A dock in the White Kingdom.

After one trial and error, the Scarlet Scales Knight Order was able to safely set foot inside the Kingdom. The cool sea breeze and crystal clear waters were no different than before they left.

Van praised him profusely for the success of his movement magic spell, and Lumen gave him a teasing compliment as well, but Cadel’s face did not look pleased at all. Rather, it was set in despair.

‘It must have been a hallucination. A hallucination.’

A gravelly voice, heard just before the spell was cast. At the last moment, the assassin revealed the name he had been hiding. He was none other than ‘Yozen Vardikta’.

‘Does that make sense? Yozen? That was Yozen? If I’d known it was Yozen, I would have held onto his pants and begged him to join. Garuel and Lydon, huh, I would have left those two to fend for themselves and set up a home in Dunkelhai!’

He pulled his hair, resenting his past self for letting Yozen go so easily. Ignoring the sounds of concern, Cadel crouched down on the floor and muttered sullenly.

“What’s wrong with my life…….”

Yozen Vardikta was an S-grade knight in his final deck, and he was also Cadel’s number one choice for the final knight recruit, an assassin.

‘I didn’t expect to meet him. I was going to leave it as a pie in the sky…….’

His lack of expectations made it all the more shocking that the assassin who had helped him was Yozen. If he’d even considered the possibility that it was Yozen, he’d have been as persistent as a cockroach in trying to find out the name. If only he had known that the knight of his dreams, whom he had longed for so much, would fly away right in front of his foolish nose……

“Commander, did you use too much mana and have something wrong with your body? Shall we find a pharmacy?”

“First, try piggybacking him. It would be best to go to the inn first.”

As Cadel grunted in silence, his subordinates were restless and began to think about a solution. At the urging of Van, who was stamping his feet with the intention of sweeping the medicine cabinet at any moment, Cadel slowly stood up, patting the back of Lumen in front of him.

“No, I’m fine. ……Let’s go.”

“If it’s hard, just climb on my back.”

“If Lumen makes you feel bad, I’ll pick you up, Commander. Just don’t push yourself.”

It wasn’t Lumen’s back he felt bad about, but his own foolishness in missing out on Yozen Vardikta and gloating over ‘His personality passed!’. Cadel stumbled away, refusing the favors of his subordinates.

‘I don’t even know where the forest is in Dunkelhai. I don’t know if I’ll find him again. ……Forget it. Better forget it now. At least I found out that he was within Dunkelhai.’

Reflecting on his past foolishness only increased his self-doubt. Trying to shake off his growing regret, Cadel decided to carry out his original plan.

* * *

“Since you visited immediately after I received the Emperor’s letter expressing his regret, I do not think it would be an absurd mistake to think that your Knight Order was a consolation gift.”

Cadel straightened his back, pondering whether he could dismiss King Danila’s remarks as a joke.

The king tried to keep up the playful conversation with Cadel as he had when they first met, but there was a sadness in his eyes that he could not hide.

Once, Garuel had said of his king that he was ‘greedy for talents because he wasn’t blessed with helpful people’. To such a man, Garuel Monzasi must have been special. The fact that he turned a blind eye to the fact that the holy knight roamed the streets like a lout was enough to convince Cadel.

“You found Garuel’s body.”

“……Yes.”

“I see.”

King Danila nodded with a faint smile. His every action oozed majesty and ease, but today he seemed unusually forlorn, and Cadel was the cause of it. Cadel was merely uncomfortable in this position.

“Thank you. ……Although he hid Lumen Dominic’s joining from me and chose an empire that threatened you instead of the beautiful White Kingdom. Being thankful is being thankful.”

“Th, that……. I apologize. But at the time, Lumen wasn’t really my subordinate.”

“Never mind. I’m not that narrow-minded.”

Danila, who must have been amused by Cadel’s embarrassed appearance, smiled lowly and leaned against the backrest. Then he muttered to himself.

“Right. If I’m going to resent someone, it should be the demon.”

Pretending not to hear the sarcasm in his voice, Cadel carefully lowered his eyes. He understood, just a little, what it must be like to lose a precious knight. Silence was the least respect he could show.

With a bitter note in his voice, Danila spoke to Cadel with his usual kindness.

“Garuel’s funeral will be tomorrow afternoon. I hope you will be there to witness his final moments.”

“Of course I will be there.”

“I’ll give you a boat later.”

It was a kind gesture on the King’s part for Cadel since sailing was essential to reach the Inte Snowfields. Cadel thanked him politely, and Danila let him go, as he was no doubt tired from the journey.

As he left the audience room, no particular emotion was shown on Cadel’s face. Because he was holding back.

Since his conversation with Lumen, Cadel had tried to put a minimum of emotion into Garuel’s work. He had no intention of bringing him back to life, even if it would cause Cadel bottomless anguish. No matter what, Garuel would eventually live as his own knight. Taking what belonged to others and crying and apologizing for it would only make them look ridiculous. Cadel didn’t want to be shameless, but he also didn’t want to be an unsightly person.

‘If it’s tomorrow afternoon, there’s about a day left. It would be difficult…… to go see Lydon right away.’

If he followed the thread of the ring, he would find Lydon, but by now he was with Garuel, who was pretending to be a corpse. Cadel didn’t want to go looking for him and get caught.

‘I’d better get ready for the next main quest.’

Let’s make a plan and have a meal. He would better spend some time with his subordinates, Cadel decided, and went in search of them.