In the Kingdom of Dravenhold, one of the three human kingdoms…
A man wearing a hat that concealed almost his entire face walked calmly through the bustling crowd.
He passed fruit stands, artisan shops, and spice vendors as he made his way down the main avenue.
After nearly a kilometer of walking, he finally arrived before the imposing royal palace.
Without hesitation, he began climbing the long staircase.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
One of the guards pointed his sword at him.
The man simply raised a hand to his hat and removed it.
The guard froze for two full seconds.
Then he immediately lowered his sword.
“F-Forgive me… Please forgive me, Your Majesty!”
The man smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry about it, Vani.”
He continued walking.
“Just keep up the good work.”
As the king walked past him, the guard remained deeply bowed.
“Thank you, King Cedran Volf! Thank you so mu—”
BLAAM!
The enormous palace doors shut before he could finish his sentence.
Cedran walked silently through the corridors.
“Sugar production has dropped significantly this year…”
“If this continues, prices will rise even further.”
“There are already families going hungry in the eastern region…”
“And several merchants are on the verge of bankruptcy.”
He rested a hand against his chin.
“I’ll have to reduce taxes for a while…”
“If I keep putting pressure on them now, many businesses will be forced to close.”
“First, I need to get the economy breathing again.”
He continued down the hallway.
“That new shop aimed at female customers…”
“It’s attracting quite a crowd.”
“Maybe I could offer some kind of partnership or incentive.”
“If commerce in that district grows, the neighboring businesses will benefit as well.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“In the end… that will also increase Corven tax revenue without raising taxes.”
At that moment, someone came running down the corridor.
“Ah! There you are, Your Majesty!”
Cedran smiled as he scratched the back of his head.
“Ah… Hello, Noriko.”
She crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
“That expression isn’t going to help.”
“You’re late for your meeting with the feudal lords.”
Cedran sighed.
“Ah…”
“What do they want this time?”
“More land?”
“They’re starting to push their luck, don’t you think?”
Noriko answered calmly.
“They’re responsible for a large portion of the kingdom’s production.”
“Don’t you think it’s only fair to hear them out, Your Majesty Cedran Volf?”
Cedran shrugged.
“All right.”
“I’ll speak with them.”
Noriko smiled discreetly.
“Your reign has been going very well, Your Majesty.”
Cedran took a few more steps before speaking again.
“Noriko.”
She looked up.
“The next time I leave the city…”
“I want you to come with me.”
“In disguise, of course.”
She immediately frowned.
“The next time?”
“Your Majesty, you can’t keep being this reckless!”
Cedran smiled.
“You’d be surprised by what really happens out there.”
He paused for a moment.
“As a matter of fact…”
“I have the feeling you’ve been hiding a few things from me.”
“You always bring me only the good news… don’t you?”
Noriko clenched her fists.
“Y-Your Majesty worries far too much!”
Cedran chuckled softly.
“I simply do what’s best for my people.”
“Nothing more.”
Then he gestured toward the main corridor.
“Come on.”
“It’s time to meet with the feudal lords.”
Suddenly, he remembered something.
“Oh, by the way…”
“Where’s Arthur?”
Noriko answered naturally.
“No idea.”
“He’s probably working.”
Cedran smiled.
“It’s nice having two secretaries.”
“Heh.”
Meanwhile…
The Lions Guild’s carriage continued along the road toward the Kingdom of Drakthar.
After some time, it approached a small fruit stand set beside the roadside.
The coachman slowed the horses.
“There’s a fruit vendor up ahead.”
“Does anyone want to buy something?”
Garrick looked at the others.
“What do you think?”
Mirelya nodded.
“We could buy some to take with us.”
Lysera gazed toward the horizon.
“We still have nearly a day and a half of travel ahead of us at this pace.”
Garrick smiled.
“I thought we’d be traveling much more slowly.”
“I’m glad Leon let us use this carriage.”
The coachman pulled on the reins.
“I’m going to stop for a moment.”
“I drank too much water.”
Mirelya laughed.
Lysera smiled as well.
“Hehe.”
“Then let’s take the opportunity to buy some fruit.”
The carriage came to a stop.
The coachman climbed down.
“I’ll be right back.”
He casually walked toward a cluster of nearby trees.
Ren looked toward the little stand.
“I wonder what kind of fruit they have.”
He was the first to approach it.
The vendor greeted them with a wide smile.
“Hello!”
“Welcome!”
“My name is Nobu.”
Mirelya curiously looked at an unfamiliar fruit.
“Nobu…”
“Wow!”
“What fruit is this?”
He picked one up.
“It started growing on the trees around here not too long ago.”
“I still haven’t come up with a name for it.”
“But I can guarantee you…”
“It’s delicious.”
Ren’s eyes widened slightly.
“Hm?”
“But… this looks like a pineapple…”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Garrick immediately asked,
“You know this fruit, Ren?”
Ren nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve eaten it a few times.”
Mirelya blinked.
“But we’ve always been with you…”
She suddenly stopped talking.
“Ah…”
She quietly stepped closer to him.
“Was it…”
“…in your other world?”
Ren answered in a low voice.
“Yeah.”
Then he looked back at the fruit.
“Wait…”
“So this doesn’t exist in this world?”
Mirelya shook her head.
“At least I’ve never seen one.”
Ren looked thoughtful.
“That’s strange…”
Then he smiled.
“I’ll take two.”
Garrick spoke next.
“I’ll take three apples.”
Mirelya and Lysera were still trying to decide.
Without waiting any longer, Ren picked up one of the pineapples, split it in half, and tore off a piece.
He casually began eating it.
Lysera tilted her head.
“So… that’s how you’re supposed to eat it?”
Ren smiled and offered a piece to both of them.
The vendor chuckled.
“Go ahead.”
“I’m sure you’ll like it.”
The two girls took a bite.
Their eyes lit up immediately.
“Wow…”
Mirelya smiled brightly.
“I want one!”
Lysera nodded as well.
“For me…”
“One pineapple and some apples.”
A few minutes later, everyone was back inside the carriage.
The coachman returned at an unhurried pace.
Before he climbed aboard, Nobu tossed an apple toward him.
“Have a good day!”
The coachman caught it effortlessly.
“You too, Nobu.”
Ren smiled.
“So you two already knew each other?”
The coachman laughed.
“It’s been a while.”
As the carriage resumed its journey, Ren asked,
“So…”
“What’s the Kingdom of Drakthar like?”
Mirelya shrugged.
“I’ve never been there either…”
Lysera answered instead.
“It’s a kingdom that’s very different from the others.”
“There are countless kinds of humanoid races living together.”
Ren looked at her.
“You’ve been there before?”
“Only once.”
“It was a short visit.”
She began recalling what she had seen.
“I saw lizardmen…”
“…dog-women…”
“…and many other races.”
She smiled.
“They all seemed to live with a great deal of freedom.”
Ren tilted his head.
“Freedom?”
Garrick answered,
“Drakthar doesn’t have a king.”
Mirelya nodded.
“Exactly.”
“It’s very different from the other kingdoms.”
Ren smiled.
“There aren’t many kings left in my world either.”
Mirelya looked curious.
“Huh?”
“Then who governs the country?”
Ren replied,
“Usually, several people chosen by the people themselves.”
“That’s the simple explanation, anyway.”
Garrick found it interesting.
“Your world really does sound fascinating, Ren.”
At that moment, Lysera looked out the window.
“It’s already starting to get dark.”
The carriage suddenly changed direction.
Ren looked toward the coachman.
“Hey…”
“What’s going on?”
The man answered calmly.
“I think it’s best if we stop here.”
“From this point on, certain beasts like to hunt at night.”
Then he smiled.
“Besides…”
“My backside has already taken the shape of this seat.”
Ren laughed.
“Ah…”
“Fair enough.”
Mirelya looked around.
“So we’re sleeping out in the open?”
Just then…
Rooonc…
Garrick looked toward the coachman.
“Is he already asleep?”
Everyone climbed down from the carriage.
The horses were already drinking water peacefully, with plenty of feed prepared for them.
Garrick smiled.
“Looks like he already knew this place.”
“I think we can trust him.”
Ren looked up at the sky.
“So…”
“We’ll reach Drakthar tomorrow, right?”
Lysera nodded.
“If nothing happens…”
“Yes.”
Ren let out a yawn.
“Then I’m going to sleep.”
He threw himself onto the blanket spread across the grass.
Then he looked toward the carriage.
“Ah…”
“You girls should sleep inside.”
Lysera agreed immediately.
“Y-Yeah.”
“The ground out here is way too hard.”
Garrick smiled.
“Of course.”
“Did you really think we’d let the two of you sleep outside?”
Lysera’s eyes widened.
“G-Garrick…”
Mirelya smiled.
“You’re serious even at a time like this.”
“Good night, Garrick.”
“Good night, Ren.”
Ren smiled back.
“Good night.”
Then he lifted his eyes to the sky.
“I’m still not used to these two moons…”
“But there seem to be fewer stars than in my world.”
Garrick also looked upward.
“Back in my village, I used to sleep under the open sky.”
“Sometimes I forget how beautiful this view really is.”
Suddenly…
Garrick’s body gave out.
He collapsed to his knees.
Ren immediately sat up.
“Hey…”
“Are you alright?”
Garrick struggled to breathe.
“I don’t know…”
“My legs…”
“…Aaah…”
Ren noticed several dark veins slowly appearing along Garrick’s neck.
His expression immediately turned serious.
“It must be the poison.”
“We have to reach Drakthar as soon as possible.”
Garrick forced a smile.
“Relax.”
“We’ll be there tomorrow.”
He looked at Ren.
“Thank you…”
“…again.”
Ren smiled.
He gazed at the sky for a few moments before quietly replying,
“This world…”
“…isn’t so bad after all.”
Ren looked at Garrick for a moment.
“Garrick…”
“What was your family like?”
Garrick remained silent for a brief moment before lifting his eyes toward the star-filled sky.
“We were just farmers.”
“We worked hard every single day…”
“…but when night came, we always found a reason to sing.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“My little sister used to play with Mirelya all the time back then.”
Ren smiled.
“So you’ve known each other since you were kids?”
“Yeah…”
Garrick answered calmly.
“Mirelya lived close to my house.”
He paused briefly.
“But honestly…”
“She and I were never that close.”
He let out a small laugh.
“The one who was really friends with her…”
“…was my sister.”
Ren slowly nodded.
“I see…”
For a few moments, neither of them spoke as they stared at the night sky.
Then Garrick turned back to Ren.
“What about you?”
“What was your family like?”
Ren remained silent before answering.
“My family was wonderful…”
His eyes drifted into the distance.
“But when I had just begun my adult life…”
He took a deep breath.
“My mother became seriously ill…”
“…and eventually passed away.”
His voice grew quieter.
“My father couldn’t bear losing her…”
“…so he…”
“…took his own life.”
“After that…”
“…it was just my sister and me.”
The moment he heard those words, Garrick abruptly sat upright.
His eyes widened.
“Ren…”
He remained speechless for several seconds.
“Are you…”
“…really okay?”
Ren smiled gently.
“Yeah.”
He nodded.
“It happened eight years ago.”
“It took me a long time…”
“…but I managed to move on.”
Garrick kept staring at him for a few more seconds before turning his gaze toward the dark road ahead.
He let out a long sigh.
“Do you remember…”
“…when I told you my mother…”
“…had also passed away?”
“Yeah.”
“I can only imagine how hard that must have been.”
Garrick fell silent for a while.
Then he finally began speaking again.
“There was a time when the former King of Altherion came to our village.”
“He was searching for people with exceptional magical talent.”
“They examined everyone…”
“…but nobody caught their attention.”
He gave a bitter smile.
“Until they found Mirelya.”
Ren’s eyes widened slightly.
“So that’s how she became one of the kingdom’s mages?”
“Yeah…”
Garrick answered.
“You could say that.”
Ren noticed something unusual in his expression.
“But…”
“You’re talking about it as if something bad happened.”
Garrick took a deep breath.
“Ren…”
“Since you arrived…”
“…we’ve gone through a lot together.”
“I think we’ve already proven that we can trust each other.”
Ren nodded.
“Yeah.”
“More than I ever expected.”
Garrick gently tightened his grip on the pendant in his hand.
“In that entire village…”
“…Mirelya was the only one chosen.”
Silence settled between them once more.
Several seconds passed before Garrick quietly continued.
“The former king offered…”
“…twenty gold coins…”
“…for Mirelya.”
Ren froze.
“No…”
His voice barely escaped as a whisper.
“That can’t be…”
Garrick closed his eyes.
“Her parents refused immediately.”
“They had no intention of handing her over…”
“…but…”
Before he could continue…
The carriage door suddenly opened.
“Ah…”
Lysera leaned halfway out.
“Y-You’re still awake?”
Ren smiled.
“We were just talking for a bit.”
“But we were about to go to sleep.”
Lysera nodded quickly.
“I-I’ll be right back.”
She started climbing down from the carriage.
Garrick raised an eyebrow.
“Where are you going?”
Without looking back, Lysera answered,
“N-None of your business.”
“I’ll be right back.”
She walked away.
Garrick frowned.
“What…”
Ren let out a small chuckle.
“She went behind the trees.”
“It wasn’t exactly easy for the girls to stop in the middle of nowhere like this.”
Garrick simply nodded.
The two remained silent for a few moments.
Then Garrick let out a long sigh.
“One day…”
“…I woke up early and went fishing at the lake where there were always plenty of fish.”
A nostalgic smile briefly crossed his face.
“It was far from the village…”
“…but I never minded.”
“While I was fishing…”
“…I saw several thick columns of smoke rising into the sky.”
His voice grew heavier.
“They were coming from the direction of my village.”
Ren remained silent.
Garrick continued.
“I ran back as fast as I could.”
“I even left my father’s fishing rod behind.”
His fists slowly tightened.
“When I finally got there…”
He closed his eyes for a moment.
“…the entire village had already been swallowed by flames.”
His breathing became slower.
“My mother…”
His voice trembled.
“I…”
“…I don’t even know how I recognized her.”
He swallowed hard.
“I just…”
“…somehow knew it was her.”
Slowly lowering his head, he continued,
“She was lying on the ground…”
“…holding my little sister in her arms.”
Ren’s eyes widened.
Not a single word came out of his mouth.
Several moments later, Garrick spoke again.
“I found out later…”
“…that my father had tried to fight the people responsible.”
His expression hardened.
“But he was killed during the fire.”
Ren lowered his head slightly.
His voice came out almost as a whisper.
“My condolences…”
“…I truly mean it.”
Garrick slowly closed his eyes.
“It was genocide.”
His entire body tensed.
“I…”
“…never managed to move on.”
He opened his eyes again.
They were filled with unwavering determination.
“That day…”
“…I swore they’d pay for everything.”
He took a deep breath.
“That’s why I trained alone.”
“For years.”
“Until I was finally accepted into the Royal Guard of Altherion.”
Ren silently observed Garrick.
“A moment ago…”
He paused.
“You looked completely obsessed with it.”
Tilting his head slightly, he asked,
“Or was I imagining things?”
Garrick didn’t answer.
He simply remained silent.
Ren continued,
“But…”
“…if revenge was your goal…”
He frowned slightly.
“…why did you join the Royal Guard?”
Garrick let out another deep sigh.
“The Demon Kingdom is cruel…”
“…but for many years…”
His gaze drifted into the distance.
“…everyone said the Crimson Veil were responsible.”
Ren’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“The Crimson Veil?”
Garrick slowly nodded.
“They’re an infamous group of assassins known throughout the world.”
“As I said…”
“…I believed that for a long time.”
He paused.
“Even after I discovered who had really destroyed my village…”
“…I still hated the Crimson Veil.”
He clenched his fists.
“I kept thinking about all the innocent people who had fallen victim to them.”
Ren remained silent as he looked at Garrick.
Then he calmly asked,
“What are you trying to say?”
Garrick didn’t answer.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward the carriage.
Inside, Mirelya still appeared to be asleep.
Ren returned to the previous subject.
“What happened, Garrick?”
Garrick let out a tired sigh.
“Ah…”
“Sorry, Ren.”
“I think I’ve already said too much.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“If you’re still curious…”
“…I think it’d be better if you asked Mirelya yourself.”
Ren nodded.
“Mirelya… Alright.”
After a brief pause, he scratched the back of his head.
“Speaking of her…”
“Last night she came into my room…”
“…and she practically came on to me.”
He looked at Garrick.
“Has she always been like that?”
Garrick’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Meanwhile…
Lysera returned to the carriage.
“G-Good night…”
She quietly closed the door behind her and lay down on the seat opposite Mirelya.
Turning her head toward her, she asked,
“Can’t you sleep?”
Without opening her eyes, Mirelya replied,
“How could you tell?”
Lysera smiled.
“It’s easy to tell when someone’s only pretending to be asleep.”
Mirelya slowly opened her eyes.
“Actually…”
“It’s been pretty hard to fall asleep.”
Lysera hesitated for a few seconds.
Then she gathered her courage.
“Mirelya…”
“Can I ask you something?”
Mirelya turned to look at her.
“Sure.”
“What is it?”
Lysera took a deep breath.
“Do you…”
A faint blush spread beneath the bandages covering her face.
“…like Ren?”
Mirelya’s eyes flew open.
She immediately sat upright.
“Huh?!”
Lysera gave an awkward smile.
“S-Sorry…”
“It’s just…”
“Yesterday I saw you walking into Ren’s room wearing that thin pajama…”
“So I thought…”
Mirelya’s eyes widened even more.
“What?!”
“You too?!”
Now it was Lysera’s turn to look confused.
“What do you mean… ‘me too’?”
Mirelya crossed her arms.
“First Ren tells me I went into his room…”
“And now you’re saying the same thing?”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Did Ren tell you to say that?”
Lysera turned bright red.
“W-What?!”
“Of course not!”
“I was just curious…”
She paused.
“Wait…”
She stared directly at Mirelya.
“You really don’t remember going into his room?”
Mirelya answered without the slightest hesitation.
“If I had gone into Ren’s room…”
“I WOULD REMEMBER SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LYSERA!”
Silence filled the carriage.
At that moment, Ren’s voice came from outside.
“Uh…”
“Is everything alright in there, girls?”
Mirelya answered immediately.
“Everything’s fine, Ren!”
“It’s nothing!”
She leaned closer to Lysera and whispered,
“You and Ren are saying the exact same thing.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Lysera whispered back just as firmly,
“BECAUSE I SAW YOU GO INTO HIS ROOM!”
Another awkward silence settled inside the carriage.
Then Garrick spoke from outside.
“If you girls want to talk…”
“You can come out here with us.”
Lysera quickly replied,
“W-We were just about to sleep!”
“Sorry!”
She turned back toward Mirelya.
“Look…”
“You really didn’t seem like you were sleepwalking.”
“Both Ren and I saw you.”
She spoke carefully.
“If you honestly don’t remember…”
“…maybe you should see a healer.”
Mirelya looked away, her face burning red.
“You two are plotting something against me.”
“I’m sure of it.”
She huffed.
“Do you honestly think I’d throw myself at just any man?”
Lysera raised an eyebrow.
“Oh…”
“So Ren is ‘just any man’ to you?”
Mirelya froze.
“W-What?!”
She frantically waved both hands.
“N-No!”
“Ren isn’t just anyone!”
“He’s trustworthy, and…”
The moment she realized what she had just admitted, her eyes widened.
“A-Ah!”
She pointed accusingly at Lysera.
“D-Don’t change the subject!”
Lysera let out a soft giggle.
Then she lay back down.
“I think I’ll try to get some sleep.”
“Sorry if I upset you.”
“But I really wanted to ask.”
Mirelya slowly lay back down as well.
She stared at the ceiling.
“Don’t say such ridiculous things anymore…”
“It’s not funny.”
She slowly closed her eyes.
“Although…”
“I did have a strange dream that night…”
“It felt like someone had entered my room…”
“…while I was asleep.”
Sorry for the delay in posting.
I’ve been very busy dealing with some personal and household matters lately.
As soon as things settle down, the daily chapter releases will return.
Thank you for your patience and continued support!