A week ago, in Hiloshine.

“Sigh… Today, I feel unusually down.”

One knight murmured.

Hiloshine was mostly peaceful. Even after increasing defense forces since the kidnapping of Hailin, if peace continued, forgetting was inevitable. They were gradually forgetting the past events.

“I hope it continues like this.”

The cheerful sound of grasshoppers filled the air in the garden.

“When is the next patrol coming in?”

“Oh, they’re coming over there. Now I can get some sleep. Hey, newcomer!”

The knight waved at the newcomers rushing towards them.

“A newcomer?”

“Yeah. They said he knows how to handle a sword. Recently, Hiloshine has been replenishing its forces, and all sorts of people are gathering. Among them, there seem to be quite a few who know how to wield a sword.”

“Hmm. Isn’t that dangerous? Knowing how to handle a sword means…”

“That’s why they can’t pass up the serious missions and assign such patrols. They can’t leave their posts.”

“Seems like they’re willing to take on some risks.”

While the knights chatted, the relief team arrived.

The knight referred to as the newcomer respectfully nodded.

“Hello, senior!”

“Oh, oh. Seeing you like this, it’s nice to meet you. Did you get some sleep?”

“Yes!”

The enthusiastic man answered spiritedly.

He was somewhat clumsy, but he had muscles that seemed to have tried holding a sword at least once.

“What about your partner? You won’t go on patrol alone, will you?”

“Oh, he said he’s a little late because he went to the bathroom…”

“I see. Must be a stomachache.”

“Hahaha…”

“Then, do well.”

The senior knight patted him on the shoulder and left with his colleagues.

The remaining youth gripped the sword with a tense expression.

He didn’t know what might lurk in the silent darkness.

He remembered the incident that had happened before.

People were kidnapped in this massive fortress.

How could he forget the day when a stern atmosphere lingered?

He didn’t join the knights to become a great hero. He simply wanted to earn enough money, meet a nice woman, get married, and build a family.

It was a modest dream.

“Ah, why isn’t he coming?”

The youth mumbled nervously, shaking his legs in the tension.

Being alone made it feel scarier.

In the overgrown bushes or trees that grew around the walls, something seemed to be popping out.

The young man’s imagination kept extending the branches.

“Have a beer or something.”

The disgruntled youth was about to turn his head when…

A strong arm twisted around his neck.

“Ah…!”

With a scream, the youth’s neck was snapped to the side.

The man who pushed the youth to the ground and swiftly got up in the darkness.

“Hmm.”

Hiloshine’s guards were tight.

There was no time for an hour of idleness.

What could they do if not create an opening?

So, they infiltrated, selecting those who seemed inexperienced.

At least they looked young.
“Someone else?”

Another man emerged from the bushes and asked, “Don’t know. Can’t see. Move quickly. You know the shift time is short!”

The nervous man pulled his colleague’s arm impatiently.

“This guy’s definitely strangled, right?”

“Hey! Can’t you trust me?”

The man spat out irritably.

“Well, you have to try tapping a stone bridge before crossing.”

The man who spoke indifferently lightly slapped the cheek of the dead youth.

After confirming his death, the man finally stood up.

In the place they left, the young knight who had small dreams was left behind.

Lost in his dreams.

Brixton couldn’t sleep until late at night.

His eyes were sore.

Why was he so anxious today?

Unexplained anxiety stabbed Brixton.

Brixton sighed and rummaged through some documents.

Hiloshine was growing at an astonishing speed.

Weapons and armor produced in-house were not sold but stored in warehouses.

It wasn’t just about making weapons at the blacksmith.

High-quality farming tools they created were sold to other territories to increase revenue.

With the recruitment of new knights, the size of the knight order grew, and at the same time, people began to flow in.

The bipeds played a significant role in this.

Brixton pressed his head with his hands.

The leader of the bipeds.

This woman was the problem.

“There were surviving royals…”

No wonder. There was a reason why the bipeds, without disbanding, gathered and lived in one place.

The middle-aged woman, who looked at Brixton with a solemn expression, was quite impressive.

“What should I do about this?”

Brixton ran his finger across his lips.

His thoughts connected and continued.

Unable to come to a conclusion, Brixton stood up.

Rather than killing time like this, it seemed better to see the child’s face one more time.

Isabella was growing into an adult too quickly.

These days she was learning to wield a sword, and the child never showed signs of distress.

Was it because of Hailin’s absence?

Brixton wiped his face with his dry hands.

As Brixton was about to open the door to the child’s room without hesitation.

The door didn’t open as if obstructed by something.

Brixton pushed the door forcefully.