I don’t know about feeling sympathy for Feria and Briella, but thinking of my father, I felt a shallow pang of conscience.

He was both a bystander and another perpetrator, but biologically, he was my father.

Just thinking about the usual him was enough reason for revenge.

I consciously listed in my mind the reasons why I had to be part of this revenge.

“No matter what happens to Ibell… I won’t regret my choice. I’ve made up my mind.”

“It’s good to be certain.”

Reus stepped aside as if to say I could go ahead now. As I headed towards the center of the maze garden, Reus called out.

“Roel.”

“Yes?”

“Even if you’ve made that decision, you should know. I am not as lenient as you think.”

I didn’t understand his intentions, but I nonchalantly continued walking.

Turning a corner, the central part of the garden with all its paths appeared, including an ivory fountain in the middle. The figure of a man was faintly reflected in the flowing water.

A man’s back, as sturdy as Reus.

But something felt familiar. Why did I feel I knew this back, even without seeing his face?

‘Where have I seen that posture?’

The fitting white shirt, slightly rough-textured black pants, and military boots all seemed strangely familiar.

Hesitantly, I kept walking until the man turned around.

Untidy wheat-colored hair slightly fluttered. Underneath it, sharp, amber eyes met mine, and memories began to resurface.

“Uh…?”

My foolish reaction made the man laugh heartily, and more memories became clear.

‘Anast. Yes, the man from Anast.’

He was the man who guarded the cabin a few times in place of Uncle Haben.

The rugged-looking man, uncharacteristically, lifted the corners of his mouth in a liberating smile.
“It seems you remember me. Are we old acquaintances then?”

I was pondering how Reus knew this man, as he seemed unrelated to Reus, but then the man spoke again.

“That guy behind you. I have a pretty deep connection with him. Have been in the same boat for a long time, you could say. Is it okay to talk about this?”

As I was thinking, Reus, who had been following at a leisurely pace, was now right behind me. I looked up at him, expecting an explanation.

Reus casually mentioned, “He’s the guild master of Anast.”

“……What?”

Blinking in disbelief, I turned my gaze back to the man with wheat-colored hair.

The man met my gaze and smiled warmly.

Though our encounters were few, we had conversed each time we met.

Contrary to his fierce initial impression, he was amiable and easily likable – someone I never doubted to be just a regular employee.

‘The guild master of Anast was him?’

Rumors of Anast’s master being an old war veteran or a high-born noble with a penchant for secrecy were just that – rumors.

The true identity of the guild master was this ordinary-looking man, who, admittedly, didn’t look quite so ordinary.

“I never expected to see you here.”

He suddenly extended his hand, and I reflexively shook it.

“I know your name. You’re from the House of Ibell… Roen? Roel? Something like that.”

“Yes, that’s right. Roel Ibell.”

He seemed pleased to have remembered my name and smiled brightly.

“As I said before, my name is Theron.”

Finding out that the man I thought was just an employee was actually the guild master of Anast was surprising enough, let alone his real name.

‘What a turn of events…’

Regardless of my disbelief, Theron shook my hand enthusiastically as if delighted to reconnect.

“If I had known our paths would cross like this, I would have made an effort to become friends earlier. Right?”