Translator: KJ

I arrived at the village where Laura and the revolutionary forces had been captured. The revolutionary forces' hideout. But whether the information had slipped out, or been leaked. The very place where Julian, who had used Eshton as kindling to achieve his own ends, had faced Laura as if by fate.

From atop a hill not far off, I looked down over the whole scene and sank into thought.

"I've put a tail on Sir Julian."

At Schatz's report from behind me, I only nodded without a word.

"Is something the matter?"

These days Schatz often threw questions at me. It was a bit of a change from how passive she always used to be, and I quite liked it.

"A few things. I think there's a fact I've overlooked."

I was piecing the case together in my head, but a puzzle that wouldn't quite click somewhere kept nagging at me.

One piece, or two. It felt as if something important was missing.

──Whooooosh.

The mountain wind swept in and the branches swayed. As I gazed blankly at that desolate scene, a thought suddenly came to me.

Was there truly an end to the things that longed to waver? The wind that had stirred in the heart would surely never scatter so easily. [TL: The Korean word for "wind" here also means "longing" or "desire". The wind that won't scatter is at once a yearning that won't fade.]

'...Max.'

At the same time, Julian's voice spread through me like an auditory hallucination.

The last words he had left me from beyond the iron bars, before my regression.

'I would rather have died by your hand.'

The puzzle I had yet to find.

It was, perhaps...

* * *

A cabin perched precariously at the edge of the cliff.

Hermann kept himself hidden and watched the place intently. Before long Julian came outside and vanished completely into the darkness of the forest.

"..."

Hermann lowered himself. He pushed through the undergrowth and crept forward in silence.

Creeeak.

The wooden door let out a particularly loud noise. Hermann combed through the dim interior thoroughly. Searching here and there, he climbed up to the attic and found some objects placed inside a chest.

"...Well, well now."

A smile spread across Hermann's lips.

A photograph. Laura, in the uniform of the Sentio Magic Tower. Two knights in Sentinel uniforms. One of them was, without a doubt, Julian.

Hermann gathered up every usable piece of evidence, the photograph, the diary, and the rest, and tucked them against his chest. The very moment he smiled with satisfaction and made to slip out of the cabin.

──Crunch.

A sound like a military boot grinding down on a floorboard rang out.

Hermann's movements froze.

"Done playing detective?"

A low voice flowed out of the darkness. Hermann swallowed and turned to look at hi⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠m.

Julian. He had come back at some point, and now he was facing him from the attic doorway.

"..."

Hermann buried his emotions. He wiped his expression clean. Instead, he gazed at Julian, stained by the shadows, and smiled.

"Sir Julian. What were you doing in here?"

Julian replied indifferently.

"I was steeping in old memories for a while. And you?"

"...I came to collect evidence related to Laura."

Hermann tapped the photograph tucked against his chest and looked at him.

"It does seem that Laura is connected to Dominic somehow... so might I take this photograph and diary for myself?"

There was a strange provocation laced through his voice. Julian answered as he always did.

"That's up to you."

"...Hmm. Yes. I do wonder what Sir Maximilian would say... if he were to see this photograph."

Julian's gaze sank low. He looked Hermann over impassively. Slowly, from the crown of his head down to the tips of his toes.

Blond hair combed neatly back. Clear golden eyes. The uniform fastened tidily into place. Even the voice, lowered as if forced to sound deeper.

"Putting on an imitation of the Aran, are you?"

"...Imitati⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠on?"

Hermann's brow twitched. The air inside the cabin settled into a cold stillness.

"But, Hermann. No matter how hard you try."

Julian, as though it were pathetic, no, as though it were pitiful.

He let out a deep breath and murmured.

"You won't come close to even the tips of that man's toes."

Maximilian Ebenholtz.

He was different from the moment he was born, different in the weight he carried and the depth of his gaze.

There was no one like Maximilian, no one but Maximilian himself.

"Ha. Is that so?"

Crrnch. Hermann gritted his teeth, but he forced a pretense of calm.

─Tick

At the sound of the second hand, suddenly audible. Hermann shot a glance at Julian's wrist and twisted his lips into a smirk.

"You'd do well to change that watch. Have you, perhaps, not yet been issued a Mana Stone Clock?"

Julian did not so much as reply. He neither criticized Hermann's insolence nor grew angry. He simply took it as it was.

"Carry on."

Julian turned and stepped out of the cabin.

"Where are you going?"

To Hermann's sharp, biting question, Julian answered curtly.

"A Senior Knight's duty."

"I only say so because it doesn't appear to be one."

Laura, tied to the revolutionary forces, the photograph Hermann himself had obtained, and Julian's secretive movements. To his mind, this was an unmistakable sign of treason.

Julian gave a small nod and answered without even turning around.

"Then think whatever you like."

He took a single step and seemed to walk forward, and then in an instant Julian's figure vanished from sight.

Left alone, Hermann stood on the cabin's threshold and glared steadily at the trail through the forest where he had disappeared.

"─Fuck this!"

Having spat out the loud curse, he grabbed the evidence first. He came straight down the mountain path and got into his car.

Vrooooom──!

Stamping down on the accelerator, he was back at the Sentinel Knight Order in no time.

Julian, of course, had still not returned, and with the evidence he'd secured from the cabin tucked against his chest, Hermann descended into the underground prison.

"Hey."

Bang. Bang bang bang!

"Hey!"

He kicked at the iron bars, hammering on them, and woke the sleeping Laura.

"Living the good life, aren't you. Nothing to do but sprawl out and sleep."

"..."

Hermann thrust the photograph at her first.

"Th⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠is. You know it, don't you?"

"..."

"Why don't you say something?"

Shoving his face up close to the bars, he glared at Laura.

"You. Keep your m⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠outh shut like this all the way to the end, and that neck of yours is getting chopped, guaranteed. You'd better be grateful this case is still in our hands."

Even at Hermann's threat, Laura's expression did not change. If anything, she answered feebly, with tired eyes.

"Julian said the exact same thing to me."

At the name Julian, Hermann sneered.

"Sir Julian... what exactly is your relationship with Julian?"

"Friends."

"Friends?"

"Mm."

Laura leaned her body at an angle against the bars.

"...A long time ago, we were friends."

Friends.

Chewing the word over, Hermann took one more step closer.

"So what did you tell that precious friend of yours? What the hell did you say to send him off gallivanting around out there? Did you give up Dominic's location, maybe?"

Hermann's eyes glinted with obstinate persistence. He looked off toward somewhere in the underground prison. The contents of the private conversation that Julian had gone so far as to delete the interrogation records to conceal. He had to uncover it, no matter what.

"..."

Laura quietly looked into Hermann's venom-laced eyes.

Her gaze seemed to waver faintly, and then.

"...Who knows."

Without a sound, she moved only her lips, forming certain words.

.......

Week two of the revolutionary forces' detention.

These days, something troubling had arisen for Chiron, the Sentinel's Deputy Knight Commander.

In the midst of being thoroughly busy with his impending inauguration speech as Knight Commander, the preparations for the official hearing, and the rest of it, a strange rumor had begun creeping its way through the knight order.

"Deputy Knight Commander."

Laura the Criminal, and Senior Knight Julian.

Petty yet persistent speculation about the relationship between the two of them was drifting through the knight order and the Imperial Palace alike.

"...It seems word has already reached the ears of the Imperial Palace."

The reports from the noble knights under Chiron's command ran as follows:

Julian appears to harbor private feelings for Laura. He does not return to the knight order, but moves off somewhere in haste. Perhaps he places saving an old friend above even the Class-1 Wanted Criminal Dominic...

"Nothing is certain yet."

For Chiron, it was a vexing thing.

Julian was a good man. A comrade-in-arms, the only one Chiron could truly trust, who, rare in this mud-pit of an empire, struggled to keep faith with his convictions and his conscience.

But for that very reason, that goodwill might just become the very noose around his own neck.

"Rookie Knight Hermann, you know him, sir?"

Knight Raynel carefully held out a document envelope.

"This is the top-secret report Hermann submitted."

Hermann. The evidence that venomous greenhorn had brought back from the cabin.

Chiron looked down at the photograph.

"...So this is Eshton."

Eshton. The Sentinel knight they had failed to save. The single most important trigger in the operation called the 'Path of Dreams'.

"Yes. Julian, Eshton, and Laura. What's more, just now, Hermann gave up the Laura case of his own accord."

It was as expected.

Two weeks had already passed; now the sharpest blade would take this case in its grip.

"Sir Maximilian has officially taken on the case."

There was no one but Maximilian.

Right now, Laura's family was pouring petitions into the knight order day after day to save her─if nothing else, to spare her life─. Her siblings, too, served as high-ranking wizards, so a half-baked Regular Knight would struggle to withstand the political pressure.

The Sentinel had given no reply whatsoever to their pleas, but should the news that Maximilian was personally taking on this case be made public...

Even that family would have no choice but to give up.

"Where is Julian right now?"

Chiron asked with a furrow in his brow.

"...We can't tell. All contact has been cut off, and we can't track his location either."

Raynel shook his head, at a loss. From some day on, Julian had vanished without a trace. To be precise, from the day he exchanged some private words with Laura in the underground prison.

Chiron heaved a deep sigh and pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Um, and also."

Raynel hesitantly held out the next document.

"Once the Laura case is closed..."

Chiron picked it up. This time the contents were a little more in earnest. It was a document Maximilian had sent.

"He says he intends to carry out an internal investigation into Sir Julian."

"...Tch."

This was the Sentinel. Should anyone who had become a 'knight', not Julian alone, show even the faintest hint of suspicious behavior, Maximilian would move.

Maximilian was not a man to be swayed by something as trifling as sentiment.

He judged the whole solely by the facts laid before him.

And so, if Julian had come to hold some feeble emotion. If, for Laura's sake, he was scheming something that would do harm to the empire.

There would be no helping it.

Then Chiron, too, would have no choice but to let him go.

* * *

Maximilian's office in the Sentinel.

I watched Laura closely as she sat in the chair across from me. With handcuffs at her wrists, she truly looked like a woman without a single lingering regret.

"Your younger brother came to the knight order today."

A young man who had come all the way to the front of Sentinel headquarters, pleading to be allowed to see his sister's face just once.

Regrettably, I could not grant his request.

"It is a truly foolish thing."

Her family's safety, and a bright future as a gifted wizard.

A person who had thrown all of it away, who had been deceived by the illusion called revolution, by the gaslighting of that Ezenheim creature called Eshton, who had been blinded by a counterfeit love and crawled into the jaws of death on her own two feet.

"I know. I do to⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠o."

Even at my reproach, Laura said nothing and gave a faint smile.

"That I'm foolish."

She met my eyes calmly and asked.

"So... am I going to die now?"

I nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. You will be referred to a knight's tribunal. I will demand the death penalty, and the judge will follow my will."

Is being deceived a crime? Is being foolish a crime?

Either way, she had crossed a river there was no coming back from.

"Poisoning, the firing squad, or else hanging."

I closed the file and added.

"The manner of your execution, at least, you'll be able to choose for yourself."

Laura's eyes curved into a graceful arc.

"Thank you. Truly."

She remained serene even in the face of death.

For my part, I was a little curious.

What on earth is this thing called emotion, that it can sometimes overwhelm even survival, the most primal of human instincts, like this?

"...How foolish."

Once again, I reproached her.

But this time the meaning was a little, no, very much different from before.

"I know. No matter how many times you say it-"

"No. You still don't understand."

Tap. I set my fountain pen down on the table.

"Let me ask you something."

There are no Imperial Palace bugs of any kind in my office. The vermin over there cannot eavesdrop on a single word I say.

"Julian."

The man called Julian.

He is a man whose depths even I cannot dare to fathom.

A man who never reveals what he truly wants, who walks the darkness in silence with the whole of himself thoroughly concealed.

Through the asymmetry of being a Regressor, I can guess at him, but in the end he is a variable I can never quite pin down.

And yet── the one single truth I had inferred by my own reasoning.

"Do you think he doesn't know what you're really after?"

For a moment Laura's gaze wavered. The wild pounding of her heart reached even me.

"What I mean is, do you really think Julian doesn't know about the revenge for Eshton that you intend to carry out?"

~~~

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