Published: February 1, 2026
The sky journey with the demonic bird cavalry had reached its final night. It was the fifth night.
Most likely, they would arrive in Astarnia early tomorrow morning. Lizel and the others would be dropped off beforehand at Eleven’s house.
The climate was already warm, and the humidity felt slightly higher. The Astarnian cavalry were in a good mood, pleased by the familiar weather of their homeland. For people like Lizel and Gill, who weren’t used to it, the sense of incongruity came first, but they would get used to it after staying for a while.
As usual, Lizel and the others, with Nahas included, were sitting around the campfire in the lively camping grounds, chatting idly.
“Come to think of it—”
Naturally, Nahas could also hold his liquor well. Feeling a twinge of envy, Lizel looked over when the conversation was suddenly tossed his way.
The four of them were sitting on makeshift benches made from logs felled and laid sideways. When Lizel had tried to sit on the ground, saying that if they were going to gather around the fire anyway they might as well, Eleven had stopped him with a “At least don’t do that,” and Gill had sighed, then casually cut down some trees and turned them into these simple seats.
They were comfortable enough, so Lizel couldn’t complain and could only give a wry smile.
“Honored guest, why did you choose to rely on Jade?”
“For this time, you mean?”
“Yeah. I remember you lot were with a noble during the public training, right? I’d think going through our captain from there would’ve been the surest way.”
Now that he mentioned it, Eleven looked at Lizel, cup of alcohol in hand.
This time had been something like joint training with the knights, but it wasn’t as if the military police would have no involvement at all. If so, then if they’d asked Rei, the head of the military police, he surely would have put them in touch with Jade without demanding any exchange conditions.
Lizel tilted his head slightly, his smile unchanged.
“There were plenty of people up on the ramparts, but you still remembered us?”
“The air was different only around you lot.”
Nahas cast his mind back to a few days ago. He could still remember it vividly.
While everyone else was watching with a mix of curiosity and excitement, five people alone had gazes that calmly and steadily observed them. He didn’t know whether they were being appraised as potential combat power, whether countermeasures were being considered in case they became enemies, or whether their potential usefulness was being measured.
But the three men now sitting before him, along with the two nobles—who had been sitting in chairs, exuding a certain presence and watching in leisurely fashion—had made Nahas suspect, for an instant, that even members of the royal family might have come to observe.
“That gloomy, beautiful middle‑aged guy was getting a ridiculous amount of attention, wasn’t he?”
“The earl looked annoyed at every single stare he got.”
“That’s what he gets for coming out despite being a shut‑in.”
Now that he knew their true nature, Nahas suspected that what he’d seen back then was just their normal, and that they had actually been enjoying themselves in their own way.
“You all seemed awfully close. It didn’t look like you’d been hired as guards.”
“He just invited us when we said we were going. It was simple kindness.”
“If you’re that close, wouldn’t asking him be easy?”
“That’s true.”
Lizel thought for a moment about how much to say.
He couldn’t say that the thought of asking Rei had never crossed his mind. But it was also true that he had immediately rejected that option once it did.
Of course, he had his reasons, but he wasn’t sure whether he should be telling Nahas those reasons.
“For this particular matter, going through Viscount Rei would have been a little inconvenient.”
…Oh well, why not, Lizel decided, smiling mildly.
After all, Eleven was also giving him a “Why, why?” look, and Gill was glancing over as if to prod him for an answer. They were probably bothered that Lizel, who normally chose the least troublesome and most efficient option, had gone to the trouble of striking a deal with Jade instead of relying on Rei.