By Zephyria 
We encountered several zombie hordes before reaching the front lines, but I didn’t have to do anything.
Hordes of Steel Corpses mixed with a few Blood Corpse Fiends fell like autumn leaves before hundreds of Sword Masters. I thought we would reach the front lines quickly since the number of wandering zombies was less than expected, but it wasn’t until we had traveled halfway through Grimsbein Territory that we discovered the palisade set up in a line.
Naturally, I was the one who took the lead. Because of that hair color. They could recognize me from afar, so they told me to go ahead, and so I did. The Knights, returning to the Empire after a long time, lined up behind me and waited.
I shouted loudly.
“Michael Ernhardt of Ernhardt has returned to find the missing Knights!”
A deep voice immediately followed with a resounding echo.
“Michael Ernhardt of Ernhardt has returned to find the missing Knights!”
“Michael Ernhardt of Ernhardt has returned to find the missing Knights!”
We didn’t have to wait long. Almost immediately, the middle section of the palisade moved aside, revealing an opening. A horse burst through. The face of the rider was familiar. So was that red, dry hair.
“Mika!”
“…Shayden?”
Why was Shayden Rose here?
Shayden had been a good friend to me throughout my three years at Shierun Academy. Our families were close, and he used to visit me diligently every birthday when we were children.
After graduation, I had assumed he would be settled in the House of Rose, wrestling with various documents, so I was stunned to find him standing before the haphazardly constructed palisade.
He leaped off his horse just as he was almost upon us. Then, he lifted his head, showing his face as if expecting me to recognize him. Even though it was the first time I’d seen him since graduation, his childhood face remained, so I couldn’t fail to recognize him.
“No, you… why are you here?”
“The House of Rose also has deep ties with Valentia. I’m leading the White Rose Knights to defend the front lines.”
“Uh, uh… but why are you?”
“Of the people currently here, I was the only one who could immediately confirm your identity. Wow, Benjamin! It’s really been a while for you too. How have you been? I heard you became a Sword Master.”
“Yes. You… seem to be doing well too.”
“Do I look like I’m doing well?”
The casual exchanges between Benjamin and Shayden were incredibly friendly.
He offered us only a brief greeting before placing a hand on his chest and bowing respectfully to the Knights standing behind me. After waiting long enough for a few of them to return his greeting, he smiled brightly and introduced himself.
“I am Count Shayden Rose. I send my respect and admiration to our seniors who have suffered hardships on the path to defending the Empire. It may not be much due to the long war, but I have ordered the tents to be prepared, so please feel free to use them.”
“Yes. Thank you!”
“Thank you!”
It was quite something to see the small, bright red fox cub scampering about so shrewdly.
I barely regained my senses amidst the scattered thanks from the Knights.
“Let’s all go inside for now. It’s fine during the day, but quite a few zombies come down at night.”
He handed me the reins, and I took them. I followed his gesture and stepped forward, walking alongside Shayden Rose. I stood to his left, Benjamin to his right, with the rest of our party following behind.
He seemed to be about my height when we were children, but now he was considerably shorter. It finally hit me that I had grown a lot. Still, when I stood next to Ruben, his sturdy build often made me forget my own size, but looking at Shayden now, his frame was much thinner than ours.
Even with him, would he be surprised if he heard I came with the gods?
“Really? The numbers didn’t seem that high.”
“That’s true. But this is a season where we must conserve our forces as much as possible. Have you heard the news from the capital? Even if Ranunculus can’t travel, I heard you are with the God of Records.”
“…”
He wouldn’t be surprised, then.
“No… I haven’t heard. There were some restrictions.”
“Oh? We can’t talk about it here. I have a lot of questions too… but is there anyone here you trust the most with your thoughts?”
“…What?”
“Prince Rubel wouldn’t send you this far without a strategist.”
“Kuhum…”
Laughter came from behind. I turned to see Hugh Benson, his lower lip tightly pressed, looking at Ikyun before striding forward and positioning himself between me and Shayden. Acknowledging Shayden’s nod with a nod of his own, Hugh Benson nudged me with his elbow.
“Whoever he is, he seems to know you really well.”
“…Yes.”
He hadn’t changed one bit. I finally smiled.
❖ ❖ ❖
It was a tent, but a well-furnished one.
It reminded me of the day I participated in the first Hunting Festival. Tapestries were hung all over the interior of the sturdy tent, and various decorative furniture pieces occupied ample space within. The low bookshelf and the fresh potted plants were hardly fitting for a place called the front line.
There were too many people inside the tent to find enough seats.
Without asking who was who, Shayden offered two ornate chairs, both stylish and comfortable, to the gods. Hugh and Elvin were seated side-by-side on a spacious three-seater sofa, and Leon and Boulder were seated opposite them. Naturally, Benjamin and I ended up perching on Shayden’s bed.
For the first time in a long while, everyone held a cup in their hands. They weren’t thin teacups but thick ceramic ones, fitting for a battlefield and comfortable in large hands.
As I swallowed a sip of the warm liquid, my mind settled, as if a blocked acupoint had been cleared.
Shayden, who had been rummaging through the bookshelf after seating us all, turned around and looked at each person one by one, bowing politely. It was suspicious that he was holding a thick book, but it wasn’t my place to point it out, so I just watched.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all again. I am Shayden Rose, an old friend of Sir Michael Ernhardt here.”
“Yes. Hugh Benson.”
“Elvin Brooks.”
“…Leon, that’s me.”
The first three responded with relatively polite and attentive greetings, but I had no expectations for the others. I introduced them.
“This is the God of Records, Gano Paquin, who looks so meek. And this strong-looking woman is the God of Dreams, Spiritus. This absent-minded mage is Mage Boulder… Boulder, did you see him before too?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, Boulder. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you all like this. First of all…”
Shayden carefully approached Gano Paquin and handed him everything he was holding. Gano Paquin, who had received them somewhat by accident, blinked and looked up at Shayden.
Shayden smiled softly, so softly it was chilling, and spoke gently.
“This is a record I painstakingly copied, wishing to deliver it someday when I met the God of Records.”
“…Huh? Uh, yes. I mean, even though it will disappear if I read it.”
“I have several copies, so it’s fine. Please accept it.”
“Okay. Uh-huh… Thank you.”
I couldn’t believe it. Even a fox wouldn’t be so cunning.
After finishing all these trivial errands, Shayden pulled up a guest chair and sat down. We ended up sitting in a slightly crooked circle, with everyone facing the tent walls.
While the God of Records, who had received the records with a bewildered expression, turned the pages, everyone was silent.
The book glowed, then coalesced into a single sphere, and then transformed into a small bead.
Gano Paquin, without hesitation, popped the bead into his mouth.
And then.
“…Huh?”
He opened his eyes wide.
What kind of record did he read to have such an expression?
Spiritus sat with her arms crossed, leaning back as if it had nothing to do with her, but I was burning with anxiety. Was it good news or bad news?
Hugh Benson was the first to speak.
“So, first of all. Did our Prince have his coronation ceremony?”
“Not yet.”
“What? Why?”
I couldn’t help but interrupt him before he could say more. Shayden glanced at me and replied calmly, as if coaxing me, much like the countless conversations we’d had sitting in the dormitory lounge.
“First Prince Richard Flo Searon has fled to Floyd. He is stirring up all the media, claiming the Second Prince is trying to seize the throne by threatening him with force. He’s got his hands on everything from the black and white newspapers to the gossip magazines. It turns out that his contact with various media outlets, holding Lady Yeldidus and Lady Kiadris in his grasp, was all for this purpose.”
“And the Second Prince?”
“The monthly magazine published by the Imperial family must remain neutral. Since it doesn’t take sides with either the First or Second Prince, the Second Prince, as a latecomer, is at a disadvantage. It’s even more difficult because a strong faction of seasoned nobles in the capital, who were promised substantial benefits by the First Prince, remains firmly in place.”
“What about the Divine object?”
“Lucilla Anti Sierran is currently in seclusion with the Divine object. She has declared that she has no ambition for the throne and will maintain the Empire’s Mana concentration until the true owner of the Divine object is determined. She stated that she doesn’t care whether Richard or Rubel becomes king. Though her true intentions might be different.”
Things had become more complicated than I thought.
Thinking about how much Ruben must be struggling made my stomach churn.
It would take less than two weeks to travel to and from the capital. No, if that dragon was such a huge and magnificent being, couldn’t we ride on its back? We could go and come back in just three days, and if we sent out the golden dragon, it would help Ruben…
But the thought of whether that dragon would grant such a request made me feel lost.
Hugh Benson took another sip of his tea and asked in a lower voice.
“…What about Wesley Kiadris?”