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Two days later, the scheduled day for the tour dawned.

Arin, having completed all preparations, arrived at the western boundary gate of the imperial city with the tour group.

In her heart, she held the appointment letter from the Emperor, naming her the chief officer of the tour.

There was no sign of Cyan.

Instead, accompanying her were Luna, who had promised to join, her knight Schurz, and beside them…

“Uh, so, um?”

Another attendant, who Luna had said she would bring, was standing there.

“Prince Set… right?”

“Long time no see, Arin! No, Princess Arin! It’s the first time we’ve seen each other since graduation, isn’t it?”

Arin was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend the situation.

Set Shaharkan.

The first prince of Spania and a strong contender for the throne.

Although he was notoriously troublesome during their academy days, his combat and magic abilities were among the best in the entire school…

“Why are you here?”

Arin asked with genuine curiosity.

“Huh? Why? Is there any reason I shouldn’t be here?”

Set also looked puzzled, as if he didn’t understand the situation.

“Was Prince Set the person you were bringing, Luna?”

“Yes.”

Luna nodded with a nonchalant expression.

“Heard the story from our junior here! You’re going to help Cyan deal with the beasts at the front lines, right?”

A lot seemed to be left out of the conversation.

Luna shook her head silently as if to say she never mentioned it that way.

Arin, quickly regaining her composure, cautiously asked.

“Just to confirm, did you come alone?”

Despite appearances, he was still a prince of another country.

He should be treated with the respect due to a state guest. If he had sent word of his visit in advance or at least come with a small delegation, it wouldn’t have been so sudden…

“Of course! I came alone! To be honest, I sneaked out. If the kingdom finds out I’m here, it’ll be chaos.”

Everyone, including Arin, was shocked.

Arin was deeply troubled, wondering if she should really take him along as an attendant on the tour.

“Don’t worry too much, Princess Arin! I’m here to help as Set Shaharkan, not as a prince!”

Set assured her not to worry, speaking loudly.

After much contemplation, Arin finally sighed and spoke.

“Regarding this matter, we will formally send a delegation to the Kingdom of Spania later. Since you came to help with the Empire’s affairs, it’s only right to offer gratitude.”

“There’s no need for that, but do as you please, Princess Arin!”

Seeing his unchanged, easygoing manner, Arin reluctantly smiled.

She then formally handed him a brooch signifying his status as an imperial attendant.

Set, delighted to receive the brooch, suddenly began stretching.

Most of the knights thought the same thing upon seeing this.

They had gained a formidable ally—no, a monster—on their tour.

Thus, the princess’s tour group set off for the front lines.

At the forefront was the princess’s carriage, followed by the carriage carrying Luna and Set, accompanying as attendants.

“It must have been a difficult request, but thank you for agreeing.”

Luna belatedly expressed her gratitude to Set.

“Don’t mention it! How could I refuse a request from our junior?”

Set waved his hand dismissively, telling her not to worry.

“You seem much tougher and stronger than before?”

“Huh? Well, I’ve always been training my body. If I slack off even a bit, I get weak…”

“I mean your inner self, not your body.”

Set’s eyes momentarily sharpened.

“Does the God of Sand still visit frequently?”

Seven years ago, in an unnamed ruin in the Kingdom of Spania, Luna and Cyan had clearly witnessed it.

Set, unable to control the power of the god, rampaging.

“I had a rough time with him before coming here.”

Set shook his head, as if he didn’t even want to mention it.

“He strongly opposed my coming. Said it could endanger Spania if I’m not careful? Told me not to stay close to Cyan?”

Although he spoke as if it was nothing, it was a warning from a god.

“Did you ignore that warning to come here?”

“Of course. What I need to be careful about isn’t a warning from someone I don’t even know.”

But to Set, such things were not a concern.

The only thing he needed to be careful about in life was,

“I just need to be careful not to catch a cold!”

Set grinned, rubbing his nose as if it itched.

* * *

The princess’s carriage proceeded smoothly without major issues, and soon, they were a day away from Velias.

If things went as planned, they would arrive in Velias by the next morning.

The tour group settled in a suitable forested area for camping and immediately began setting up camp.

“This work is really exhausting!”

Set, having alighted from the carriage, stretched to loosen his muscles stiff from the long journey.

“Hey, knights! How are we supposed to set up camp at this pace? No, that’s not how you do it!”

He then ran over to the knights setting up the camp and helped with the work.

“I’ll go help too.”

“Please do.”

Schurz also went to assist with the work.

Luna, having gotten off the carriage, naturally made her way to where Arin was.

Arin was gazing blankly at the setting sun.

“Senior Cyan still isn’t showing up.”

Arin flinched and slightly recoiled.

“Hm? Well, I hope he’s following us properly.”

“He probably is. I occasionally caught his scent along the way.”

“Scent?”

“There’s such a thing. He’s probably watching us from somewhere nearby with an indifferent look.”

Luna glanced around as if searching for his traces.

“You know Cyan well.”

“Not really. He’s a person who doesn’t reveal himself much…”

“True. He’s really a mysterious man.”

It was a common feeling among those who had connections with him.

“Now that I think about it, you can proceed with it, can’t you?”

“With what?”

“Senior Cyan has been pardoned for his crime, right? So, can’t you resume what you originally promised?”

“Promise?”

Arin tilted her head in confusion, but her face soon reddened as something came to mind.

“L-Luna, are you talking about…?”

“The engagement. You were originally engaged to him.”

Luna looked at Arin with a matter-of-fact expression.

“What are you talking about?”

Startled, Arin ended up shouting.

Her voice was so loud that even the knights setting up the camp were startled.

While Luna furrowed her brows as if wondering what the problem was, Arin clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath.

“T-That’s something that ended a long time ago! You can’t just reverse a broken promise!”

“Really?”

Luna looked curious and surprised.

“Then it’s okay if I take him, right?”

“…!”

Arin reacted even more intensely than before.

“What do you mean by ‘take him’?”

“What else? Of course, I mean Senior Cyan. If I don’t do something, the number of women around him will keep growing. I need to stake my claim first, or else…”

“Stop saying such nonsense!”

Arin finally covered her ears.

Luna tilted her head, unable to understand Arin’s reaction.

“Grrrr…”

Suddenly, a mysterious growl was heard from the front.

Those who heard it instinctively sensed danger and tensed up, immediately taking a defensive stance.

“Step back, Princess!”

Ressimus, followed by the knights, rushed to protect Arin, and Set and Schurz, who were helping with the work, also ran over.

The tour group held their breath, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

The sun had already set, casting a dark evening curtain over the area.

-Tap, tap

Soon, mysterious footsteps were heard.

It sounded like the footsteps of four-legged beasts, but the problem was that there wasn’t just one.

There were at least three.

As the footsteps continued, their number gradually increased.

“There’s a fishy smell in the air.”

Set, staring intently at the direction of the sound, sniffed the air.

“I’ve never heard a cry like this before.”

Schurz also displayed unease, pointing his sword forward.

“Could it be?”

As everyone struggled to grasp the situation, Arin listened closely to the approaching sounds, recalling past memories.

Familiar sounds, familiar atmosphere, familiar sensations.

Arin drew her sword and shouted to the knights.

“Demonic Beasts!”

At her cry, four-legged demonic beasts with glowing red eyes appeared from the front.

Everyone had the same thought upon seeing them.

Those were not creatures of this land.

More precisely, they were creatures that should not exist in this land.

Some knights, who had experience on the front lines, shook their heads in disbelief.

“Is that a Hellhound?”

The Hellhound, a demonic predator from the underworld, known only for its madness and bloodlust, had appeared not at the front lines, but in human territory.

* * *

“Grrrr…”

What is this?

It was a peculiar feeling—part surprise at seeing them again, part bewilderment at why they were here. It was difficult to describe, but it was certainly an uneasy feeling.

One thing was clear.

Meeting these creatures here was definitely not a good situation.

I quickly scanned the surroundings.

There was nothing particularly unusual.

This meant that the Hellhounds we could see were the only monsters present.

In that case, the knights over there should be able to handle them without too much trouble.

“Woof!”

The creatures charged at me without hesitation.

-Slash!

Maybe it was just my imagination, but they seemed even more vicious than when I had seen them on the front lines.

Not that it mattered—they were still just low-level monsters that would fall with a single swing.

In less than three seconds after they lunged, the Hellhounds lay on the ground, their limbs severed.

I didn’t burn them immediately but knelt down to examine their condition.

[Have they relocated their habitat or something?]

Even Kaeram sounded slightly confused.

“No, that’s not it.”

I pointed to a part of their bodies with my finger.

“The fur around their necks and legs is unnaturally matted. They were restrained with chains or shackles.”

This meant that the creatures hadn’t crossed the gorge on their own—they had been deliberately released here by someone.

We could question the sanity of those who would capture and release demonic beasts in such a place, but the important question wasn’t “why” but “who.”

Given the current circumstances, the only ones capable of such an act would be the knights from the front lines.

What on earth is happening in Velias right now?