* * *

Cadel pulled on the new robes Dreyfe had brought with him, pressing the hood down. The whole time he was moving, carefully scanning his surroundings, Cadel kept his eyes fixed on Dreyfe’s feet.

If someone were to find out, Dreyfe wouldn’t protect him. No wonder. Honestly, it was surprising enough that he hadn’t left the half-breed descendant of a traitor to die. It was hard to ask for more favors than that, and Dreyfe had no obligation to protect Cadel to that extent.

‘I’ll have to get out of the castle and find Van. Rather than talking to the Emperor, agitating the Imperial citizens seems to work faster.’

Word must have gotten out that the Scarlet Scales Mercenary had made a significant contribution to the defense of the gate. It was all thanks to Lydon’s [Phantasm Speech]. Curiosity about the foreign forces that defended the homeland would be at an all-time high, and a well-timed appearance would be a welcome distraction from the Empire.

‘It’s still too risky to reveal that I’m Lytos. Let’s make a name for ourselves with the presence of Lydon, and entice the Emperor to come to us.’

Whatever the case, the Emperor was the final arbiter of the knight order’s appointments, and if he couldn’t face him with confidence, his quest was doomed.

As Cadel was trying to make a plan, trying to capture Dreyfe’s shoes in that narrow field of vision. Dreyfe’s steps stopped. Cadel stiffened, and a muffled voice called out to him.

“If you continue on this path, you’ll come to a small garden adjacent to the back gate. It’s a hard-to-reach place, but don’t relax until the end. There’s an opening behind the largest tree in the garden. Go there”

“I would like to go there with you if possible…….”

“Run on cue.”

Cadel’s head snapped up at the insistent voice, and he saw three knights approaching from off to his left. He hadn’t even realized they were there because he had been watching Dreyfe’s feet the whole time.

They hadn’t spotted Dreyfe and Cadel yet, but they were veering off as if to cross the shortcut Cadel was taking.

His nerves were quickly getting the better of him, but there was no time to relax.

“Now!”

Cadel gritted his teeth and ran. If he got caught here, it was over. He still hadn’t unlocked the bracelet that was preventing him from releasing his mana, and he had no allies. Only one chance to escape.

Behind Cadel’s desperate run, Dreyfe’s shouts could be heard.

“Oyy, you guys! What are you doing out and about at this hour? Aren’t you training?”

Normally at this time of day, the knights would enjoy a short break after lunch, and despite the fact that he had used the break to help Cadel escape, Dreyfe sternly summoned the knights. The three knights, who had been strolling merrily along, stiffened and saluted.

“Ba, Battalion Captain Dreyfe.”

“You guys are so harmonious. Look happy even. You don’t seem to be too upset that you’ve been outclassed by a mere mercenary.”

The deliberately sour tone of his words quickly brought the knights to their senses. Dreyfe glared at them as they experienced the bolt out of the blue, then glanced at the entrance to the shortcut. He couldn’t keep them there long, so he had to hurry and disappear inside.

But there’s one thing Dreyfe overlooked.

‘……What? Why is he still there?’

Cadel’s stamina was low, even among ordinary magicians, and three days of poor diet and unrelieved fatigue had brought it to rock bottom.

Cadel was running desperately, but in Dreyfe’s eyes, it was at a snail’s pace.

After a moment’s speechlessness at the shocking sight, one of the knights looked up and spoke up.

“We are sorry, Battalion Captain. We will proceed directly to the training ground.…….”

Over his head, which naturally followed Dreyfe’s gaze, he caught sight of Cadel’s slowly receding back. At Cadel’s desperate running, the knight let out a wary voice, forgetting the solemn atmosphere.

“Who’s running around in such a hurry?”

“……He’s wearing a robe. Must be a magician.”

Dreyfe felt his heart leap into his throat. He hastily made up an excuse, but when the other two knights joined in, things went from bad to worse.

“I don’t think that’s an Imperial Magician’s robe, and I’ve heard that all the magicians in the castle are in the second tower right now, analyzing the magic circle.”

“Then it must be a magician from a foreign country. Is it time to care about that?”

“B, but Battalion Captain, isn’t the garden by the back gate off-limits to foreigners? Shouldn’t we block that person?”

Of course that person had to be stopped. If it was a guest from another country, they had to chase him down and make him explain the situation, and if not, they had to subdue him. It was all too obvious, but Dreyfe couldn’t bear to order the desperate crawling Cadel, and the knights interpreted Dreyfe’s silence in a different way.

“We’ll take a look, Battalion Captain!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get right to the training grounds!”

They immediately pursued Cadel before the bewildered Dreyfe could even speak out to dissuade them. Dreyfe’s face gradually turned white at the sight of his men eagerly closing the distance from Cadel.

“Not even a magician can be that fast.……!”

* * *

Cadel had been spotted. The question of ‘how on earth’ was futile, and the attitude of his pursuers grew harsh as he ignored their calls.

“If you dare to set foot on the sacred grounds of the Emperor, you’d better not think of going back unscathed!”

The gap was narrow as if he could be caught at any moment. Cadel gave up on taking the shortcut straight ahead and dug his way through the gardens and flowers on the outskirts, trying to evade the pursuit at all costs.

‘If only I had wind magic!’

He was desperate for magic to support this pitiful speed. With his hood ripped off and his ankle sprained, Cadel continued to run, but his limits were becoming apparent.

He could almost feel the breath of the knight behind him. Cadel’s feet scuffed as he dug through the thorny rose bushes. And then he stepped onto the ground beyond.

“……?”

A man walking down the road caught Cadel’s eye as he dodged an outstretched hand from behind.

In the slow crossing of their gazes, it was Cadel who came to his senses first. With a surge of surprise or delight that he pushed aside, he rushed in front of the man without hesitation.

“Sir Garuel! Help me!”

“Sir Cadel……? Why are you here…….”

The purple eyes beneath his disheveled white hair trembled slightly. He studied Cadel’s face as he leaned into his embrace. His gaze was sharp as if he doubted it was really Cadel.

In the meantime, the knights who had been closely pursuing Cadel also escaped to the roadside beyond the rose bushes. They looked to the right and left with fierce vigor, and when they spotted Cadel, they rode straight for him.

“You little rat! Finallyー”

The knight who had been leading the charge to catch Cadel stopped short when he spotted Garuel.

White hair that glistened in the sunlight and a black eyepatch covering one eye. The unique languid atmosphere overlaid under the distinct features added a unique charm to the gorgeous beauty.

The man was recognizable only by fragmentary features. The commander of the Twilight Knight Order, Garuel Monzasi. The knights following him immediately recognized Garuel’s identity.

“You must be the ambassador of the White Kingdom, and I apologize for interrupting your rest, but could you please hand over the man in front of you?”

“Hmm, did this guy do something wrong?”

Garuel smiled lightly and casually wrapped his arm around Cadel’s shoulders, pulling him close. Cadel buried his nose in his chest and didn’t move. He didn’t move, knowing full well that Garuel was the only one who could help him here.

At Garuel’s actions, the knights looked at each other as if they were troubled, and then said with a confused expression.

“He is believed to be an intruder who sneaked into the castle. When asked to give his name and identity, he refused to comply and fled…….”

“Ah, I see. It’s definitely suspicious.”

His languid eyes drifted to the crown of Cadel’s head in his arms. He stroked his soft locks a few times, then kissed the top of his head without a word. His gaze was not on Cadel but on the knights across from him.

In front of the knights, who were stunned by the unexpected kiss, Garuel smirked as if it were nothing.

“This is the person I brought with me. As you know, my status is sensitive. I told him not to tell anyone his name and identity, and he made this cute little mistake.”

One might know if they were within the White Kingdom, but Garuel Monzasi, seen from outsiders’ perspective, was a competent commander of the noble Holy Knight Order and a pure holy knight himself.

Garuel’s behavior just shown was enough to make the man in his arms at least a ‘night partner’.

The knights who had been forced to see something they didn’t want to see began to stiffen and back away. There was a palpable sense of bewilderment as to how they should react, and some of them were flushed to the ears.

Garuel smiled a little as if such knights were cute, and threw the leather flask that was attached to his waist. As one knight reflexively snatched it up, a friendly yet relaxed voice was heard.

“That’s a pretty good wine. I’ll give it to you as a gift since you seem to have lost a lot of energy because of me.”

“N, no. If you said he wasn’t an intruder, we’re sorry we offended you. T, then…… Have a great time!”

Instead of answering, Garuel stared at the knights with the corners of his mouth tugged up, and they quickly turned back as if they were being chased. They hadn’t looked back once on the way, which must have been quite a shock.

And just like that, they were gone. Gently biting himself, Garuel looked down at Cadel. The glowing face was full of interest and curiosity, and Cadel could only shake his head in pain.

“Thank you…….”

“Greetings aside, shall we start with an explanation?”