—Whoooosh!
Where there is water, Allozé has the advantage.
As if to prove that natural truth, the waves that had been crashing over the coastline suddenly surged upward, as if they’d slammed into an invisible wall.
“I’ll hold off the water!”
As her hand stretched out again, the raging waves that had been wreaking havoc along the shore quieted down into nothing more than gentle ripples.
“…Ah.”
Dielo let out a short breath of awe.
Yes—Croa was an Allozé.
An Allozé who could command water freely.
That alone made her incredibly powerful in a place like this coast.
…And yet, for that same reason, she had no obligation to risk her life on the front lines of Argentta’s sea battlefield.
If her heart truly belonged to the House of Allozé, she wouldn’t have done this.
But she had leapt willingly into the center of the battlefield—for Argentta.
Raindrops and sea spray ran down her deep violet hair, shimmering like falling stars.
—Fwoosh!
The surrounding waters responded to her blue aura, calming.
—Flash!
Again and again, the coastline shimmered under the pulse of her magic.
Once the tide stopped flooding in, the battlefield changed instantly.
“Dielo!”
Now was the time to run forward—to slay the monster.
But Dielo couldn’t tear his eyes away from Croa Allozé.
Argentta, a house of fire.
To them, water was fear, and the sea a domain of death.
But not now.
For the first time ever—Dielo saw the sea glitter.
It wasn’t a sea of blood and death—filled with monsters and the cries of the dying.
It was radiant.
In that moment, to him, the sea, the water… she—Croa—sparkled like something blindingly beautiful.
Before leaving for the battlefield.
I had once again been practicing my ability to control water.
To become just a bit more comfortable with it.
—Plop!
The more I used my powers, the more easily water obeyed me.
But wait—was this right? In the original novel, Croa Allozé was never described as having such powerful water control.
As far as I remember, the original Croa Allozé couldn’t even manage to lift a teacup without struggling.
I must’ve altered that when I possessed her.
Lucky for me.
—Plop!
I shaped the water in my flask into a sharp blade, then let it collapse again.
To control water just by imagining it… it was an amazing ability.
It all came so naturally now.
“Preparations are complete. Please give the order to march.”
The knight commander approached and bowed.
With Dielo absent from the estate, I was the only one who could give the order.
I looked around at the assembled Argentta knights.
They were all elite—members of the 4th level of Argentta.
“Anyone who moves between the 4th floors of Argentta, you can trust them.”
That’s what Dielo had said.
From those words, it was clear that the people on the 4th floor already knew I was a fake Fero.
So… was there really not a single spy in this estate?
Do none of the 4th-floor servants ever talk to those on the lower floors?
What if word leaked?
…That’s what I used to think.
“…”
I stared at the knight bowing before me.
He too was from the 4th level.
During the preparations, what I realized was this:
The 4th-level people of Argentta had incredibly tight lips.
Maybe Dielo’s trust wasn’t misplaced after all.
The servants below the 3rd floor, who didn’t know about the contract marriage, treated me like I was invisible.
“You’re… going to the battlefield yourself?”
But the moment I announced I would personally participate in battle, their attitudes began to change.
Regardless of rank or floor, their behavior toward me turned respectful.
The servants now sending us off looked genuinely supportive.
It was strange… and unexpected.
I turned back toward the knights standing at attention behind me.
Since they were all 4th-level, I could use some of my Allozé abilities without worrying about word getting out to the wrong noble houses.
“Full march to Sector 4!”
I raised my sword for the assembled troops.
It was a heavy blade—one I didn’t intend to use—but it served well for the sake of morale and formality.
“WAAAAAA!”
—Neigh!
With my horse in the lead, a great number of knights surged forward toward the 4th district.
Normally, only half this number would’ve been sent.
“Assign a unit to escort me as well.”
Because of that request, the number of troops had drastically increased.
If this were another noble house, they would’ve panicked at the idea of the mistress joining battle.
But this was Argentta, defenders of the Sea of Infinity—and I was an Allozé, the only one here who could control water.
I was the key to turning this battlefield around.
The knights understood that… though they didn’t agree to it right away.
Perhaps because the original Croa’s water powers were thought to be weak.
“…My orders from the Lord were to prioritize your safety above all else, my lady.”
They were genuinely concerned for my life.
I hadn’t expected zero resistance.
So I shut them down with a response I’d prepared in advance.
“Argentta’s center is not me. It’s Dielo Argentta—the Lord. I find it deeply troubling that, despite going himself to the front lines, he still called for reinforcements.”
If you must make a demand, make it boldly.
I looked them in the eye and continued.
“If this march ends up being unnecessary, I’ll be criticized as a reckless mistress who mobilized troops without reason. But if—even once—Dielo is in real danger, Argentta will pay a heavy price.”
With those words, the knights agreed to center the march around me.
“Hyah!”
I followed the lead knight, and behind me, a sea of soldiers followed.
Radius Argentta must not die.
That was the reason I had pushed myself to join this mission.
Radius was Dielo’s uncle—the last remaining blood relative from the Argentta main family.
He was a powerhouse, possessing the purest form of Argentta’s abilities.
In future battles against Allozé and alongside Dielo’s soon-to-arrive Fero, he would be a vital force.
In the original story, Radius died in this battle after entering a fatal rampage.
I can’t let that happen.
“Hyah! Yah!”
My urgency made me push my horse faster.
Thankfully, the body of Croa Allozé didn’t just remember how to control water.
She was talented at riding as well.
Though I’d felt awkward at first, I now had no problem galloping at full speed.
The scenery zipped past me in a blur.
And while I rode, I calculated:
There’s no time.
According to the original, Radius dies just before the real Fero arrives.
With all the chaos—from the wedding, to deceiving Allozé, to adapting to life in Argentta—I’d almost forgotten something crucial.
The real Fero arrives two months after the wedding.
If Radius was already in danger now, then the real Fero’s arrival wasn’t far off.
In the novel, told from the point of view of a maid, Croa and the Fero were both minor side characters—but I remembered the Fero’s arrival very clearly.
Because their personality was intense.
[They say she’s a ruthless tongue-lasher. She enjoys hurting people. Honestly, I’d rather serve under Croa Allozé. And she’s incredibly picky too.]
If that’s what the servants were saying—enough said.
I had zero desire to meet the real Fero.
I need to start preparing to leave.
Of course, I couldn’t leave Argentta until I’d dealt with Allozé completely.
But I could at least start laying the groundwork to step down from my position.
That was a problem for after I returned from this battle.
I knew that my powers grew stronger the closer I got to their source.
That confidence had brought me here.
But standing at the edge of this vast coastline, knowing monsters would emerge at any moment…
It was overwhelming.
The most I’d ever done was manipulate water in the mansion’s giant bath.
I didn’t even break a sweat.
If I could do that… then how powerful must the Duke of Allozé be?
Would I really be of any help on the battlefield?
Even as I tested my powers, I couldn’t shake the uncertainty.
But—
—SWWWAAAHHH!
As the sea came into view—
I felt it.
My blood boiled.
The blood of Allozé responded to the sea.
On water, Allozé is invincible.
“…!”
I saw it—a massive wave preparing to crash over Argentta.
And then I saw him—Dielo—his blue eyes wide with surprise as he looked at me.
Just like the sea.
—Flash!
As soon as I made contact with the water, Allozé’s blood surged.
Blue energy gathered in my hands.
I swung that energy—and crushed the waves around me.
“…Croa!”
I heard Dielo cry out, shocked.
But I had already charged onto the battlefield.
There was no turning back.
—SKREEEE!
Grotesque monsters—half-fish, half-human—rushed toward me.
And yet, I felt no fear.
Strangely, none at all.
It must’ve been the confidence passed down through Allozé blood.
“!”
I swung my hand again.
