"Everyone—I see Lord Jericho and the Commander approaching," a knight announced.
Alice immediately turned in that direction, her eyes lighting up. William followed her gaze a moment later.
"…Is he carrying her?" Alice whispered, panic creeping into her voice.
"Was she hurt? Oh no—!"
She took a step forward, ready to rush to Erica's side, but William caught her by the arm and let out a tired sigh.
"No. Don't worry yourself, Alice," he said calmly.
"Look again."
She did—and froze.
Jericho and Erica were clearly arguing.
"…They're bickering," William continued flatly.
"As always. The Commander looks perfectly fine. Honestly, that alone tells me everything."
He rubbed his temples.
"Looks like I should prepare myself to settle something idiotic again."
Alice swallowed.
Then why is Lord Jericho carrying her…? she wondered, a strange heaviness settling in her chest.
Soon enough, Jericho reached the group—Erica still firmly in his arms. Their argument was now loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I already told you," Jericho groaned, clearly at his limit,
"you unreasonable Knight Commander—the Divine Avatars of Nature are not for our amusement! They are godly entities! I can't summon them just to show them off!"
"But you just did for everyone else!" Erica shot back.
"Why not me?!"
She gasped dramatically.
"…Do you really hate me that much?"
"Is it because I saw you butt naked that one time?!"
Jericho nearly tripped.
"But that wasn't my fault!" Erica continued loudly.
"You just appeared out of nowhere in the nude! You exhibitionist! Now stop being stubborn and show me!"
The surrounding knights froze.
"…D–Did the Commander just say she saw Lord Jericho naked?" one whispered.
"I thought I was the only one who heard that…"
"What's a Divine Avatar of Nature…?"
"…Also, doesn't she look very comfortable in his arms?" another added with a grin.
Jericho snapped.
"I ONLY summoned her because it was an emergency!" he shouted.
"NOT because I wanted to parade her around!"
He glared at Erica.
"And stop bringing up my past shame! It was a misunderstanding—we already cleared that up!
I AM NOT AN EXHIBITIONIST!!"
"Good grief," William muttered loudly.
"Would the two of you please refrain from your comedy routine? You're making everyone uncomfortable."
"…Exhibitionist?" Alice whispered to herself.
Her face instantly turned red.
Steam practically rose from her head.
"O–OH NO! LADY ALICE—GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" the nearby knights panicked.
Jericho turned to William desperately.
"Perfect timing, William. Please talk to your Commander—she's being unreasonable as usual!"
"Oh?!" Erica snapped.
"I didn't do anything this time! Jericho's the stubborn one—as usual!"
They both looked to William for support.
William's eye twitched.
Then the vein on his forehead bulged.
And finally—
"WOULD YOU TWO STOP BICKERING?!"
Silence fell instantly.
"Commander," William continued sharply,
"for someone who insists she is not childish, this is a prime example of the opposite."
He took a breath.
"I signed up as a knight. Yet somehow, thanks to you, I have acquired extensive experience in babysitting."
He turned to Jericho.
"And you—Jericho. I believed you would be the perfect help in managing the Commander's nonchalant behavior."
His voice dropped dangerously.
"But instead, you doubled my workload. For shame. Both of you."
William exhaled heavily.
"…I'm sorry," Jericho said at once, sighing.
"I got carried away."
"…Yeah. You didn't have to be so mean about it, Willy," Erica muttered, looking away.
"Sorry too… I guess."
William adjusted his glasses.
"You were so deep in your unsightly argument that neither of you noticed something important."
They blinked.
"…You're still being carried."
Jericho and Erica looked at each other.
Then down.
Erica's face turned bright red.
She immediately jumped out of his arms, cleared her throat, and brushed imaginary dust from her clothes.
"I–I knew that," she said stiffly.
William pointed behind them.
"You two even broke Alice."
They turned.
Alice stood completely frozen—steam rising from her head, eyes unfocused.
"…Alice?" Erica rushed to her side.
"Are you alright?!"
Jericho and William followed, standing close enough to hear her faint muttering.
"…Exhibitionist Jericho…"
"…Exhibitionist Jericho…"
"…Exhibitionist Jericho…"
Jericho panicked.
"No—no, Alice!" he cried, rushing forward with tears in his eyes.
"It was a misunderstanding! I swear! I am not an exhibitionist—PLEASE BELIEVE ME!"
⸻
Soon, order returned.
The aftermath of the battle faded behind them as the procession resumed its journey toward Warmark's capital. Within the king's carriage, the most prominent military figures gathered—Jericho, Erica, William, Alice, and the royal commanders—this time with the king himself present.
The mood was heavy.
"We have a real situation on our hands," Jericho said grimly.
"Warmark is in grave danger—and it's already too late to send a warning."
His jaw tightened.
"No… we have to reach the capital as quickly as possible."
The king studied him closely.
"Jericho," he said at last, his voice low with concern,
"tell me what is truly going on."
Jericho met Erica's eyes. She nodded. William and Alice followed.
Taking a slow breath, Jericho told the king everything—about Jace, about the impending invasion, about the Lost being used as a diversion.
He left out only one thing.
Drako.
By the time Jericho finished, the king looked as though he had seen a ghost. Color drained from his face, and for several seconds he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Their greatest fear had come true.
Jace knew the truth.
"Jericho…" the king finally said, his voice unsteady.
"How certain are you of this?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Where did this intelligence come from?"
Jericho bowed his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," he said carefully.
"That was the condition of my agreement with my informant."
He looked up, unwavering.
"Jace's influence reaches far and wide. If that identity were to slip—even once—it would be a death sentence."
He hesitated, then added quietly,
"Please… trust me."
The carriage fell silent.
At last, the king spoke again.
"…Is it wise to continue our journey to Warmark under these circumstances?"
Jericho answered immediately.
"You will be safe, Your Highness."
His tone was firm—absolute.
"We need you to reach the capital and mobilize Warmark's military at once. If the warning comes from you, they will act without delay."
He paused.
"I won't be going directly to the castle. I'll break off to prepare myself to face my brother."
Jericho straightened.
"That's why we need you to press forward."
He glanced at Erica and the others.
"I assure you—I… no," he corrected himself.
"We will keep everyone safe."
The king released a long breath and leaned back in his seat, visibly steadying himself.
"So," William said after a moment,
"were those all the Lost you and the Commander dealt with earlier?"
Jericho shook his head.
"I'm afraid not."
His expression darkened.
"Some of them didn't even bother engaging us. They ignored everything and continued marching toward Warmark's capital."
He clenched his fist.
"We reduced their numbers significantly—but what remains will be up to you, and whatever aid Warmark is willing to provide."
Silence followed.
I see now, the king thought grimly.
That's why Erica insisted we travel with such heavy protection…
They hadn't been preparing for an escort.
They had been preparing for war.
And somewhere ahead—
Warmark, and Leohart, stood in its path.
⸻
The capital of Warmark rose from the horizon like a vision pulled from the future.
Towering structures of white stone and polished alloy stretched skyward, interwoven with glowing conduits that pulsed softly with soul-infused energy. Bridges spanned impossible distances between buildings, their undersides lined with runic arrays that shimmered like flowing light.
This was not a city rebuilt after war.
This was a city that had evolved because of it.
Massive rail platforms curved through the streets at multiple levels, guided by crystal tracks rather than beasts. Carriages glided along these paths, drawn by soul-powered engines and rune-assisted propulsion—still manually operated, still requiring trained conductors—but far faster and smoother than anything seen elsewhere in the world.
Street lamps adjusted their brightness as people passed beneath them.
Water flowed upward through transparent channels along the sides of buildings, purified and redistributed by rotating filtration cores. Communication pylons stood at every major intersection, transmitting information across the city in pulses of light rather than messengers.
And yet—
Despite all this advancement—
The streets were still alive with people.
Merchants called out beneath energy canopies. Knights patrolled openly, their armor enhanced with soul-reinforcement nodes rather than intimidation. Engineers argued loudly beside exposed conduit panels, tools floating around them as they worked.
At the heart of the city stood the Central Spire—a colossal tower surrounded by six rotating rings, each slowly turning at a different pace. From it, the city's defensive barrier extended outward like an invisible dome, humming faintly as it regulated energy flow.
But they didn't know the disaster that was rapidly approaching…. This day was about to be a dark day for the nation.
⸻
Back at Menssai, Drako sat alone, idly running his fingers along the rim of a table. A couple of untouched drinks rested before him.
He looked miserable.
Bored beyond reason.
The door swung open, but Drako didn't bother to look up. His mind was elsewhere—drifting, stagnant—until a familiar voice finally dragged him back.
"Drako, you look awful."
He sighed.
"I feel awful too, Nass," he muttered. "What are you even doing here? I thought you had your fancy new subordinates to train… and a territory to govern."
To Nass's surprise, he had actually spoken without prompting.
"Well…" she said, approaching, "I came to requisition manpower. I'm overseeing some changes—per Young Master Jace's request. Though I must admit… I'm surprised you're still here."
She studied him carefully.
"With how impulsive you are, I assumed you'd follow him regardless."
Drako scoffed faintly.
"Enough with the patronizing," he replied. "This is personal for Lord Jace. Even I know better than to interfere with that."
What he didn't say was how relieved he felt.
Relieved that he didn't have to pretend to fight Jericho.
"I think this new Drako might actually be growing on me," Nass said with a smile as she turned to leave.
"Wait."
She stopped.
"Nass… can we talk?" he asked. "Just for a moment. There's something I want to run by you—if that's alright."
She froze.
Slowly, she turned back.
The Drako she knew barely looked people in the eye—much less invited conversation.
"…Y-Yes," she said, still shaken. "Of course."
She returned and sat across from him. Pouring herself a drink.
"So," she asked cautiously, "what's on your mind?"
"It's about Lord Jace," Drako said.
Her expression sharpened.
"What about him?"
"What do you think his end goal really is?" he asked quietly.
"After unifying the nations… what comes next?"
Nass stiffened.
"I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something," Drako continued. "Something big. What are your thoughts?"
Her demeanor shifted instantly—cold, sharp.
"Drako," she said sternly, "your insolence truly knows no bounds. How dare you question our lord and master?"
He exhaled slowly.
"…I see," he said, then leaned back. "You misunderstand."
He met her eyes again.
"What I'm about to say—I don't share it lightly. Only Lord Jace and one other person know this."
Nass's anger faltered.
"Y-You're opening up to me?" she thought, her face flushing. "Why me?"
"Just listen— I didn't join Lord Jace to change the world," Drako said. "That was never my goal."
Her eyes widened.
"I'm here for something selfish. Personal. Once I achieve it… I plan to leave. And that's revenge."
He continued.
"I lost some very important people in my life, cause of some selfish individuals, I hate myself for not being there to protect them, so I hope having revenge will help me feel less guilty about not being there for them."
Nass stared at him, conflicted.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
A soft, gentle smile.
It unsettled him.
"…Why are you making that face?" Drako asked warily.
She shook her head.
"It's nothing," she said. "You just… remind me of my past."
Then she laughed quietly.
"I chose to move forward—by helping Young Master Jace reshape this broken world. You chose revenge."
She met his gaze.
"Those people you lost must mean everything to you."
Drako nodded slowly.
"I understand you now," she continued. "That surprises me."
"How were you able to let go?" he asked.
She smiled sadly.
"Oh, I didn't."
She took a sip of her drink.
"I was forced to flee my home. Became an enemy to the very nation I served. After seeing how unjust the world truly is… I realized vengeance alone was meaningless."
Her eyes hardened with conviction.
"Drako, what does peace mean to you?" She asked.
"I don't know… zero conflict, more harmony and unity?"
"You are not wrong," she stated. "That is definitely the universal meaning of that word— but to me, peace is mutual understanding. Fewer corrupt powers. And sacrifices made so others can live better lives."
She leaned forward.
"And the only way to achieve that… is through one unified leadership."
Drako watched her silently.
"{I see now, she was really hurt— she is trying her best to be strong willed, but leaving her country was very hard on her… sigh… even if they hurt her, deep down she is still trying to protect them… she reminds me of my king."} Drako smiled just for a second.
"…Nass," he said at last, "you're incredibly kind."
She spat out her drink, coughing violently.
"W-What?!" she sputtered.
"I mean it," he said calmly. "And I won't leave you behind. No matter what happens."
For the first time, she saw him smile.
Her heart nearly stopped.
"D-Don't say things like that," she stammered, cheeks burning. "You'll give someone the wrong idea."
"I meant every word," Drako repeated.
She was completely flustered.
Then—
The door burst open.
Kolpa stormed inside, pale and frantic.
"Where is Master Jace?" he demanded.
Drako frowned.
"He's already en route to Warmark. By ship."
Kolpa froze.
"…Warmark?" he whispered.
Drako narrowed his eyes.
"I assumed you knew. He said the intel came from you."
Kolpa flinched.
Nass noticed.
"Of course," Kolpa forced out. "I… simply forgot. I must catch him immediately."
He turned to leave.
"Wait," Drako said calmly. "Shouldn't this information be shared with us? As members of the Grand Four?"
Kolpa's face twisted.
"That intel is none of your business," he snarled.
"You'll hear it if Lord Jace deems you worthy."
He stormed out.
Silence lingered.
Nass stared at Drako.
"…That was strange."
"Yes," Drako replied, staring out the window.
"And revealing."
He lifted his glass.
"They're hiding something. Even from us."
Nass nodded slowly.
"I see now why you have doubts. But I do truth the young master. And all his judgement."
"{of course you do, but not for long. I will not let you waste your kindness here, you deserve better… and I know you will be a fantastic fit for my king."} Drako thought as he took another sip of his drink.
Shortly after, She stood.
"I should go."
At the door, Drako spoke again.
"Nass. I meant what I said."
She nodded, cheeks flushed, and hurried away.
Drako exhaled.
"…Now then," he muttered, reaching for his drink.
"I should inform my king."