Wilt woke up early in the morning. It was the day of his departure. He had been lucky as his new device had earned him some extra time to spend with Stella. Honestly, much hadn’t changed since the engagement. They already spent a lot of time together and that just continued over the past few days. After some trial and error, she had managed to make the communication device too, though she could only make one a day without an infusion of Ein from Wilt.

Other than that, they had grown more comfortable with one another. Wilt only acted a little awkward when she latched onto his arm. In general, they had become more accustomed to one another’s presence. She had certainly adjusted to visiting his family as that was usually where they spent their free time. He guessed that it had to do with her particular circumstances, but she loved spending time with his sister. Remembering how close the two of them had gotten, brought him a great deal of relief.

The device was more than a big hit, and he had already earned a small fortune from it. He only had the time to make a few pairs, but the design alone had earned him an incredible amount of money. Although it was an empty fortune as neither he nor his family really cared for the excess wealth. His parents had been adamant about not using more than they needed, saying that it would be better to just leave it as a reserve. Even Stella seemed like she didn’t care for the excess luxury the wealth could provide. So, the money sat in a bank, simply waiting for him to need it.

The only thing he even considered spending it on was a house for himself. However, that would happen after the war ended. For now, he would rather spend his time with his family. Staying at home would help settle his family as well, and he had been a bit homesick since leaving for the institute. He didn’t doubt for a second that the feeling of homesickness would return once he left for the war.

He rose out of bed quickly, pushing the heavy sheets to the side. He considered leaving his room as it was but decided to clean it a little. His mother was already unhappy with his involvement in the war and leaving his room a mess would only make it worse. Thankfully, he wasn’t ever particularly messy, and he mainly just needed to put some books away and tidy his bed. It only took him a few minutes. It was really just a ploy to delay his departure but knew that it was futile. While he wasn’t literally being forced to fight, he knew that he couldn’t actually avoid it. Eventually, the battle would come to him.

Finishing with his room, he headed to meet his family for a goodbye. He was leaving early in the morning and the sun wasn’t even out yet. Even still his family wanted to be able to wish him goodbye. What he wasn’t expecting was Stella. He expected to see her but assumed it would be when her aunt came to grab him. While he wasn’t prepared to see her, he didn’t hesitate when she reached out to hug him.

He hugged her back, ignoring the embarrassment he felt from his family’s stares. He lingered in the hug before she pushed him away slightly. She wasn’t done there though and kissed him briefly before separating. Wilt froze and stared after her, barely catching her whispered words.

“Come back safely.”

She said the words quietly, almost like she was asking it of God rather than him. However, he took those words as a command nonetheless. He would make sure to stay safe. That would be his responsibility above all else. Selfish or not he didn’t care.

He hugged the rest of his family and was struggling to keep an optimistic face. Despite his forced smile, his sister’s face was wet with tears, and it was clear that she had been crying for a while now. Her eyes were little red and puffy, and he couldn’t help but feel bad when he saw the same marks on his mother. They were both still crying, and he could tell that his father would too if Stella weren’t here. He even noticed some tears in Stella’s eyes, though she was trying to put up a brave face for his sister as well. This was the second time that he would leave while seeing his sister cry. It was not something he wanted to get used to. Hopefully, his involvement would help end the war quickly.

With perfect timing, Wilt heard the knock on his door indicating that Councilor Janette had arrived. His goodbyes felt insufficient but there wasn’t much else to be done. He had upgraded his pack to one that could be worn over his back.

It was a relatively new design, but everyone had quickly taken to it. Everyone, adults and children included, had started using these “backpacks.” Their name was obvious but had a catchy ring to the name. The convenience was what really the best though, and he could easily carry more than he could have before. The exercises over the past month had done a lot to improve his strength too, and he barely even noticed it despite having stuffed it with his necessities. And snacks, his mother had made sure that he had enough food.

After one final goodbye, he opened the door and was unsurprised to see Councilor Janette. However, it was a little shocking to see who was accompanying her. He knew that another councilor would be joining him on this mission, but he didn’t think that it would be Councilor Pali. Seeing him was a huge relief, and quick glance back told him that his family was thinking along the same lines. This wasn’t what was planned though, and he wondered why his escort had changed. Although, he kept his mouth shut, knowing better than to question his superiors in front of his family.

“Are you ready to depart?”

Councilor Janette’s question startled him out of his thoughts, and he nodded quickly while letting his backpack be shown. She nodded quickly, stepping in towards Stella for something. He would have listened in, but he focused on the other councilor as he started speaking.

“It's good to see that you are prepared. The delay and recent developments had sent Councilor Sofia to a different battlefield. I will fill her shoes for this incursion. Those two will the ones in charge of your personal defense.”

As the councilor finished speaking, he held a finger towards the two knights who were standing a distance away. They both looked to be his age, one man and one woman. The man was a few fingers taller than the girl, but both were shorter than Wilt. He had always been tall, but never really noticed except when seeing people like this. Despite their heavy armor and weaponry, they seemed somewhat small as he looked at them. They were trained knights though, and he doubted that he would be able to win in a fight. He nodded towards them, and they gave stiff salutes. That was probably due to Pali’s presence, and he hoped that the two would be more casual otherwise.

“Are they going to be with me for the whole trip?”

While that sounded safe, it also sounded suffocating. He knew better than complaining. Though the councilor seemed able to read the complaint in his question.

“Yes, and they will be sticking with you even after that. I suggest you get used to their presence.”

Now, that sounded a lot worse than what Wilt had initially imagined, and he almost reflexively asked why. However, he remembered some of Stella’s teaching, and managed to word the response so that it would sound more respectful.

“Thank you, but surely such precautions are unnecessary in Elpis.”

Wilt thought he did pretty good but seeing the councilor’s smile made him think otherwise. His reaction spoke volumes even before his response came.

“A chanter’s biggest weakness is assassination. These two are the only real ways to defend against that. Your family will get similar watchers, and Stella will be receiving the news as well.”

Wilt didn’t argue, hearing the seriousness in Pali’s tone. This was likely a reaction to another event rather than a mere precaution. The thought of a chanter dying to an assassin was horrifying, and enough of a reason for him to agree without debate. He didn’t know how much of a difference they could make against the supposed monsters that Larkin was raising, but he would take what precautions he could.

That was what really concerned him about heading off to war. A lot of chanters had been dying since the start of the war, and while Larkin had suffered casualties, it had still been surprising. Apparently, Larkin had an elite group of monsters that wouldn’t die no matter what attacks they faced. Those things had been what killed most of the chanters, and he was terrified of the prospect of facing one of them. For a single person to kill over a dozen chanters seemed impossible, and he believed that those people had been true monsters. Many were referring to them as the Scorned, as they were truly unholy abominations.

Wilt was honestly scared of facing them but seeing Pali’s unflinching gaze helped him relax. What he wasn’t expecting was his mother’s voice to carry over his shoulder.

“Please, bring him back safely.”

Her words held venom and didn’t hide her contained anger. The fact that she sounded like she was ordering Councilor Pali frightened him. Her hand tightly squeezing his shoulder told him that he was just as scared as he was. She was forcing herself to say those words, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of his mother. Pali nodded, and Wilt froze as the man gave his mother a salute. One that someone would give to their betters. It was a gesture he never would have expected from the man, and it seemed to leave his mother similarly stunned.

That seemed to be the end of it, and he found himself waving towards his family as he left with the two councilors. The walk to the city gates wasn’t long, and his new bodyguards drew closer once he got there. As they drew closer, he got a better look at each of them. The girl had red-brown hair that was tightly bound to her scalp and hidden underneath her helmet. She wore a set of semi-plated armor, that left her joints free to allow for movement. She was pretty but not in the same way that Stella was. Her features were sharpened by muscle whereas Stella’s beauty felt more natural.

On the other hand, the man wore a full set of armor and had a blocky face with a flat nose. Wilt couldn’t see anything else as the rest of him was covered by the armor. He was the one to speak first as the two of them approached.

“Hello, I am Sir Gideon Alfroy, but you can just call me Roy.”

His voice sounded boyish, but he looked to be a year or two older than Wilt. He cracked a grin, one filled with confidence. Also, the kind of smile that only handsome people could pull off. The girl next to him looked angry for a second but introduced herself calmly afterward.

“I am Jessica Lorenz. I would prefer to be called Jesse, if it does not bother you, Sir Wilton.”

Her introduction was probably meant to be formal, and her stale tone indicated as much. Both things only made Wilt feel more uncomfortable and started shaking his quickly.

“Please talk to me more informally. I don’t know how to respond to something like that. And please call me Wilt.”

As Wilt introduced himself, he found it funny that they all used nicknames. It was probably just a coincidence, but he found himself smiling as he thought about it. That alone was enough to get him to relax, and he found it easier to talk with them. Maybe this arrangement wouldn’t be so bad.