“Still nothing.”
Sena entered the cabin, crouching down as he set his suitcase in front of the fireplace.
Burnt bandages were left inside the extinguished fireplace.
Sena put his hand inside.
‘It’s warm.’
It seemed like someone had left not too long ago.
“Where could he have gone?”
Sena’s eyes were filled with worry.
‘Given the amount of blood loss, he shouldn’t be able to move yet. And this shows signs of a hasty departure.’
At that moment, he noticed an unusual white paper among the burnt logs.
Despite being stained with black, it was a letter placed there after the logs had completely burned.
Sena discreetly grasped the letter.
“If we meet, there will be punishment.”
Astria spoke coldly. Sena stood up with his hands behind his back.
“Couldn’t even subdue Granz’s men and got critically injured?”
“Hey, don’t be too harsh.”
“Hmph, no matter what you say, Chris will be punished.”
Astria turned her head sharply. Sena asked something he had been curious about.
“The hierarchy of power within the empire is quite accurate, right?”
“Of course. Some insignificant fools say that I don’t disclose the hierarchy correctly. That it’s different in reality. It’s a lie. There is no difference between what is announced publicly and what is true.”
Astria spoke in a low voice.
“Just as Chris, ranked second, cannot defeat Granz, who is ranked first.”
“…Then, if we include Isabella, how does the empire’s hierarchy change?”
Astria looked at Sena with an expressionless face.
“Even if we include that traitor, there is no significant change. The first place does not change.”
“So, the rest do change.”
“To begin with, the position of the Guardian Knight of the Empress is an honor that only the best knight can achieve. Isabella, being a former Guardian Knight, is naturally stronger than Chris.”
“Hmm. It’s complicated. Then shouldn’t Duke Granz have become the Guardian Knight?”
Sylvia hiccuped. Sena tilted his head in confusion. Astria sighed and explained, looking at the innocent furball who knew nothing.
“Duke Granz is not a trustworthy person.”
“Ah, I see.”
Sena propped his chin and continued his thoughts.
‘So, Granz is first, Isabella is second, and third is…’
-I couldn’t even make Her Majesty draw her sword.
So, the third is Astria? And Chris is fourth.
Chris is surprisingly weak.
“By the way, Sylvia, what rank are you?”
“M-me?”
“Yes.”
Sylvia’s shoulders shrank. With a slightly embarrassed face, she said,
“21st.”
“That’s lower than I thought.”
Sena muttered thoughtlessly. It was a big blow to Sylvia.
“T-that was the rank when I first joined. In reality, I’m much higher now?!”
Astria smirked.
“Oh, come to think of it, the ranking ceremony is soon.”
“One month left. I’ll show you this time, so watch closely.”
Sylvia puffed her cheeks and stared at Sena. Sena chuckled and patted her head.
“Yeah. Show me well. You’re my knight after all.”
‘…I probably won’t be there by then.’
For a brief moment, Sena showed a sad expression. He turned his head away.
The disheveled bedspread and the food still left uncleaned. He wanted to tidy up, but even more pressing was…
‘I shouldn’t be having such foolish thoughts.’
If Chris knew that Isabella attempted to assassinate Astria, what choice would he make?
He would probably first check on Astria’s condition. Once he knew she was safe, it wouldn’t be surprising if he immediately stormed into Labella’s base.
After all, Chris’s creed was to repay any blow he received many times over. Especially since he was not someone who would stand by and watch his loved ones face danger.
In the past, he would cause an uproar at the Academy if Chloe was even slightly bullied.
“Chris will be fine.”
As if reading his mind, Astria said quietly. Sena’s eyes quivered slightly.
“Do you know why I created the hierarchy system in the Empire?”
“…I don’t really know.”
“Reputation is also an invisible power. Just having a high-ranking knight participate in a war can be a significant threat to enemy nations.”
So Astria had created it.
Sena felt a bit embarrassed at learning this for the first time.
“But more importantly, it’s about competition. Competition is the driving force to reach higher positions. It’s the fastest way to become stronger.”
Astria’s lips curled up.
“Chris put all his efforts into surpassing Granz’s rank. He said it was disgraceful that the Guardian Knight of the Empress was not ranked first, and he pushed himself to the limit.”
“The last time I checked, Chris had become several times more capable than before. So trust him. He won’t be easily killed by Isabella.”
However, Sena was still filled with worry.
And for good reason…
‘Her Majesty is also weak…’
That’s right.
Sena didn’t know the detailed circumstances.
He had only witnessed Astria being pierced by Isabella’s sword.
In other words, Sena thought that Astria was weaker than Isabella.
“It seems like you’re having some very disrespectful thoughts.”
Astria looked at him with suspicious eyes. Sena awkwardly smiled and waved his hands.
“No way.”
After staring at the floor for a moment, Sena seemed to make a decision and spoke up.
“Um, Your Majesty.”
“Yes.”
“…You really can’t forgive Isabella, can you?”
“…”
Astria gave a self-mocking smile.
Sena couldn’t understand what that smile meant.
“I’ve already forgotten.”
But what was clear was that she had changed a bit.
“I’ll praise you.”
Sena patted Astria’s head.
**
-Thank you for keeping your promise. See you at Birkender territory.
The letter was brief.
Sena burned the letter on the logs.
“Seria, you’re really loose-lipped.”
He recalled Seria smiling with squinted eyes, saying, “As if you aren’t.”
‘What should I do now?’
It seemed like finding Chris would somehow solve things. He was a trustworthy person. Someone who could bear this heavy burden.
But he was gone. It was predictable. A Guardian Knight who couldn’t protect the Empress had few choices.
He must have wanted to wash away that disgrace. Sena was in a position where he couldn’t take sides. In fact, he couldn’t understand why Isabella did what she did.
However, he knew there was a mastermind, and it was likely Granz.
‘There was one more person in the cabin. There were two teacups.’
Who could the other person be? What was certain was that they were friendly to Chris and knew about this hut. And…
‘A priest, one knight, and one magician, right? It’s unlikely that the priest or the knight would be friendly with Chris. So the wizard… could it be Chloe?’
“Senior.”
Sylvia approached Sena.
“Where is Her Majesty?”
“She’s been sitting by the flowers for a long time.”
“She’s the same as always. Surprisingly, she really likes flowers.”
“…Indeed. I was surprised too. I didn’t know Her Majesty had that side.”
“You just didn’t know. Our Empress has always liked harmless things. Flowers, the wind, butterflies, those sorts of things.”
“Did you know?”
Sylvia asked as she set down the firewood she had been holding.
“Before you came along, Her Majesty wasn’t like that.”
“Huh? Maybe you were just scared.”
“Senior? You know she’s been sick and hasn’t been around much lately, right?”
Sylvia glared at Sena. Sena smiled and apologized. Sylvia sighed.
“She was like someone who could explode at any moment. Before you arrived, Her Majesty was always in a wheelchair, and even then, I couldn’t even look her in the eyes because the atmosphere was so terrifying.”
“…”
“Do you know how many people in the palace died each day? You once said you didn’t understand why people called her a tyrant.”
Sena turned around and opened the window. He saw Astria a little distance away, gently caressing the flowers.
Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.
“After you came, everything changed quickly. Her Majesty was soon able to walk, and the smiles gradually returned to the faces of the maids who didn’t know if they would be alive the next day.”
“That wasn’t because of me.”
“No, I’m certain. All those changes came about because of you. You might not realize it, but you have a way of brightening the world around you.”
“…Do you think I’m a firefly or something? That I have such a quality?”
‘The month I spent in the palace was the most selfish month of my life. There’s no way.’
From Sena’s perspective, it didn’t make sense. All he did was help someone walk again, which was nothing compared to his daily life of healing patients. Yet, it still felt good. Compliments can make even a whale dance, after all.
“Senior.”
A soft sensation pressed against his cheek. As he lifted his head slowly, he found himself against Sylvia’s chest.
Sylvia held Sena close, stroking his ear and cheek.
“You have to live a long life.”
“…”
“Everyone, including me, will do our best for that.”
‘It’s impossible, though.’
Sena leaned against Sylvia’s chest, feeling melancholic. He could hear her slightly rapid heartbeat. No heart disease, then. She seemed healthy, and that was a relief.
‘…Someday, I’ll have to tell them, Sylvia and Astria.’
Thinking this made him realize that he really didn’t have much time left.
When would be the best time to tell them? Sena thought the later, the better. He had hidden the fact that he was dying so they wouldn’t harbor any false hopes.
He decided the best time to tell them was when it was imminent. That way, they might be able to accept his death.
He had once hoped they would find out only after he had died, but that bucket list item seemed impossible now.
‘Bucket list, huh.’
Things to accomplish before dying. Sena had his own list.
Up until 100 days ago, he wanted to help as many people as possible. If he had another 100 days, he decided to spend that time on himself.
There was still one unchecked item on his bucket list: returning to his hometown. Other than that, he had achieved everything he wanted.
And that, too, was about to be realized. He had left the palace and was on his way to Birkender territory. From there, it was less than a week’s journey to his hometown.
“Sylvia, what meaning did my life have?”
“Why are you saying something like that all of a sudden…like someone who’s about to die.”
“Well, it’s true. I want to do something grand with my life.”
“…If what you accomplished wasn’t grand, then nobody else’s life has any meaning either. Not many people have the nickname of Saint.”
‘Is it really okay for me to die now?’
Sena’s eyes filled with emptiness. Was there really nothing left for him to do but breathe?
Sena stood up.
“Let’s go. It’s time to eat.”
“…Okay.”
Sylvia responded somewhat reluctantly.
“Your Majesty, shall we go hunting? If we’re lucky, we might find some delicious herbs.”
“…Where in the world are there delicious herbs? You’re still as pathetic as ever.”
Astria turned around with an indifferent expression and gestured to Sylvia.
“Miss Sylvia, check if your sword has rusted. It’s almost time for battle.”
“…W-what?”
Sylvia was taken aback, her expression hardening in an instant. She quickly moved to get a better view of the village from the hill.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-.
The ground beneath them rumbled. Only Astria remained unfazed by the commotion.
-You filthy heretics! How dare you injure a knight of the Justitia Church? Hand over the heretic you’re hiding immediately!
-Nonsense! You attacked us first! We’ve got one injured here too!
The confrontation involved a paladin, clad in silver plate mail, and the villagers. It seemed tensions were high.
The villagers didn’t back down. Instead, they drew their weapons, ready for the inevitable clash.
“Did Cruyff lose the power struggle, or is this simply a rebellion? In a situation where an empire’s empress can be stabbed by an assassin, neither seems unlikely.”
Astria casually summoned her holy sword, reaching into the air.
“One thing is certain: I cannot abandon the people who provided me shelter.”
“Sena, stay in the cabin. We don’t know what the Church will do if they see you.”
“I’ve been itching for a fight.”
Astria’s eyes glowed blue, filled with unmistakable killing intent, a stark contrast to her serene demeanor while tending to flowers.
This was likely the true face of Empress Astria—the visage of a bloodthirsty predator.
As Sena watched in a daze, a thought crossed his mind. There was still something left to do. In this moment, his nearly complete bucket list gained a new entry.
“Astria.”
“…If you try to stop me in this situation, I’ll knock you out, furball.”
Astria spoke fiercely.
“Can’t you see? The only solution here is violence. There’s no other remedy.”
“Sylvia.”
Sena, hands behind his back, smiled at the two of them.
“Leave this to me, will you?”
“What…”
“W-what nonsense…!”
But before they could finish, Sena began to walk forward.
At that moment, the paladin threw a spear towards the villagers. Sena swung his arm simultaneously.
Ka-aang—!!
The intangible sword strike blocked the spear. No, it ‘cut’. The miraculous sight drew everyone’s attention to Sena. He walked calmly, neither too fast nor too slow, exuding an aura of confidence.
‘I want to show them.’
Sena’s pace quickened.
‘That there’s another choice besides violence.’
The fuse was about to blow, and Sena stood precariously between both sides. The knight on horseback, seeing the new target, readied another spear.
‘I want to color Astria with my colors. To be remembered forever for my existence.’
26 days remained—a short time to achieve anything significant. When Sena had a hundred days left, he decided to spend the time on himself.
And this was something he was doing for himself. To be remembered. What more primal desire could there be for someone nearing death?
Sena boldly stepped between the two sides, arms spread wide. His silver hair fluttered sharply.
“That’s enough. Please stop fighting.”
