* * *

He spent a few hours clearing his head and watching Lydon sleep. It was the appearance of Yozen, who hadn’t been heard from, that stirred Cadel into action.

Careful not to wake Lydon, Cadel turned and climbed out of bed. Cadel’s gaze fell on Yozen, perched by the window. His stealth, perfect as always, had apparently proven no less skillful within the walls of the Empire.

Cadel studied Yozen’s lips as they curled into a thin smile, then poured water into a glass on the nightstand.

“How did you know I was awake?”

“I told you I know where you are and what you’re doing.”

“……Yes, you did.”

It was a combination of handy and scary. It was certainly a useful ability. Cadel stepped in front of Yozen with a glass of water.

“Would you like some water?”

“No, it’s okay.”

As he sipped the water for him, Yozen’s hand reached out. It began at Cadel’s forehead, grazing the cold glass and the fingers that wrapped around it, then sliding down Cadel’s arm.

Meekly accepting the now somewhat familiar touch, Cadel set his glass down and asked.

“They say you were away while I was down. Where have you been? Did you go to catch some pigs because you were too busy dealing with the demon?”

Not that he had much to criticize. Yozen had done his job, repelling the demon admirably. The rest was up to Yozen himself.

Yozen gave a small chuckle, as if he knew that, and shook his head gently.

“Dealing with demons is busier than I thought. I haven’t decided on a target yet.”

“Well, it’s a little hectic. So what did you do?”

“I found him.”

“A new target?”

“Van Herdos.”

Cadel’s face stiffened at the unexpected answer. Unable to hide his agitation, Cadel was, for the first time, glad that Yozen was blind. If Yozen could see his face now, he might have questioned his leadership qualities at such a pathetic display.

“……I didn’t ask you to find Van.”

“You didn’t ask me not to find him.”

“That’s just because I was unconscious―”

“If you tell me to stop chasing, I will. After all, the reason I went after Van Herdos was for your sake.”

The chase was futile. Van would never return to the Knight Order, and he had no intention of going looking for him. If Van realized he was being followed, he might be angry.

Even as he thought this, his mouth did not open. The words ‘stop chasing’ stuck in his throat and dried up. Cadel gulped down the water until his throat burned, then picked up the empty glass and bit his lip.

“……Did you tell your other comrades too? That you’re chasing Van.”

“No. He seemed to have run away, so I didn’t let anyone else find him.”

“Good job.”

He briefly washed his face and took a deep breath. His mind, which he had barely cleared, became tangled again. His fingertips holding the glass turned white.

“For now……. keep an eye on him. But you don’t have to report where Van is and what he’s doing. You only need to let us know when……. you think he might need our help.”

That probably wouldn’t happen. Even if Van went through the crisis of his life, he wouldn’t count on Cadel’s help. Nevertheless, asking Yozen to follow Van’s steps was the end of a lingering desire that Cadel still couldn’t let go of. It was just because he was scared of being completely cut off from him.

As he chewed his lips, the dried skin tore and the fishy taste of blood flowed in. For a moment, he was immersed in anxious feelings without even noticing the stinging pain. Yozen turned his head and pointed somewhere.

“I brought that too. I think it would be better than leaving it alone.”

Cadel’s gaze followed his fingertips to a greatsword resting in the corner of the room. Cadel’s eyes flashed briefly at the sight of the greatsword before sinking into gloom.

With a weak step, Cadel approached the greatsword and gripped the hilt. The carved wolf head on the hilt was still unscathed from the fierce battle. Cadel brushed the dust off with his bare hands and blinked frantically.

‘I wanted to get him something better.’

Cadel had suggested switching to one of the weapons in the palace’s arsenal, but Van had refused. He insisted, with uncharacteristic stubbornness, that he would fight with this greatsword. It was bought for him by his commander, a gift from him.

But now it was worthless junk. Or at least it was to Van. He clamped his mouth shut and squeezed his eyes shut with the back of his hand. Cadel stood there for a long moment, as if holding something back, then whirled around to face Yozen.

“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s eat. Now that we’re back in the Empire, let’s figure out how to announce your identity.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“This time, we won’t all gather together to eat, so don’t skip it already. You’re really shy.”

“……It’s not like that.”

“Okay, okay, I’m lonely eating alone, so please eat with me. And don’t run away if Lydon wakes up in the middle.”

Speaking jokingly to Yozen, who looked strangely resentful, Cadel set the glass on the nightstand. Clenching his pathetically trembling hands into tight fists, he let out an awkward chuckle.

It shouldn’t matter, there was still so much left in him.

The first issue he faced upon awakening was the information from the ‘magic circle fragment’ that Kunra had researched. While Cadel was recuperating, Kunra had traveled to the Lycella Plateau, where he had found another magic circle fragment and succeeded in gathering the minimum data necessary for analysis.

And the results. The completed great magic circle had a range that encompassed the entirety of the human realm, revealing that it was a summoning circle of sorts that would bring forth large-scale demons, or perhaps the entirety of the Demon Realm.

Based on the estimated scope, they were also able to determine the number and location of the remaining fragments, which numbered around 200. The expected location was also not an area that could be navigated by a few nations alone.

Everyone had to work together. No matter what he did, the Demon War was inevitable, but that didn’t mean he could just sit back and wait for it to happen. The preparation period was crucial in war. The difference in quality of preparation between knowing the enemy’s ambush and not knowing the enemy’s ambush was also evident.

In that sense, information about the Demon Realm’s great magic circle was key to strategy. But at the same time, Cadel’s information would never be accepted if he couldn’t back it up with sufficient evidence. It would be difficult to move an entire world with the abstract claims of a new Knight Order’s commander.

“How are you feeling? The healers say you should rest for a few more days.”

Derek Osma, Emperor of the Empire. Across from Cadel, he sat with an air of regal dignity and sipped his tea. Cadel smiled formally as he too moistened his mouth with the flavorful black tea.

“I’ve had enough rest. I’m ashamed to be a knight of the Empire and show such weakness.”

“How can that be a shame? That’s three High Demons your Knight Order has slain in such a short time. It’s amazing that everywhere you’ve been sent, you’ve found High Demons, but it’s even more shocking that you’ve defeated them so many times with so few personnel. You’ve never shown yourself to be weak.”

“I’m just grateful that you think positively of me.”

Cadel, humbled, set down his teacup and fixed his gaze on the Emperor.

“I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Say it.”

“When traveling to the Inte Snowfields, the first of Your Majesty’s assignments, the Scarlet Scales Knight Order had traveled through the Dunkelhai Kingdom.”

“Dunkelhai? Not through the Principality of Snivec?”

“Yes. You’ve said before that you’ve entrusted me with the power to appoint knights to the Scarlet Scales Knight Order.”

“I did.”

“I stopped by to recruit a new knight.”

At that, the Emperor was silent for a moment, as if considering something, and then nodded slightly, as if to say ‘Go on’.

“I heard a report that a suspicious person has appeared. Are you talking about the man in the mask?”

“No, Your Majesty, he’s one of the new knights, but he’s not from Dunkelhai, and I doubt anyone in the castle has seen him.”

“No one has seen him? ……So he’s an assassin?”

“Yes. I’m sure you’re aware of him, Your Majesty. He was an assassin who made a name for himself under the alias of the ‘Shadow Envoy’.”

The Emperor’s brow cracked at the words that came out of Cadel’s mouth, and rightly so. The Emperor’s face hardened, but Cadel’s words did not faze the Emperor, and he spoke without fear. Who was the Shadow Envoy? Wasn’t he a notorious assassin who killed nobles and royalty alike, earning the praise of the commoners and the fear of the nobility?

The Emperor’s expression hardened sternly, but Cadel was not intimidated in the least.

“I ask that you keep my knight’s identity a secret. The Scarlet Scales Knight Order is the Knight Order of the Empire, all sworn to defend the Empire under Your Majesty the Emperor, and there will never be a Shadow Envoy to stain Your Majesty’s lands with blood.”

Actually, Cadel couldn’t be sure. No one knew if Yozen’s next target would be a noble in the Empire or elsewhere, but that didn’t stop him from telling the truth. The best Cadel could do was ask Yozen to refrain from killing in the Empire.

The Emperor glared at Cadel’s brazen assurances and then burst out laughing. Shaking his head, he gently stirred his tea and locked eyes with Cadel.

“If you’re willing to admit that you have an assassin in your ranks when put to the test, you’re not going to get caught. If you’re up to no good, I’ll give you credit for your competitive spirit.”

“I only wish to restore my family’s honor, Your Majesty. If I had the heart for such a devious scheme, I would never have become a knight of the Empire in the first place.”

“……Okay. And the masked man? Is he an assassin, too?”

“The masked man is a…….”

Cadel felt a bit ridiculous for faking Garuel’s identity to introduce him after the Shadow Envoy. But there was no way around it, and it was information that needed to be spread in the near future.

Cadel moistened his lips with his tongue and opened his mouth, unable to hide the wry smile on his face.

“He is a magic swordsman from a…… black magician organization.”

“Black magic……. I think I misheard you. What did you just say?”

“He’s completely out of the organization now, Your Majesty. A connection from the past led me to him, and we decided to join forces in the fight against demons. He’s a man on the run because he’s fed up with the organization. His black magic will not harm any of our allies, I swear on my life.”

The words came quickly. Since he introduced Garuel and the Shadow Envoy one after the other, even Cadel seemed to have realized.

‘Is the Emperor now trying to take away my right to appoint knights? Since everyone who needs to be brought in has already been brought in, there won’t be any real damage……. I’m sure he won’t say that they can’t be recognized as knights.’

If the Emperor came out that way, Yozen and Garuel would never be allowed in. Cadel would have to beg, plead, and cajole him somehow, but he didn’t want to waste his time on that.

Just as Cadel was contemplating how to prepare for the worst. The Emperor, his mind barely recovering from the shock of the news, smirked. It was a reaction that seemed at once absurd and quick.

“An assassin and a black magician, how surprising. There are only a handful of assassins in the castle for my personal protection, and a black magician hasn’t set foot in the castle in years.”

“…….”

“I see you’ve taken full advantage of the authority I have delegated to you. Did you ever think you’d gone too far?”

“They’re good men. I thought they were just what the Scarlet Scales Knight Order needed, and what the Empire needed.”

It was a nonchalant attitude, almost arrogant in its confidence, but instead of rebuking Cadel, the Emperor simply rolled his eyes.

“……I’ll trust you. You’ve proven you’re not all talk and no action, so I’ll allow the assassin and the black magician to reside in the Empire.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“So are we done with the shocking reveals of the new knights’ identities? I can’t wait to hear your report on the seal circles. Tell me more details that weren’t in the telegram. Anything unusual?”

“But before we get to that, let’s talk about something else.”

Was there anything more to say? What kind of strange knight would it be? The Emperor felt cold sweat running down his spine. The bizarre combinations of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order were not the burden of their commander, Cadel, alone. Rather, it was up to the Emperor himself, Derek, to announce and clean up the mess.

Even though he had given them full access to join, he hadn’t been too forthcoming. Derek’s head ached, and he reflexively rubbed his forehead, but Cadel’s information wasn’t about another member.

“As I mentioned at the beginning, the Scarlet Scales Knight Order stopped by the Dunkelhai Kingdom, and we crossed the Mountains of Silence to get there.”

“The Scarlet Dragon’s nest……?”

“Yes. That’s where we encountered the Scarlet Dragon, Your Majesty.”

It was Cadel’s strange fate, not the introduction of the assassin or the warlock, that made him dizzy just listening to it.