The northern wind swept across the training grounds.
Snow drifted through the fading twilight like countless white ashes descending from the heavens.
The last remnants of sunlight had vanished beyond the frozen horizon.
Darkness slowly claimed Frostbound Coast.
Lanterns flickered to life across the city walls.
Their warm orange glow stood defiantly against the endless sea of snow and ice stretching beyond civilization.
The training session had already ended.
Most knights were preparing to return to their duties.
Some gathered weapons.
Others headed toward the barracks.
Several squads prepared for night patrol.
Yet none of them moved far.
Because their new lord had not left.
Kel Rosenfeld remained standing at the edge of the training grounds.
The cold wind played with his silver hair.
His dark coat fluttered softly behind him.
Golden eyes calmly observed the knights before him.
The atmosphere was strangely quiet.
Even the sounds of armor seemed muted.
Moments ago, Vice-Captain Gareth Thornwall had declared something simple.
Something every knight had been taught since childhood.
A phrase repeated across countless battlefields throughout history.
A phrase glorified by nobles, poets, and rulers.
"We are willing to die protecting this territory."
At the time, many knights had nodded internally.
Because they believed the same.
Because that was what knights were supposed to say.
What they were supposed to believe.
Yet unexpectedly—
Kel stopped walking.
The young lord slowly turned.
His gaze settled upon Gareth.
The veteran knight instinctively straightened.
Snow drifted between them.
The training grounds became completely silent.
Then Kel spoke.
"You are a good knight, Gareth."
The words caused surprise to flash across Gareth's scarred face.
A compliment.
Unexpected.
Yet before he could respond, Kel continued.
His voice remained calm.
Almost gentle.
Yet every word carried weight.
"You said you are ready to die for this territory."
The surrounding knights nodded inwardly.
Naturally.
That was honorable.
That was noble.
That was what protectors did.
Or so they believed.
Kel looked directly into Gareth's eyes.
"And you sounded proud saying it."
The veteran unconsciously tightened his posture.
Then—
Kel shook his head.
A small movement.
Yet it instantly caused confusion among everyone present.
"But those words belong to an honorable knight."
The young lord's golden eyes became sharper.
"Not a protector."
Silence.
The wind howled across the frozen grounds.
No one spoke.
No one understood.
Not yet.
Gareth frowned slightly.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared within his expression.
"My lord?"
Kel stepped forward.
Crunch.
Snow compressed beneath his boots.
His gaze swept across every knight present.
"Tell me."
"What happens after you die?"
The question sounded strange.
Several knights exchanged confused glances.
Gareth answered carefully.
"My duty ends."
Kel nodded.
"Correct."
His next words came immediately.
"And what happens to the city?"
Silence.
The veteran opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Kel continued.
"What happens if monsters attack again next week?"
The surrounding knights grew still.
"What happens if another horde appears?"
"What happens if a stronger monster emerges from the wilderness?"
"What happens if your family is among those being protected?"
The atmosphere gradually changed.
The cold seemed heavier.
The silence deeper.
Kel's voice remained calm.
Yet every word struck like a hammer.
"You died honorably."
"Wonderful."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But what value does your honorable death possess if the city falls afterward?"
No one answered.
Because no one could.
The question itself was cruel.
Brutally logical.
Kel continued walking slowly across the training grounds.
The knights unconsciously stepped aside.
Making way for him.
Snowflakes drifted around his figure.
For a brief moment, he appeared strangely distant.
As though he belonged to a different era.
A different world.
"A protector does not seek death."
His voice echoed through the silent training grounds.
"A protector seeks results."
The words caused several knights to stiffen.
Including Gareth.
Kel stopped beside a practice dummy.
Its wooden body was covered in sword marks accumulated over many years.
Then he spoke again.
"Protectors do not say..."
His gaze rose toward the city walls.
"'I will die for my city.'"
The young lord's golden eyes reflected the distant lantern lights.
"They say..."
A cold wind swept across the grounds.
"'I will kill for my city.'"
The statement shocked everyone.
Several younger knights visibly widened their eyes.
One nearly dropped his sword.
Even Gareth looked stunned.
Because those words contradicted everything they had been taught.
Yet Kel continued before anyone could speak.
"If a monster threatens your people..."
"Kill it."
"If a disaster threatens your city..."
"Stop it."
"If danger approaches your family..."
"Destroy it."
His voice remained perfectly calm.
Yet the conviction behind those words was terrifying.
"A protector's purpose is not to die beautifully."
"It is to ensure those under their protection continue living."
The silence deepened.
Far away.
The city bells echoed faintly.
Night had fully arrived.
Lanterns illuminated the snow-covered streets beyond the walls.
Families were eating dinner.
Children were returning home.
Merchants were closing shops.
Ordinary people continued living their lives.
Unaware of the conversation occurring here.
Kel slowly looked toward the city.
Then toward the knights.
"You all have families."
His words were simple.
Yet their effect was immediate.
Several expressions changed.
Fathers.
Brothers.
Sons.
Husbands.
Almost every knight present thought of someone.
A wife waiting at home.
A daughter.
A mother.
A younger brother.
Someone.
Kel's gaze settled upon Gareth.
"Tell me."
"If you die tomorrow..."
The veteran remained silent.
"If monsters attack again next month..."
Kel's voice softened.
"Can you guarantee your family survives?"
The question struck harder than any sword.
Gareth froze.
His scarred face stiffened.
Because the answer was obvious.
No.
He could not guarantee it.
No one could.
Kel continued.
"What if your son becomes a knight?"
"What if he dies protecting the city?"
"What if your grandson dies protecting the city?"
The wind howled.
Snow drifted across the ground.
Kel's eyes remained fixed upon the veteran.
"At what point does the cycle end?"
No answer came.
None existed.
The young lord turned away slightly.
Looking toward the frozen wilderness beyond the city walls.
Dark forests stretched toward the horizon.
Ancient mountains loomed beneath the moonlight.
Countless monsters wandered those lands.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Breeding.
Growing stronger.
"The purpose of protection..."
Kel spoke quietly.
"...is not to create endless sacrifices."
His voice became colder.
Older.
Almost ancient.
"The purpose of protection is to create a future where sacrifices are no longer necessary."
The words echoed through the frozen night.
Several knights unconsciously lowered their heads.
Not from shame.
From realization.
Because for years...
They had focused only on surviving.
Only on enduring.
Only on dying well if the situation demanded it.
Yet none had truly considered ending the problem itself.
Kel's gaze sharpened.
"Many rulers glorify honorable deaths."
His expression remained calm.
But something dangerous flashed within his eyes.
"Because it allows them to sleep peacefully."
The surrounding atmosphere became heavy.
"Every time a knight dies."
"They praise his sacrifice."
"They celebrate his honor."
"They erect statues."
"They write songs."
His voice remained emotionless.
Yet somehow that made it more powerful.
"But songs do not raise children."
The training grounds became deathly silent.
"Statues do not feed widows."
The wind seemed to stop.
"Honor does not heal grieving families."
No one moved.
No one breathed loudly.
Every knight listened.
Every word carved itself into their hearts.
Kel slowly turned.
Facing them all.
"The true purpose of your lives..."
His golden eyes swept across every face.
"...is not to become glorious corpses."
The words struck like thunder.
"It is to create a peaceful environment for the next generation."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Gareth felt his heartbeat quicken.
Because those words contained something he had forgotten long ago.
Hope.
Not survival.
Not sacrifice.
Hope.
A future worth protecting.
A future worth building.
Far away beneath Scarder Lake, Seiren listened quietly.
The ancient guardian remained silent for several moments.
Then her voice echoed within Kel's mind.
"You speak differently from the rulers I have known."
Kel's expression remained calm.
"Most rulers inherit peace."
His thoughts traveled across their connection.
"Very few build it."
Seiren became silent once more.
Because she knew those words were true.
The young count stepped toward Gareth.
The veteran instinctively straightened.
Then Kel stopped before him.
The two looked at one another.
One carried decades of experience.
The other only fifteen years of age.
Yet strangely...
It felt as though the opposite were true.
Then Kel asked the question.
The question that would linger within every knight's heart long after tonight ended.
His voice was calm.
Yet carried undeniable authority.
"So tell me, Gareth."
The veteran unconsciously held his breath.
Kel's golden eyes locked onto his.
"Are you going to die for this city?"
The wind swept across the frozen grounds.
Snow drifted between them.
Then—
Kel took one final step forward.
"And leave the next generation to fight the same battles?"
Silence.
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Then Kel continued.
His voice became firm.
Like steel.
"Or..."
The surrounding air seemed to tremble.
"Are you going to kill every monster that stands in your path?"
His eyes shone beneath the moonlight.
"Destroy every threat."
"Strengthen every defense."
"Build a future."
"Create a city so secure..."
"...that your children never have to fight the battles you fought."
The training grounds froze.
Not because of the cold.
Because every knight suddenly understood.
For the first time.
Protection was not about dying.
It was about ensuring others never needed to.
Gareth's body trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
Not from weakness.
Emotion.
Raw emotion.
Memories surfaced.
Friends who died.
Brothers-in-arms buried beneath snow.
Families left behind.
Children who grew up without fathers.
Years.
Decades.
Countless sacrifices.
And yet the monsters kept coming.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Slowly—
The veteran knight clenched his fist against his chest.
His scarred eyes burned with determination.
Greater than before.
Stronger than before.
Then he spoke.
His voice echoed across the training grounds.
"I will kill them."
The answer came without hesitation.
Without doubt.
Without uncertainty.
Snow drifted around him.
"I will kill every monster that threatens this city."
The surrounding knights felt chills run through their bodies.
Gareth's voice grew stronger.
"For my family."
"For the people."
"For the next generation."
His fist tightened.
"So they never have to endure what we endured."
A faint smile appeared on Kel's face.
Small.
Approving.
Then one knight stepped forward.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon dozens stood proudly.
Determination blazing within their eyes.
No longer thinking about dying honorably.
Thinking about winning.
Thinking about protecting.
Thinking about building a future.
And beneath the frozen moon of Frostbound Coast...
A new belief was born.
One that would someday spread throughout the entire territory.
The purpose of a protector was not to die.
The purpose of a protector was to ensure that one day...
No one else would have to.