"In charge of the defense this time, are you?" Aris asked Diana with a surprised expression on her face.

Perhaps it wasn't the right time for them to waste time on such matters, as they needed to prepare their defense quickly. However, Aris was also curious why Diana was asking this, as she had never seen her express interest in such matters before.

"Diana, you mentioned something during our sparring this morning that I lack experience in, and I thought... this might be my chance to do it?" Aris said to Diana with determination.

Diana didn't say anything in response, instead she looked at the village defenders still present and gave them loud instructions to start preparing immediately instead of wasting time.

Hearing her instructions, they quickly dispersed to make the necessary preparations, leaving only Aris and Diana in the meeting area.

"It seems that it's just the two of us here, Diana," Aris said in a teasing tone.

"Yes... I'll head to the main point, Diana. You're not leading the defense just for the sake of experience, are you?" Aris asked Diana with confidence.

Diana simply let out a sigh, as she already anticipated that Aris would catch onto her true intentions. Nevertheless, she wanted to know why Aris had asked such a question, as she had never seen her ask for anything like this before.

".... If this is because of a letter from my brother... I don't think we can continue this conversation, Diana," Aris said, picking up two letters from the table and placing her brother's letter back into the envelope.

"Hmm... you're right about that, but that's not the only thing I want~" Diana said, leaning her face closer to Aris.

Aris was taken aback by Diana's actions and took a step back, causing her to laugh. Diana then explained her main reason for wanting to lead the defense this time, not just to gain experience, but also to become the permanent leader in place of Aris.

"Huh?!... Are you just kidding, Diana?... hahaha..." Aris laughed, thinking that Diana's statement was just a joke.

"I'm sorry, this is no joke at all... Aris," Diana said, shaking her head with a serious expression on her face.

The two of them locked eyes, silent for a moment, until Diana broke the tension.

"Aris, how long do you intend to stay here?" Diana asked firmly.

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"......" Aris remained silent, shifting her gaze to the side.

"Besides, you wouldn't have called everyone here if you weren't planning to leave without telling them about this... would you?" Diana said, observing her surroundings.

Although Diana had only been part of the village guardian force for a year, she already knew what was going through Aris' mind. When it came to matters beyond battle, Aris struggled to conceal her feelings and true intentions. It was evident on her face that she wanted to leave but was finding ways to divert her own intentions.

Diana concluded that Aris gathered everyone and shared the letter with them to give herself a reason to stay. By declaring her intention to stay, she would bear the pressure that came with it, effectively abandoning her own dreams.

Aris, hearing her explanation, remained silent. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Diana could read her like an open book.

"And... what about my mother? I can't leave her alone here!" Aris protested, challenging Diana's reasoning.

"Mrs. Aria? I don't think you need to worry that much about your mother, Aris. After all, isn't everything you and your brother know mainly thanks to her?" Diana asked, puzzled by her reluctance.

"I know that, but... I'm sure she still needs me!" Aris said with a determined tone.

"Haah... you're really stubborn," Diana sighed.

As they continued their conversation, someone rushed in.

"Aris! and Diana, we... need you now!" shouted a village defender, stumbling into the meeting room.

Upon hearing this, Diana and Aris exchanged a glance and quickly left the room. Aris asked what was happening, but before she could get an answer, a loud explosion occurred near the main gate.

At the village gate...

"How... how did they reach here?!... Ahhh!" screamed a defender standing near the gate before being killed by a bandit.

"Everyone! take your positions quickly... Ahhh!" Before he could finish his sentence, he met the same fate.

"You dare!... take this!... huh?... Ahhh!!!" Before the bandit could launch his attack, he found his body engulfed in flames.

"Hehehe... futile effort, it seems using these bandits as my puppets was the right move..." spoke a figure in a black cloak controlling the bandit's body like a puppet.

The figure then order a attack on the remaining defenders, who still seemed unprepared to defend themselves. However, their attack was intercepted by someone else.

"Eugh?!" The bandit, devoid of consciousness, watched as a young girl wielding a spear effortlessly dispatched four bandits before turning her attention to him.

"Alright, everyone, Diana has arrived to help!" Diana shouted, striking a pose with the spear resting on her shoulder.

"Everyone! prepare yourselves! I will lead the defense from now on," Diana declared, assuming a stance with her spear and shield.

Though the defenders were still disoriented, they quickly rose to their feet, grabbing their weapons from the ground and forming ranks behind her.

"This is interesting, we have a fascinating guest today..." the figure in the black cloak commented upon seeing Diana's arrival.

At the same time, at the back of the village...

Aris, along with the fewer defenders who were positioned behind the village gate, was visibly concerned about Diana. However, she had other matters to attend to.

"Is everyone ready?" Aris asked the members who were with her.

"We're ready, ma'am!" they all replied.

Aris led the group towards the back gate of the village, where another battle was about to unfold. It was here that Aris would undergo a change of heart...

To be continued.