* * *

Cadel postponed the meeting to avoid having his plans go awry due to an unexpected situation, but Lydon and Garuel were already having fun with the unexpected situation they had created. If he had known this, he would have gone to see Lydon before the King.

“Hmm, what is it? It’s delicious, right?”

“Right? This seashell-shaped white chocolate is sweeter than the pear-shaped one.”

“……It’s true!”

Garuel, who was supposed to be a corpse, was strolling through the city in broad daylight, his face uncovered. Lydon, who was supposed to be helping him, was also enjoying the sights, his large wings fully exposed. All thanks to the power of illusion.

It all started with a simple whim of Lydon, who decided he was bored of standing by Garuel’s side and wanted to leave the castle. Garuel was equally bored, but at least he recognized the importance of this nationwide swindle, and at first resisted Lydon’s advances.

“If Sir Cadel sees us, we will be extremely scolded. Do you want to get scolded?”

“Hmph, Cadel isn’t coming here anyway. And it’s better than dying of boredom, right? Just because I leave the room doesn’t mean my illusion will go away. I want to go out.”

“Still, if things go wrong…….”

“My illusion technique will never go away. So, just lie there alone like a corpse. If you block me again, I will really kill you.”

Lydon’s confident voice shook his resolve, and most importantly.

“I want to have a drink. I’m going to buy some alcohol.”

He was so craved for a drink he hadn’t had in days. No one would be looking for a well-kept corpse until after the funeral anyway. Even if there were, why touch it to verify the identity? Garuel decided to trust his new comrade.

Thanks to this, Lydon felt that Garuel’s image, which had been the worst of the worst, was being reformed to some extent. This was because all the desserts he recommended consistently boasted the best taste.

“I guess his tongue is fine.”

As Lydon wandered through the market, munching on seashell-shaped chocolates, he raised an eyebrow at a sudden thought.

“……Hmm. I’m sure I won’t run into those people here.”

Currently, in order to visit the city with Garuel, Lydon used an illusion spell on the humans within the city and changed their appearance. However, since the illusion spell cast in the Mitheran Mountains was also being maintained, if the Twilight Knight Order and the Scarlet Scales Knight Order, the targets of the first illusion spell, were within the city, it could be said that a double illusion technique was applied to them.

Lydon also did not know what kind of illusions the person under the double illusion spell was seeing. Because he had never been caught. Garuel and the Scarlet Scales Knight Order would never encounter each other, but if they did encounter the Twilight Knight Order. …… That could have been a big enough problem.

If Garuel were by Lydon’s side, he would be able to immediately adjust the illusion spell if they encountered the Knight Order, but now Garuel was away, saying he would bring alcohol.

“……Well. I’ll meet him soon.”

After a moment’s thought, Lydon shrugged and shoveled the rest of the chocolate into his mouth.

* * *

To put it simply, he felt wretched. It was the death of the commander he so admired and followed. For a day or so, at least the day before the funeral, he felt defeated. Maybe it was okay to feel defeated by the overwhelming emotions, he thought, and went to the bar.

Little did he know that he would run into the Scarlet Scales Knight Order there.

“I purposely chose a corner tavern because I didn’t want people to see me……. I never thought I’d be caught like this. I’m embarrassed.”

“I am neither a member of the Twilight Knight Order nor a citizen of the White Kingdom. You don’t have to try to impress me, Sir Modeleine. Since we’ve met, let’s make ourselves comfortable and have a drink.”

Cadel had come to the tavern with the idea of a meal. He’d come this far out of the way to avoid the crowds. It was not every day that a mercenary from a foreign country who had defended the Kingdom returned as a knight of the Empire. If anything, he’d get in trouble if he stood out.

Modeleine waved to Van and Lumen, who were seated next to Cadel. If it weren’t for the circumstances, they could have exchanged stories and socialized. But Modeleine didn’t even have the energy to crack a light joke.

During Garuel’s lifetime, Modeleine was busy handling the work Garuel had entrusted to him. After his death, he had to take Garuel’s place. He was exhausted, body and soul.

Lumen and Van were also on the quiet side, so the three men, suffocated by the heavy atmosphere, could have held the funeral together. Fortunately, they had Cadel.

“His Majesty the Emperor has given us a mission to inspect the seal of the Inte Snowfields. Before we left, we stopped by to attend Sir Garuel’s funeral.”

“……I see, it must be hard with no breaks, I thought there were plenty of other Knight Orders in the Empire to spare.”

“Isn’t it true that no matter where you go, newbies are the ones working the most? I’m trying to do that. It would be nice to accumulate some achievements at this point.”

Cadel smiled bitterly as he refilled Modeleine’s empty glass. They had been quite the force even before they became Knight Order, so one would think the Empire would value them as well. The Emperor seemed to be the type to make the most of talent rather than waste it.

The same went for the subtle changes to Cadel’s appearance. Cadel said that this was the appearance preferred by the people of the Empire, and that it was the Emperor’s decision that a former mercenary without a decent background had to stand out not only in ability but also in appearance in order to survive among famous knights.

If the Emperor truly cared about him, rather than creating an image like this, shouldn’t he emphasize that Cadel’s very existence was the power of the Empire? It might be presumptuous, but Modeleine thought so.

‘If the Scarlet Scales Knight Order had belonged to the White Kingdom, would the future have been a little different?’

The drunkenness of it all made Modeleine think of things he wouldn’t normally do. Cadel, of course, Van, Lumen, and even the currently invisible fairy. The level of their skills was fully appreciated through the battle in Baskin Village.

Since the Twilight Knight Order existed, the Scarlet Scales Knight Order would not have been sent as representatives in the issue of the Empire’s seals, but King Danila is a person who cherishes talented people. He would certainly have sent the additional Scarlet Scales Knight Order to ensure the safety of the Twilight Knight Order.

If only. If only talented people like them were included. His commander wouldn’t have had to rot in a dark, narrow coffin as Modeleine couldn’t protect him because he wasn’t good enough.

“……Sir Modeleine?”

Modeleine, lost in his melancholy musings, gave a small shudder. The drink overflowed from the glass as he shook, and Cadel, who had called for him, panicked and looked for something to wipe it with, but Modeleine held out his hand, saying it was fine.

“I guess I’m drunk. I’m scared that if I keep going like this, I’ll have an accident tomorrow. I’ll get up first.”

“Are you okay? I’ll take you there. Or maybe a carriage…….”

“No, no, no. It’s okay, it’s really okay. Just some fresh air and I’ll wake up in no time.”

How pathetic to look like this in front of everyone when he had only been in charge for so long. Chastising himself, Modeleine smiled weakly and stood up.

“I’ll pay for the drinks, so you can drink to your heart’s content. Then…….”

But at that moment.

As Modeleine moved to find the owner, a strange figure caught his eye. It was the figure of a man, paying for something.

‘What is…… that……?’

The problem was that the man’s figure was inconsistent, an oddity that defied clear explanation.

At first, it appeared to be an ordinary man, with a bland, featureless appearance, medium height, and a moderate build. But every time Modeleine blinked, the man’s hair faded to white, his skin melted away, and he grew taller and then shorter. He kept changing into an inconsistent form.

Modeleine frowned and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t think he was drunk enough to be seeing things. Besides, if he was drunk, everyone would look weird, so why was that man the only one who looked weird? The man was strange, but not to the owner who Modeleine just paid the bill, and also to the customers inside the tavern. There was no sign of surprise at all.

Am I the only one who sees that strange sight?

—Modeleine thought, but the reality was different.

“Leader, that’s…….”

“It must be Lydon, right?”

Cadel’s lips quivered as he heard the voices of his two subordinates whispering beside him. His unsteady gaze flicked between the man and Modeleine, who was shifting into a strange shape.

‘Why is he there? Does he really want to die?’

The man’s form was uncertain and anomalous, but Cadel was certain. He was Garuel Monzasi. Something had gone wrong with Lydon’s illusion.

‘If it were a big problem, Garuel wouldn’t be here paying for drinks right now. He just didn’t expect to see us here.’

Lydon might have done this, but not Garuel. Pale, Cadel scrambled to his feet. He glanced back at his subordinates, who nodded as if they, too, understood the gravity of the situation, and approached Modeleine.

“You look like you’re struggling to steady yourself. Let me help you, Sir Modeleine.”

“Please lean on me. Don’t hold out for no reason.”

Lumen and Van each grabbed one of his arms and began to pull him away. Even though he was helplessly dragged by the two men’s ferocious grip, his gaze remained fixed on Garuel. Cadel then blocked the view with his tiptoe in front of Modeleine’s eyes.

“Gosh, you look very tired. My subordinates will take you home, so please don’t say no and have a safe trip.”

Cadel put a hand on Modeleine’s shoulder, who kept trying to look at Garuel, and craned his neck to follow his gaze.

“One, one moment, Sir Cadel. One moment.…….”

“I’ll pay for it. Now that I’m a knight of the Empire, I make good money.”

“There, let me check…….”

“It’s okay! Whatever happens, everything is okay!”

To reveal Garuel’s presence to Modeleine here would be a terrible disaster. For now, they must get him out of here somehow. Against Cadel’s wishes, however, Modeleine could see a trace of familiarity in the strange man’s features.

“Commander…… Commander Garuel……?”

A fleeting glimpse of white hair and purple eyes, a familiar build, a familiar posture. He knew it was not real, but he wanted to check it out anyway.

Meanwhile, Garuel had purposely sought out a less crowded tavern to purchase alcohol to drink during the funeral. As he leisurely paid for his purchase, he spotted Modeleine being dragged toward the exit and the Scarlet Scales Knight Order dragging him.

He was a little anxious, but he thought the chances of encountering them were extremely slim. Therefore, Garuel could not help but be astonished by the people who appeared despite the slim odds. Even for a man who took a wait-and-see approach to most things, this was a blow.

‘This is a situation where I really feel like I would be better off dead.’

If he looked flustered here, it was over. Be as confident as possible. He had to act as if Modeleine and Cadel were strangers.

He clipped the wine cask to his waist and strode briskly toward the exit, making no effort to hide. It was better to disappear quickly than to linger here and give them a reason to approach.

“Com, Commander……. Commander!”

“Sigh, Sir Modeleine! You are very drunk! No matter how sad you are, you shouldn’t break down like this. Now, aren’t you a worthy commander of a Knight Order?”

Sensing that Garuel was trying to escape, Cadel desperately restrained Modeleine, who was becoming agitated. Van and Lumen also used force, cursing the cause of the situation inwardly.

With the help of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order, Garuel strode out of the tavern with as wide a stride as he could muster. He didn’t look back. All he could think was that he had to hurry and find Lydon.

‘Even if Sir Cadel decides to abandon me, I have nothing to say.’

Was he going out of his mind because he was tired? He couldn’t believe he had made such an outrageous mistake, something he would never have done normally. Garuel began to retrace his steps, eager to make up for this outrageous mistake somehow. He could only hope that Lydon would stay where he was.

But as soon as Garuel entered an alley.

“Sir Modeleine! Don’t go there!”

As Cadel cried out in agony, someone grabbed his shoulder.