No matter how distracted I was by him, it’s shameful to not properly complete the task at hand.

“Ah… It’s nice to meet you. Although this isn’t a party venue for socializing, but just a meeting room for suppression. It’s quite bleak. Not even a cup of tea.”

The beginning was a bit stuttered, but it got smoother afterwards. Some people smiled slightly.

“I’ll stop grumbling now. My name is Jade Broen. I don’t have many connections in the North, so there are many people I haven’t had the chance to meet. We gathered in a hurry, but the journey back is long, so we can take our time with introductions.”

“That’s right.”

Grace Tanner gently agreed.

Jade spoke with her neck still stiffly fixed in place.

“However, the purpose is important. Unfortunately, I and some friends beside me… haven’t been informed of the exact goal of this suppression force. The same goes for the commander-in-chief who will lead us. You all know His Majesty well, but…”

She took out an envelope from her bosom and waved it.

“There was a message saying ‘Find out the rest when you get there.’ But it seems those of you who’ve been on the Northern suppression know something. How unfair…”

Making those who went on the Western suppression feel left out.

With Jade’s muttering, the atmosphere around the round table completely relaxed. Everyone smiled or nodded as they looked at Jade. Of course, Rigel sitting nearby still had a sulky face.

“Since I came to hear, it would be a great help if you could tell me the details.”

She finished with that much. The neck that was fixed at an angle to avoid looking in a specific direction started to feel painful, probably from using too much force.

As Jade closed her mouth, the man sitting to Axel’s right stood up. It was Ives Greer.

“Since we’ve come to the suppression force, titles are meaningless and only the knight’s name remains. I’m Ives.”

Just as I was wondering if Ives Greer was the commander-in-chief, he continued speaking.

“The reason I stood up so grandly is merely to introduce the commander-in-chief to all of you.”

Ives took out a small emblem to be worn on the chest from the small box in front of him. The item crafted in gold and silver was a symbol of the commander-in-chief of the suppression force.

Even while watching the direction of the thick hand moving, Jade thought it couldn’t be.

“It’s Sir Leon.”

The man called Leon carelessly received the emblem and roughly attached it to his chest.

Jade, with her eyes wide open, finally looked at him again.

As always, the man with a crooked smile met her gaze. The gray eyes were just dry, unlike the curved lips.

“I’m Leon Vaintz.”

Leon? Not Axel?

Jade felt an intense headache in the midst of confusion.

The atmosphere around also sank coldly. Most of the Western suppression force had never heard the name Leon Vaintz before.

From the moment the king came to him, Axel’s future was as good as decided.

No, from the moment the king discovered that damned vegetation map stuck on the wall.

I won’t make excuses. The bait the king offered was very alluring. Even though he knew the confusion and trouble he would surely face if he went out, he was curious enough about Jade outside to decide to leave the forest.

Would she have returned to her usual boldness, forgetting everything that happened in the Athanase Forest? Or would she sometimes miss the peaceful mornings and nights of this forest?

Axel questioned himself as he prepared to leave.

Is that really what I’m curious about? Or am I curious if she has forgotten me?

Of course, there was no one here to give an answer. If he really craved an answer, he had to go out first.

Without people, a house quickly falls into disrepair. Since he planned to just fulfill the king’s wish and briefly see Jade before returning, Axel went to entrust the key to Ollie.

As soon as he opened the door, he was annoyed by Ollie’s grinning face, but he endured it since he was in a position to ask a favor.

“You gave in at once.”

“Isn’t it natural when the king himself came here?”

“You threw away both your name and family name, so what does it matter? Do you want to receive a new family name now?”

Axel placed the key on the table with an indifferent face.

“Why would I want such a useless thing? It’s just troublesome to have. Isn’t that why you threw yours away and came in, old lady? You research under a different name.”

“Oh my, I haven’t thrown away my name yet. It’s on hold. Then what are you going out for now?”

The old woman who once had the name Olivia wanted to hear the answer she desired. Something so amusing that she could burst into laughter.

When the magician lady was here, such things happened often, how regrettable it turned out.

Of course, unlike Jade, Axel didn’t follow that intention.

“To return something lost.”

What he held were scraps of paper and something that seemed to be cut and dried. The vegetation map and dried yellow deer mushrooms.

“Because I’m just so kind.”

Ollie clicked her tongue with an exasperated face. Axel smirked.

“Please take good care of the house. I’ll probably be back before autumn anyway, so it won’t be long.”

As if confident in his words, Axel left Ollie’s house without any particular farewell.

Listening to the fading footsteps, Ollie chuckled.

“Well, I wonder if he can return so easily.”

If so, the king wouldn’t have come all the way here. It seems there aren’t many trustworthy people outside either. Coming to find someone who had already decided to be buried.

Ollie closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the past. It wasn’t bad to think of it as a memory.

Unable to read Ollie’s thoughts, Axel picked up the luggage he had thrown next to the fence and called out Atila.

The black horse, Atila, walked with a lively rhythm. It seemed to be in high spirits after being fed lots of its favorite sugar.

Axel unfolded the note handed to him by the merchant who had come with the king. He checked things that could serve as landmarks and started riding quickly.

Being the type to never look back once he made a decision, he ignored the month and a half time the king had given him and left the forest early. Partly to check how much the outside had changed during the remaining time.

But there was no time for that. As soon as he left the forest, someone sent by the king was already waiting for him at the entrance.

Familiar black clothes. Those used by the king for personal purposes for generations. People who exist but don’t exist. Those who knew called them ‘Night’.

Night bowed his head calmly.

“Hello. I am the Third Night.”

“How did you know I would come out now?”

Night blinked at Axel’s question.

“I have been waiting here for Axelion for several days.”

“Did His Majesty anticipate that I would come out early?”

“Well, all I was told was to meet Axelion and deliver a letter. Should I guide you?”

“Not necessary.”

“Yes. This is a letter sealed with His Majesty’s seal. If you have any inconvenience while traveling, please show it. Go to Sisé. A magician for transportation will be waiting.”

Leaving only those words, Night turned around and started walking slowly. It was a gait that made it hard to believe they were agents sent to perform espionage duties in other countries.

After feeding Atila well at a nearby inn, Axel rode quickly again. Upon arriving in Sisé, everything after that was handled in an instant. Every time he needed to travel a long distance, another magician was waiting right there,

Thanks to this, Axel arrived at the royal palace less than three days after leaving the forest. It was an incredible luxury.

Even entering the castle wasn’t difficult. As soon as they saw the color of his hair and eyes, the guards lowered their spears and respectfully withdrew. It seemed the king had made thorough preparations to welcome him.

Although no one guided him, he naturally climbed the stairs and turned left.

Walking down the corridor lined with portraits, Axel noticed that his picture had disappeared and smiled faintly. Yes, it’s been completely erased.

“My prediction was right! You’ve come at just the right time! The timing was perfect!”

Seeing the king excitedly throwing away documents and running towards him, looking exactly like his innocent younger brother from the past, Axel clicked his tongue inwardly.

“I’m covered in dust. First−”

“Ah, that’s right! You must have experienced multiple teleportation spells, so I should prepare a place for you to rest.”

Axel noticed the steward’s stern gaze and slightly jerked his chin. Then Rainer grumbled briefly and changed his tone.

“Geez. I wonder what a king can do freely at all.”

“You just need to speak informally.”

“That’s what I don’t like. Anyway, I’ll see you again tomorrow morning!”

Axel turned around and left the king’s office. The splendid royal palace he returned to after several years felt more uncomfortable than the small house in the forest, making him newly aware of the time that had passed.

There was no need to list in detail the confusing events that followed.

First, the king granted him a knighthood. It was honorable enough since it was a knighthood given directly by the king, not by other nobles, but considering that Axel had been the king’s brother, it wasn’t that great.

“This is too modes-, I mean, modest.”

Rainer protested.

“I need to treat you properly. You’re practically the highest meritorious subject who saved me and helped me ascend to the throne. But just a knighthood, this doesn’t make sense.”

“I won’t be here for long. I have no intention of receiving things that are difficult to handle.”

Axel leaned back against the chair with bored eyes.

“It will be troublesome for others too. What reason could you possibly have for granting me a territory?”

While granting a knighthood could be excused on the grounds that he was a powerful knight, Axel’s name had already been removed from the royal family, so he couldn’t be given a title on the grounds of being the king’s brother. To revive that record would require tremendous meetings and scrutiny of numerous laws.

The king pouted sullenly.