The end of the day was granted equally to everyone.

As the sun set, darkness inevitably fell on every street in Futua. Even on Lowell Street, where mostly upper-class figures reside, the lights of shops began to flicker on here and there.

Among them, a bar located on the outskirts was filled with the sighs of two men instead of the typical noise of a tavern.

When a sigh mixed with lament fell from the left side of the long table, a heavier sigh soon settled on the right.

Even the bartender stayed far away from the two, as the gloomy atmosphere poured out alternately as if in agreement.

“Hah……”

“Sigh……”

This continued like a single sound for about ten minutes.

Even the individuals involved felt a strange sense of déjà vu at the unusual sound. The two raised their heads as they were bringing their glasses to their mouths.

As their eyes met simultaneously, the man with bloodshot eyes exclaimed first.

“You are…!”

Eugene also opened his mouth, receiving Dion’s unconscious finger-pointing.

“Unfortunately, we meet again.”

He let out a faint sneer and refilled his empty glass. He had long since ignored the noble etiquette of filling it just over halfway.

Dion, interpreting Eugene’s attitude as unpleasant, narrowed his eyes and said.

“Just to be clear in case of any absurd suspicion, I haven’t been following you.”

“……”

Eugene did not respond. He just silently emptied half his glass. Then, without casting a glance at Dion, he let out his voice with an exhale.

“It seems you still have no news of the person you’re looking for.”

Dion responded without widening his narrowed eyes.

“The same appears to be true for you.”

Eugene silently poured another glass. Watching this series of actions, Dion slightly tilted his body to the side.

“Who are you looking for that you’re so desperate?”

“…Who says I’m desperate.”

“It’s written all over your face.”

Eugene’s golden eyes, somewhat angered, turned towards Dion. Of course, Dion didn’t even blink. Compared to the eye-daggers his superior gave, Eugene’s face almost seemed kind.

So he turned his body completely towards him and volunteered to be a drinking buddy.

“We’re both in a hopeless situation and the night is long, how about we briefly share our stories before parting?”

“I’m not particularly inclined.”

“I’m in the middle of looking for the owner of the merchant group I follow.”

Despite the clear tone of rejection, Dion pretended not to read it and began speaking in a lamenting tone.

“He’s always been skilled at hiding, so perhaps this is the natural result. He’s probably avoiding me even though he’s seen me.”

Eugene gave up on stopping Dion. He didn’t particularly want to admit it, but it was a rather lonely time. He let the conversation flow as it would.

“I first met the group leader on a day when it was raining terribly, just like today. No one cared about a fifteen-year-old illegitimate child. I was an existence that didn’t matter whether I lived or died.”

“I don’t know what that feels like, but you must have had quite a tumultuous childhood.”

The tone was infinitely indifferent. Dion looked at Eugene with a somewhat sulky face before continuing.

“Ahem, hem. Anyway, the group leader saved me at the risk of his life. He pulled me out of a carriage sliding towards a cliff in the rain and rolled down the slope. There’s still a large scar on his back from when it was torn then.”

Dion’s gaze wandered in the air as if reminiscing about that time.

“Can you believe it? He saved someone he had only met for half a day, someone he was just traveling with because our paths happened to be the same. And all he said was that he saved me because I was worth saving. That was it. Despite being only a year younger than me, he looked so reliable.”

“You met an unusual connection.”

“Yes. So that day I decided. Whether as a friend or a subordinate, somehow. I would become his person and see the end of the path he wants to go together. We’ve been together for over ten years, but now……”

Dion’s mouth, which had been pouring out the story without hesitation, stopped. He swallowed something that seemed to well up several times, and then complained in a voice mixed with tears.

“This damn master never stays in one place for even a moment. I should have known from the moment he recklessly saved someone like me…! This time, I have no idea where he is at all. Hah……”

At the end of his sigh, Dion gulped down his drink. Having swallowed his sorrow along with it, he put down the now empty glass with a thud and concluded his story.

“Well, that’s the end of my story. So, what brought you here?”

“…I said I wasn’t inclined.”

“Did the person you’re looking for run away too?”

Eugene turned his head at the persistent attitude that kept coming without a second word. He intended to ignore it completely.

However, he was already mulling over the question from earlier in his mind.

‘Run away. Running away….’

He maintained silence for a long while before finally giving an answer.

“No. It’s not running away. Just temporarily wandering and losing the way.”

“Lost the way?”

“So my job is to set up the right signpost. I must bring her back to my side. Like in the old days.”

His gaze was still fixed on the wine label in front of him.

Dion, who had been quietly observing Eugene’s expression, lowered his voice slightly and probed him.

“Seeing how desperate you are, that person must be quite important to you. Perhaps your wife……”

“……”

“My goodness, I didn’t expect to get it right on the first try. If I had known, I should have bet the drink bill, what a shame.”

“You’re noisy.”

“By the way, did your wife leave home? Tsk, you should have treated her better in the first place.”

Eugene glared at Dion, but he didn’t mind and kept swirling his glass.

Eugene became uncomfortable. For some reason, the man who had visited the Grand Duke’s residence the other day oddly came to mind.

“That’s why I’m searching so desperately. To set things right from now on.”

“Oh my, a ship that has left doesn’t return easily. With every step taken into a new and vast world, why would one willingly return to a small cage?”

Thud. The heavy wine bottle collided with the oak table, making a dull sound.

Finally showing his mood in his attitude, Eugene stood up without even glancing at Dion.

“Consider it a stroke of luck that the alcohol keeps your head attached to your neck. I hope we never meet again. That would be best for both of us.”

The large back wrapped in navy blue uniform moved further away, leaving the entrance. Dion watched him and flexed his stiffened fingers a couple of times.

‘Such a temper… Whether it’s a person or love that ran away, you’ll need to lower that stiff head first if you want to catch them.’

His skin tingled from the murderous intent that poured out for a moment.

Since receiving the news of joining the subjugation force from Gelda, most of Helena’s daily routine had been occupied by sword training.

With only five days left until deployment, Helena was heading to the training ground without fail today as well.

“Can you spare a moment?”

If Ian hadn’t stopped her, that would have been the case.

‘There’s still plenty of time until dinner… What could it be?’

Although he could be annoying at times, he wasn’t one to cause unnecessary trouble. So Helena followed his lead without answering.

Ian, heading towards an open space, stopped in front of a cabin located in a secluded corner. It was an empty cabin that no one used.

Having felt Helena’s suspicious gaze all along, Ian opened the door and entered first.

“I heard you’re deploying this coming weekend. Though skill doesn’t discriminate against equipment, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare some clothing in advance.”

Helena entered after him, still not letting go of her suspicious gaze.

The interior showed signs of not being frequented for a long time, as expected from its exterior. However, the wide table placed against the wall was clean and orderly, without dust.

It seemed to be due to the items neatly arranged on top of it.

Ian’s explanation was added as Helena carefully approached the front.

“This is armor made from the back skin of a first-class monster, Cerberus. Unlike typical iron armor, it’s light yet tough enough to require three or four strikes with a regular blade to cut through, which is its biggest advantage.”

Standing next to Helena, he first lifted a piece with a silver pauldron attached to the shoulder blade part.

“Of course, there are disadvantages too. The material is so stiff and prone to rot that even after extensive tanning, it’s difficult to expect normal functionality.”

As he continued speaking, Ian wrapped the armor around Helena’s upper body. The leather, tracing delicate curves, was more flexible than expected.

Explaining the reason, Ian made a knot and pulled it tight.

“But Mr. Flam’s craftsmanship was so excellent that only the advantages remained. I was quite surprised.”

As her chest tightened, Helena took a short breath. She kept rubbing above her navel, unfamiliar with the sensation of the monster’s leather.

Ian’s fingertips brushed the back of her hand. With a calm face, he also wrapped a belt around her and then encompassed her waist with both hands.

As he bent down, his warm breath tickled her ear. His matter-of-fact touch also grazed various parts of her body as he adjusted the position of the armor.

Along the sides, under the shoulders, the pelvis, and up the spine to the nape of the neck.

Ian’s scent approached without warning.

‘He’s close.’

The thin waist, almost completely grasped in his large hands, further reduced its circumference. This was why Helena swallowed her breath again.

Even though she wasn’t a newly debuted debutante, Ian’s touch made Helena oddly conscious, and she chewed the inside of her lip.

Ian, interpreting her expression in his own way, withdrew his hand after stroking her waist once and asked.

“I fitted the size arbitrarily, is it okay? If there are any parts that are a bit short or loose, tell me and I’ll adjust it again. The most important thing is that it doesn’t hinder you in battle.”

Helena answered while wrapping her arms around her waist as if trying to keep the departed touch.

“My chest feels a bit tight.”

“…Hmm.”

Ian’s gaze fell on Helena’s chest area. It was just a gaze trying to gauge the width, without any particular intention. Helena knew this too.

But even that felt like it was caressing her, and Helena tightened her arms wrapped around herself even more. It felt as if a knot had formed in her stomach.