Roland sat at his desk, lost in thought. He hadn't expected anyone to dare attack the castle. If Nightingale hadn't discovered them in time, he would have been in deep trouble.

Who was it this time? Third Royal Sister, or another sibling? Were they in such a hurry? The five-year Struggle for the Throne had only been going on for a few months. Roland slammed his desk in frustration. It was outrageous. Couldn't they let him get through the winter in peace?

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Carter Lannis, the chief knight, entered. "Your Highness, the identities of the deceased have been confirmed. Seven of the bodies are former patrol members, and one is unidentified. Of the two survivors, one is still unconscious after being treated by the witch... no, by Ms. Paien. The other has been imprisoned in the dungeon and is under close guard."

The patrol team? Roland thought bitterly. He knew this team, raised by the former lord, couldn't be trusted. One out of ten was a traitor. He was right not to let them join the militia.

"Remind your men to keep a close watch on the one who's locked up, and don't let him commit suicide by poison like last time!"

"Last... time?"

"Cough, never mind," Roland said, shaking his head. It seemed that being woken up by Nightingale in the early hours had confused his brain. "In any case, I want to know everything from him: who instigated it, who made contact, who bribed them. I'm leaving all of that to you."

"Yes, Your Highness." Carter didn't leave immediately after speaking, but knelt on one knee. "It was my failure to allow assassins to infiltrate the castle. I hope Your Highness will punish me."

"Enough. You weren't in the castle at the time. This has nothing to do with you."

"Then..." Carter hesitated. "Can you tell me who stopped the assassination? From what I saw at the scene, they..." The knight swallowed. "They all seemed to have been killed by the same person, and without any resistance."

"You can see that?" Roland asked curiously.

"If it had been an even match, the scene wouldn't be so clean, and the wounds would be different," Carter said softly. "Everyone was lying in a small warehouse. Apart from blood and bodies, almost nothing was disturbed. The large boxes of cured meat didn't even have a scratch on them. That means the person moved around in a small open space without using any cover. Forgive me, Your Highness, but that's incredible."

"I see," Roland nodded, understanding the knight's meaning. In theory, even the strongest person would be at a disadvantage when surrounded. In a real fight, it wouldn't be like the movies, where people attack one at a time. Attacks from blind spots would be especially deadly. So, in a one-on-many situation, the correct strategy is to use the terrain and environment to always face the enemy.

But Nightingale wasn't an ordinary person.

"No matter what, do what you need to do first. This person can't be revealed yet. When the time is right, I'll tell you."

Although the chief knight was loyal and knew that Anna and NanaWawa were witches, Roland still chose to hide Nightingale's existence. Because she was different from the other two witches; she wasn't on his side. The only reason she stayed in the town was for Anna. She belonged to the Witch Cooperation Association, and sooner or later, she would leave.

Carter left, looking disappointed.

Roland understood his feelings. As a swordsman, he constantly practiced swordsmanship that had been refined and accumulated over centuries, believing it to be the truth. But when he saw something incomprehensible, he would inevitably doubt himself: if swordsmanship could be so exquisite, what was he proud of?

"I thought you would call me out," Nightingale said, appearing in physical form. She was still sitting on the corner of the desk, legs crossed.

"I thought so too. Why don't you just settle down here and be my bodyguard? Two Gold Royals a month, twice as much as Anna. Want to consider it?" Roland began to promote the benefits. "House with a garden, two days off a week, paid vacation every year—uh, that means getting paid while resting."

To his surprise, she didn't refuse outright this time, but smiled and said noncommittally, "I can't leave my partners behind."

"Then bring them all over. Once winter is over, Border Town will be undergoing major construction, and we'll have room for everyone. Besides... witches can walk the streets without discrimination. No one will see you as evil."

"Let's talk about that when you've done it," Nightingale shrugged.

Alright, promotion depends on the product, and this kind of thing has to be done slowly. Roland changed the subject. "NanaWawa is safely back, right?"

"Mmhmm, she was quite scared."

The prince sighed. He had been woken up by Nightingale at midnight and almost threw up when he saw the scene. She briefly explained what had happened, and Roland had ordered her to sneak NanaWawa out. The little girl, who had only healed chickens before, fainted when she saw a living person covered in blood. After a flurry of activity, she healed the patrol captain with tears in her eyes.

To avoid alarming his family, Nightingale had to take her back.

By the time everything was done, it was almost dawn.

"What do you think about this? Can you guess which of my dear brothers or sisters did it?"

Nightingale shook her head. "They were all patrol members. The only exception didn't carry any identification. If it was a bribe, anyone could have done it... but I think this might not be related to your siblings."

"Why?"

"Because it was too sloppy. A multi-person operation, but there was infighting within the team. They didn't commit suicide immediately after failing, leaving at least two survivors. And at the time, their behavior was unprofessional, like street thugs. That's not like your siblings. It's more like a plan by amateurs. I don't think this assassination would have succeeded even if I wasn't here... don't forget Anna sleeps downstairs."

Nightingale picked up Roland's cup and took a sip of water, not caring. "Anyway, your knight has gone to the dungeon to question the prisoner. I bet he'll get the truth soon—that guy is much inferior to the pawns set by your sister. He was even kneeling and begging me not to kill him."

"That seriously injured patrol captain... I think I've summoned him before."

"Is that so?" Nightingale tilted her head. "I think you should thank him. If he hadn't been holding off the others, I wouldn't have discovered the rat sneaking into the basement so quickly. Although I'm not sure why he did it, the enemy of our enemy is our friend, right?"

That's right, Roland thought, but the point wasn't whether he was a friend or an enemy, but what Nightingale had said.

—"Our" friend.