Gwen walked through the main gate with her head down, looking anxious and unsure.

Lost in thought, she bumped into a soft body.

Gwen paused for a moment, then looked up.

"Sis... Sister!?"

"Long time no see, little Gwen~"

The smiling woman in front of her was her elder sister—Kevla Delin.

She was a different kind of beauty from Gwen, with light purple long hair, delicate features, red lips and white teeth. Her eyes sparkled, and every gesture exuded elegance and nobility.

She was as graceful and noble as a violet.

Gwen's impression of her elder sister was still stuck in the past.

Back then, Kevla's hair was the same silver-white as hers.

'Did she dye her hair?' Gwen wondered curiously.

But undeniably, having stayed with the family for so many years, the relationship between the sisters was very close.

Even after not seeing each other for a long time, Gwen couldn't hide her delight.

Her face beamed with a smile, her demeanor completely different from moments ago.

"Seeing your sister, don't you want to give me a hug?" Kevla said with a smile, extending her arms.

Like the bright moon at night, anyone who saw her would feel drawn to her.

Gwen nodded with a blush and gave her sister a big hug.

At this moment, Kevla, still smiling, asked:

"I just heard from the servants that you came back in someone else's carriage. Who was that?"

"Sis... Sister!" Gwen stomped her foot, looking annoyed.

Seeing her like this, Kevla nodded as if she knew everything.

"Mm-hmm, you don't need to tell me, I already know. That was Viktor, right?"

Gwen lowered her head, not saying a word.

Her mind was in a bit of a muddle. She had just understood Viktor's feelings, and now her sister, whom she hadn't seen in years, suddenly appeared to tease her.

What was going on today?

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Viktor in a long time either. I wonder if he's still that arrogant."

"Should we find some time to pay him a visit?"

As Kevla Used to herself, Gwen turned her head, curious, and asked:

"Sister, why did you come to the capital?"

"Oh? Of course, it's because I missed my adorable little sister~"

Kevla pulled Gwen into her arms and ruffled her hair. Gwen pushed her away, a bit annoyed.

"You know I can tell the truth from lies."

"Well, I guess I can't fool you after all."

"Using your ability on family, how heartless. Little Gwen has learned some bad habits."

Kevla stuck out her tongue, then became serious.

"Although I was planning to come to the capital anyway, I heard from a friend that something happened here recently, so I came earlier."

"Are you alright?"

Gwen shook her head and said:

"Those most affected were mainly Duke Levi and Viktor."

Kevla tilted her head, a clear look of confusion flashing in her eyes.

"Hm? Why would Viktor be involved with Duke Levi?"

Gwen chose her words carefully and told Kevla about everything that had happened recently.

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...

"What, what!? A volcano almost erupted? And there was a volcano god hidden under the mountain? That monster was actually defeated by Viktor?"

"Damn, if I didn't have family matters to attend to, I would have loved to be part of such an exciting event!"

"Next time, you must call me if something like this happens!"

Listening to Gwen's account, Kevla's eyes sparkled with excitement.

She bit her lip, clearly disappointed about not being involved in this incident.

Gwen saw this and felt a bit helpless.

"Sister, how could something like that happen again?"

"Even if it did, I wouldn't want to experience it again."

Kevla spoke in a mature tone, seriously educating her:

"You don't understand, Gwen. This is a rare adventure."

"Although the risks are high, it also comes with opportunities."

Hearing Kevla's words, Gwen was slightly stunned, suddenly remembering Viktor's powerful performance and strong abilities in the palace today.

"...Opportunities?"

"Yes, opportunities."

Kevla crossed her arms and nodded seriously, saying: "If you want to become stronger, relying solely on training, I can't say it's unrealistic, but slow progress can easily discourage people."

"I'm not worried about you giving up though..."

Kevla said something more, but Gwen wasn't listening anymore.

Could it be that Viktor suddenly became so strong because he also gained some rare opportunity?

Lost in thought, Kevla's voice reached her ears.

"So, the Duke stopped the war magic for his daughter's sake... Maybe I should thank him."

Gwen was a bit confused. From the empire's perspective, if the volcano had erupted, the damage would have been unimaginable.

This was only under the premise that Viktor succeeded, but what if he had failed?

Shouldn't her sister be thinking about the family's interests and the capital's benefits?

Kevla saw through Gwen's thoughts, sighed, and lightly hit Gwen's head with her fist.

Gwen winced in pain, holding her head as a few unwilling tears escaped.

"Sis, don't you know your own strength?"

"Sorry, sorry, your sister just couldn't help it."

Kevla then affectionately rubbed Gwen's head to comfort her:

"But think about it, you were also on the mountain at that time. If the Duke had released the war magic..."

"How would I face your grave afterwards?"

Gwen was stunned; she had never thought about this question.

At that time, not only was Erica on the mountaintop.

She, who had gone to chase Erica, was also there.

Just as Kevla said.

Fortunately, the magic array was led by the Duke, and he stopped the war magic.

If the magic had been released, she wouldn't have been able to escape unharmed either.

At this moment, Gwen thought of Viktor's words again.

He had defeated the volcano god for her sake.

Even when she didn't know about the situation herself.

"Viktor... really saved me..."

Gwen's heart became increasingly confused, and she began to lose track of her own feelings, her expression growing more complex.

"What's wrong? Thinking about something?"

Kevla looked at Gwen with a smile, her gaze sweeping back and forth over Gwen's head.

Hmm... She shouldn't have used too much force, right?

She shouldn't be injured.

Gwen shook her head. Since she had accepted someone's kindness, there was no reason not to repay it.

Having figured everything out, she wasn't as conflicted anymore.

Kevla nodded with a smile, then suddenly said as if she had thought of something:

"Ah! Since little Gwen hasn't taken off her armor yet, do you want to spar with your sister for a bit? We haven't crossed swords in so many years!"

Gwen looked at Kevla with surprise, some doubt, and a bit of reluctance.

"Sister? You?"

Before she could say anything more, Kevla grabbed Gwen's hand and headed towards the training ground.

"Come on, come on! Let's go to the training ground!"

"Don't we need to wear protective gear?"

"No need, no need!"

...

"Huff, huff..."

Gwen knelt on one knee, barely supporting herself with a sword to avoid collapsing completely.

She was drenched in sweat, her stamina almost exhausted.

In contrast, Kevla is on the opposite side.

She held only a standard knight's sword and wore no protective gear at all.

Yet, she looked completely relaxed, as if she hadn't exerted herself at all.

Kevla stretched lazily, sheathed the knight's sword, and hung it back on the wall.

"Mm~ha! It's been so long since I've had such a good workout! That felt great~"

Gwen struggled to stand up and suddenly asked:

"Sister, why did you choose to give up the path of a knight?"

"Hm?"

Kevla turned her head, one hand on her chin, as if thinking carefully.

"I suppose it was out of necessity."

"After all, the family needed my talents."

Gwen's heart sank.

Her sister, Kevla Delin.

As the eldest daughter of the family, she was gifted and powerful. Even ten years ago, she already possessed strength comparable to the captain of the royal knights.

However, her sister gave up martial arts.

She started anew with politics as her goal, constantly learning social skills and navigating the political world.

This was also a kind of helplessness.

As the Delin family, with significant influence in the empire's military affairs, they needed a leader who could stand firm in the political arena and guide the family to avoid crises.

Even though their father had disciples all over the world, there were still people who saw the Delin family as a thorn in their side.

And Kevla was cheerful, emotionally intelligent, and socially adept—a beautiful woman loved by all.

She was practically the opposite example of Viktor.

So, Kevla Delin put down her beloved weapons and became a sacrifice for the family's sake.

Beneath her cheerful exterior, perhaps she hid unspeakable pain.

"But something's not quite right, little Gwen."

Suddenly, her sister's voice pulled Gwen back from her thoughts.

She blinked, somewhat confused.

Kevla looked at her and said with concern:

"To be honest, one of the reasons I came to the capital this time was because I was curious about your strength."

"You... don't seem to have made much progress at all."

Hearing her sister say this, Gwen gripped her sword tightly.

She indeed couldn't defeat her elder sister, even though her sister had given up the path of knighthood many years ago.

But if someone said her strength hadn't improved in recent years, she couldn't accept that.

Kevla suddenly said:

"This won't do, little Gwen. If this continues, Father might very well call you back home for intensive training. What should we do?"

Pretending to look troubled, Kevla's eyes darted around, constantly observing Gwen's expression.

"I've got it!"

Gwen looked up at Kevla.

Kevla, as if she had thought of a perfect solution, said:

"Why don't you quickly find a good day and marry Viktor right away!"

"That way, Father will definitely allow you to stay here!"

Gwen blinked.

"Huh?"