By Zephyria 
Now they’re even talking about destroying the castle walls. I was momentarily stunned by the absurdity of it all when Kyle untied the string of the pouch he had fastened to his waist. It was a Magical tool he had brought with him from the Primeval Forest, along with various other items. It looked small on the outside, but the space inside the pouch was incredibly vast; even the crystal chandelier Kyle had impulsively bought was in there.
Kyle pulled out a sword from the pouch. Fortunately, he didn’t draw the sword from its scabbard but started banging the hilt against the wall.
With Kyle’s strength, which was now hard to define as human, breaking a bit of the castle wall wasn’t a difficult task. With each crumbling fragment that fell, the size of the hole grew larger.
“Isn’t that too big?”
“I can get through, but you’re the problem. I need to break it down some more.”
“I can just climb over the wall.”
“If you climb over the wall, the Security magic… Ah.”
As if something had just occurred to him, Kyle stopped moving and looked at me. His face was filled with dismay.
“I forgot, they said the Security magic would go off if the wall suffered an impact beyond a certain level. Asella…”
“…”
As soon as he finished speaking, a presence was felt from beyond the wall. Kyle seemed to sense it too, as he stealthily got up and came to my side. Before I could decide how to react, a deafening roar echoed, and a part of the wall collapsed. It was just big enough for one person to pass through.
“…”
“…”
Through the thick dust, the figure of someone could be seen. I stared intently at the face, which seemed vaguely familiar, and a small voice escaped from Kyle’s lips.
“Daram?”
“Your Majesty.”
The man who had not just made a hole but completely destroyed the wall itself knelt on the spot as soon as he recognized Kyle. I wondered why he looked so familiar; I had seen him before too.
It was when Kyle’s birthday banquet was held, and I accidentally broke the balcony window. I think he was the one in charge of Talim’s security?
I was still trying to understand the situation when Kyle asked, sounding bewildered, “Why did you break the wall?”
“I couldn’t allow Your Majesty to kneel to get through.”
“That’s no reason to smash the whole thing like this! And why does it break so easily?”
“Not long after Your Majesty took office, there were repairs, but His Majesty ordered that this place should not be touched again.”
At those words, Kyle paused. Could Mahir have known about the hole? Well, otherwise, there was no way he would have left a hole in the Imperial Castle wall unattended for so long.
“Get up. Let’s go for now. Who knows I’m here?”
“Only Asella and I know at the moment. Shall I inform others?”
“No, it’s fine. Hasn’t Asella retired yet?”
Kyle and I stepped over the debris of the broken wall and went inside. It had been so long that I was reminded of my childhood, and my heart fluttered.
“Your Majesty.”
Asella, who had been anxiously waiting in the distance, spotted us and quickly approached, looking delighted. Her face had more wrinkles than the last time I saw her, and her hair was now completely white.
“Welcome. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Even though his face was completely hidden by the hood, he knelt directly in front of Kyle. Kyle pursed his lips and handed Daram the sword he had used to break the wall.
“Take this.”
“…Yes?”
It was the same material as the one he had given to Abyss. Kyle, having bestowed a sword upon him as well, immediately moved on as if it were nothing. Daram looked flustered, but Kyle didn’t give him any more attention.
“Has anything happened?”
“No, His Majesty has been very considerate. Her Majesty the Empress also comes occasionally to tend to the garden herself.”
“I see. Prepare water for a wash. I must go and see His Majesty. Don’t make a fuss.”
“Understood.”
It was quite a subdued conversation for having met after so long. It was the same when I met Abyss and Sakira. I always felt that Kyle’s emotional range wasn’t very wide when dealing with his retainers.
Perhaps it was because he had to maintain composure since he was young, or maybe he deliberately tried not to get attached. He shouldn’t have to do that anymore, but it was too ingrained in him to suddenly change his attitude.
When he had lost his memories or when he was with me, he would joke around and smile much more often when he was with other people. Maybe that was Kyle’s true personality.
“We’ll stop by the Greenhouse, so go ahead. Take good care of this. It’s a gift to take when we meet His Majesty.”
Kyle handed Asella the birdcage covered with cloth that I was holding.
“My room is still the same, right?”
“Yes.”
Kyle, answering with a nod, took me and went ahead. But he stopped after a few steps and turned around. He looked at the top of Asella’s white head, which was bowed, and said,
“Thank you for protecting the castle without its master all this time.”
At those words, Asella raised her head. Her wrinkles deepened as she smiled brightly.
“I am simply grateful that you have returned safely.”
Kyle didn’t reply further and took me forward at a brisk pace. When they were no longer visible, I asked in a soft whisper,
“Is it awkward meeting them after so long?”
I asked because he seemed unsure of what to do, but Kyle chuckled.
“It’s not so much awkward as it is embarrassing. I disappeared after abandoning everything and then suddenly reappeared. I guess I can give them some kind of severance pay before I leave later.”
“…”
Wouldn’t it be better to just say thank you for waiting? What’s with the severance pay all of a sudden? And Kyle didn’t abandon them in the first place. It was just that the situation was unavoidable.
“Asella has worked in Talim for a long time, so I should acknowledge her contributions and give her a mansion in a quiet place. So she can rest comfortably in a place with good water and air in her old age.”
Kyle continued, swinging my hand back and forth.
“It’s strange to keep the castle empty, so Talim…”
The familiar Greenhouse began to come into view in the distance. But we had to stop. Someone came out as the Greenhouse door opened.
At first, I thought it was the gardener who managed the Greenhouse, but his attire was too extravagant for that. His appearance was also familiar, so I immediately recognized who the child was.
If I recognized him so quickly, Kyle must have noticed as well.
“Your Highness.”
As expected, Kyle approached him without hesitation. The prince, who looked to be about ten years old, stared at us with innocent-looking black eyes.
“Huh? Who are you? I’ve never seen your face before.”
The prince’s guard, who had been waiting nearby, made his presence known and approached. The guard, who seemed wary of us who had suddenly appeared, widened his eyes when he saw Kyle’s face. On closer inspection, it was Parha, who had taught me swordsmanship when I was young.
“A Servant? You?”
His chubby cheeks, not yet rid of baby fat, twitched. Nasser fiddled with his chin with his small hand, not letting go of his suspicious gaze.
Kyle just stared blankly at Nasser with a brazen face. He’d be found out soon anyway, so why was he playing this prank? Even as I wondered, I met Parha’s eyes.
I was wearing a hood, but he seemed to guess who I was. His face turned red, then blue, it was a mess.
“You don’t look like a Servant? What’s your name?”
Nasser muttered and glanced at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if I should take off my hood. Should I greet him as a Servant first? But isn’t it too late?
“Abyss.”
But those worries didn’t last long. Nasser’s eyes widened like saucers at the smooth lie that came out without even wetting his lips.
Looking at his surprised expression, I thought he really looked a lot like Mahir.
“U, Uncle?”
Kyle asked, looking bewildered, as if he didn’t expect to be found out.
“How did you know…”
Before Kyle could finish speaking, Nasser’s small body suddenly charged. There was no other word to describe it but a charge.
“You are my uncle, aren’t you?”
“…”
Nasser, who had hugged Kyle before I could even stop him, raised his head with a flushed face. His white, chubby cheeks were flushed red, and his black eyes sparkled.