Becoming a wet nurse is not the end of the story.

"Aria, you've been playing outside, why are you still wearing all that armor?"

"Yukine, you are mine now..."

Because Lin Xueyin was leaning on her shoulder, she could clearly feel the warm, fragrant scent sprayed on her cheek, which made her extremely nervous.

“Aria, we’ve known each other for a long time, haven’t we? Ever since I came out of the forest.”

"Yes, it's been a long time." As if lost in memories, Aria looked at the azure sky and suddenly realized how fast time really flies. The little priest who followed her out of the forest back then has now become someone she looks up to.

"I really miss those days, when there was no backstabbing or intrigue. Although there were unpleasant moments, they passed quickly. But everything changed once we came to the capital."

Sensing the other person pause slightly, Lin Xueyin continued, "My friend from back then, why have you grown up so much today, Ailiya? You know, you're not good at lying."

"Yukine, I..."

"Tell me, why did you rush to become my guardian knight? There must be a reason for your actions, right?"

Staring intently at the girl whose eyes were darting around, how could Lin Xueyin not be suspicious that the fearless girl from before would have such an expression now?

“Aria, I think you never expected me to agree from the beginning. When you did it, you probably already planned that if I refused you even slightly because of our relationship, you would leave. Then, all the problems would fall on you.”

Looking at her stiff body, Lin Xueyin understood perfectly well that this woman had been determined from the very beginning to ruin her own future rather than become her guardian knight.

"Tell me what happened. I don't believe you would make this choice for no reason."

"The orc chieftain has been assassinated."

"Huh? Assassinated?" Lin Xueyin suddenly thought of the demon assassin in the underground prison, the ghostly, ever-present assassin.

"How did you find out about this?" Shouldn't this kind of thing be kept secret? Why is it being publicized so widely?

Lin Xueyin was somewhat confused about this matter. It seemed that such a thing could be kept secret and a new chieftain could be elected. How did it escalate to the human empire?

"The new chieftain is... the same orc prince from before."

"Huh? No way, how is that possible? That prince even interrupted something that symbolizes honor, and he can still become a chieftain? When did the orcs start to disregard their honor like that?"

If the first piece of news surprised Lin Xueyin, then the second piece of news left her in disbelief. That prince was the one who had wiped out most of the beastmen's soldiers—how could this be...?

"Although it's hard to believe, we did receive this news, and Prince Ikux returned to the palace because of it."

"Emmm, so they're worried that the beastmen will send troops to attack us again?" Lin Xueyin shook her head as soon as she finished speaking. The beastmen had suffered a major defeat before, and it would take them several years to recover. How could they possibly send troops again?

Lin Xueyin didn't quite understand why the Empire would make Aria do such a thing, but she could understand Aria's current pain.

"Alright, they were coming for me anyway, whether you were here or not. Maybe it's safer with you by my side."

A warm smile, a gentle tone, and Lin Xueyin's forgiving words touched Ailiya's heart. She could no longer resist pulling Lin Xueyin into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yukine, I'm so sorry..."

Um, if you could take off this armor and hug me like this, I might be very happy, but right now, all I feel when you hug me like this is pain.

An arrow shot and killed a deer-like animal on the ground. Orichils watched from afar, his worried gaze falling on the girl who was patting the girl's back.

A light dust rose from the ground, its wings gradually folded, and it slowly landed on the ground, carrying two dead rabbits in its hands.

"What, are you bothered by that woman?"

"Yes, her previous actions were very inconsistent with the knight's oath. Now, she's alone with Yukine. Although she and Yukine had a good relationship before, this is the capital city. I can't guarantee that she can still treat Yukine the same way as before."

"Don't worry, no matter what happens, that girl will be fine."

Unlike Orichalos, Maca had great confidence in Lin Xueyin, though her eyes still held a hint of hostility as she looked at the two girls embracing. This matter probably couldn't be kept secret any longer.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. I don't believe that humans would do something so self-destructive. If all else fails, I'll take Xueyin back to our Elf race. I don't believe that our Elf race is so foolish."

He pulled the arrows from his prey, but his eyes remained fixed on Arya.

The vast hunting grounds echoed with the light, cheerful laughter of the girls. Lilia and Ariel, the two sisters, were happily gathering firewood in the groves surrounding the grassland, playfully bickering with each other.

Meanwhile, Kassael and Kaliel stood by a small river, thrusting long wooden forks into the water. Although they rarely caught any fish, the two sisters could be heard teasing each other.

A white horse galloped forward, carrying several riders in pursuit of prey. The mournful cry of an arrow piercing the ground was perhaps the only sound that broke the harmony of the scene.

A delicate hand reached out to Aria. "Let's go for a walk together and pick some edible vegetables. Otherwise, when those people come, they'll really say we're freeloading."

"Yukine, are you really not angry with me? You need to know that the Empire's actions this time could really..."

"Don't speak, Arya. We don't know what will happen until it happens, and even if problems arise, all we need to do is figure out how to solve them, not complain here."

Her gentle smile was as clean and pure as when I first met her, and it was still so captivating.

"Yes, Yukine, now that I am your knight, I will always be with you, even if we venture deep into the demon realm, I will follow you closely."

"Hey, can't you say something good about me? How could I possibly go to the Demon Realm? Even if I were killed, I would never go there, especially not the Demon King, who is so cruel. I'll smash his dog head in sooner or later."

Lin Xueyin, who had pulled herself up, angrily waved her little fists. Her cute, puffed-up face, flushed slightly, made one want to hold her in their arms and... well, to cherish her.

Arya said that as a knight, how could she think about such dark and gloomy things? However, she could understand why so many people were surrounding this girl.

I wonder what the Demon King will do when he sees this girl. Ugh, I can't think about it. That image is too... I can't bear to think about it anymore.

Aria suddenly felt that she was really not qualified to be a knight, for thinking such unhealthy things.

“Let’s go over there. Lilia and Ariel have already gathered quite a bit of firewood. Let’s go see if there are any wild vegetables we can eat.”

Taking Aria's hand, which was covered in gauntlets, Lin Xueyin happily tried to run forward. However, she forgot that the other girl was wearing armor. Without putting any effort into it, the girl almost fell over.

Arya put her arm around the girl's slender waist and looked at her with worried eyes. The girl's eyes showed some panic because the situation was unexpected, and Arya couldn't help but want to comfort the lovely girl.

"Um, Aria, can I get up now?"

I don't know why, but I felt a sense of peace for a moment just now. This feeling of being protected and safe is something I've only ever experienced with Nana.

"Ah, ah. Okay." Gently helping Lin Xueyin up, watching her pat her not-so-impressive chest, her lovely lips slightly parted, she let out a deep breath.

"Let's go."

Her short, flowing hair fluttered in the wind. This time, it was Aria who took the girl's hand and led her towards the grove of trees ahead.

Because it is a royal hunting ground, only some ordinary, non-threatening animals can enter; magical beasts or large carnivores simply cannot get in.

Therefore, Lin Xueyin was still quite at ease about the children's safety, and of course, she would still apply the necessary protective shields to them.

The girl, whose hand was being held, lowered her head and followed Aria's steps forward little by little. For some reason, she felt her face burning.

"Xueyin, look at these mushrooms. They're all delicious foods. When we're on marches, we're sometimes sent out to search for edible mushrooms and wild vegetables to improve our troops' meals."

"Huh? Really? So many people, and that little bit of wild vegetables, is it enough to eat?"

"Silly girl, how could it be all of it? It's just a secret extra meal for our own squad, or rather, for those generals. If it were the entire army, this little grove would probably be completely devoured, and there would still be some left over."

Well, Lin Xueyin realized she had asked a really stupid question, so she could only shrug helplessly and put the mushrooms together with Ailiya. Then she watched as Ailiya pulled out a small bag from somewhere and put all the mushrooms away.

"Let's continue."

Seemingly feeling a sense of accomplishment, Lin Xueyin happily began her search. As Ailiya watched this cheerful figure, the smile on her face gradually turned into a wry smile.

I know what I did. Even if Lin Xueyin really forgives me, won't my conscience hurt? Won't I feel remorse?

However, when conflict arises between the nation and the individual, what should she, as a knight, do? Her open and clenched fist may be holding onto her own resolve, or perhaps her future.

"Aria, come here! There are lots of mushrooms here, come and take a look."

Hearing the girl's cheerful voice, Aria walked over quickly, but when she saw the mushrooms beside her, she couldn't help but shake her head.

"These mushrooms are poisonous and should not be eaten."

"Huh? Aren't the prettiest mushrooms supposed to be the most poisonous? This ugly one is poisonous too?" Looking at the dry, scraggly mushrooms in front of me, I wondered, "This one is poisonous too?"

"This is a scaly mushroom, a type of mushroom with mild toxins, and it is not edible."

"Huh? It's poisonous. Let's just forget about it then."

Disappointed, she looked at the few mushrooms she had just picked and could only follow Aria to continue being a little girl picking mushrooms.

"Look, this mushroom looks like a chicken leg! Hey, this mushroom looks like a little umbrella! Oh my god, why does this mushroom look so much like... that thing..."

Arya looked at the girl who was always surprised, especially when she saw her cute, blushing cheeks at the end, and her doting smile never left her.

"Alright, that's enough, let's go back."

"Okay, okay, then let's go back."

Lin Xueyin and Ailiya quickly returned the way they came. When they came out again, they saw the crowd waiting for them and a fire that had been lit.

Volume 7 The Collapsed Alliance: Chapter 7 Picnic

The sizzling sound of the meat roasting on the wooden rack was accompanied by a rich aroma that made people around swallow.

Lin Xueyin made a few cuts on the meat with a knife, smelled the aroma emanating from it, and then cut off a piece of meat that was almost cooked and placed it on a plate prepared by the guards.

With a look of satisfaction in Irabel's eyes, the object was handed to the two sisters, Ariel and Lilia, who were standing beside her. Irabel's expression instantly turned cold.

"Yukine..."

"Um, wait a minute, let's feed the children first. They've been playing for so long, they must be hungry. We can wait a little while."

While they were talking, Lin Xueyin cut off a piece of juicy, roasted venison and handed it to Kasha'er and Kali'er. Watching the four little girls enjoying the roasted meat on their plates, Lin Xueyin smiled gently.

Turning around, I went to the large pot not far away, lifted the lid, and a delicious aroma burst out.

"It smells so good, Xueyin! What kind of soup did you make?"

"Hehe, this is mushroom and fish soup I made, it tastes really good." Lin Xueyin saw the people around her excitedly coming to her side, taking a deep breath of the aroma from the big pot. She felt a little shy.

"It's not that exaggerated, it's just a very ordinary dish."

"Isn't fish only supposed to be grilled? How can it be made into this kind of soup?"

A soldier quietly voiced his question, which made Lin Xueyin suddenly feel sorry for these people from another world, who only knew how to cook fish by grilling it.

Of course, I'm not saying that grilled fish is bad, but you'll get tired of eating it all the time. Thinking back to the stewed and braised fish I made for them before, no wonder they always ate it all up.

"Sir, sir, may we try some too?"

Although they were guards, they did not hold any noble titles and were not allowed to eat with Lin Xueyin and the others. However, if they did not try such a large pot of fish soup, wouldn't that be a waste of the opportunity?

Fortunately, Lin Xueyin smiled and took a large bowl for them, handing it to their leader so they could distribute it themselves. As for her friends, they each got a bowl and drank some soup to whet their appetites.

"Mmm, mmm, delicious, delicious, Xueyin, your cooking is really amazing. If it weren't for... I really want to take you home and have you cook for me for the rest of my life."

Irabel was full of praise for Lin Xueyin's cooking skills, but her face darkened after hearing what Maca said. However, seeing Lin Xueyin just smiling shyly, her dissatisfaction was slightly relieved.

As a result, when Lin Xueyin handed her the bowl of milky white fish soup that exuded a delicious aroma, and seeing the people around her completely forgetting etiquette and drinking all the soup from the bowl, she couldn't resist the delicious taste either and drank it in large gulps.