“Don’t go? What are you saying, Ian…?”
Lia Hurst couldn’t understand what Ian was saying.
Stay here, just like this? Had he not listened to everything she had said up until now?
She could understand why he wouldn’t want to let her go. After all, Ian Volkanov was someone who deeply cared for the people around him.
But Lia felt the same way.
‘At first, it was simply about seeking your guidance to grow. But as we spent time together and faced dangers side by side, I realized…’
To her, Ian Volkanov was precious.
He had become like family to her—so much so that even if the world turned its back on him, she would remain steadfast by his side.
Calling him someone she loved didn’t feel strange at all. And she was certain Ian felt the same way about her.
That must be why he couldn’t bear to let her leave.
“Ian, I understand what you mean by saying that. That it’s enough just to stay by your side, without needing to be of any help. But if things like this happen again, I don’t think I’ll be able to endure it.”
“…”
Though Lucifer had been defeated and peace returned to Gaia, it didn’t mean their lives ahead would be without hardships.
While life-threatening situations would be rare, there would still be moments when they’d need each other’s help, times when they’d cooperate.
Especially since they were still young, such challenges would arise more frequently.
Each time that happened, she feared she would only hold Ian back instead of being of help. Was he really asking her to endure that?
“So, Ian. One more time—”
“I understand what you’re saying. And it’s not just about wanting you to stay by my side.”
“What?”
“Lia, you’re the youngest daughter of the Hurst family. Your household must have been much more harmonious than mine.”
“That’s…”
“With parents who loved their children and siblings closely bonded to one another. And as a count’s family, you led a life of abundance.”
As Ian spoke calmly, Lia’s shoulders trembled slightly.
How does he know so much about my family?
She wondered.
But it wasn’t surprising—if Ian wanted to, nothing could escape him.
Not only was he the Squad Commander of the 3rd Platoon, but he was also the cadet with the closest ties to Kyan.
If he did well, he could even sneak the interview materials from when she entered school.
If he tried, he could probably even dig up the records from when she first met with Kyan upon her admission to Ark Academy.
Of course, Ian hadn’t resorted to underhanded methods to gather information.
Still, it meant Ian could uncover her secrets anytime he wanted.
Moreover, he could likely discern the concerns driving her to say these things.
“Lia, you were born into a privileged family and enjoyed a comfortable, carefree life. But that doesn’t mean you were always happy. I suspect it was because your family was overly protective.”
“How…?”
“Your siblings must have adored you as their youngest and surrounded you with unwavering protection. Whenever you wanted to do something, they’d assist you, secretly watching over you to ensure you didn’t get hurt.”
From a young age, whenever she tried to accomplish something, her siblings likely swooped in to help her. Because of that, she hadn’t had the chance to achieve anything on her own.
In simple terms, her independence had been stunted.
“As time passed, that comfort probably turned into unease. You must have started to wonder if you’d ever be capable of doing anything by yourself. That’s when you decided you had to prove yourself, to become someone who could accomplish things without relying on others.”
At that point, what likely caught her attention was swordsmanship.
Though the Hurst family flourished in commerce, they were relatively weak in martial prowess compared to other count families. Lia, noticing her father’s concerns over this, had decided to learn swordsmanship to alleviate his worries.
Then, upon entering Ark Academy and meeting Ian, she had developed new aspirations.
“You probably started thinking that you wanted to make a difference, to be someone who could contribute and stand out in ways others couldn’t. Am I wrong?”
“Phew… You’re right. So that’s why I—”
“You want to travel the continent, gain experience, and develop strengths unique to yourself, things that neither Eri nor anyone else could offer. Isn’t that it?”
“You know that, and yet you’re telling me not to go? Even though you understand how I feel…?”
She wanted to be of help to Ian, to be someone he could rely on and stay by his side.
Ian wasn’t unaware of those feelings. In fact, he understood them all too well.
Conversely, it was precisely because he knew how she felt that he couldn’t help but tell her not to go.
“You’re misunderstanding one thing. You’re not someone who doesn’t help me.”
“I’m… not?”
“The person who came to me when I was at my lowest, without any ulterior motives, purely out of kindness… was none other than you. And whether you knew it or not, I leaned on you.”
While Eri had approached him first, it had been to uncover his true nature—a far different case from Lia.
If we exclude Kyan, Ian had not earned anyone’s trust at Ark Academy. Yet, Lia approached him out of pure admiration.
Despite the countless hardships and dangers that followed, she never left his side. She remained steadfast.
In other words, she was the one person who came to him in difficult times without any ulterior motives and stayed by his side until the very end.
To Ian, Lia was that kind of person. And through her, he had received much more than just support.
It would be fair to say she had been his pillar of strength.
“There were moments when I would have crumbled if it weren’t for you. I’m sure of it. So don’t ever say you’re not helpful.”
Wanting to be helpful—that was a noble sentiment, something Ian was deeply grateful for.
But being helpful didn’t always mean standing out in combat or excelling at tasks.
Filling the gaps, soothing a heart hollowed by hardship—those were the things Ian needed most.
And the only one capable of offering that kind of support was Lia.
“You don’t need to go anywhere to help me. Just being by my side is enough.”
“…”
“If you truly want to help, stay with me.”
Ian reached for her trembling hand, and a ring of pure mana appeared on her left ring finger.
“Hic… Ian…”
Overwhelmed with joy and relief, Lia couldn’t hold back her tears.
***
Time passed quickly. The chaos subsided, and the world began to return to its natural state.
Eri decided to leave Ark Academy and return to her identity as Erzebeth Arcana.
Although Ian had assumed her departure had been pre-arranged with the higher-ups, he was surprised by how swiftly her resignation was approved.
‘Well, no matter how cleverly her fake identity was crafted, Ark’s admission process isn’t something that can be taken lightly.’
As an institution that trained future leaders of the empire, Ark conducted rigorous background checks to ensure the safety of its students.
The scrutiny was even more intense for transfer students, as they were often used by outsiders planning acts of terror.
‘Knowing Erzebeth’s personality, she probably chose efficiency over meticulous preparation, convincing the higher-ups to let her in directly.’
Given that the first princess, most likely to inherit the throne, wanted to temporarily enroll at Ark Academy, there was no way her request would have been denied.
Thanks to their approval, Eri must have obtained the information she sought. From that point on, she had no reason to stay at Ark.
‘That’s probably why her withdrawal happened so quickly. I have to admit, I’m a little envious.’
As Ian stared blankly at the blue sky, a sigh escaped him.
When he thought about his own withdrawal process, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
‘My request to withdraw was flatly rejected by the higher-ups, and after lengthy discussions, we finally reached a compromise: early graduation.’
He could still remember the expressions on their faces when he handed in his resignation—a look of utter disbelief, as if to say, Why on earth?
Perhaps making Ian, a hero destined to go down in imperial history, an alumnus of Ark Academy had become a personal mission for the headmaster.
The headmaster was determined to keep Ian tied to Ark in some way.
‘Still, it wasn’t the worst deal. Early graduation is better than just quitting.’
Although the headmaster’s motives might not have been entirely pure, Ian ultimately had no choice but to accept the proposal.
After all, academic credentials weren’t irrelevant—especially for someone who would someday be a father. Better to have them than not.
‘Quitting Ark would be like dropping out of high school back in Korea. What would my kids think?’
Their father, renowned as the greatest hero in the empire, had only a high school education?
They might start to think skipping school was acceptable.
Moreover, if Ian left Ark abruptly, people might start to question the Academy’s quality, wondering if the education there wasn’t up to par.
As someone aware of how closely the current emperor monitored Ark, Ian knew he couldn’t act carelessly while the Emperor remained in power.
‘In the end, I’m stuck with the early graduation route. The paperwork’s done, so there’s just one thing left.’
Waiting for the final process before leaving Ark, Ian sat quietly on a bench.
“Hey, you’re here early.”
“Ah, Commander, you’re here.”
Seeing a man walking toward him slowly with the aid of crutches, Ian stood up immediately.
A smile played on his lips as he greeted the man.
“Commander, how’s your health?”
“Can’t you see? I’m walking fine. My leg’s still not great, but it’s almost healed. Sit down, will you?”
Kyan, who had recovered from his battle with Satan and returned to Ark, gestured for Ian to sit as well.
Slowly, Ian lowered himself back onto the bench.
