* * *
After Cadel left, Derek was lost in thought for a long ti. With his neatly combed grayish-white hair, authoritative bearing, and dark, deep eyes, he was the Emperor of an ancient empire. And yet.
A Demon Realms summoning circle that encompasses the human world. Will war begin again?
His expression was a mixture of deep concern and pain. It pained him deeply that his generation would have to endure the sa hell over and over again.
But Cadel was the only reason he was able to think this early. Without his information, without the source of that information being the Scarlet Dragon, the future would have been disastrous without either of them.
Your blood still bleeds for the defense of the Empire, and the world. Jenga.
A wistful glint in his dark eyes, but before he could sift through the hazy mories. Soone knocked on the door. Without asking who it was, Derek beckoned the visitor in.
It was Insel Totrak. The captain of the Imperial Guard, he bowed politely to Derek, and then assud a stoic posture.
I have co to ask if you will proceed as planned, Your Majesty.
About Cadel Lytos? Is there any movent?
No. Hes having a al with his subordinates.
In that case, take him as soon as the al is over.
Well send Sorin Salamo over.
Nodding, Derek added in a low, warning voice.
Dont let anyone find out. Sorin Salamo and Cadel Lytos. Be careful so that only those two can move secretly. If their existence is discovered, I have no way of protecting them anymore.
* * *
Rattle. Rattle.
Cadel gazed out the window, swaying with the rocking of the carriage. He tried to soothe his rumbling stomach by looking at the distant landscape, or up at the vast sky.
I think I have motion sickness.
It looked like hed throw up at any mont. Cadel chewed on the inside of his mouth as if to stifle his nausea, his brow narrowed. His gaze shifted across from him, having given up on the scenery.
As soon as I finished eating, he dragged away, saying we had to go sowhere, but he never told where. What is he up to?
In front of him was Sorin Salamo. Neither of them had brought any escort, including their own subordinates, so the carriage was completely silent with no conversation. It was sothing like an order from above. Because of this, he had a hard ti getting rid of Lydon, who was trying to follow him.
At first, Cadel thought the knight orders were having a eting. As they rode through the city in the carriage, he thought they were on their way to so secret underground eting. But as ti went on, the scenery grew sparse and the people beca fewer and farther between.
Now he had the absurd suspicion that Sorin was on his way to bury himself sowhere sunny.
Cadel turned to Sorin, who stared silently out the window, arms folded.
Are you sure you dont want to tell where were going?
I cant tell you until we get there.
When will we arrive?
In the next 3 hours or so.
3 hours? Weve been going for over an hour now? Where on earth are we going
I cant tell you.
There were no windows or separate walls. What was the point of telling people what theyd find out when they got there? The only one with ears to hear was the coachman, and even he couldnt hear the whispers in the carriage.
Cadel glanced irritably away from the earnest fellow as if he were on so great mission alone. The thought of being trapped in a carriage with this awkward, reticent human for the next 3 hours was distracting.
Yeah, forget it. In any case, if I have to, Ill kill him. Im stronger anyway.
Cadel leaned his head against the creaking wall and closed his eyes with a sigh.
* * *
By the ti the carriage stopped, it was early evening. Cadel staggered to his feet while Sorin paid the coachman and asked for sothing.
Maybe its because Ive been lying down all week, but I feel like I have less stamina than usual.
All he wanted to do was run to his bed and curl up in a ball, and of course, Sorin, who couldnt possibly know how Cadel was feeling, brought out yet another shocking piece of news.
A half hours walk in and were at the destination. Dont rush.
What? Isnt this the destination? Why did you send the carriage back when we havent even arrived?
We dont want any information to leak out. Co on, follow .
With a body as strong as his, he should be able to walk for another 30 minutes after riding in a carriage for over 4 hours. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Cadel dragged his shaky body and followed Sorin.
They traversed a dense forest of trees and bushes. The forest was completely uninhabited, and the only beasts in sight were gentle animals like squirrels, rabbits, and deer. Cadel didnt see any towns or villages nearby, so wherever he was going, it wasnt likely to be inhabited.
Or so he expected.
Here it is.
They arrived at a hut at the edge of a large adow. It seed to be inhabited, for fires burned in torches that flanked the path.
Who the hell was in there that Sorin brought him here? Cadel called out to the man, but he remained silent. Eventually giving up hope of extracting anything from him, Cadel continued on in silence.
Up close, the hut was small and unassuming. It showed signs of being well maintained. Neatly organized stacks of firewood and farming tools, drying racks for at and fruit. It showed the diligence of soone living a hard life.
Sorin knocked on the door of the hut. However, even though the lights were brightly on in the hut, no sign was heard at all.
Maybe they are away for a mont?
Maybe.
So what should we do?
Wait until he returns.
Cadel gave him a scolding look, asking why he had no solution, but Sorin just remained calm.
About five minutes passed. Just as Cadels patience was reaching its limit, the door to the hut finally opened.
A sliver. A sliver, just a sliver, and a pair of green eyes peeked through. Wary, alert eyes quickly swept over the Sorin before him.
Who are you?
I am Sorin Salamo, Battalion Captain of the Guardian Knight Order.
Guardian Knight Order? Why is the Battalion Captain of the Knight Order here.
A gaze that was not friendly at all looked sharply behind him. It was because Cadel, who had been obscured by Sorin, stuck his head over his shoulder. And the mont when Cadels face was caught at the end of that gaze.
You, youre here! Youre really here!
The door burst open, its green-eyed owner roughly shoving Sorin out of the way. The man who took Sorins place faced Cadel, his face twisted into a distorted grimace. He looked like he was about to burst into tears.
And as Cadel stared at Sorin in confusion, looking for an explanation, the mans emotions overwheld him, and he pulled Cadel into a hug.
All, all of a sudden, what.
Youre really back. Youre really back. You were the real Cadel, yes, you were alive.
A shaky voice mumbled sothing unintelligible, followed by the other people in the house. All of their faces were younger than the man holding Cadel now.
Brother, can we leave now?
The man didnt seem to be in a position to answer, so Sorin took over and addressed their concerns.
Ive brought Cadel Lytos, as His Majesty has inford you, so lets go inside first.
At his words, the girl in the doorway clamped her mouth shut. Quickly wiping away the tears that had ford in her eyes, she let him in behind her. A few monts later, the man who had recovered his composure also entered the house, bringing a frozen Cadel with him.
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