Forced to become a delicate companion of a paranoid lord

Removing the gold and silver dragon-winged ring from his index finger, Ilyas knelt on one knee, looked directly into his eldest son's eyes, and then solemnly said, "Aegir, only you can complete this task."

A misty haze filled Egbert's blue eyes, blurring his vision, and he pouted in a rare, childlike manner.

"Finn is watching you from behind. How can you cry as the older brother? Do you remember what Daddy said?"

Egbert blinked, then released his grip on his father's cloak, and nodded in a muffled voice.

"Good luck comes to the brave."

“Yes, only the brave will have good luck. Egbert, you are the bravest child on the continent of Laer.”

Elias took Egbert's hand and slipped the ring onto his eldest son's index finger. The ring then emitted a faint light and shrank to a size suitable for the child to wear.

"Of the 500 dragon-winged knights who accompanied us this time, I will select 300 to be led by you. Take them and break through from here to Pompeii, where there is a large teleportation array. Return to the capital with the knights."

"You just agreed so readily, why are you throwing a tantrum now? Only children who follow the rules and complete the task will receive a special gift."

“I know, but… Dad, I want to be with you. Let’s go back together, okay?” Egbert looked at the cracks in the temporary protective barrier. The excitement he had felt half an hour ago about challenging the new game had completely faded. At this moment, like any other eight-year-old child, he just wanted to hide under his father’s cloak for a sense of security.

He wasn't afraid of the monsters outside the barrier, but rather of being separated from his father.

Egbert had never traveled far away alone from both his father and mother at the same time. Although his father's dragon-winged knight accompanied him, the various monsters outside the barrier gradually calmed his mind, causing him to feel a strong and unfamiliar unease.

Ilyas gazed into his eldest son's lake-blue eyes, which were just like his own, and said in an unyielding tone, "You go back first. After Dad deals with these monsters, he will catch up with you as quickly as possible."

The father's final kiss landed on Egbert's head. Before Egbert could react, the knight who had been waiting by his side wrapped him in a cloak with defensive properties and then held him in his arms.

Egbert saw through the gap in his cloak that his father had his back to him and had drawn his sword, then turned around and said with a smile.

“Aigel, don’t be afraid, your father will pave the way for you.”

The moment the temporary protective barrier shattered, the brilliance of sword energy intertwined with the light of magical elements, creating a dazzling and dreamlike scene. Egbert was held tightly in his father's captain of the guard, and as he and the knight sat on the back of the contracted magical beast, Egbert took one last look in the direction of his father.

He couldn't see his father's figure clearly, but he could see his father's sword aura. His father's sword was called [Eternal Ember].

The sword light of 【Eternal Ember】 can bring light as bright as day even in the endless darkness of the abyss.

……

"Your Highness, don't waste your magic, hurry up and go..."

Before he could finish speaking the familiar knightly words, his arm fell to his side.

Egbert pursed his lips, holding back his tears, and turned to look at the remaining hundred or so knights. He then rubbed his eyes and ordered in a hoarse voice, "All knights, immediately split into two teams. One team will take Finn and head to Pompeii at full speed along the original best route. Once there, take my token and have the city garrison commander lead the guard knights to meet us. The other team will follow me to lure away those heretics."

"As ordered, Your Highness."

The dragon-winged knights' unanimous response was devoid of any questioning, even though the person who gave the order was just an eight-year-old child.

At just over eight years old, Finn's physical abilities were nowhere near those of Egbert. The all-night escape had left him mentally and physically exhausted, amplifying his fear many times over.

Upon hearing Egbert's words, he slid off the beast's back and stumbled to Egbert's side, wanting to hug him. But the lie he had told made him afraid to touch Egbert. So he just stood beside his cousin, trembling as he repeatedly said, "Let's go together... let's go together, Brother Egbert, let's go together... let's go together... let's go together... Egbert, let's go together..."

My cousin, who usually has a cold expression but is actually kind and gentle, is unaware that their current predicament might be all because of the pendant he's wearing.

Finn instinctively felt that the heretics' target was his pure and innocent cousin. If they split up, could the remaining less than one hundred dragonwing knights protect his cousin?

No, no, no, we must go together, we must go together, we must go together.

Finn's mental state was extremely unstable. In Egbert's view, his cousin, who was younger than him, had never left the capital, and had never met Red Moon, was terrified.

With little time to comfort his cousin, Egbert reached into his collar and pulled out a pendant.

He took the plaque made of "shooting star" off his own neck and then put it around Finn's neck.

"Go to Pompeii first. Once you get there, don't linger. I'll have a small squad of dragon-winged knights escort you back to the Empire. After my father and I deal with these heretics, I'll find you a pendant similar to the one you had before. This is my amulet. You can borrow it for a few days. Remember to return it to me when I get back. Don't try to keep it just because you like it too much, or I'll beat you up."

The "Nothing's Wrong" sign still held Egbert's warmth. Finn stood there, stunned, until Egbert tucked the sign into his collar, at which point he reached out and grabbed Egbert's arm.

The warm, untouched plaque felt like a branding iron, causing him immense inner turmoil. He opened his mouth, wanting to confess everything to Egbert.

But his cousin reached out and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Finn, take care of yourself. We'll see each other again soon."

After saying this, he waved to a knight who carried him away, while he himself walked towards the other side of the knightly ranks.

Finn watched his cousin's retreating figure, his throat feeling like it was blocked with pebbles, and in the end, he couldn't say anything. He lay prone on the back of the monster, not daring to cry too loudly.

There has never been a time when Finn hoped more that the gods truly existed.

Unable to do anything, yet wanting to do something to make up for the mistakes made, the only thing one can do is pray to find peace in one's heart.

Finn prayed to the Goddess of Light, praying that his uncle and cousin would return safely to the imperial capital.

But he was not a pure and loyal believer.

The goddess of light could not hear his prayers, much less grant his wish.