Chapter 56
The dawn air was cold.
Athus covered the blind Shadi Shandor with his clothes.
She heard Athus tidying up the tent and his belongings.
“Climb on my back.”
Athus's hand was felt.
Shadi, without hesitation, leaped onto his back as he led her.
Athus's face flushed with embarrassnt, but Shadi couldn't see.
The spirit of sand was circling above them.
As if to say it would wait that long.
“No matter what happens, we just need to survive, I guess.”
Shadi Shandor gave a faint smile.
“And I even got to ride on Captain's back.”
“It doesn't seem like the first ti. Didn't sothing like this happen once at the Waist Gate too?”
“…You rembered?”
Probably, about four years ago.
When they were chasing a magician who was trying to smuggle Imperial Academy of Magic secrets to the West.
Shadi, who had beco blind from ‘Sand Question’, was badly injured, and Athus had carried her on his back, running non-stop for several days.
“Eat well. You're lighter than you were then.”
“……”
Shadi Shandor could not see for 33 days.
However, she could feel that her cheeks were flushed red.
She buried her head deep in Athus's back.
The jade-eyed man walked on without saying anything.
Athus, who was about to say that his breath was white, closed his mouth.
Shadi wouldn't be able to see it, after all.
Neither the dense forest nor the bright stars were visible to her now.
He had willingly chosen to be temporarily blind for him.
As he chewed on that thought, he felt he had to say sothing.
Nevertheless, he couldn't think of anything suitable to say.
Athus hesitated to open his lips several tis.
Shadi, who was on his back, noticed it just from his presence and chuckled softly.
His snickering breath tickled.
Athus cleared his throat softly.
“By the way, Shadi……”
“We'll have to keep everything about this dawn's events a secret, won't we?”
The Fifth Prince Zionis was alive.
It was not a matter that could be carelessly blabbered about anywhere.
No matter how powerless he was, he was still a direct son of the Great Emperor Continua.
Shadi Shandor, Special Operations Unit Captain of the Imperial Security Bureau, was a woman whose profession was to strictly keep secrets.
“Even my subordinate won't hear a peep. Are you at ease?”
“…You know so well.”
“If I don't know the Captain, who will?”
This is sothing I can't give up.
Shadi firmly pressed Athus's back.
Warmth was felt.
By both of them.
“I even rember when I was first assigned. Oh, I was a senior then. Do you rember our first mission?”
“It was the Etier Trading Company case. Afterwards, hmm, did we eat chicken in the Lutilium shopping district?”
“Wasn't that after the Lurudis family case? After the first mission, you drank three bottles of strong Ketel wine without any side dishes!”
“That's right. I did. Because I was paid so little.”
Once his mouth was open, stories poured out.
It was natural, as they had spent a long ti together.
Athus had spent most of his ti as a security knight with this woman.
Casual talk was exchanged.
‘Do you rember this?’
‘Do you rember that?’
‘Of course.’
‘ too, of course.’
‘How about this?’
‘That?’
Shadi suddenly raised her head.
“Oh, that's right! You borrowed money from then!”
“…I forgot.”
“And you're the next emperor's confidant!”
“I'll definitely pay you back when I return.”
“No thanks, just treat to a al. In a very precious place that you can't go to unless you're the next emperor's confidant.”
“I'll do that.”
“I'll be looking forward to it. Extrely looking forward to it.”
He walked.
Carrying the blind woman, he walked for a long ti.
The sharp moonlight and the chilly air were strangely sweet.
The sa went for Shadi.
She poked and prodded Athus's back with her finger.
Though she was blind, she could tell from the presence that they had descended the mountain.
And that the sounds of people were faintly starting to be heard from afar.
She patted Athus's back.
“Captain.”
Athus turned his head.
It was almost the Mantera checkpoint.
“Drop off in front of here.”
“…I can't……”
“What are you going to do carrying a blind woman around? It's easier to go alone, isn't it?”
“No, still……”
Shadi slapped Athus's hand that was supporting her.
“Instead of clumsy consideration, go and do what you have to do?”
He had originally intended to carry her all the way to their lodgings in the city.
How could he leave her behind when she had beco blind for him?
He had intended to stay with her constantly, even if it was inconvenient.
However, Shadi was adamant.
“Even without my sight, I can tell. That you're worried sick.”
“…That's not true.”
“Don't lie. Don't worry. I've already called my subordinate. He'll be here soon, won't he?”
He couldn't win and set her down.
Shadi let out a grunt, heung-cha and stood on her own feet.
Her eyes were closed and beyond her eyelids was empty.
Her two eyes were now sand, dancing above them.
“You said you were going south after passing Beribelom, right? Then the crossroads are……”
“A total of four.”
“We'll have to block all of them, won't we?”
“I leave it to you.”
Shadi nodded her head.
If Athus pursued, she would help.
They had always done so.
Shadi Shandor was proud of the brooch on her chest.
Wouldn't she be able to help him even more, being in the position of Special Operations Unit Captain?
The woman looked at the man.
Though her eye sockets were empty and she couldn't see, she clearly saw.
The man also looked at the woman.
He did so with his flashing jade-green eyes.
They conversed without speaking.
It was clearly so.
“…Who took charge of the subordinate. Was it Habeo after all?”
“No. You'd be surprised if you saw him.”
Shadi snickered.
“He'll be here soon, though……”
“Captain!”
The voice was loud.
A scrawny man with a ponytail ca running.
Athus called the man's na.
“…Untes?”
“Oh? Oh! Captain Athus!”
The man called Untes rushed over as if leaping.
He was even ferocious.
He looked Athus up and down as if he found him amazing and then bowed his head.
He was full of a cheerfulness unbefitting the dawn.
“To think the day would co when I would see you again!”
“Did you beco a subordinate?”
“Yes! That's right!”
Untes looked around and then spoke as if whispering.
Their identities were not sothing to be easily revealed.
“I am Untes Ubias Uterbeum, Vice-captain of Special Operations Unit Captain Shadi Shandor.”
Athus smiled.
He was a man who had just been a newcor when he was in the Special Operations Unit.
To think he was a vice-captain now.
His cheerfulness, unbefitting the Special Operations Unit, seed to have remained, no, even increased.
“You've beco quite plausible.”
“It's all thanks to the Captain, and thanks to the Captain… no, Captain Athus is a Captain, and Captain Shadi is also a Captain, so it's quite awkward to call them. How should I address them?”
Untes crossed his arms and muttered.
Which captain should he call Captain, and which captain should he not call Captain.
Athus waved his hand.
“No need for that. I'm leaving.”
“What!?”
His shout was loud.
“Already? It's been so long!”
“Quiet, Untes.”
Shadi Shandor frowned.
Did he even have a sense of being a mber of the Security Bureau's Special Operations Unit?
His abilities were outstanding, but his conduct still had room for correction.
“I told you to talk less.”
“Hup!”
Untes made an exaggerated gesture of sewing up his mouth.
Athus smiled softly, reminiscing about old tis, and Shadi sighed just from hearing the sound.
She held out her hand.
“Untes, I can't see right now, so you'll help , won't you?”
“Of course. That's what a subordinate is for. Shall I carry you?”
“That's enough.”
“Yes, sir!”
Vice-captain Untes grabbed Shadi Shandor's wrist.
“We'll be going now, Captain Athus. I'll continue to report.”
She would head to Mantera.
She would rest and do her work.
The jade-eyed man would set out on his journey.
Following the sand wind, towards the living Fifth Prince Zionis.
“Have a safe trip.”
***
The Vice-captain of the Juet Acrobat Troupe,Helen Pel, was deep in thought.
“…This is strange.”
“What is?”
The child who was licking a candy next to her asked back.
His na was Shion Pollinglight, a regressor who had returned after 19 years, pretending to be a big shot from the West and deceiving the Juet Acrobat Troupe.
Even now, he was nonchalantly receiving reports from Helena.
“I thought the Special Operations Unit's activity had beco scarce, but then this report suddenly ca.”
Helena held out a few letters.
They were ordinary letters with contents such as 'I miss my mother,' 'I found so good silk this ti,' and 'How is your daughter doing?'
If one didn't know the Western code, they would be regarded as truly ordinary letters.
However, I had been the Vice Commander of the Western Alliance before my regression.
Reading coded letters was not difficult at all.
A groan escaped my lips as I examined the letters.
“Hmm……?”
I stroked my chin.
A light of contemplation was in my eyes.
“…If this content is true, then this is really troubleso.”
There were a total of four paths leading from the gateway city of Beribelom to the southern part of the Empire.
“The Special Operations Unit has blocked all four paths?”
‘He's finally starting to act in earnest.’
I snapped my fingers a couple of tis, organizing my thoughts.
It wasn't sothing to be flustered about.
My opponent was Athus Aretion, the man called the fortuneteller.
I had always prepared for this much of a twist.
“It must be because of .”
“I suppose so?”
“He sohow caught the scent.”
Vice-captain Helena had also already noticed.
That the Special Operations Unit's sudden movents were connected to the kid in front of her.
I muttered bluntly.
“Hmm, I might have to leave earlier than I thought.”
Although I had agreed to accompany them to Gentium, there was no reason to force it.
It didn't seem like it would be a big problem even if I sent the acrobat troupe away and moved alone.
It would be a little difficult and ti-consuming, but it was better than being caught.
“Will that be alright, sir? The path is rough. It would be better if you accompanied us.”
“I agree, but the situation doesn't allow it.”
The Juet Acrobat Troupe had nearly a hundred mbers in total.
They couldn't head south to Gentium without passing through the blocked paths.
“No. There is a way.”
Helena shook her head.
“There's one more path leading south.”
“I have no intention or reason to force hardship on you.”
“It's not hardship. We just need to pass through. It's a main road, it's just not well-known.”
I tilted my head.
I was a regressor.
And, the Fifth Prince of the Cordis Empire.
However, I had never heard of another path leading from Beribelom to the southern part of the Empire.
“Why isn't such a path well-known?”
“It can only be passed at certain tis of the year. In winter, specifically, from the eleventh day of the eleventh month to the second day of the second month. We only recently discovered it ourselves.”
“What a strange path. Even roads are affected by the seasons.”
My interest was piqued.
If Helena's words were true, there was no reason to refuse.
I might even be able to shake off Athus more easily.
A strange feeling swelled up and pushed .
“Do you know why that path is affected by the seasons, Vice-captain Helena?”
“Of course I know. On that path, there is……”
Helena whispered softly.
“…a god.”
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