The dawn broke through the cold morning air, brightening the surroundings.

Returning to where the tent was, I found Klaus lying on the cold ground.

“Sir Klaus!”

I immediately rushed to him and shook his body.

Fortunately, Klaus slowly opened his eyelids with a faint moan.

“Princess…? How did this…”

He sat up, looking around in confusion.

“It’s alright now, Sir Klaus. The fog has lifted.”

Realizing the situation, Klaus bowed his head with a troubled expression.

“…I’m ashamed. I swore to protect you, Princess, yet I failed in my duty.”

Klaus couldn’t remember being teleported here by the system, believing he had collapsed while battling the fog.

This meant I didn’t need to make up any excuses about the situation.

But there was another problem.

Piya was still unconscious.

With Piya unconscious and the system shut down, I couldn’t see any system notifications, skill windows, or inventory.

Naturally, I couldn’t check the quest progress either.

The second quest in the Forest of Illusions was to dispel the forest’s fog.

Judging by the original story, the third quest would likely involve recruiting Elay as an ally.

The fog hadn’t been completely cleared yet.

‘Once Piya wakes up and the system restores, I’ll find Elay, persuade him, clear the fog, and recruit him as an ally.’

As I was making this plan, Klaus offered to help.

“You’ve overexerted yourself all night. Let me take care of your pet bird while you rest.”

“But you’re just as sleep-deprived.”

“Allow me to atone by serving you in this manner.”

Klaus spoke with a sorrowful voice, making it hard for me to resist further.

“Alright. But don’t overdo it yourself.”

I handed Piya over to Klaus and glanced briefly at Anselot.

Standing there in a daze, Anselot smiled at me as usual when our eyes met. But…

‘Something’s different about him.’

At first glance, he seemed the same, but Anselot had been subtly different since dawn.

Recalling our conversation while walking here at dawn came to mind.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘…?’

‘You’ve been spacing out.’

When I asked him about his distracted demeanor, Anselot paused, then smiled and replied.

‘Just remembered something I’d forgotten.’

That was all he said.

I was curious about what he had forgotten and now remembered.

‘Come to think of it, Anselot. You’ve always been like this.’

Anselot always seemed like a man with many secrets.

I knew so little about him.

Why he became a bug.

How he knew so much about the system and players.

Why he had half of the Dragon’s heart.

His purpose in eliminating the Dragon.

Who he had been waiting for so long, speaking of his wait with such a lonely voice.

And…

‘I’m sorry. It’s my fault.’

‘Don’t go. Let’s be together now.’

‘I won’t lose you again…’

Who he was so sorry for. What made him feel so guilty.

Who was the person he didn’t want to lose again, seen in the black mist.

Why such a fearless man cried so sadly.

Remembering Anselot crying in the embrace of a black figure in the mist made me feel strange.

His silent tears were so intense.

Anselot had attacked me in the mist to protect that person.

It wasn’t his fault.

It was all the illusion of the forest.
But why does this fact feel so upsetting to me?

Even at our first meeting, he tried to kill me.

Why am I now feeling this resentment that I didn’t feel then?

When Anselot came to his senses after being entranced by Elay’s fog, the first thing he saw was the beautiful face of Luibel, crying and hitting him.

Luibel, sitting on top of him, was hitting him relentlessly while sobbing, but Anselot just thought, ‘Our princess is unexpectedly violent.’

To be honest, it hurt a bit, maybe more than just a bit.

No matter how sturdy Anselot is, or how delicate Luibel appears, like a fairy, Luibel is a swordmaster who can manifest sword energy.

Her body is stronger than most, and her fists were strong enough to impact Anselot’s sturdy body.

However, Anselot didn’t give much thought to her hitting him.

He thought the kind princess was afraid he was hurt by the fog and hit him to make him come to his senses.

He had no idea that Luibel was the one who knocked him over, so this was the only conclusion he could draw.

But something else was occupying his mind.

“…….”

Anselot frowned, briefly recalling what he saw in the fog.

‘Disturbing.’

The fog was said to dig into a person’s inner weaknesses.

What the fog showed him was ‘her.’

So, ‘she’ was my weakness?

At that thought, Anselot burst into laughter.

‘Yes, you were my weakness.’

Anselot admitted it plainly.

He almost found solace in embracing the illusion.

Imagining the deeper void that would follow after the illusion vanished made his mood sink endlessly.

If it weren’t for Luibel’s voice calling him, he might have continued to indulge in that illusion.

Anselot’s thoughts slowly shifted to Luibel.

After returning to where the tent was, Luibel seemed downcast.

She remained so even after a good sleep.

Anselot thought it must be because her beloved bird was injured.

“Prince Anselot.”