The mercenary corps have contributed the most to the defense of the gate, so it is only fitting that we pay our respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Once we have traveled together to the castle, we will discuss Sellev and the magic circle, Sorin said.

He wanted to take the entire mercenary corps with him, but Cadel suggested that his subordinates be healed and travel separately, and Sorin agreed. Cadel would be the first to go.

And so, in the present, the two men sat opposite each other in the carriage, on their way to the castle.

“Drink this. It’s a rejuvenating potion, so you’ll feel energized.”

Taking the potion, Cadel stared at it in disbelief. He’d gotten some simple healing before climbing into the carriage, but it hadn’t been enough. His body ached to find a place to lie down.

“……Thank you.”

Cadel unscrewed the lid of the vial, hovered his lips over the smooth opening, and Sorin watched, not missing a beat. His gaze was intense as if waiting to see what would happen next.

Just before the tilted potion flowed into his mouth, Cadel asked in a light tone.

“When you say attempted assassination of an Imperial family member, you mean it was literally an attempted assassination, right?”

“……You’re asking me something weird.”

“Is that person still alive?”

Sorin shook his head slowly at the stare. At the slow, honest response, Cadel smiled slightly and rubbed the mouth of the vial.

“I thought it was a little unfair to try to kill off an entire family just for ‘attempting’ an assassination. Sure, people who do bad things to people should get what they deserve, but it’s not like the whole family was in on it, right? Even if it’s family, other people are strangers.”

“A mere life was not enough to pay for his crime. The target of the assassination attempt was the father of His Majesty the Emperor, the monarch of this land, and the younger brother of the previous Emperor.”

So, he was saying that that person was the Emperor’s uncle? Cadel shook his head sullenly.

“I thought he was trying to kill a God or something.”

“…….”

“I was just curious.”

Finally locking eyes with Sorin, Cadel downed the potion without hesitation, then tossed the now-empty vial in Sorin’s direction. Sorin caught it reflexively, his brow furrowing slightly. Cadel smirked and leaned back.

“Even if you didn’t give me this, I would still go quietly.”

He crossed his arms and leaned his head against the inside wall of the carriage, a slow dizziness settling over him. Cadel closed his eyes tightly and waited for the medicine to take effect.

Was it a sleeping pill or something? He would rather pass out than have to deal with this overbearing man the entire trip.

* * *

“This is a very special day indeed.”

The man standing with his hands behind his back in front of the large window looked away.

Neatly combed grayish-white hair, dark eyebrows, a prominent nose, and thin lips that gave him a stern look. Age-worn wrinkles shadowed his skin along the lines of a faint smile, but they only added to his gravitas.

A handsome man in middle age, a picture of his youthful adversary. Derek Osma, Emperor of the Osma Empire. His jet-black eyes were fixed on the Captain of the Guard standing behind him.

“The Guardian Knight Order is said to be tracking the High Demon, Sellev. Even if they miss her, there’s still the magic circle that summoned the demon, so we should be able to get some solid information.”

“That’s right. They’re my knights, so they won’t come back empty-handed.”

When he unclasped his hands behind his back, a crumpled piece of paper appeared inside. Derek lightly ran his thumb over the small piece of paper.

“There’s already a knight with some interesting news.”

“If the news is interesting……?”

“It is said that an outside mercenary corps participated in this battle?”

“Yes. They’re called the Scarlet Scales Mercenary. They’re the group that slayed the demon in the White Kingdom, and unofficially, we’ve been informed that they’ve also slain a witch in a shrine in the Mainue Kingdom.”

“Yes, yes.”

The guard captain studied Derek’s expression, a soft smile on his face as if he were pondering something.

“No details have been relayed yet, but the commander of the Scarlet Scales Mercenary is said to have made a major contribution to this battle. He’s a magician, and we’re told he’s at least a 6-star.”

There was also information that a fairy had joined the mercenary corps, but the story was too far-fetched to be true and needed to be confirmed. It would be best not to speak of it until then. A gravelly voice came flying toward the captain of the guard.

“They say it’s the blood of Lytos.”

“……Pardon?”

The guard captain, who had unwittingly made a stupid sound, tried to hide his embarrassment, but Derek didn’t give him a chance.

“What do you think the odds are that Sorin Salamo can’t see people well, and how likely is it that he will pass that uncertain information on to me, the Emperor, without a filter?”

“That’s…….”

None. Although there was a chance that he might have seen it wrong, Sorin Salamo was not the one to convey such sensitive information without confirmation.

Derek stroked his chin in silence when the guard captain didn’t respond easily. His dark eyes narrowed in thought.

“Judging from what was written, he seems to be the illegitimate son of Carlo Lytos, and if it is, I remember him. Jenga used to brag about him like he was a genius.”

“……Your Majesty.”

“Maybe he wasn’t bluffing after all.”

His eyes crinkled playfully as if recalling a pleasant past, and he murmured quietly.

“Put him in the prison as soon as he arrives. The same goes for the rest of the mercenary corps.”

There was no edge to his tone, but the guard captain swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine for some reason.

* * *

Third day on the run.

Van rubbed his stiff eyelids and let out a low sigh.

“Is it 4 days from now?”

He planned to find an inn once he had healed enough to do as Cadel had asked, but before he could properly heal his wounds, the Knight Order made a strange move.

Van was more sensitive to hostility and tension than anyone else in the mercenary corps, and as such, he was able to recognize the signs of trouble immediately.

They had surrounded him and Lydon from afar. Even the healers, who had been devoting themselves to healing, were slowly reducing the intensity of their healing to recover their mana.

It took him less than a minute to decide to flee, and the good news was that Lydon was barely conscious. Van sold Cadel’s name, transformed Lydon into the form of a small fairy, and then broke through the knights’ encirclement.

There was a small fight along the way, but no serious injuries were sustained, and Van, who had managed to sneak inside the Empire, remained a fugitive, changing inns as often as three times a day.

“……The thread is the same.”

The red thread, which had been curving steeply from the first time Van wore it, seemed to stabilize a little, but on the second day, there was no change. It was just a constant tremor. It was frustrating because there was no way to know whether it was because Cadel had not been treated properly or if he was just tired.

Besides, Lydon didn’t open his eyes the whole time except for the first day. In the end, Van checked several times to see if he was dead, but luckily he was still alive.

“I can’t believe I don’t see any signs of him opening his eyes even though I’ve given him so much medicine. I need him to wake up so I can send out a scout.”

Van swept up every healing potion he could find and shoved it into Lydon’s mouth, but it didn’t do much good. The fairy was the one whom he had wanted to disappear countless times, but now, more than ever, Van wanted Lyidon to regain consciousness.

Lydon, who occupied a corner of the cheap bed, was as motionless as a doll. Van, who had been observing the calm appearance, clicked his tongue briefly and got up from the bed.

Through the small, square window, he could see people hurrying up and down the street. Van scanned the crowd to make sure there were no soldiers after them.

“……I can close my eyes for about 2 hours.”

Van hadn’t slept in days, unable to recover from the exhaustion of battle. His current condition was the worst of the worst, but he wasn’t complaining. Only by enduring this discomfort could he go to see Cadel. If Cadel needed help, Van had to run to him, wherever he was, right now. He had no hope of resting.

“Commander…….”

Where are you and what are you doing? Wherever he was, whatever he did. Wishing him safe was all Van could do.

Swallowing a boiling sigh, Van powerlessly headed for the bed. He had to close his eyes for a while and move to find another inn.