The jet cabin was a storm of colliding excitement and tension.
Endi peered restlessly out the window, his head darting around like a curious child.
"Whoa, this is insane! So high! So fast!"
"Shut up. Sit still," Cain said coldly.
"Sorry…" Endi drooped, deflated.
"Now, Cain, don't be so harsh. Still, what incredible speed! At this rate we'll arrive in no time!" Lamia said, trying to ease the mood.
Meanwhile, Jessica was in the cockpit, addressing Willart Rose.
"My lord, allow me to take over the controls. Please, take a rest."
"No way! This is my beloved machine! No one else touches the stick but me!"
Rose's stubborn reply was like a spoiled child's tantrum.
Jessica sighed and sat beside Lamia.
"Good grief, his whims are exhausting. By the way, what will you all do once we reach Baleralc?"
Endi's eyes lit up at the question.
"Actually, Jessica! I want to join the army—or maybe the Royal Guard! I wanna get stronger so I can always protect Lamia!"
As he declared this with burning passion, Lamia's cheeks flushed pink.
"I see… You're strong enough already, it might suit you. But why not the Security Corps?"
"The Security Corps? Nah… that Saizō guy seems way too noisy…"
Endi's mutter exposed his dislike.
"Hey, don't lump me in. I've got no intention of joining anything," Cain cut in, sullen.
Jessica tilted her head.
"Fair enough. Still, you'll need some kind of occupation. So—where do you two come from?"
The question darkened Endi's face.
"Jessica, Endi's been amnesiac for four years now," Lamia gently interjected.
"Oh, I see… How unfortunate. And you, Cain?" she turned to him, a little awkward.
"…I don't want to answer. Nor do I owe you one."
Cain's words were like a locked iron door.
Jessica scoffed.
"My, aren't you charming."
Cain didn't even twitch.
"Oi, landing soon! Buckle up!" Rose called cheerfully.
"Wait—already!?" Endi gasped.
"Of course! This jet flies at three-fifty klicks an hour!" Rose grinned proudly.
At last, the jet touched down on the runway of Baleralc's military training grounds.
Soldiers in the middle of drills crowded over in confusion.
"Prince Rose!?"
"Welcome back!"
"So soon… Where are the others?"
Their voices rippled like waves upon stone.
"Yo, good timing. Park this bird in the hangar for me, will ya?" Rose ordered casually, pointing at the jet.
Then he led Endi and the others away.
The royal capital Baleralc unfolded before them like a tapestry of stone pavements and pure rivers. Ancient ruins blended into the cityscape, as though past and present sang in harmony.
Endi's eyes were stolen by the dazzling sight.
"Prince Rose!"
"Look, it's the Prince!"
"How splendid he looks…"
"So handsome!"
The citizens' cheers were like a roaring tide.
Rose basked in the glow, a crown of light upon his back. Even Endi blushed awkwardly.
"Man, every damn time… makes it hard to walk." Rose grinned, not displeased.
Then he donned a grotesque mask.
"No one'll recognize me like this, eh?"
The ridiculous design made Lamia and Jessica stifle their laughter like sisters indulging a child's prank.
And sure enough, the uproar faded like mist.
But as Endi walked the quiet streets, unease stirred.
"It's a fine city, sure… but something's off. Everyone's faces look dead."
Rose twitched and pointed toward an alley.
"Look there."
There, starving children crouched, old men drowned in liquor, and fights never ceased. The grim reality of the streets forced itself into view. Security Corps officers rushed to intervene.
Suddenly, a shout rang out:
"Hey! Another hanging!"
In the alley, a young man's body dangled.
"Another suicide… How many this week now?"
"Poor kid, still so young…"
Endi was struck speechless, his heart pierced by icy thorns. Lamia and Jessica sank into silence, like the stillness of the sea's depths.
Rose spoke heavily.
"See? War's victory doesn't end depression. Poverty remains. Inequality widens. Children starve, people lose hope, and the youth—despairing of their future—end it themselves. This is the reality of Baleralc, capital of the world's greatest military power, the Nakatham Kingdom."
His back was like a reef enduring endless waves.
"And while the people suffer, the royals and certain officers live in luxury. Can you believe it?"
"Why…?" Endi asked, innocent.
"Taxes," Cain said coldly. "The state bleeds its people dry. Without it, the kingdom collapses."
Rose grimaced.
"Right. And I'm one of those bleeding them."
"My lord, please don't speak so harshly!"
"That's not true! Everyone knows you care for the people, Prince Rose!"
Jessica and Lamia's voices were like a lighthouse piercing a storm.
Rose's eyes burned.
"No one here pays taxes with pride. No one feels patriotic joy. A nation like that has no future. But I'll never give up. I'll change this country—no matter what."
His gaze blazed like a torch.
Then Endi stepped forward.
"Prince Rose… I'm dumb, I don't know what's right. But I want to help people like that. I want to save the weak!"
His eyes were just as fierce.
"I will too!" Lamia cried. "I have no power, but if there's anything I can do, I'll do it!"
"And I as well," Jessica declared. "I'll fight until the day your dream is reality, and guard you even beyond it—till my last breath."
Their voices were like waves crashing against unyielding stone.
Cain stayed silent, his expression unreadable.
Rose smiled faintly.
"This country isn't hopeless yet. Stick with me, all of you."
It was the call of a captain hoisting sails of hope.
Together, they reached the palace gates.