* * *

His past seemed especially long. One after the other, Yozen’s past was a single, dim candle in an infernal darkness, its tenuous flame extinguished before it could even flicker, leaving only darkness once more. All he clutched at was the brief memory of the warmth it had left behind.

“…….”

Cadel slowly pushed himself to his feet. He rubbed his face vigorously, rummaged through his pack, and gulped down a potion of energy. He could feel his limp body slowly revitalizing. His muscles weren’t as sore as he’d feared.

Cadel stared off into space for a moment, then muttered to himself.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped him.”

It was hard to imagine how Yozen must have felt, knowing that he had allowed Jeffrey Holiven to escape. How resentful Yozen must have been, as Cadel protected that devil, insisting that it was for his own good. How thirsty for affection Yozen must have been, as he nodded to Cadel, still calling him his commander.

He took a deep breath to control his rising emotions. He wanted to run to Yozen and embrace him right now, but he wouldn’t show himself until his search was complete. If he saw Jeffrey, it would be hard to resist the urge to kill, so he might stay somewhere else and not come back until much later. Cadel couldn’t blame him for making that choice.

‘For now, …… I’m going to need time to gather my thoughts.’

Yozen’s past was both simple and incredibly complicated. Until he could figure out what choices would help him, what comfort he could best offer, he would withhold judgment.

As he exited the barracks after dressing and organizing his belongings, he ran into Lumen, who had just arrived. Meeting Cadel head-on, he smiled softly.

“Did you sleep well?”

“……Yes.”

Far from sleeping well, he thought of Yozen, his stomach churning worse than usual. Trying not to let it show, Cadel nodded, and after a moment’s puzzled glance, Lumen patted him on the head.

“You must have had a nightmare.”

“Nonsense, I slept fine.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“……Why are you here?”

“The other commander is up early and getting ready, and it’s no honor to be the only one up late, so I thought I’d wake you up before you become a sleepyhead.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Even as he walked alongside Lumen, Cadel occasionally cast a quick glance around, just in case he caught a glimpse of Yozen. But sure enough, Yozen was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, after a short walk, he spotted Dasto, standing by, checking on his men, as if preparing to leave early, just as Lumen had said. Dasto’s gaze shifted as Cadel approached.

“You’re up early, I see.”

“I thought so, but not by Sir Dasto’s standards.”

“Don’t worry about it, I have an unusual wake-up time.”

“You said it would take about half an hour to get to the abandoned coal mine, right?”

“Yes. We’re in no hurry, so let’s take our time and get going.”

Dasto, who had been talking to Cadel and coordinating the schedule, suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned his head. He turned toward his men, who were lined up in rows. Cadel followed his gaze and soon saw familiar eyes peeking out from behind the mask that covered his face.

“……What are you staring at? You got something to tell me, Jeffrey Holiven?”

The man who had stolen Yozen’s happiness and set him on the path of an assassin. Jeffrey seemed to be studying Cadel, remembering last night’s events. When Dasto gave him a look of displeasure, Jeffrey ducked his head quickly.

“No, I’m sorry, Commander.”

“The fact that I can feel your gaze is proof that you’ve been neglecting your training. Get your act together.”

“Yes!”

Dasto finished the sentence neatly and with attention, but Cadel did not. As soon as he saw Jeffrey’s face, his own actions from last night came flooding back, disturbing him. A surge of pure animosity toward Jeffrey surged through him.

He quickly suppressed his emotions, but as if sensing the animosity, Dasto opened his mouth.

“Has my subordinate made a mistake?”

“……Excuse me?”

“If he has been disrespectful out of my sight, I apologize on his behalf, and I hope you will be gracious and forgive him. I’m sure you don’t want to see a rift in this partnership.”

The implication was that even if Jeffrey had done something annoying, he should let it go if he wanted to maintain their relationship. Cadel stared at Dasto with cold, sunken eyes, then smiled, forging his usual relaxed expression.

“Of course. Emotions should not be allowed to take precedence when so many lives are at stake, and of course, your subordinate has never been disrespectful.”

For now, they had to explore. Once the stone was found and the Shadow Knight Order was out of the way, he would worry about Yozen’s safety and the disposition of his silent enemy.

Swallowing back the anger that sometimes flared, Cadel prepared for the journey to the abandoned coal mine.

* * *

A cool breeze blew. Cadel pulled his cloak tight against the chill on his skin and increased the firepower of the flames in the air.

“Wider entrance than I thought. Good thing I didn’t get tangled up in it……. Be careful, Commander. The ground is uneven.”

No matter how wide the entrance to the mine was, it was too much for a group of grown men to walk shoulder to shoulder, so they were forced to move forward in groups of three until they reached the wider inner tunnel. Van stood in front of Cadel, ready to catch him if he almost fell.

“Hmph, if the ceiling was just a little higher, I’d be flying.”

On either side of Cadel were Lydon and Garuel. Garuel turned to Lydon, who was shuffling along, looking as annoyed as ever.

“Shouldn’t you just turn small and fly away?”

“No, that would only give me an up-close view of Garuel’s annoying crown. I can’t stand the thought of it.”

“That’s weird, I’ve got a handsome crown.”

“You have a handsome crown? Is there something wrong with your head?”

“Oh dear, I never thought I’d hear that from Sir Lydon, I guess there’s something very wrong with my behavior.”

Between Lydon, who was beginning to look increasingly frustrated, and Garuel, who was gently teasing him about it. Cadel, who had been silently listening to their futile conversation, slapped the two men on the arm and rolled his eyes.

“Shut up. You two have the nerve to talk bullsh*t in such a quiet place?”

Not a single word of conversation had been heard from the Shadow Knight Order marching ahead of them since they entered the coal mine. The dreary atmosphere combined with the darkness of the abandoned mine made them feel like they were in the company of ghosts, but they were alive. Cadel didn’t want their loud, childish chatter echoing down the mine.

Cadel ignored Lydon’s grumbling about not taking his side and focused on his steps. The railroad tracks in the center of the mine were old and unrecognizable in their original form, and the structures supporting the rock walls were rusted to the point of falling off at any moment. It was an abandoned coal mine that had been abandoned for so long that it was in great danger of collapse.

Fortunately, there were magicians and plenty of magic tools for emergencies. Even if there was an accident, they could probably repair it to some extent.

‘It’s best to come out unscathed, but……. I always feel like something’s going to happen.’

Maybe it was something in Yozen’s past, maybe it was just a hunch. Cadel’s heightened nerves were taking in every inch of the mine with suspicion, and the humid air, coupled with his foggy mind, was making him feel worse.

‘……No. Let’s not get ourselves in trouble. Even if a demon appeared here right now, my subordinates would not be harmed.’

Cadel shook off the ominous visions and strode on with a brisk walk. But his positive thinking didn’t last long.

Tuk. Tuduk.

As he made his way deeper into the mine, stone dust began to fall from the ceiling. At first, it was just a bit of dirt, but as he continued to walk, chunks as big as his fist would occasionally fall.

“That’s unnerving. You’d better be careful, Leader.”

Lumen clicked his tongue briefly as he deflected a rock that threatened to fall on Cadel’s head. Cadel draped his scale armor over his subordinates due to the dire condition of the mine. The Shadow Knight Order followed Dasto’s lead and activated their protective magic tools, creating a transparent barrier around them.

“How far do we have to go, Commander? I can almost see the end of the mine.”

“They’re planning to blow up the inside of the mine and go further in.”

“Why is the wall so unstable?”

“I’d only be satisfied if I could blow it off without a speck of dust.”

Hanging on to every little clue was the only way to get closer to the right answer.