‘You kept your promise, Sion. No, my Duke.’

Arcadia thought, looking up at Sion.

Sion, like an incarnation of God Belpast, slowly approached Esdel.

Crushed by the sword’s energy, no one could lift their heads properly.

Sion raised the sword. It enveloped in a beautiful blue aura, resembling smoke.

“Sacred sword, grant me strength! Save this woman!”

Sion shouted.

Arcadia closed his eyes.

The sword pierced Esdel’s shoulder, and the black magic constricting her dissipated.

Quietly and gently. Like the darkness that vanishes powerless before the dawn.

“Ah, sacred sword!”

The young magician who had been exclaiming in worship fainted.

Sion pulled the sacred sword from Esdel’s shoulder. Simultaneously, a translucent and stunningly beautiful blue light enveloped her.

After a moment, leaving only the light behind, the sacred sword disappeared like smoke.

“Esdel?”

‘Who is it?’

I slowly opened my eyes in the engulfing darkness.

“Agnès, why does our daughter sleep so much like you?”

“Are you saying that for me to hear, Michaël?”

A loving couple sweetly rolling each other’s names off their tongues, like smelling the fragrance of a flower.

My sight gradually brightened, revealing the person in front of me.

Bright silver hair, long eyes curved in a perpetual smile.

Those radiant golden eyes gazed at their lover.

A beautiful man, free as the wind.
Where the man’s gaze rested, there was a woman with her elegant green hair tightly tied up.

With skin white as jade, a petite face, and eyes that resembled the sky.

A radiant woman in pastel tones was making something.

“Our baby, mommy will finish it all. Just wait a little.”

The woman smiled brightly at me.

Hearing her, the man looked at me.

His eyes, shining like the sun, were filled with me. In his gaze, there was a small, young girl.

“Our daughter, you’re awake. Did you sleep well?”

The man gently stroked my cheek.

“You little sleepyhead.”

Then he burst into laughter.

“Agnès, Esdel is smiling. How can her eyes be just like yours?”

“Is that so?”

The woman smiled.

Ahh…

Ahhh…

Father, my father.

My mother.

I reached out to them. My tiny hand, like a maple leaf, touched my father’s cheek. He smiled like a breeze scattering the sunlight.

‘My dear father. Finally… I remember you.’

“Esdel. Esdel?”

Someone else was calling my name.

It wasn’t my mother or father.

Who is it?

Slowly, I opened my eyes again.

‘Ah…’

I’m back.

I’m alive.

Arcadia.

In a room bathed in sunlight, I saw Arcadia’s face looking down at me.

His innocent face was now rough with stubble.

“Arcadia… Nugent.”

“What, are you crazy? Using my name so casually… so casually.”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Thick tears fell from his eyes.

I blinked in surprise.

“You jerk… waking up after three days.”

Arcadia kept crying, like a child.

Unknowingly, I placed my hand on his cheek. He grabbed my hand.

“Am I not dead?”

“…Yeah, you’re alive. You’re alive, you fool.”

“The Duke… where is he?”

He stopped crying.

“That’s what you’re curious about even now?”

“…Arcadia.”

He smiled.

“Is your mind not back yet? Or as a Sword Master, are you going to speak informally now?”

‘Ah!’

My memory slowly returned.

“Deputy Commander. Am I… really alive?”

“…Yes. You’ve returned.”

His green eyes were warm and gentle.

“Deputy Commander. My memory… it’s back.”

“!”

“It’s back.”

My memory had returned.

I could feel it. The memories of my life before the age of five, which had vanished and left me empty, were back.

“Probably thanks to the sacred sword. It blew away the black magic that was consuming you, as light as dust.”

“The… sacred sword?”

“The Duke saved you.”

“The Duke…”

I got up. My stomach hurt terribly, but it wasn’t unbearable.

“Where is the Duke?”

“…Before that, there’s something you need to see.”

Arcadia’s voice sank heavily.

Arcadia took me to a room on the highest floor of the castle.

Seeing me, the steward, Leuwine Axel, who was guarding the room, immediately stood up.

I heard the story of Belpast’s incarnation, the northern sacred sword ‘Lapis,’ from them.

And that the Duke had used it for me.

“The sword vanished, and this room opened to human effort.”

Entering the room, I heard Arcadia’s words.

The room was entirely transparent. Below the only spot where sunlight entered, I could see my reflection, like looking in a mirror.

“Was this room always transparent?”

“No, it changed after the sacred sword left.”

I slowly approached the wall and looked at my reflection.

Like my face reflected in clear blue water, it was vividly visible.

Suddenly, as if enchanted, I placed my hand over the mask covering my left face.

My heart began to race.

I could feel it. My face… the face under the mask.

I opened my mouth.

“My face is back.”