In the silent night, Yujin jerked awake. His body and clothes were drenched in cold sweat, leaving him feeling deeply uncomfortable.
"…A nightmare? But why?"
It wasn't exactly a nightmare. But what were those emotions and questions he felt at the end? A wave of intense feeling, so strong it dwarfed the physical discomfort.
A headache seized him, and Yujin clutched his head. He tried to recall the faces he had seen, but aside from the child named Kal'tsit, his memory felt like it had been snipped away with scissors. It felt as if those memories had never existed in the first place.
"Phew..."
As the pain subsided, Yujin exhaled roughly and regained his senses. Looking around, he realized he must have collapsed in the arena.
A sterile white hospital room. The sheer whiteness brought back a flash of irritation, but then he noticed a weight near the bed. Turning his head, he saw Raquelamalin by his side.
Had she been guarding him since he collapsed? Yujin smiled bitterly and gently touched her hair.
His eyes stung slightly. His arms were still trembling, and his wounds hadn't fully healed. The road ahead was long, and for the first time, Yujin wondered if his body could endure it.
"…Yujin?"
"Yeah. You awake?"
Larin stirred, blinking sleepily. Her eyes were filled with worry, and a moment later, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
"…I'm so glad you're safe. Really."
"I'm fine, don't worry. Only two matches left. If I hold on a little longer..."
"Yujin."
"What's wrong?"
Overwork. The doctor's words echoed in her mind. Larin relayed the diagnosis and looked at Yujin. His expression remained unreadable, hiding deep thoughts.
"Let's go back to Kazdel."
Larin voiced her opinion. This place had become a death trap. Yujin's body was breaking down from accumulated fatigue, and the Armorless Union lurked everywhere, targeting them. Unless they called for reinforcements, there was no other way.
"We tried, but now isn't the time. It was a disadvantageous fight from the start."
"Is that what you want?"
"It's my wish, and Daniel's opinion as well."
Yujin looked at her with a complicated expression. Larin couldn't guess what choice he would make.
"No."
"…Why?"
"If we leave now, I can never come back here. The Nearl family will be finished. And the promises I made..."
"You could die."
Larin‘s voice was chillingly cold.
"It's different from when we first met. If they decide to bury us in earnest, we have to worry about whether we'll even open our eyes tomorrow morning."
"…I've already prepared myself for that."
"You might be prepared, but what about the people around you?"
Kiril and Kisha. Daniel. The people by Yujin‘s side.
"…I know. I'm not acting without a plan. Hopefully, a reply will come soon."
"What?"
"And I know what you're worried about. It's natural to fear the Merchant Association and the Armorless Union."
"Then why—!"
"Why hasn't the Armorless Union attacked us yet?"
At Yujin's sudden question, Larin froze, staring at him in confusion.
"Why hasn't the Merchant Association, the core of Kazimierz, laid a hand on us directly? Larin, you're right. We should be worrying about whether we'll survive the night."
The problem was that Yujin and his group weren't the only targets of the Association and the Union.
Listening to Yujin, Larin‘s expression went blank. Come to think of it, they had plenty of opportunities to bury the Nearl family. Even when Yujin collapsed, they could have struck.
Yujin knew. At first, he thought it was because of the Grand Master's son, but it made no sense for an entire organization to halt operations just because of one person's request.
"…Why? Now that I think about it, why haven't they touched us?"
"Simple. They have something more urgent to deal with."
Currently, the Silverlance Pegasi were stationed in Kazimierz. Technically, this was against protocol, but the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi had used a flimsy pretext to summon the nation's strongest military force.
Naturally, this involved weathering political fallout and the Merchant Association's maneuvering, but the Adeptus had chosen to bring the Pegasi in despite the risks.
"They have too many fires to put out."
If the Merchant Association moved recklessly, the Adeptus might use the Nearl family as a pretext to strangle them.
But Yujin instinctively knew. Dealing with the Nearls was just one item on their agenda. The real, major operation was something else entirely.
From now on, Yujin intended to find out what that was.
To forge a dagger to strike at the Merchant Association.
"Wait a minute. I understand what you're saying. But the finals are coming up soon. We don't have time. What are you going to do?"
"I'm not the only Sarkaz in the world."
Yujin grinned. He hadn't wanted to call them, but the situation demanded it. Pride had to take a backseat.
Protecting the people around him was infinitely more important than his ego.
"Larin, trust me."
"…Ugh! Fine, I get it. I'll trust you for now."
Daniel likely suspected this as well, but had chosen not to tell Larin to respect Yujin's decision.
The choice was Yujin‘s. Even if the Merchant Association treated him like a pebble on the road, Yujin knew they would eventually be forced to look at him.
Fighting and winning on the enemy's home turf—wasn't that true victory?
Yujin dismissed the worry and moved on.
Meanwhile, deep in the night.
Kazdel.
"I didn't think we'd be leaving Kazdel."
"For the record, we're Infected. And this is a secret escape from the mansion."
Ideally, Yujin's letter should have been delivered to everyone. Unfortunately, the raven had delivered it only to Theresis and Buldrokk.
And the two of them were preparing to leave the mansion in secret, hiding it from their Master and friends.
"…Hmm, are you sure about this, Theresis?"
"Don't worry. Think about what we've suffered."
Kalaisha, who constantly drummed on Buldrokk's helmet with her staff.
And Theresa, whose face practically screamed, 'I am very annoyed.'
Tormented by the two women, Theresis and Buldrokk had planned their escape. Just in case, they left a letter set to be revealed a week later.
Since the girls had tormented them, it was only fair they experience a little frustration in return.
But Buldrokk was starting to wonder, Is this really right? How were they going to handle the aftermath?
Of course, Kalaisha deserved a taste of her own medicine. Buldrokk had been reduced to her personal punching bag long ago.
And Theresa... well, Theresis would have to take responsibility for that.
"I didn't expect Yujin to ask for help. He's the type who usually insists on handling everything alone."
"…That's why I have a bad feeling about this. He's not calling us just to do chores, is he?"
Still, they couldn't ignore a friend's request for aid. They just kept the "minor detail" of their departure hidden from Kalaisha and Theresa.
Calling it a "minor detail" felt weird, but it was an escape born of impulse.
Because...
They had watched the match. They saw Yujin collapse in the arena. The problem was the woman holding his hand as he was carried away on a stretcher.
Her face was veiled, but the Sarkaz aura was unmistakable. And the horns on her head, shaped like a crown of thorns.
A woman with the traits of a Banshee, clutching Yujin's hand with such tender desperation. Naturally, when Theresa and Kalaisha saw that...
Well...
Let's just stop there.
"He didn't seduce another Sarkaz woman, did he?"
"Ha. Theresis, you're joking, right? Do you really think Yujin seduced someone else?"
"Yeah. I hope it ends as a joke."
Unfortunately, Theresis and Buldrokk knew the request Yujin had received from Netsalem before leaving for Kazimierz. They knew, but they chose to believe, 'Surely not... right?' and moved on.
Because it made no sense.
It had only been six months. In that time, he found the Banshee Princess, kept her by his side, and seduced her?
The thought sent a chill down their spines. If he added another one to the harem, he would become a walking calamity.
Dismissing the thought as nonsense, Theresis gripped the steering wheel. It was his first time leaving for another country. Buldrokk had traveled before, but he couldn't hide his excitement.
Besides, what could happen? They'd just provide a little help and maybe do some sightseeing.
"Shall we go?"
"…Let's go."
To Kazimierz!