They found the ruins two days later. Perched on a high plateau that offered a commanding view of the surrounding forest, it was the skeleton of an ancient fortress. The outer walls were crumbling, but the core structure, built from massive blocks of black, volcanic rock, was remarkably intact.
**
"This will be our home," Haruto declared. The decision was absolute.
That night, they built their fire in the cavernous great hall of the ruined fortress. The ceiling was lost to shadow, but the walls were thick, and the wind howled harmlessly outside. The sense of security was a luxury none of them had felt in a long time.
The victory over the Glyn-spiders had fundamentally changed the dynamic of the group. Kaito and Riku no longer saw Haruto as just a powerful enigma; they saw him as a commander. They followed his orders without question, their trust absolute.
"This place…" Himari said softly, staring into the flames. "It was an outpost of the Old Kingdom, from before my ancestors founded Celestine. Legend says it was a fortress against the demons of the forest."
"Your kingdom, Celestine," Haruto prompted, seeing an opportunity to gather intelligence. "What happened to it?"
Himari's expression grew somber. "My uncle, the Duke Valerius, staged a coup. He had made a pact with a dark mage, a man who could summon shadows and whispers to turn the court against my father. They stormed the castle in the dead of night. My father… the king… died buying me time to escape with my royal guard."
Kaito slammed a fist against the stone floor. "We were the best. The Royal Griffons. There were a hundred of us. Now… there is just me and Riku."
"My uncle now sits on the throne," Himari continued, her voice trembling with a quiet fury. "He branded me a traitor and put a bounty on my head. We were trying to reach Silverwood, the last free city that remains loyal to my father's memory, to rally support."
Haruto processed the information with cold, military logic. This wasn't just a story of tragedy; it was a mission briefing.
Objective: Restore the rightful heir. Primary Antagonist: Duke Valerius and an allied mage. Potential Allies: The city of Silverwood. Assets: One princess, two loyal but outmatched guards, and one star-fallen officer with a nanomachine colony.
The odds were absurd. But survival was about turning absurd odds into a calculated risk. Helping her wasn't just an act of compassion; it was the most logical path forward. A stable, friendly kingdom would be an invaluable asset in this world. An unstable, hostile one ruled by a usurper was a long-term threat.
"This duke," Haruto asked, his gaze fixed on the fire. "What are his army's strengths and weaknesses?"
Himari and her guards stared at him. He wasn't offering condolences or pity. He was talking strategy. For the first time since her kingdom fell, Himari felt a flicker of something she had thought long dead: hope. It was a strange, terrifying hope, placed in a man who fought with light and thought in a way no one on Ares ever had.