a possible separation from the Empire in an act of rebellion. He planned to proclaim his territory a kingdom, and if the Empire didn’t accept this act of rebellion, he intended to launch an attack to prove his worth. It’s bad luck that the Marquisate shares a border with that Duchy. Julio can’t keep more troops stationed in cities near the border if something happens.

  They’re all assumptions and rumors from people in that territory. No one really knows if that future heir is actually insane. His brother—the biggest competitor for the throne—could’ve spread that rumor to undermine him. The real situation isn’t clear. Damn lunatics—solve your problems without dragging other people into them.

  I’m sure someone else must be backing them from the shadows. A Duchy doesn’t have the strength to invade a large territory; at most, it could go after weaker counties, and there aren’t any nearby. If all those rumors are real, someone or something must be supporting them to give them the courage to try.

  Finally, the portal is calibrated. We all step onto it. I feel the environment around us transform, spatial mana becoming easier and easier to sense. I’m still a chick when it comes to this affinity, but at least this chick already knows how to run.

  My vision goes dark, and a second later we’re somewhere else. The sensation of being unable to see for a moment while my eyes adjust to the light is awful. Thankfully, I have my Personal World for situations like this. A guard is already in the room with us. I should thank the royal family again for this lift—I don’t know how many resources a trip this long consumes, but one thing is certain: it isn’t cheap.

  “Follow that path to the nearest emergency exit.” The guard must know our identities and the situation. He’s been bowing from the start and hasn’t looked at us.

  We thank him and rush off in that direction. We have several hours before the stampede arrives; if we move at full speed, we’ll arrive while everyone is still preparing. “Ready, Brendu?” I ask the princess, a bit nervous. We had already agreed to fly to get there as quickly as possible.

  Tiani will carry Brendu. That way I can focus on going faster, and it won’t be a problem for a Diamond-rank woman to keep up with me. Her mere presence should drive away any foolish monsters—the smarter ones will understand they’ll die if they get close, and the weaker ones won’t be able to keep up.

  “Yes, let’s go.” She looks at Tiani; her guardian nods, and we all rise. I’ve come to Marril City by carriage several times—I’m confident I won’t get lost.

  We shoot forward at full speed. We have to arrive before the catastrophe. I can’t wait to see my family’s faces when they see me. They don’t know I’m on my way. I’m coming, family! The territory’s salvation is on the way!

  Rita’s point of view:

  My head hurts from spending so many hours thinking of solutions to this new, massive problem. I gently rub my forehead to avoid a migraine. Why now? Why does a damned stampede have to happen at this time of year?

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  We’ve accumulated many merits. Our villages have grown exponentially—one or two of them could be declared cities soon. If we can’t control this, all our efforts will go down the drain. The last few years of my family’s work will have been for nothing.

  The only positive thing in this whole mess is the potential gains if we can control the situation. The merits for stopping a large stampede of Grade 3 and 4 monsters could be the final push to receive a promotion on the noble ladder. We could become a barony if we don’t request help.

  A smile forms at the current situation. No one in this room wants to risk people’s lives and throw our efforts to hell just for a push to rank up. Everyone understands that life comes first, and merits can be earned over time without putting our villagers at risk.

  We already requested help from the marquis. His response arrived quite quickly and confirmed the dispatch of reinforcements to suppress the stampede. Four or five more Ruby ranks should be enough. Truthfully, we could handle it ourselves if we gathered all our offensive power—but that would leave other places unprotected. We’re all afraid of another possible attack.

  It’s bullshit. No matter how much we’ve worked, there are still situations where we’re completely useless. Thanks to that little monster, we’ve gathered several strong fighters—especially that group called Owl. Their leader recently reached Ruby rank, and now they’re an essential force in the territory.

  Another strong prospect arrived a few days ago. His name is Dand. The boy has a future ahead of him—he should reach Ruby rank in a few years. He has a strong affection for Maki; it borders on fanaticism. My grandson sometimes meets strange people, but at least they have good hearts.

  “If only three Ruby ranks arrive, we need to think about who will go with them. We already know the situation between the marquisate and the duchy—we can’t expect much help.” My daughter-in-law lets out a tired sigh; worry is clear on her face.

  “If you allow me to go, I will.” Joaki, the leader of the Owls, raises his hand. He’s always the first to volunteer when something is risky. Celes accepts, albeit reluctantly. Joaki has become the one in charge of all the city’s guards; his leadership ability is strong. No one wants to lose him. In a short time, this young man has earned the chance to be promoted to knight when the territory ranks up.

  “I’ll go too—I want to stretch my body a bit.” Patt Zumis raises his hand. Everyone looks at him with exasperation. This musclehead always wants to fight. We’ve kept him behind a desk for a long time. He’s technically in charge of all of Puntsal—we can’t risk losing him today.

  My son is about to give his opinion when my daughter-in-law smacks the back of his head. Everyone in this room knows him—he’s a musclehead just like Patt.

  “I understand you don’t want to let me go, but there aren’t many options. You’re the pillars of this territory—losing some of you would be irreparable. Don’t forget, the more Ruby ranks we send, the fewer Sapphire ranks have to be on the front lines.” I regret a bit having trained him to speak so well in every situation. He’s right.

  No matter how strong you are, a single mistake can lead to death on these battlefields—especially when almost no one has a life affinity to recover. Patt is right about that. Sapphire-rank soldiers are the most likely to die, because there are many Grade 4 monsters involved.

  He’s partially right that if any of the three die, it would be a catastrophe for the town. He’s only wrong about one thing: I’ve already fulfilled my role in this society. If I annihilate most of the monsters and die in the process, there won’t be many losses. They’ve all already learned how to run a territory—they’ll manage even without me.

  “I volunteer. If someone has to go into the wolf’s mouth, it should be me.” Everyone turns to look at me. I raise my hand, not giving them a chance to speak. “I’ve already decided. I won’t listen to anyone, and I won’t change my mind.” I can endure everyone’s gaze—except Sers’s. His eyes reflect deep sadness. He understands me, and that hurts even more.

  The air around us is refreshing. Our table of nine people is set on the outskirts of the town of Mancor. The wind feels a bit colder than usual. Sometimes I wonder where that idiot of a husband of mine is.

  Why does he remain secluded? Who knows where that idiot has gone. His strength would help us a lot in situations like this. He must still be lamenting what happened with our other son, still searching for some solution.

  “Don’t make hasty decisions. If the marquis’s reinforcements arrive, we’ll have a chance to overcome this problem without sacrifices.” My daughter-in-law looks straight into my eyes. She’s right—this woman is very strong mentally. I still don’t understand how my foolish son managed to win her over.

  As my daughter-in-law finishes speaking, something feels different around us. In less than a blink, three figures appear above us. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t sense them at all. Their speed isn’t normal—by the time I realized it, they were already in front of us.

  “No one has to sacrifice themselves. The reinforcements have arrived.” That voice… Maki? I look up. Three meters above us, my grandson is floating there with a smile. Are these the reinforcements? Maki? Thousands of scenarios flash through my mind in less than a second, and in none of them do I see this monster losing to monsters only one rank above him. The territory has received a hero.

  It’s not just him. A powerful woman stands at his side. From her overwhelming presence, I can tell she’s Diamond rank. The other is a beautiful blonde girl—an impressive beauty, on the level of Marga, Arisa, or Sol. This young woman carries even more presence and maturity in her eyes. Wait… I know who she is. I look at my grandson—he winks at me, and I smile.

  That finally calms my racing heart. If those two people are the reinforcements, we’ve won in every possible scenario. The help doesn’t count as external, because Maki belongs to our territory, and the princess’s guardian doesn’t belong to the Empire.

  “Welcome, hero.” I’m the first to speak. Everyone else remains frozen by the sudden appearance.