“I’ll take care of it.”

Yuder stood up with a tone no different from saying he’d fetch some water, but Nathan Zuckerman stepped in front of him.

“I’ll go today. You went yesterday, Lord Aile, so I believe it’s my turn today.”

Yuder looked at his face for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well, then.”

“Yes. I’ll return shortly.” 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Yuder sat down and watched Nathan Zuckerman disappear into the forest with a single sword in hand. Already lounging with ease, Kishiar saw this and grinned.

“It’s wonderful and reassuring to see the aide and the deputy taking turns so amiably to deal with these bothersome matters. Thanks to that, I’m living the perfect life of a carefree traveler. Still, if it becomes too much, don’t hesitate to say so.”

“This is no more than a post-meal exercise. But I do get the impression that Duke Diarca must be disgustingly idle these days.”

“Well, that man is just doing what he’s always done. If he suddenly stopped this time, that would be odd, wouldn’t it?”

There was no trace of darkness on the smiling man’s face—but Yuder could feel the weight of a time he didn’t yet know embedded within him.

“So what you’re saying is... that every time you’ve traveled to Peleta, there have always been assassination attempts like this?”

“That’s right. Whenever the visit was publicly announced, without exception.”

Which meant that even when Kishiar had first become Duke of Peleta at a young age, such attempts had been made. Now, the three of them were strong enough to deal with dozens without even breaking a sweat—but what about back then?

Kishiar and Nathan Zuckerman had been younger, and Kishiar’s health certainly not as good. Even with someone like Helrem among the few ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) who accompanied them, the journey couldn’t have been as comfortable as it was now.

‘So the real intent behind these seemingly pointless assassins... is a sinister reminder for Kishiar to recall those early days.’

There’s a saying that even the fiercest beasts never forget the wounds they received when they were small and weak. What Duke Diarca was doing—sending assassins at every public visit—was nothing more than trying to make the now-healthy, Swordmaster Kishiar remember the helpless defeats of his youth.

Throwing away dozens of lives like insects for that sole purpose—that was Duke Diarca’s ruthlessness. And yet, Kishiar, fully aware of it, merely smiled.

Yuder frowned and said nothing, so Kishiar reached out and smoothed the furrow between Yuder’s brows.

“It’s alright. It wasn’t an inappropriate question—it’s something worth asking.”

“......”

“Whatever you’re curious about regarding me, feel free to ask. I mean that sincerely. I’ll answer anything—so don’t make that face.”

Had he really made such a dramatic expression? In any case, it was clear Kishiar was telling him not to worry, so Yuder simply nodded.

Around that time, Nathan Zuckerman returned. Not a single trace of blood clung to him, suggesting he had handled the matter cleanly without much of a fight.

‘His speed’s not far off from mine.’

The loyal knight reported the situation in a businesslike tone, showing no desire to emphasize his own accomplishments.

“There were a total of eleven hiding. I eliminated them all. As always, they received the request through a foreign mercenary group, and none of them seemed to know the target’s true identity.”

“Well done, Nathan.”

“However, I did hear that some were sent elsewhere. It’s likely that assassins were dispatched to Peleta as well.”

“Some things never change. I figured it was about that time.”

Though anyone else might have reacted with surprise, Kishiar remained calm as ever. He even explained the situation to Yuder with composure.

“While we’re busy handling the assassins ourselves, our travel speed naturally slows. So they send more to the destination or to others traveling separately. If they succeed, they can cause damage before we arrive. If they fail, even just the disruption is worthwhile. Now that we’re getting close to Peleta, they’re stepping things up.”

“In that case, is it alright if we don’t speed up? I thought you were moving more slowly than usual for a reason...”

From the beginning of their journey, Kishiar had deliberately made their movements and routes public—reporting the number of assassins dealt with in each town, informing the guards of their next destinations. It was a complete departure from their previous fast and secretive travel style.

‘This is how ordinary or official movement usually works... but we rarely moved this way.’

No one traveling under daily threat of assassination would ever go about revealing their schedule. Yet Kishiar did—deliberately, almost provocatively.

Yuder had thought it was a way to thoroughly prove to Duke Diarca just how pointless this whole operation was. But Kishiar’s next words went even further than expected.

“It’s fine. The people left behind already know I’m on the way and will be prepared accordingly. Isn’t that right, Nathan?”

“Yes. The people in Peleta aren’t weak. And with the Cavalry’s Northern branch also stationed there now, I doubt there’s much to worry about. If anyone gets hurt, that would be surprising.”

“Exactly. So I’m planning to go even slower from here.”

“...Excuse me?”

Yuder’s question made Kishiar break into a pleased grin.

“They want me to arrive sooner, so going slower makes more sense, doesn’t it? The more I enjoy this pleasant journey, the less time Duke Diarca will have to focus on His Majesty.”

‘...Ah. So that’s what this is.’

Emperor Keillusa had granted the Cavalry leave, intending to stage his own fight. Kishiar, following that instruction, had formally stepped back and headed for Peleta without involving himself in palace affairs—but he clearly never intended to play obediently.

Instead, by slowing down even further, he was driving Duke Diarca mad, rendering his assassins worthless, and simultaneously aiding Emperor Keillusa.

‘His Majesty probably won’t appreciate it at all... But Kishiar looks like he’s having fun, so I suppose that’s enough.’

Somewhere far off, it was as if Emperor Keillusa was sighing and muttering, “I knew it,” from the Sun Palace. But a man who knew his younger brother that well would’ve surely anticipated Kishiar pulling something like this.

Yuder didn’t try to stop him. Nathan Zuckerman also didn’t oppose his lord’s decision.

They continued their journey at an even more leisurely pace, admiring the scenery along the way. The assassins that followed them each day were buried beneath the earth. Ignorant onlookers, moved by the news of the famous Duke of Peleta traveling to purge bandits and rogues for the people of the North, were deeply impressed.

The more they repeated this, the more people would gather ahead of their next destination, welcoming them in advance with praise and respect. Some even sought to meet the Duke of Peleta mid-journey to ask for help.

For those who knew the truth, it was nothing more than a farcical play. Yet amid it, Yuder felt something strange and stirring.

‘...The North I remember wasn’t like this.’

The northern region of the Empire had always been cold and desolate, with a sparse population. In Yuder’s memories, it was rare to find anyone smiling. Even the one time he had traveled to Peleta, it was the same.

A dark and blurry memory, shrouded in heavy gray tones.

But now, along this path, all he saw were people with bright smiles expressing genuine gratitude. The experience was strange, unfamiliar—almost laughably so.

One thing was certain: this journey was far more peaceful than the one in his memories.

“We can finally see Peleta.”

Kishiar shaded his eyes with his hand and pointed toward the faint outline of a distant fortress wall.

Despite deliberately traveling slowly, the three of them still arrived in about the same time it would’ve taken ordinary travelers on horseback—testament to their sheer speed. Kishiar seemed a little disappointed, but Yuder thought it was enough.

‘There haven’t been any assassins since yesterday.’

Duke Diarca must have finally realized how absurd all this truly looked.

“You can smell the sea in the distance. Do you notice it?”

At Kishiar’s question, Yuder closed his eyes and focused on his sense of smell.

“...Yes. I can.”

The scent of salt and brine mingled in the cold wind—reminiscent of the southern sea, yet different. It must have been the ocean scent Kishiar referred to.

With a smile, Kishiar gestured ahead.

“They’ll all be waiting. Let’s go.”

Yuder urged his horse forward and followed after Kishiar.