* * *

When I open my eyes, I will be in the port of the White Kingdom. Since this was where most mana remained, the magic circle would be created there.

Upon arrival at the port, the first order of business was to visit the King and inform him of the arrival of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order. The Knight Order of the Empire was closely tied to the death of Garuel Monzasi, and while they would not be welcomed, they would not be turned away, especially since they had a track record of keeping the demon out of the Baskin Village. Afterward, he would attend Garuel’s funeral to make sure Lydon was handling things properly.

‘I was thinking that…… but…….’

When did trees grow so thickly in the port? Cadel looked up at the sky, obscured by the abundance of foliage, and gaped in wonder.

“Van……? Lumen……?”

This was ridiculous. This couldn’t be happening. In denial, he called out the names of his subordinates, but there was no answer.

Cadel, who was standing still and carefully assessing the situation, soon burst into laughter and covered his face.

“F*ck.”

He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know which forest this was, but it seemed like his subordinates had gone to hell. Cadel pursed his lips and opened his bag.

It was in times like these that one must remain calm. Calming his nerves and sipping a potion to replenish his dwindling mana, Cadel spewed his drink into the system window that suddenly appeared.

[There are recruitable knights nearby.]

[Number of people: 1]

“H, here? It pops out of here?”

There was a knight in this deep forest that could be recruited? Did he come back to the Forest of Enchantment? That was impossible. The direction of the magic circle did not even touch its border.

‘Or is it a forest inhabited by another fairy tribe?’

That was a good possibility. Cadel rolled his eyes as he finished the potion, half of which he wasted.

‘If it’s a fairy, then I have Lydon, so there’s no problem with the ability seal. But two fairies in a Knight Order is a bit…….’

Rather, the persuasion might be easier than Lydon. There was Lydon, who inherited the power of the fairy king called ‘Hessonia’, so his presence alone would attract the desire to join. Still, Cadel was reluctant.

‘Although it’s important to finish the Knight Order as soon as possible.’

It was unclear if Lydon would accept the new fairy’s presence, and it was unlikely that he was actually better than Lydon. Should Cadel just pretend he didn’t see it?

‘I think it’s because―’

The moment he thought things would get better. From behind, where there had been no sign of any presence, an unfamiliar voice was heard.

“Are you looking for me?”

Cadel’s shoulders jerked up at the sudden appearance, unable to even scream. He was so startled that a series of goosebumps ran down his spine.

He quickly turned around to see who it was, but there was no one in sight. No sign of anyone. Except for the rustle of leaves in the wind, the forest was silent. The voice was too clear to be a hallucination, and Cadel hesitantly opened his mouth to speak.

“Who—”

But before he could finish his sentence. A hand reached out without warning and covered Cadel’s eyes.

“Wh, What! Who are you!”

There was no sense that anyone was approaching. Panicked, Cadel tried to create a barrier before harm could come to him, but ‘someone’ was quicker.

“If you knew who I was, you’d have a hard time surviving. Do you still want to hear it”

“…….”

“Neither you nor I know each other’s faces yet, so I’ll give you a chance to get your bearings. Are you sure you’re looking for me?”

You can cover other people’s eyes so precisely and then not know their faces? Since he wanted to live apart from this absurdity, Cadel decided to continue the conversation with this mystery man.

“No, I don’t know where I am, let alone who you are. I’m on a movement magic spell, and I think I’ve gotten off track. Do you know where we are?”

“Where were you going?”

“The White Kingdom.”

“This is Dunkelhai.”

“Du, Dunkelhai?”

Dunkelhai was a kingdom across the sea. It was also the closest country to the Inte Snowfields, the quest location.

‘Although the Dunkelhai Kingdom is in the same direction as the White Kingdom……. Could it be that I used too much mana? I may have gone too far by pouring in my mana, thinking that I didn’t have enough personnel.’

It was hopeless. The man asked another question to Cadel, who was left speechless.

“Are you here alone?”

“……I don’t know, I have two more comrades, but I don’t know if they fell here or somewhere else.”

“So those two were your comrades.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“I know, because you were the first of the three to come to me.”

It was fortunate news. Cadel, who had been worried inwardly what if his men had really fallen into hell, breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was certain of one thing.

‘This guy is an assassin.’

Dunkelhai was a kingdom known as the ‘Land of Assassins’. The assassins here were also known among players as the ‘Wallet Assassins’ because the only way to get a knight from Dunkelhai was by random draw. Of course, they were good. This man’s approach just proved it.

‘If he hadn’t raised his voice, I wouldn’t have known for the rest of my life that he was behind me. I don’t feel any presence at all. Is it because I’m so dull, but I can’t even hear his breathing? It feels like I’m standing in a real shadow.’

Assassin was also the position of the last knight Cadel wanted to recruit. Ordinarily, this would have been a good thing, but not now.

“I was going to decide whether to kill you or not based on your answer.”

Now he was alone, with no comrades, and he had just used a movement magic spell, so he didn’t have much mana to defend himself.

Unless you knew the assassin’s true identity, you were in no position to even deal with him casually, let alone recruit him. You never knew when a twisted assassin would strike, and you should at least have the energy to defend yourself.

‘Unfortunately, now is not the time.’

Making a quick decision, Cadel decided to prioritize survival. He didn’t want to touch the assassin, at least not until he found Van and Lumen.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t kill me because I don’t know who you are, and I’m in a pretty bad spot just for arriving in Dunkelhai.”

“I know it’s not a lie. Your heart is beating, loudly but honestly.”

“……You know that by the sound of the heart?”

“That says a lot. Here, I’ll let you go. I don’t kill people for no reason.”

The hand covering his eyes slid down. Cadel urgently grabbed the hand before it fell completely. The man, who had a soft voice the whole time, still spoke in a calm tone despite Cadel’s unexpected behavior.

“If you ever touch my body again, you will die.”

“I, I know. I’ll let it go. I just want to ask you a favor.”

“……Say it.”

“You said earlier that you know where my comrades are. Can you take me there?”

“…….”

“I know I look like a maniac who wants to die, but I’m in a real hurry. I need to get to the White Kingdom as soon as possible. If you want, I’ll give you money. Just do me a favor once.”

When he let go of the hand he was holding, there was absolutely no sign of the mysterious man, so Cadel had to wonder if the assassin had just left. He was about to open his closed eyes when the silent man spoke.

“I don’t want your money, but I’ll remember your face.”

“Face?”

“Don’t open your eyes, stay still.”

Terrified to question the incomprehensible conditions, Cadel suddenly felt a hand run over his face. Cold, inanimate fingertips slowly stroked his forehead and eyebrows, the outline of his eyes beneath his eyelids, the bridge of his nose, his gently upturned lips, and his narrow chin. It was a meticulous touch, like a search for the unknown.

Swallowing the frustration in his throat, Cadel meekly accepted the touch, and soon the icy fingertips dropped away and a calm voice spoke.

“I’m going to take you to your comrades, and don’t open your eyes until I say so.”

T/N: Is this our last hubby???