A new day began.
A campfire slowly died behind Hide as he prepared to set out.
His next destination: Sumiko.
Rumors described it as a massive city built atop a hill — famous for its grand Colosseum, where countless warriors had carved their names into legend.
After several minutes of walking, Hide reached the outskirts.
The city loomed ahead.
Stone walls. Towering structures. Crowds moving even from this distance.
He stopped for a moment, staring up at it.
"Wow… No wonder Master liked coming here. This place is huge. And it even has a colosseum. Maybe I should check it out when I get the chance."
He followed the dirt road downward.
Minutes later, Hide entered a tavern.
Despite looking young, the silver-rank medal hanging from his neck caught attention. Adventurers glanced at him quietly before returning to their drinks.
Hide approached the tavern keeper, who was polishing a glass.
"How may I help you?"
"Room for one."
The tavern keeper shook his head apologetically.
"Sorry. No rooms available. You might try nearby inns… though beds are scarce lately."
"I see. Is there anywhere else?"
"Well… the local church sometimes lends beds. Or the colosseum, if you're participating. Otherwise…" He shrugged. "Alleyways or the streets."
"Very well. Thank you."
Hide stepped back outside.
He looked up at the clear blue sky.
"I guess I'll either camp outside the city… or sleep on the streets."
He sighed and continued exploring.
Soon, he found himself in a bustling marketplace.
Booths lined the roads — herbs, weapons, charms, spices, fabrics. The scent of food and metal mixed in the air.
As he pushed through the crowd, he accidentally bumped into someone.
A bag fell, spilling ingredients and produce onto the ground.
"Sorry."
Hide quickly knelt, gathering everything and placing it back into the bag.
The old man steadied himself.
He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, dressed neatly like a butler.
But when he looked at Hide—
His expression froze.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Joy.
Hide handed him the bag.
"Are you okay?"
The old man trembled.
"Young Lord… I have found you. All this time, I thought you were dead… but here you are."
Hide blinked.
"I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Before the old man could reply, a young girl pushed through the crowd.
"Uncle! There you are. We need to head back to the mansion."
She bowed slightly to Hide.
"Sorry about that. My uncle gets confused sometimes."
"It's fine," Hide replied.
He turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"Wait—!" the old man called out, but Hide was already gone.
"Uncle, who was that?" the girl asked.
"It was him," the old man said urgently. "The son of the previous master I served. We must find him."
"But you said he died in that explosion…"
"I thought so too. But I was wrong."
Without another word, he plunged back into the crowd.
The girl sighed and followed.
Hide wandered into a quieter district.
Stone roads. Fewer people. Large estates.
He stood near a fountain.
"This must be where the nobles live."
Footsteps approached rapidly.
"Excuse me— Young Lord! Please, give me a moment!"
Hide turned.
The old butler stood before him again, breathless.
The young girl arrived seconds later.
The old man regained his breath.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Your Highness… it is me. Jisan. The main butler of the Nubotomi household."
Suddenly—
A memory surfaced.
A younger Hide running through a sunlit yard.
A butler watching him proudly from the side.
The memory faded.
Hide inhaled slowly.
"Jisan…"
"Your Highness, are you well?"
"I thought you were dead when the house burned."
"I was sent away on duty. When I returned… everything was ash." His hand clenched. "If only I had been there…"
Silence.
"What about my mother and father?"
"I gathered what remained. I gave them proper burial."
Hide's chest tightened.
"How did you know it was me?"
"I could never forget you. And though you've grown… your eyes remain the same."
Jisan stepped aside slightly.
"Please. Come home. I will explain everything there."
"And this is my niece, Priscilla."
Priscilla offered a polite smile.
They arrived at a large manor.
It was not his childhood home.
But it was grand.
Clean.
Maintained.
Inside were only a few maids and butlers.
Loyal ones.
Hide sat quietly in a room while Jisan stood near the door.
"This manor was purchased long ago by your parents. I maintained it in your absence. It is not your childhood home… but it is yours."
He hesitated.
"Your old home remains in Lissandra. Nature has begun reclaiming it. I did not rebuild… fearing the attackers might return."
"And my parents' graves?"
"Beside it."
Silence filled the room.
Hide finally spoke.
"What happened after they died?"
Jisan's voice grew heavier.
"With no royal blood to follow, the Fiend realm fractured. War erupted. A new fiend declared himself king."
"And humans?"
"At constant war with fiends."
Hide looked down.
"Why still call me 'Your Highness'?"
Jisan straightened.
"You are the last of the royal bloodline. Half-human. Half-fiend. The rightful heir."
"The ones in this manor?"
"Loyal to you. Former soldiers under your mother's rule. We will never betray the royal blood."
Hide closed his eyes briefly.
"Thank you, Jisan. That's enough for today."
"Very well. Rest well, Your Highness."
The lights dimmed.
Outside the room, Priscilla waited.
"Uncle… how can you be sure? He doesn't even look like a fiend."
Jisan lightly tapped her head.
"Her Majesty married a human. That is why he appears human. He is the child of two worlds."
He smiled faintly.
"And the last king."
Priscilla rubbed her head.
"Okay, Uncle…"
Meanwhile, Hide lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Royal blood.
Half-fiend.
War.
A destroyed kingdom.
He closed his eyes.
How much of my past do I truly know?
And more importantly—
What kind of king am I supposed to become?
The night stretched on.
And his past was only beginning to resurface.