After having breakfast and talking together, Hannibal and Vantias left the house and were strolling through the city streets. Anna walked with them for a while, but then she went to her pastry shop to start her work.
The city streets were filled with people. Some wore tired and worried expressions because of the recent murders and events in the capital and surrounding villages. Others paid no attention to these events, focusing instead on their simple lives—spending time with their families, working, and enjoying life away from the chaos.
Hannibal, while talking with Vantias, had a smile on his face. Vantias listened carefully to his words; worry was still visible on his face, but he tried to hide it.
"Well, tell me about this friend of yours… what kind of person is he, and how did you two meet?" Vantias asked curiously.
"His name is Albert. He's a knight like me. About fifteen years ago, we were both in the knights' headquarters in the same group, so I've known him for a long time," Hannibal replied.
Vantias thought:
"He's probably talked about him many times with me and Anna, but since he thinks I lost my memory, I don't remember. I only inherited part of Vantias' memories, so I have little information about Albert."
"He seems like an interesting person. Is Albert still serving as a knight with you in the Royal Knights?" Vantias asked.
Hannibal shook his head and said, "He's the Princess's knight. He's not just an ordinary knight like me; he's worked with all his might to reach this position."
Vantias raised his eyebrows in admiration and said,"You mentioned he lost his parents as a child like us, right? You both struggled to become knights because usually it comes from noble families, but for him to become the Princess's personal knight is truly extraordinary."
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at a tavern.
The cold, misty morning light streamed through the colored windows and tall Gothic arches, reflecting on the heavy wooden tables and worn benches. Steam from hot drinks rose from the cups, and the aroma of malt, spices, and burnt wood filled the air. The crowing of roosters and birds outside mingled with the distant tolling of bells, breaking the heavy silence of the dim scene.
One or two tired travelers sat in a corner, half-asleep, with eyes full of anticipation, while the tavern owner carefully arranged the colored glass lamps, the gentle clinking of wood and metal filling the space.
Hannibal and Vantias sat at a table. Vantias looked around for a moment, and after a few minutes of talking, a young man of about 23 with long golden hair and blue eyes entered the tavern, exuding the charm and dignity of a knight.
He wore silver armor with a white cloak, hands resting on the hilt of his sword, and walked in calmly. Seeing Hannibal, a smile appeared on his face, and he moved toward him.
Hannibal stood from his chair, embraced Albert warmly, and smiled. "My friend Albert, I'm glad to see you."
Albert smiled in return."Seeing a friend like you always brings me joy, Hannibal. How have you been?"
Hannibal and Albert sat down, and Vantias greeted Albert.
Hannibal gestured toward Vantias with his hand and said,"This is my brother, the one I've talked about with you many times."
Albert looked at Vantias and slightly bowed his head in respect. "It's an honor to meet you. Hannibal has told me a lot about you."
Vantias also slightly bowed in return."The honor is mine. Hannibal has told me about you, and I've been eager to meet you sooner."
After a brief chat about ordinary things, Hannibal and Albert began sharing recent events, while Vantias occasionally spoke, only when he felt he had the right to contribute to the topic.
Hannibal leaned forward slightly with curiosity and asked,"How's the situation inside the royal palace? I haven't heard anything good."
Albert took a deep breath, his face showing concern, and said, "The situation inside the royal palace is not good. Everything is in chaos. The number of murders committed by the cult keeps rising every day."
Vantias thought:
"In the past month alone, 500 people have been killed according to our organization's records. Dozens of our agents have been killed… Aldrin discussed this with me. The cult's activity has intensified so much that it seems they have some very big plans."
Albert lowered his head, staring into his mug of beer, and said, "The king is doing everything he can to hide these numbers from the people. He doesn't want them to panic, but…"
Vantias continued, "But news eventually spreads."
Albert nodded in agreement."Exactly. That's what I think will happen."
The tavern was still mostly empty, with only a few people present. Soft light filtered through the windows. Behind the bar, the bartender was quietly cleaning glasses, the aroma of wine and beer filling the air, mingled with other subtle, soothing scents.
Albert leaned back in his chair and said, "Princess Diana is worried about the situation in the kingdom. She believes there are people trying to destroy the country, perhaps even some of the nobles."
Hannibal shook his head."I know. When I was sent on a mission, I witnessed that some nobles are members of this cult. It seems the roots of corruption are much deeper than we thought."
Albert looked concerned, wanting to say something but glanced at Vantias out of the corner of his eye—perhaps he couldn't speak freely in front of him. Vantias noticed.
Vantias thought:
"Albert, the Princess's knight, knows important information. Maybe he's holding back because he doesn't fully trust me. Hannibal just wanted to introduce me to his friend and might not have noticed this."
Vantias smiled and raised his beer. "Here's to a better future for the kingdom and its people."
Hannibal and Albert brightened up and raised their glasses, clinking them together.
"To a better tomorrow!"