* * *

One by one, the subordinates awoke, but they were not easily roused. They were confused, straddling the line between dream and reality, and still reeling from the realization that they were back in the real world.

However, most of them soon regained their senses. After hearing Cadel recount their escape, they praised their commander for his brilliance, expressed concern for his health, or wondered why he hadn’t told them the plan beforehand.

No one blamed Cadel for shattering their happy dreams. There was no regret for the lost dream. Because their happiness was a reality with Cadel, just as he thought it would be.

Except for one. There was a man who had been distant and unnerving since he’d awakened, not even looking at Cadel.

“Garuel.”

Garuel’s head snapped around from staring at the waves at Cadel’s call. An awkward smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked at Cadel.

“Knight Commander.”

“Let me guess.”

“What?”

“Why you’re wandering around without a word after regaining consciousness? It’s because of something you said to me in that subspace, isn’t it?”

“…….”

The silence was affirmation. Cadel grabbed Garuel’s face, blocking his attempt to avert his gaze again.

“And yet, I like this place… where no one cares about what other people think, and only precious people gather together.”

“…….”

“So much so that I would spend the rest of my life here if I could.”

Garuel whispered these words under his breath, and he meant them, which was probably why he was ashamed of himself for settling for fantasy now that Cadel had shattered the illusion and returned to reality. Garuel’s eyes pierced through him.

“You’ve always been so sly.”

Cadel muttered with a hint of amusement, then tiptoed and kissed Garuel briefly on the lips. The lips parted with a languid touch, revealing eyes wide with surprise.

“My thoughts were not so different from yours.”

“……But your choices and mine were diametrically opposed.”

“They’re the same in the end.”

It was good to see the crystal clear reaction on Garuel’s unmasked face. Cadel gently stroked Garuel’s handsome eyebrows and whispered softly.

“I didn’t care what anyone thought, I just wanted to find a place where I could be alone with the people I cared about…… all together.”

“…….”

“Let’s find that place here.”

If he was given even the smallest amount of time between triumph and separation, he wanted to build a fantasy life with them in a world where he found peace.

“So…… that’s the opposite of what you said.”

Cadel’s sweet promise brought a smile to Garuel’s awkward expression.

「Knight ‘Garuel Monzasi’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

「Current favorability: 94/100」

After a quick glance at the system window that came into view, Cadel tightened his hand around Garuel’s face. He spoke gruffly into the smug face in his hands.

“This isn’t the time for you to be lazing around looking for differences with me. You’d better get ready for tomorrow.”

“What do I have to prepare for tomorrow?”

“We found the Stone of Peace, and I used [Ullo] to contact them while you were knocked out. The Twilight Knight Order happened to be the closest, and they offered to help us return.”

Coming face to face with his former subordinates, now complete strangers. Garuel’s face clouded at Cadel’s unexpected news.

After sending out a wide communication that they had found the Stone of Peace, they were to join the Twilight Knight Order on the nearest island. Together, they would transport the Stone of Peace to the White Kingdom.

So Cadel couldn’t avoid coming face-to-face with a figure he recognized with a mixture of pleasure and trepidation.

“It’s been a long time, Sir Modeleine.”

Cadel greeted Modeleine as he stepped off the ship. After all this time, Modeleine seemed much more stable than before. His sincere, upright demeanor, coupled with the air of being a commander, was reassuring. The dark circles were still there, but that seemed to be a matter of genetics.

He studied Cadel’s face wordlessly for a moment, then responded with a bright smile.

“It’s been a long time, Sir Cadel. How many times I’ve heard of you and thought of our past encounters……. My shoulders rise when I hear of your many exploits.”

“I’m embarrassed to say I’ve done anything of note. I’ve simply completed the task at hand.”

“Didn’t you find the Stone of Peace again this time? Rumors have already spread that the Scarlet Scales Knight Order has found the third stone, and chaos has been brewing everywhere.”

A single Knight Order had found three countries’ worth of stones, so there was bound to be an uproar. There was an implicit pressure that the Knight Order of each country should find their own stone, even though it was for the common good of all. Still, Modeleine showed no sign of disappointment or jealousy.

“You must be tired, but let’s hurry to the White Kingdom. His Majesty has invited the Scarlet Scales Knight Order to join him. We’re at war, so we can’t afford much, but we can afford to treat a hero.”

“I don’t think hospitality is necessary, and we are in a hurry to return to the Empire.”

“Give us a day or so. You know how much His Majesty cares for you.”

Of course, he knew. He remembered receiving help from King Danila several times. It was hard to keep saying no when he had a feast planned for them, so Cadel agreed to spend a couple of days in the White Kingdom.

“Please gather the members, I’ve finished charging up the magic tools, and we can set sail.”

At Modeleine’s words, Cadel called the scattered members together as they gathered their belongings. Van, Lumen, and Lydon, already familiar with the Twilight Knight Order, recognized familiar faces and exchanged formal greetings. Yozen, a newcomer, quickly entered the cabin, ignoring the knights’ curious glances, while Garuel…….

‘He’s very suspiciously hidden.’

He didn’t seem to blend in, and he kept his demeanor stiff. His long robes were loosely folded, his hood pressed down over his eyes. His mask was pulled down as far as it would go, and his head was bowed so deeply that the only parts of his face that were visible were his shadowed lips and chin.

As Cadel stared at Garuel in disbelief, Modeleine’s gaze shifted as he led the group, and when he caught sight of Garuel, his brow creased slightly.

‘……Ah, did I attract his attention? He doesn’t look pleased. Well, no wonder. He said he could lead the rest of the troupe well on his own, but aside from that, the last thing he remembered about Garuel was that…….’

In the past, Garuel had pushed Modeleine away from him with heartless words, hoping that he would forget about him and become a better commander than Garuel and lead the Twilight Knight Order. As it turned out, Modeleine led the Knight Order so well that Garuel’s absence was not mourned.

“ Sir Modeleine, if you’d like, I’d like to speak with you privately…….”

“I’ll go in first.”

The wounds inflicted by Garuel still seemed unhealed. Modeleine turned his back to Garuel, afraid to approach, and moved toward the ship. Cadel, who had been following his back in embarrassment, looked back at Garuel with an awkward smile. Garuel still shook his head, but Cadel could tell his mood was low.

“You’ve been very careful to hide yourself.”

“I’ve known these guys for a long time, and the color of my hair is enough to remind them of their dead old commander, so I put some thought into it.”

“…… Let’s go in. We’re staying in the White Kingdom for a couple of days, and I can get you a room in a nearby city if you’d like.”

“I’ll take care of my own lodging. You don’t have to worry about that, Knight Commander. The White Kingdom is my home, after all, and I know a decent inn.”

Garuel acted nonchalant as if trying to ease Cadel’s worries. As he pushed Cadel’s back and they climbed aboard the ship, they could see members of the Twilight Knight Order scattered about. Stopping reflexively to stare at them, Garuel tugged at his hood, which he couldn’t pull down any further, and stiffened.

“I guess I’ll be stuck in my cabin until we get there.”

“They won’t recognize you with your hood up so low. If you’re stuffy, you can come out and…….”

“I can’t see very well. Can I just be escorted to my cabin?”

“……Okay.”

There was an awkwardness in his normally easygoing demeanor, and he cowered like a criminal, following Cadel at a brisk pace. When they reached the cabin, he stepped inside and slammed the door behind him with a short bow.

‘……He can’t help it.’

It would be impossible for Garuel to repair his relationship with the Twilight Knight Order. If there ever came a time when he could reveal his true identity to the world, it would be a long time coming.

In the end, Cadel had to leave Garuel’s cabin with regret and sadness.

* * *

“Wow, it’s been a while! The Seashell Chocolate Kingdom!”

“It’s not the Seashell Chocolate Kingdom, it’s the White Kingdom. It’s rude to call someone else’s kingdom that, Lydon.”

“Ahaha! You know what, Lumen? You’re looking more and more like Grandpa Melphis, and the more you do, the less attractive you’ll be, and the more Cadel will like me, you know?”

The White Kingdom greeted them with a refreshing landscape. It was a soothing sight to behold, but the bright and cheerful atmosphere of the kingdom was dampened. Everywhere they looked, there was work being done to repair broken buildings, and there were wounded scouts and ordinary citizens wandering around.

Beside Cadel, as they surveyed the harbor, Modeleine spoke in a distressed tone.

“I’m sure the Empire is in a similar situation, and part of me wishes I could use healing techniques on each and every one of the people we failed to protect. Sometimes I feel so helpless, it’s all a fight to defend the kingdom and its people…….”

“……There’s a limit to the number of healers and the amount of mana we have, and the more we take care of the knights on the front lines, the less focus we can give to the rest.”

Cadel looked away, trying to clear his mind. From the other side, the magicians assembled to transport them to the castle were approaching. Cadel tried to rally his members to join them as soon as possible, but two men approached him, Yozen and Garuel.

“We’ve decided to spend our time elsewhere.”

“Don’t talk like we’re acting together.”

“I’ll write down the address of where we’ll be staying, and if anything happens, you can send a telegram here, or better yet, come and see us in person.”

“I’ll keep to myself, as far away from Garuel as possible, but I’ll check in on the alter ego periodically, so call me if you need me.”

Cadel hadn’t expected everyone to be able to come together to dine with the king. In fact, he was surprised that half the group was still present.

“Okay. I won’t be staying long, so I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done with my errands.”

They had unintentionally found three sealing stones. Emperor Osma would not turn the Scarlet Scales Knight Order to the outside world any further than this. He would not have his elite Knight Order tattered before the main battle, and now it was their job to rest as much as they could within the time available.

Cadel sneaked past Yozen and Garuel and moved to the front of the magicians with the rest of the group.