The profound, invaluable advice generously offered by Tobias and Martha Linden resonated deeply within the quiet, gently swaying train carriage. It was absolute, undeniable proof to the young couple that surviving a fifty-year marriage required far more than just the initial, fleeting sparks of youthful, passionate romance.

  It demanded a profound, unshakeable foundation of mutual trust, absolute honesty, and the humbling, daily grace to offer a genuine apology when mistakes were inevitably made. Their enduring, beautiful love was meticulously forged through fifty long years of standing shoulder to shoulder, fighting bravely through thousands of unpredictable, terrifying obstacles together.

  For Erwin and Aoi, who were both incredibly young and currently navigating a vastly different, highly complex modern world filled with ruthless corporate wars and crushing, terrifying academic pressures, the older couple's lived experience was a priceless, incredibly grounding treasure. It provided them with a clear, beautiful roadmap for the highly dangerous, uncertain future they were desperately trying to build together.

  The luxury express locomotive began to gradually reduce its massive, roaring speed, the heavy steel brakes whining softly as it finally approached the historic, sprawling city limits of Altkanz.

  Aoi had peacefully drifted off to sleep somewhere along the dark, quiet journey. Her head was resting entirely comfortably against the solid, warm expanse of Erwin's broad shoulder, her breathing slow and incredibly rhythmic.

  Erwin slowly turned his head, looking down at her peaceful, softly breathing form. He felt a massive, overwhelming surge of pure, protective affection completely wash over his exhausted mind. He raised his free hand, gently placing his long fingers on her delicate shoulder and giving it a very soft, highly affectionate shake.

  "Aoi," Erwin whispered softly, his deep, soothing baritone voice effortlessly cutting through the quiet, mechanical hum of the slowing train engine. "We are almost there. It is time to wake up."

  Aoi stirred slowly, letting out a soft, adorable little sigh as she rubbed her dark, sleepy eyes with the back of her small hand. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the bright cabin lights, looking up at him with a highly confused, incredibly endearing, and entirely disoriented expression.

  "Did you say something to me?" Aoi mumbled, her voice thick with heavy sleep, her words slurring together adorably. "I think my ears are still a little bit muffled from the loud train ride. I can barely hear you."

  Erwin let out a warm, incredibly genuine, and deep laugh, completely charmed by her sleepy, disheveled state. He absolutely loved this quiet, highly vulnerable side of her that she only ever revealed to him behind closed doors.

  "I simply said we have almost arrived at our destination," Erwin chuckled softly, gently brushing a stray lock of dark, silky hair away from her flushed, warm cheek. "Please, turn around and look out the glass window. You are absolutely going to want to see this view."

  Aoi slowly turned her head toward the massive, thick glass window of the train carriage. The absolute second her dark eyes focused on the sprawling, glowing landscape rushing past them outside in the night, a soft, highly audible gasp of pure, unadulterated wonder completely escaped her parted lips.

  The lingering fatigue from the long journey instantly and completely vanished from her mind.

  The majestic city of Altkanz, widely revered across the entire nation as the sacred, historic Founder's City, was a breathtaking, visually impossible architectural masterpiece. It was a sprawling, majestic metropolis where ancient, towering medieval architecture flawlessly and beautifully intertwined with incredibly sleek, highly futuristic, and modern infrastructure.

  Massive, glowing suspension bridges arched gracefully over deep, historic, and incredibly dark river valleys, effortlessly connecting ancient, highly detailed stone cathedrals to modern, glittering transit hubs made entirely of steel and glass. The city looked like a brilliant, glowing jewel resting peacefully at the dark, freezing foot of the towering mountain range.

  Aoi found herself smiling widely, completely mesmerized as her wide eyes darted excitedly from one incredible, beautifully illuminated landmark to another.

  "Erwin, this is absolutely incredible," Aoi whispered, entirely captivated by the stunning, overwhelming beauty of the historic city. "It is so incredibly beautiful. I have never seen anything like this integration of the old and the new."

  Erwin leaned closer to her, his broad shoulder pressing warmly and comfortably against hers as he looked out the exact same window.

  "Look straight ahead, just slightly past that massive eastern river bend," Erwin instructed softly, pointing his long, elegant index finger toward the distant, towering, and heavily snow-capped peaks of the dark mountains. "That massive, highly intimidating stone structure sitting precariously on the edge of the cliffside is Festung Silberkrone."

  "Festung Silberkrone?" Aoi repeated softly, her eyes straining in the darkness.

  "Yes. It is a highly fortified, completely impenetrable stone fortress originally built in the early thirteenth century," Erwin explained, his voice rich with historical knowledge.

  Aoi heavily squinted her dark eyes, desperately trying to follow the exact line of his pointing finger, but she was having a genuinely difficult time locating the ancient, dark structure amidst the sprawling, bright, and chaotic city lights glowing below it.

  Seeing her slight, adorable struggle, Erwin gently reached out. He took her small, incredibly warm hand securely into his own and carefully, tenderly guided her extended finger directly toward the highest, most intimidating stone watchtower resting quietly on the distant, freezing cliff.

  "Right there," Erwin murmured softly, his large hand completely, warmly enveloping hers. "That specific, highly guarded fortress was the exact, highly sacred location where the heavy, iron crowns of the ancient kings of Hohenreich were meticulously forged before our country finally transitioned into a much more modern, democratic parliamentary system."

  Aoi looked at the distant, imposing, and incredibly dark stone fortress, completely fascinated by the rich, bloody, and deeply dark history attached to the cold stone walls.

  "The ancient historical texts dictate a very specific, highly brutal tradition regarding that fortress," Erwin continued, his voice taking on a deeply reflective, highly educated, and almost entirely hypnotic tone. "The royal crown had to be physically hammered and meticulously forged by the seven absolute best, most lethal master swordsmen in the entire country."

  Aoi turned her head slightly to look at his handsome profile, deeply intrigued by the dark, highly symbolic lore.

  "They did this to symbolize a very specific, absolute, and highly terrifying truth to the incoming monarch," Erwin explained, his dark eyes fixed on the distant castle. "They wanted to ensure that every single new king explicitly understood that taking the throne and becoming a leader of men was incredibly difficult, physically brutal, and that the incredibly heavy burden of ruling a nation would never, ever be an easy task."

  Aoi looked at Erwin, completely amazed by his incredibly deep, flawless, and highly detailed knowledge of their nation's complex, ancient history. It was a completely different, highly academic side of him that she absolutely adored.

  "I honestly had absolutely no idea about any of that rich history," Aoi admitted, her dark eyes shining with pure, unadulterated admiration. "How on earth do you know so incredibly much about ancient medieval fortresses and royal blacksmithing traditions?"

  Erwin smiled softly, though a highly rare, deeply vulnerable, and incredibly sad shadow briefly crossed the depths of his dark, calculating eyes. He leaned back slightly, allowing Aoi to comfortably rest her head against his broad shoulder once again, seeking her grounding physical warmth.

  "When I was a very young boy, long before the toxic, suffocating corporate greed completely consumed our family and destroyed our home, my mother used to sit by my bed every single night," Erwin shared, his voice dropping into a quiet, deeply intimate, and highly emotional whisper.

  Aoi held her breath, completely freezing in place. She knew exactly how incredibly rare, painful, and highly difficult it was for Erwin to ever openly discuss the painful memory of his absent mother.

  "She used to read me those massive, incredibly thick history books about the ancient, honorable kings of Hohenreich," Erwin continued softly, his thumb gently tracing the back of Aoi's hand. "She taught me about true honor, the heavy, necessary burden of true, righteous leadership, and the absolute, unshakeable necessity of fighting for justice."

  Erwin took a slow, deep breath, entirely trusting Aoi with the most vulnerable, unprotected pieces of his shattered soul.

  "It was her voice, reading those ancient, heroic stories to me in the dark, that ultimately inspired me to completely forge my own path in the legal world," Erwin confessed, his voice carrying a profound, absolute truth. "It is the exact, fundamental reason I chose to completely, violently defy my father's ruthless, cruel, and highly destructive corporate legacy. I wanted to be a shield, not a monster."

  Hearing the deep, profound emotional weight and the incredible, highly painful vulnerability hidden securely in his quiet confession, Aoi felt her heart completely, utterly melt. She reached over and completely intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing his large hand with fierce, absolute, and highly protective devotion.

  "We are going to learn so incredibly much from this beautiful, historic place, Erwin," Aoi assured him gently, her dark eyes entirely filled with unconditional, overwhelming love.

  She held onto his hand tightly, squeezing his fingers in a silent, unbreakable physical promise. It was her way of silently communicating that she was absolutely taking Martha's brilliant, highly maternal advice to heart. She was entirely ready to be his peace, his grounding anchor, and his fiercely loyal equal partner in this dark, terrifying world.

  The heavy, luxury express train finally shuddered to a slow, highly graceful, and completely smooth halt inside the massive, brilliantly illuminated central station of Altkanz.

  As Erwin and Aoi gathered their heavy canvas travel bags and stepped out of the warm, comfortable carriage onto the grand, highly polished marble platform, they were immediately struck completely speechless by the sheer, overwhelming majesty of the station's ancient architecture.

  It did not look like a functional, modern public transit hub in the slightest.

  The soaring, vaulted stone ceilings were entirely covered in breathtaking, meticulously painted, and highly vibrant frescoes depicting grand, bloody historical battles. The massive, thick stone walls lining the busy platforms were decorated with towering, incredibly detailed, and highly intimidating oil portraits of every single monarch, from the very first founding king to the absolute last royal ruler of the great nation of Hohenreich.

  Tobias and Martha Linden stepped out of the adjacent carriage doors right beside them, carrying their small, simple travel bags. The elderly couple looked highly amused by the young couple's stunned, completely awe-struck, and utterly silent expressions as they stared at the grand ceilings.

  "Well, what is your absolute first impression of our beautiful, historic mountain city so far?" Martha asked cheerfully, adjusting the collar of her thick, warm wool coat as they all began to walk together toward the massive, intricately carved wooden exit doors.

  Erwin and Aoi looked at each other, both completely, utterly at a loss for the proper, adequate words to describe the incredible, overwhelming grandeur surrounding them.

  "I honestly do not know exactly what to say, ma'am," Erwin admitted, his dark, highly observant eyes scanning the massive, incredibly valuable royal oil portraits hanging casually above the modern digital ticketing booths. "This absolutely should not be a functional, public train station. This entire, massive building belongs in a heavily guarded, highly secure national museum."

  Tobias let out a loud, highly hearty, and incredibly genuine laugh that echoed warmly across the polished marble floors of the grand concourse.

  "That is exactly, word for word, what every single new tourist says when they first arrive here and step off the train," the old, weathered farmer chuckled loudly, highly entertained by their predictable, entirely justified shock.

  As they finally reached the cold, incredibly refreshing, and highly crisp mountain night air outside the grand station, Tobias stopped walking and turned to directly face the young, deeply polite couple.

  "Listen to me very carefully, you two," Tobias offered, his gravelly voice incredibly warm, highly sincere, and profoundly hospitable. "We live just a very short distance away from the city center, right near the Apfelmarkt Altkanz, situated directly at the snowy, freezing foot of the towering Silberkranz mountain range."

  Tobias pointed a weathered finger toward the dark, looming mountains in the distance.

  "It is where we tend our massive apple orchards and produce our natural, organic mountain honey," Tobias explained proudly. "If you ever find yourselves needing a quiet, peaceful break from the busy historical tours and the crowded city streets, we would be absolutely honored to have you both visit our humble home for a warm, entirely home-cooked meal."

  Erwin and Aoi were incredibly, deeply touched by the generous, completely unexpected, and highly genuine invitation from the kind, elderly strangers they had just met a few short hours ago on a train.

  "We are incredibly grateful for the incredibly generous invitation, Mr. Linden," Erwin replied smoothly, offering a deep, highly respectful, and aristocratic bow of his head to the older man. "We would be absolutely delighted and highly honored to visit your beautiful farm once we have properly settled into our hotel and finished exploring the ancient ruins of the city center."

  Martha stepped forward, reaching out to gently take both of Aoi's soft, young hands into her own frail, highly calloused ones. She looked deeply into the young psychology student's eyes, offering one final, profoundly important piece of maternal wisdom before they officially parted ways.

  "Do not ever forget the absolute, undeniable truth of our private conversation in the hallway, my sweet, beautiful girl," Martha reminded her softly, keeping her voice low to ensure Erwin could not hear the highly private, incredibly intimate advice.

  Martha squeezed Aoi's hands firmly, her eyes shining with absolute, undeniable truth.

  "He is an incredibly good, fiercely protective, and highly honorable man who perfectly understands his heavy, terrifying role in this dark world," Martha whispered. "You must also fully, entirely understand and completely embrace your beautiful, highly crucial role as his absolute peace. If you do that, I promise you with my entire heart, this relationship will beautifully and flawlessly lead straight to a long, incredibly happy marriage."

  Aoi felt hot, highly emotional tears of profound, overwhelming gratitude rapidly prick the corners of her dark eyes.

  "I promise you, I will never, ever forget your words," Aoi whispered softly, her voice trembling slightly with heavy, beautiful emotion. "Thank you so incredibly much for everything, Martha. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

  Aoi leaned forward and wrapped her arms completely around the older woman in a deep, highly emotional, and incredibly tight hug. Erwin shook hands firmly with Tobias, entirely expressing his own deep, profound gratitude for the older man's highly masculine, deeply empowering advice regarding inner strength and absolute protection.

  They finally, reluctantly parted ways under the bright, glowing streetlights of the historic, bustling city. Tobias and Martha walked slowly toward the local, brightly lit municipal bus terminal to head high up the dark mountain, while Erwin and Aoi turned their immediate attention toward the designated, highly active transportation and rental hub.

  Erwin confidently led Aoi toward a sleek, brightly lit, and highly premium luxury vehicle rental agency located just outside the grand station doors.

  Within twenty minutes, utilizing his incredibly sharp, highly terrifying, and completely flawless legal negotiation skills, Erwin had smoothly and efficiently secured the absolute best rates. He confidently walked out holding the digital keys to a highly reliable, incredibly sleek, premium all-wheel-drive SUV perfectly suited for safely navigating the steep, heavily snow-covered mountain roads for the entire week.

  As Erwin effortlessly and quickly loaded their massive, highly heavy canvas bags into the spacious trunk of the luxury vehicle, Aoi stood quietly nearby. Her hands were tucked deep into the warm pockets of her coat, but a familiar, highly uncomfortable, and deeply stubborn wave of financial guilt slowly began to creep back into her highly independent mind.

  "Erwin, are you absolutely sure you want to completely finance this entire, highly expensive trip by yourself?" Aoi asked hesitantly, her voice tight with genuine, highly vulnerable concern. "I brought my own personal savings from my part-time job. I really want to split the costs of the luxury rental car and the hotel room with you. I feel incredibly, deeply guilty constantly letting you pay for absolutely everything."

  Erwin slammed the heavy mechanical trunk shut with a solid, loud, and highly echoing thud.

  He immediately turned around, his dark, incredibly sharp eyes instantly locking onto hers. He completely eliminated the physical distance between them in two long, highly confident strides. He reached out, gently but firmly grasping her shoulders, his handsome expression incredibly serious and completely devoid of any hesitation or annoyance.

  "Aoi, please listen to me very carefully, and entirely banish that ridiculous, highly unnecessary guilt from your beautiful mind right this absolute second," Erwin instructed her gently, his deep voice carrying absolute, undeniable, and highly comforting authority.

  Erwin looked deeply into her dark, anxious eyes, wanting to make his new reality completely, absolutely clear to her.

  "I am absolutely no longer just a struggling, highly exhausted, and completely unpaid legal intern frantically grabbing coffee at the Hohenberg firm," Erwin explained smoothly, a highly proud, deeply satisfied spark shining in his eyes. "Dr. Alaric has officially, formally promoted me to his primary, senior legal assistant. I am currently earning a highly substantial, incredibly respectable salary completely independent of my father's toxic, bloody corporate empire. Financing this beautiful holiday for us is absolutely not a financial burden in the slightest."

  Aoi looked down at his broad chest, still feeling a slight, highly stubborn trace of working-class independence fiercely fighting against his incredible, overwhelming generosity.

  "I just feel terrible constantly being so heavily protected and completely, utterly supported by you financially," Aoi admitted softly, her voice full of highly vulnerable, incredibly raw honesty. "I desperately want to be able to give something back to you, Erwin. I want to contribute too, but I just don't have that kind of money."

  Erwin immediately cut her off, absolutely refusing to let her finish the sad, highly self-deprecating sentence. He gently lifted her chin with his elegant index finger, completely forcing her to look directly up into his intensely devoted, entirely serious dark eyes.

  "When I commit to something, Aoi, I commit to it with my entire, absolute soul," Erwin declared softly, his powerful words striking her heart with absolute, terrifyingly beautiful precision.

  He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, his voice dropping to a highly intimate, incredibly romantic whisper.

  "I would never, under any circumstances, pretend to love you if I was not completely, utterly serious about building a massive, permanent life with you," Erwin promised her. "Taking care of you, ensuring you are safe and happy, is absolutely not a burden, Aoi. It is the absolute, undeniable greatest privilege of my entire life."

  Aoi stared up at him, entirely breathless. Her heart completely, utterly melted at the sheer, overwhelming, and highly terrifying depth of his absolute, unshakeable commitment to her.

  She realized in that exact, profoundly beautiful moment that Erwin von Stahlberg was completely playing for keeps. He was entirely, undeniably serious about their future together, and she absolutely could not allow her own petty, highly stubborn financial insecurities to ruin the beautiful, supportive dynamic they were successfully building together.

  She silently, fiercely vowed to herself that she would completely match his fierce, highly protective devotion with her own absolute, unwavering, and incredibly fierce loyalty. She would be his absolute peace, exactly as Martha had advised her.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  "I understand completely," Aoi whispered softly, a bright, incredibly loving, and highly radiant smile completely taking over her beautiful face. "Thank you, Erwin. Truly, thank you for everything."

  Erwin smiled warmly, entirely satisfied that he had successfully, completely banished the highly unnecessary doubts from her mind. He gently opened the heavy passenger door of the sleek SUV for her, ensuring she was completely comfortable before walking smoothly around the front of the vehicle and sliding gracefully into the driver's seat.

  The powerful engine roared to life with a low, highly satisfying, and incredibly smooth purr as Erwin firmly pressed the ignition button. He meticulously adjusted the climate controls, ensuring the cabin was perfectly, comfortably warm against the freezing mountain air outside, before finally turning his head to look at her.

  His dark, calculating eyes were dancing with a highly exciting, deeply adventurous, and completely relaxed spark. The heavy burden of the law was entirely gone from his shoulders for the week.

  "Are you entirely ready to begin our grand, highly anticipated adventure in the Founder's City, my love?" Erwin asked smoothly, confidently shifting the luxury vehicle into gear.

  Aoi sank comfortably back into the plush, heated leather seat, feeling entirely safe, completely, overwhelmingly loved, and absolutely invincible by his side.

  "I will absolutely follow my captain anywhere he wants to go," Aoi answered with a wide, breathtaking, and entirely fearless smile.

  Erwin let out a deep, highly satisfied, and incredibly joyful laugh, completely thrilled by her sweet, highly adventurous response. He pressed his foot firmly against the accelerator, steering the sleek, powerful SUV smoothly out of the transit parking lot.

  They drove off into the brightly lit, historically magnificent, and deeply snowy streets of Altkanz, entirely ready to explore the ancient ruins, build beautiful, unforgettable memories, and completely enjoy the peaceful, highly deserved holiday they had fought so incredibly hard to earn.

  The sleek, premium all-wheel-drive SUV climbed smoothly and effortlessly up the winding, heavily snow-dusted mountain roads of Altkanz. The powerful engine hummed a low, highly satisfying, and incredibly quiet melody against the quiet backdrop of the sleeping city.

  The pitch-black darkness of the cold mountain night was finally, beautifully beginning to surrender to the early morning light. The distant, jagged horizon completely exploded into a breathtaking, vibrant canvas of deep violet, soft pink, and brilliant, blinding gold.

  The majestic, highly anticipated sunrise had officially begun. The warm, golden rays of the morning sun pierced through the towering, ancient pine trees lining the mountain pass, casting long, beautiful shadows across the pristine white snow.

  Sitting in the comfortable passenger seat, Aoi was completely, utterly mesmerized by the sheer, overwhelming natural beauty surrounding them. She pressed her face close to the cold glass window, her dark eyes reflecting the brilliant, glowing colors of the magnificent mountain sunrise.

  She felt an incredible, profound sense of absolute peace completely wash over her soul. Just a few days ago, she had been suffocating under the heavy, terrifying weight of university exams and elitist social drama. Now, she was floating high above the clouds with the man she loved more than anything in the world.

  Unable to contain her immense, bubbling joy, Aoi quickly reached into the pocket of her thick winter coat and pulled out her smartphone. She immediately opened the camera application, switching it to video mode to record a personal, highly emotional travel log for her parents back in their quiet, working-class neighborhood.

  "Good morning, Mom and Dad," Aoi said cheerfully to the camera lens, a wide, breathtaking, and entirely genuine smile completely taking over her beautiful face. "We have officially arrived in the beautiful city of Altkanz, and we are currently driving up the mountain to see the historic ruins. The sunrise up here is absolutely, incredibly beautiful."

  She slowly panned the camera lens to capture the stunning, golden light illuminating the snow-capped peaks outside her window. Then, with a highly mischievous, deeply playful little giggle, she smoothly turned the phone's camera directly toward the driver's seat.

  Erwin was sitting perfectly straight behind the leather steering wheel. He was wearing a highly stylish, thick dark turtleneck sweater that perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders, his sharp, aristocratic profile bathed in the warm morning sunlight.

  "Say hello to the camera, Erwin," Aoi requested happily, keeping the lens focused on his handsome face. "I need to explicitly prove to my mother and father that I am actually in incredibly safe, highly capable hands for the week."

  Erwin let out a low, incredibly warm, and deeply genuine chuckle. His dark, calculating eyes remained completely, entirely focused on the winding, icy asphalt in front of them.

  "I am currently navigating a very steep, highly treacherous, and heavily snow-covered mountain road, Aoi," Erwin explained smoothly, his deep baritone voice laced with absolute, undeniable amusement. "I absolutely cannot take my eyes off the road to look directly at your digital lens right now."

  Aoi simply giggled again, completely refusing to lower the camera. "You do not have to look at the screen. Just say a quick, polite hello so they know you are actually taking good care of me."

  Erwin smiled, a highly affectionate, incredibly soft expression completely transforming his usually intimidating, stoic features. He slightly raised his voice, ensuring the phone's microphone caught his incredibly polite, highly respectful words.

  "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Mizuno," Erwin spoke smoothly, his tone carrying the absolute, flawless, and deeply respectful manners of a high-society gentleman addressing his elders. "I respectfully request your formal permission to borrow your brilliant, beautiful daughter for the week. I promise to keep her incredibly safe, and I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure she has a wonderful, deeply happy holiday."

  Aoi felt a massive, overwhelming wave of pure, unadulterated warmth completely flood her chest. She lowered the phone slightly, staring at his handsome profile with eyes full of absolute, unwavering devotion.

  "Thank you, Erwin," Aoi whispered softly, deeply touched by his incredibly respectful, highly considerate message to her humble parents.

  She raised the phone back up, looking directly into the camera lens one final time. "As you can clearly hear, Mom and Dad, I am doing absolutely wonderfully. I am perfectly safe, I am incredibly happy, and I am currently enjoying the most beautiful sunrise of my entire life. I will call you both later tonight. I love you."

  She pressed the digital button to stop the recording, safely tucking the smartphone back into her warm coat pocket. She leaned her head back against the plush leather headrest, completely, utterly content.

  After a relatively long, highly scenic drive up the winding slopes, the luxury SUV finally reached the designated, snow-cleared parking area located near the very top of their first historical destination.

  They had officially arrived at the legendary Kaiser Hill.

  Erwin smoothly parked the heavy vehicle, turning off the powerful engine. They both stepped out into the freezing, incredibly crisp, and highly refreshing mountain air. Erwin immediately walked around the front of the car, gently taking Aoi's small, gloved hand securely into his own, perfectly intertwining their fingers together.

  The primary path leading up to the absolute summit of the historic hill was entirely composed of ancient, highly uneven, and incredibly steep stone steps carved directly into the side of the mountain centuries ago.

  As they began their long, arduous ascent, a highly amusing, deeply ironic physical dynamic quickly began to unfold between the young couple.

  Erwin was an incredibly tall, highly imposing young man with broad, muscular shoulders. However, he had spent the absolute, overwhelming majority of his entire life sitting completely still behind heavy oak desks in silent libraries, or standing rigidly behind podiums in federal courtrooms. His brilliant, highly analytical mind was his absolute greatest weapon, but his physical cardio was currently being brutally, mercilessly tested by the endless, steep mountain stairs.

  Aoi, on the other hand, was absolutely vibrating with pure, unadulterated, and boundless morning energy.

  She practically bounced up the ancient stone steps, her cheeks flushed a beautiful, healthy shade of pink from the freezing mountain air. She held onto Erwin's large hand tightly, physically pulling him up the steep incline with a highly enthusiastic, incredibly cheerful determination.

  "Come on, Mr. Advocate, we are almost at the top!" Aoi cheered loudly, looking back over her shoulder with a wide, highly teasing, and breathtakingly beautiful smile. "You cannot possibly tell me that a few ancient rocks are going to completely defeat the man who just destroyed a massive corporate energy conglomerate in federal court."

  Erwin let out a heavy, highly exhausted sigh, his breath pluming in thick white clouds in the freezing air. He pushed his long legs forward, entirely determined not to let his beautiful girlfriend completely outpace him on a simple morning hike.

  "I am a student of the complex, highly intellectual written law, Aoi," Erwin grumbled playfully, a highly amused, deeply affectionate smirk playing on his lips despite his burning thighs. "I am absolutely not a professional mountain climber. My physical expertise lies in carrying heavy briefcases, not scaling medieval cliffs before breakfast."

  Aoi laughed beautifully, the musical sound echoing warmly across the quiet, snow-covered pine trees. She slowed her pace just a tiny, considerate fraction, gently squeezing his hand to offer him some highly needed moral support.

  "I know you are exhausted from studying, but I promise you the view is absolutely going to be worth the physical effort," Aoi encouraged him softly, her dark eyes shining with pure excitement. "And besides, I could not possibly enjoy this beautiful, historic place all by myself. I need you right here beside me."

  Hearing those incredibly sweet, deeply sincere words, Erwin felt a massive, powerful surge of adrenaline completely overwrite his physical fatigue. He offered her a deeply affectionate, highly devoted nod, tightening his grip on her small hand. He would gladly climb a thousand freezing mountains if it meant seeing that beautiful, radiant smile on her face at the summit.

  After several more grueling minutes of steady climbing, they finally breached the crest of the hill. The dense line of pine trees completely cleared, opening up to a massive, sprawling, and breathtakingly flat plateau at the very peak of the mountain.

  Standing proudly in the center of the snow-covered plateau were the massive, incredibly ancient, and heavily weathered ruins of an old wooden and stone fortress.

  Aoi and Erwin both stopped dead in their tracks, completely, utterly captivated by the sheer, overwhelming, and deeply haunting historical majesty of the ancient structure standing against the bright morning sky.

  "We made it," Aoi breathed softly, her dark eyes completely wide with pure, unadulterated awe.

  She quickly pulled her smartphone out of her pocket, completely eager to capture the beautiful moment. She turned around, holding the camera high up in the air to perfectly frame the ancient fortress ruins in the background.

  "Smile, Erwin!" Aoi instructed cheerfully, leaning her back completely against his solid chest and tilting her head up toward the lens.

  Erwin immediately wrapped his strong, warm arms securely around her slender waist, pulling her incredibly tight against his body to protect her from the biting mountain wind. He looked down at the camera screen, offering a highly rare, deeply genuine, and breathtakingly handsome smile.

  Aoi snapped several pictures in rapid succession, completely thrilled by how perfectly happy they both looked. She then gently rested the back of her head completely against his broad shoulder, entirely relaxing into his incredibly safe, highly protective embrace.

  Without a single second of hesitation, Erwin slowly lowered his head and pressed a deep, incredibly soft, and highly lingering kiss directly to the crown of her dark hair.

  Aoi immediately closed her eyes, a soft, incredibly blissful smile completely washing over her delicate features. She felt so incredibly loved, so utterly cherished, and so completely safe in his arms. She turned her head slightly, reaching up on her tiptoes to press a sweet, highly affectionate, and completely loving kiss directly against his cold cheek.

  They stood there for a long, quiet moment, simply holding each other in the freezing mountain air, completely absorbing the profound, ancient history surrounding them.

  "Do you happen to know the actual history behind this specific fortress?" Aoi finally asked softly, looking up at the towering, weathered wooden spikes protruding from the ancient stone foundation.

  Erwin slowly released his hold on her waist, smoothly slipping his hand back into hers as they began to slowly walk around the massive perimeter of the ancient ruins. His dark, highly observant eyes scanned the weathered architecture, his brilliant mind effortlessly retrieving the dense, highly detailed historical facts he had completely memorized as a child.

  "This specific location is incredibly, profoundly important to the entire foundation of our country," Erwin began, his deep voice carrying a highly educational, deeply captivating, and completely hypnotic tone. "This is exactly where the very first wooden fortress belonging to K?nig Albrecht the First von Hochwald originally stood."

  Aoi listened intently, completely fascinated by his deep, flawless knowledge.

  "During the early eleventh century, long before Hohenreich ever existed as a unified, modern nation, this entire region was nothing but a chaotic, highly fractured confederation of incredibly violent mountain clans who constantly waged bloody wars against one another," Erwin explained smoothly, his hand gently guiding her over a patch of slippery, uneven stones.

  He pointed his elegant finger toward the absolute highest point of the ruined foundation.

  "K?nig Albrecht was an incredibly fierce, highly charismatic leader from the mountain tribes," Erwin continued, painting a vivid, highly detailed historical picture for her. "He aggressively conquered and united the warring factions. Right here on this exact hill, he stood before his massive, newly formed army, raised his heavy iron sword for the very first time, and formally proclaimed the 'Reich des Hochwaldes'. It was the absolute, undeniable birth of the Hohenreich empire."

  Erwin looked down at the snow-covered ground beneath their boots, his dark eyes carrying a heavy, deeply philosophical shadow. "The ancient legends explicitly state that the blood from the final, massive unification battle sank so deeply into this specific mountain that the soil itself is permanently stained with the heavy price of leadership."

  Aoi looked around the quiet, beautiful ruins, completely awestruck by the massive, incredibly violent, and deeply bloody history that had paved the way for their modern, peaceful society.

  As they slowly walked around the far side of the massive stone foundation, they suddenly came across a towering, incredibly detailed, and highly oxidized bronze statue.

  It was a magnificent, life-sized sculpture of K?nig Albrecht the First. The ancient king was depicted wearing heavy, detailed chainmail armor, his face set in a fierce, absolute, and unyielding roar of victory. His right arm was thrust high into the freezing air, his heavy bronze sword pointing directly toward the bright, cloudless heavens.

  Erwin stopped walking, staring up at the towering bronze monument with a look of profound, deeply analytical respect.

  "Look closely at the specific, highly deliberate positioning of his sword, Aoi," Erwin instructed softly, pointing toward the heavy bronze weapon aiming straight at the sky.

  Aoi followed his gaze, looking up at the ancient, weathered weapon. "He is pointing it toward the clouds. What exactly does it mean?"

  "It is a highly symbolic, deeply political gesture," Erwin explained flawlessly, his voice carrying the heavy, authoritative tone of a master legal scholar. "By pointing the tip of his bloody sword directly toward the heavens instead of pointing it toward his conquered enemies or the ground, Albrecht was sending an absolute, terrifying message to the entire world."

  Erwin looked at Aoi, ensuring she understood the profound historical weight of the gesture.

  "He was explicitly demonstrating that his newfound, absolute power to rule the nation, and the ultimate, undeniable freedom of his newly formed empire, were granted to him entirely by God," Erwin stated. "He was declaring that his authority was absolutely divine, and therefore, it could never, ever be challenged, restricted, or taken away by the hands of any mortal man."

  Aoi stared at Erwin, completely, utterly captivated by his incredible, brilliant, and highly detailed explanation. She found his deep, flawless understanding of human history and political symbolism to be incredibly, undeniably attractive.

  "You are so incredibly smart, Erwin," Aoi whispered softly, her dark eyes shining with pure, unadulterated admiration. She quickly raised her phone, snapping a beautiful, high-quality photograph of the towering bronze statue to remember his incredible historical lesson.

  Just as she lowered her phone, a friendly, middle-aged male tourist wearing a thick winter coat walked slowly past them on the stone path.

  "Excuse me, sir," Aoi called out politely, offering the stranger a bright, highly welcoming smile. "Would you possibly mind taking a quick photograph of us in front of the statue?"

  "Oh, I would be absolutely happy to help," the kind tourist replied cheerfully, walking over and gently taking Aoi's smartphone from her gloved hands.

  Erwin immediately stepped close to Aoi, wrapping his strong right arm securely around her waist, completely pulling her back into his warm, highly protective embrace. Aoi smiled beautifully, leaning her head completely against his broad, solid shoulder, looking perfectly, incredibly happy.

  The kind tourist snapped the photograph several times, ensuring he captured the beautiful young couple perfectly against the majestic, historic backdrop of the bronze king.

  "There you go," the man said cheerfully, handing the phone back to Aoi. "You two make a very lovely couple. Have a wonderful day up here."

  "Thank you so incredibly much, sir," Aoi replied gratefully, looking down at the screen. The picture was absolutely flawless. It was a beautiful, permanent memory of their very first morning in the ancient mountain city.

  As Aoi was happily reviewing the digital photo gallery, entirely distracted by the bright screen, a sudden, highly unexpected weight crashed directly into the side of her legs.

  Aoi stumbled slightly, quickly looking down in surprise. A tiny, incredibly adorable little girl, wearing a thick, bright pink winter snowsuit and a massive, highly fluffy wool hat, had accidentally run straight into her while playfully chasing a small stray bird across the courtyard.

  "Oh my goodness, we are so incredibly sorry!" a panicked, highly apologetic female voice called out from a few feet away.

  A young mother and father immediately rushed over, looking highly embarrassed and deeply apologetic. "She just learned how to run properly in the heavy snow, and she completely lost control of her tiny boots. We hope she didn't hurt you, miss."

  Aoi immediately shook her head, a wide, incredibly warm, and deeply maternal smile completely breaking across her beautiful face. She absolutely did not mind the accident in the slightest.

  She gracefully dropped down to her knees right there on the cold, snow-covered stones, bringing herself completely down to the tiny little girl's eye level.

  "I am perfectly fine," Aoi reassured the worried parents softly, her voice carrying a deep, highly soothing, and completely natural psychological empathy. She looked directly at the adorable, wide-eyed little girl. "Hello there, little one. You are a very fast runner. What is your name?"

  The tiny girl blinked her massive, bright blue eyes, completely captivated by Aoi's soft, incredibly gentle voice and warm smile.

  "My name is Clara," the little girl answered in a highly cheerful, incredibly high-pitched, and adorable voice. She pointed a tiny, thickly gloved finger directly at Aoi's face. "You look like a very pretty princess."

  Aoi completely melted. A massive, brilliantly bright blush instantly rushed to her cheeks, and she quickly covered her face with her hands, laughing softly out of pure, unadulterated bashfulness at the child's incredibly sweet, innocent compliment.

  "Well, thank you very much, Clara," Aoi replied warmly, gently reaching out to adjust the little girl's fluffy pink hat. "You are an incredibly beautiful little princess yourself."

  The young parents laughed warmly, visibly relieved by Aoi's highly gracious, deeply kind reaction to the accident.

  "You both are incredibly kind to excuse her clumsiness," the father said cheerfully, offering Erwin and Aoi a polite, welcoming nod. "Are you two traveling from far away? Your accents sound like you are from the capital."

  Erwin, who had been standing quietly behind Aoi, immediately stepped forward. His terrifying, cold courtroom demeanor was completely, utterly gone. He offered the young parents a highly polite, deeply respectful, and incredibly warm smile.

  "You have an excellent ear, sir," Erwin replied smoothly, his deep voice friendly and relaxed. "Yes, we are currently traveling from the city of Hohenwald. We decided to take a much-needed holiday break from the university to explore the beautiful history of Altkanz."

  "University students!" the mother exclaimed happily, her eyes lighting up with genuine, highly polite curiosity. "That is wonderful. What specific subjects are you both studying in the capital?"

  "I am currently studying in the faculty of law," Erwin answered politely, gesturing gently toward Aoi, who was still kneeling on the ground happily entertaining little Clara. "And she is currently studying advanced clinical psychology."

  The young parents were highly impressed by their rigorous, deeply demanding academic fields. The two couples stood near the ancient bronze statue for a long, highly enjoyable time, casually chatting about the city, sharing travel recommendations, and watching Aoi effortlessly, beautifully interact with the cheerful little girl.

  After spending nearly an entire hour exploring the ruins and enjoying the pleasant, highly unexpected social interaction, Erwin finally checked his silver watch. It was time to move to their next historical destination.

  "It was an absolute pleasure meeting your family," Erwin said politely, offering the parents a respectful nod of farewell. "But we must be moving along to our next stop before the afternoon crowds arrive."

  Aoi slowly stood up, brushing the cold snow off the knees of her coat. She looked down at the little girl, offering her a highly affectionate, deeply warm wave.

  "It was wonderful meeting you, Princess Clara," Aoi said cheerfully.

  The little girl immediately frowned, her bottom lip jutting out in a highly dramatic, incredibly adorable pout of pure sadness. She clearly did not want her new, pretty friend to leave so soon.

  Seeing the tiny child's genuine sadness, Erwin slowly crouched down, resting on one knee in the snow. He looked directly at the little girl, offering her a highly gentle, incredibly warm, and deeply reassuring smile that he rarely showed to anyone outside of his inner circle.

  "Do not be sad, Clara," Erwin comforted the little girl softly, his deep voice carrying a highly soothing, deeply paternal warmth. "The world is an incredibly big, highly beautiful place. If you keep running as fast as you do, I am absolutely certain we will cross paths again someday."

  The little girl's dramatic frown instantly vanished, completely replaced by a wide, highly excited, and completely toothy smile. She nodded her tiny head vigorously, entirely satisfied with his highly logical, deeply comforting promise.

  Erwin and Aoi waved one final, highly cheerful goodbye to the sweet, loving little family. They turned around and began their slow, careful descent back down the steep, ancient stone steps toward the parking lot, their hearts completely full of warm, highly positive energy.

  Ten minutes later, they were completely safely secured back inside the warm, luxurious, and highly comfortable interior of their rented SUV.

  As Erwin smoothly started the powerful engine, turning up the internal heating system to chase away the biting mountain chill, Aoi was entirely focused on her smartphone screen. She was happily scrolling through the beautiful digital gallery, looking at the selfies they had taken in front of the ruins, and a highly candid, blurry picture she had managed to snap of little Clara running in the snow.

  "That little girl was absolutely, incredibly adorable," Aoi murmured softly, a bright, highly maternal, and deeply loving smile completely taking over her face. "She was so incredibly cheerful and full of pure, innocent life."

  Sitting in the driver's seat, Erwin slowly turned his head to look at her.

  He watched the beautiful, incredibly soft, and deeply nurturing expression radiating from her dark eyes as she looked at the photo of the child. A massive, highly profound, and completely terrifying ache suddenly bloomed deep within the very core of his chest.

  It was a sudden, incredibly fierce, and deeply overwhelming desire.

  He secretly, desperately hoped, with absolutely every single fiber of his being, that he would be able to completely destroy his father's toxic corporate empire quickly. He desperately wanted to clear the bloody, dangerous battlefield so that one day, in the beautiful, distant future, he could stand on a quiet, peaceful mountain and watch Aoi holding a little girl of their own.

  He swallowed hard, completely pushing the deeply emotional, highly vulnerable thought back into the safe, protected depths of his mind. He offered her a warm, highly affectionate smile.

  "She certainly was," Erwin agreed softly, shifting the heavy luxury vehicle smoothly into drive.

  Aoi locked her smartphone and slipped it back into her warm coat pocket. She looked over at him, her dark eyes shining with pure, highly eager anticipation.

  "So, Mr. Advocate," Aoi asked cheerfully, buckling her seatbelt securely. "Where exactly is our brilliant, highly knowledgeable tour guide taking us next?"

  Erwin smoothly steered the massive SUV out of the snow-covered parking lot, heading back down the winding mountain pass toward the opposite side of the historic city.

  "Our next official destination is the exact place we were looking at from the window of the train last night," Erwin announced smoothly, his voice carrying a highly exciting, deeply adventurous tone. "We are heading straight to Festung Silberkrone. The fortress of the silver crown."

  Aoi let out a soft, highly excited gasp. She shifted in her plush leather seat, completely unable to contain her immense, bubbling joy. This was quickly turning into the absolute greatest, most beautifully perfect journey of her entire life.

  She reached across the wide center console, gently placing her small, warm hand directly over his large one resting on the gear shift.

  "Thank you, Erwin," Aoi whispered softly, her voice carrying a deep, highly vulnerable, and incredibly raw sincerity. "Thank you for planning all of this. I am so incredibly sorry that I am just sitting here enjoying myself without being able to actively help you with the driving or the logistics."

  Erwin immediately turned his hand over, completely intertwining his long fingers perfectly with hers. He looked at her, his dark eyes absolutely saturated with pure, undeniable, and highly protective devotion.

  "Do not ever apologize for being happy, Aoi," Erwin commanded softly, his deep voice completely, utterly shutting down her lingering, stubborn guilt with absolute, flawless love. "As long as you are smiling, and as long as you are safe by my side, I possess absolutely everything I could ever want in this world. Your happiness is my entire reward."

  Aoi felt her heart completely melt. She unbuckled her seatbelt for a brief, microscopic second, leaning entirely across the wide center console. She pressed a deep, incredibly soft, and highly affectionate kiss directly against his warm cheek as a physical, undeniable form of absolute gratitude.

  Erwin smiled, a highly satisfied, deeply happy expression completely setting on his handsome face. He gently squeezed her hand, keeping it securely enclosed in his own as the powerful luxury vehicle roared down the snowy mountain road, heading directly toward the ancient, towering silver fortress waiting for them in the distance.