The sunlight streamed into the room, and Lancer opened his eyes at the right time. But unlike usual, he didn't sit up immediately. Instead, he took a look at the girl in his arms.
Leone was curled up in his arms like a lazy cat. Her sheer lace lingerie couldn't completely cover her body, which made Lancer want to explore, but in the end, he gave up. After all, he had just 'righteously' said so much last night.
'Time to go practice with the spear...'
After letting out a strange but familiar sigh, Lancer quietly pulled out his arm and tiptoed out of his room.
For Lancer, today's breakfast was no different from usual, but it was also very different.
Leone made him breakfast as usual. When he practiced with his spear, she also sat on the wooden steps with her hands propping up her chin, watching him quietly as usual. When they ate breakfast, they sat across from each other as usual...
But the reason it was so different was because of the attitude between the two of them.
Normally, Leone attitude was more respectful, and Lancer was more 'calm.' But this morning, for some reason, Lancer was more efficient in his spear practice than usual. And when their eyes met while they were eating breakfast, Lancer would unconsciously look away, while Leone couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Come back soon~"
"Mhm, I'll be back soon."
Saying a farewell that was very different from before at the front door, Lancer expression was incredibly serious.
But just as Lancer turned to leave, Leone suddenly hugged him around the waist.
"I'll be waiting for you."
"Mhm, I'll be back soon..."
The same answer as before, but this time Lancer voice was gentler.
The two said goodbye again, and Lancer strode towards the palace. But neither of them noticed that a figure on a building in the distance also disappeared along with him...
Ever since he got the so-called 'world entrance ticket,' he had always been curious: what would it be like when he went back?
Would it be at the same time as when he left?
Although it sounds a bit unbelievable, considering the frozen time when he arrived and left 'worlds,' it didn't seem so unbelievable anymore.
Or would time have passed normally? The same amount of time he was gone from the world would have also passed.
This one seems more plausible, but he couldn't be sure of either. At least he wouldn't go back until he found a way to solve the problem of ghoul food, so he wouldn't know the answer.
So if time stood still, it would be fine, but if time passed normally, what would happen to Leone?
He hadn't considered it so much before. He had only planned to give Leone a sum of money so she could live a good life, but now, he had to consider more things, because the other person was no longer 'a somewhat familiar character from the plot' but 'someone he needed to protect.'
After thinking it over, the only person he could ask for help was Budo.
As for the emperor?
To be honest, Lancer attitude toward him was very complex.
To change Honest's future, he had to use the other person's power, so from the very beginning, he had gotten along well with him, and the other person's attitude toward him was also very good at first. It seemed like he was treating him as a 'friend.'
But as his strength grew, the relationship between them gradually changed.
He began to become the most a important 'weapon' in the other person's hands, and the other person's attitude toward him also quietly changed.
The strange speed at which the rumors about him spread throughout the Imperial Capital... no, throughout the entire empire, had to have someone behind it, but he couldn't be sure if it was the emperor or Honest.
It can be said that at this time, he was the sharpest 'knife' in the emperor's hands!
Eliminating rebels, weakening the nobles, and conquering foreign tribes.
These three things were his most important tasks right now, but even if he completed these three tasks, they would leave behind endless hatred. Lancer sometimes wondered if he would have dared to act so recklessly if he wasn't going to leave in two years. He wasn't ignorant of the principle of 'killing the hound when the hare is caught.'
So, Lancer attitude toward the 'emperor' was very conflicted.
If the other person was a great and ambitious emperor, then this empire could continue to exist. Although a revolution would eventually happen, he couldn't be sure if the next one would be better, but at least he had avoided this 'terrible future.'
Indeed, Lancer attempt to leverage this timeline with his own strength was incredibly lucky given the current situation, and he was quite satisfied with it. But he wasn't so arrogant as to think that he alone could change a world and even influence the future direction of this world. He would leave the future to the people of the future.
While thinking about all these random things, his steps didn't slow down at all. He arrived at the Imperial Guard's station on time, and thousands of Imperial Guard soldiers and Great General Budo were already waiting for him there.
Without any nonsense, Budo nodded, and Lancer immediately ordered them to set off.
As the large army began to move, Lancer also walked over to Budo side.
"Great General."
"Mhm."
"I have a matter I would like to trouble you with on this expedition."
Although his expression was still blank, Budo was a bit curious in his heart. Lancer was asking him for a favor? The other person had never asked him for a favor after joining the army, except for that one time when he requested to be transferred to the border army. Was this a very important matter as well?
"Speak! If I can, I'll do my best to help!"
"On this expedition, I hope you can help me take care of Leone."
"Leone? Oh, that slave of yours..."
"No, I have already helped her escape her status as a slave. Her current status is a free citizen..."
The rumors about Lancer sexual orientation had always been one of the strange rumors among the nobles. Some people even suspected that he had no sexual desire. The so-called 'he only likes his slave' was just treated as a joke, since the other person had also lived a life like an ascetic monk before he bought that slave home.
But who would have thought that the most unlikely 'joke' was actually true?
"Don't worry. Protecting the families of Imperial Guard soldiers is also one of my duties. After all, what if a soldier's family is captured and used to threaten them? As one of the Imperial Guards' vice generals, you have a lot of guards around your home, but it seems that we need to raise it a few levels, judging by your expression..."
"Ahem~ Great General, in that case, I'll be off!"
Seeing the usually serious Budo saying strange things with a strange expression, Lancer quickly surrendered and prepared to run.
And looking at Lancer, who was trotting away, Budo eyes became incredibly intense.
'So this is your 'weakness'...'