After the incident in the neutral city caused by Asmodeus, the city's defenses were significantly strengthened. As for Velisara, her life changed after being discovered by Theodore Cleisthenes. Her status rose quickly, and now, even the townsfolk offered her respect and admiration.
"So, Queen, I'll be leaving now. The weather looks sunny and clear," Lola said cheerfully.
"Don't call me that. I'm not a queen anymore… not here. My kingdom was destroyed long ago," Velisara replied quietly.
"I know," Lola said, "but it seems that during your time, you were truly the queen of people's hearts—not just the empire's. That's a rare sight in this world."
"Maybe," Velisara said with a faint smile. "I guess people's hearts haven't turned completely to stone, even after two thousand years of war."
"I hope you'll visit again, Miss Lola!" Olivia called out, rushing to the door.
"Haha, such an intelligent little girl," Lola said, gently patting Olivia's head. She gave a warm wave and began walking away. Once outside the city hall, she made her way into the forest.
There, she raised her staff and whispered, "Let's make things more complicated."
A white circle appeared beneath her feet, glowing with magical symbols. Moments later, her figure vanished—leaving behind only a scorched mark on the grass.
—
Back where Baldwin and Athan were resting...
The horses were tied and resting peacefully. The night sky above was vast and clear. This world had only one moon—unlike Baldwin's—and its soft, silvery glow spread across the hills. The sky itself was a deep, luminous blue, filled with countless stars. Across the horizon, a ribbon of light from the cosmos traced a glowing path, stretching across the clouds like a celestial scar, making the entire view feel like a painting.
The carriage driver was asleep, and the air was quiet, save for the soft rustle of wind through the grass.
Baldwin sat alone on the rooftop of the carriage, his back straight, eyes gazing upward at the sky. His face was unreadable, but a single tear rolled down his cheek—unnoticed even by him. Lost in old memories, his silence weighed heavily in the air.
Athan, meanwhile, sat at the front of the carriage, on the driver's bench. He leaned forward slightly, watching the endless stretch of moonlit fields.
Suddenly, both men felt something—a presence. Powerful, quiet, unmistakable.
Yet neither moved. Neither spoke. They remained still, as if nothing had changed.
From the vast, empty grassland ahead, a figure began to emerge. A lone man, walking slowly toward them through the field.
Athan's eyes narrowed. Baldwin tilted his head, watching with the faintest hint of curiosity.
The man looked human… but his presence told another story entirely.
It took quite a while for the man to finally reach the carriage.
Baldwin and Athan noticed him approaching, but both pretended they hadn't. They remained still, giving off no reaction—acting as if it were just another quiet night. The man wore a half-mask shaped like a fox. It was stark white with a single red pattern drawn across one cheek.
"Hello. I'm just a lonely traveler," the man said in a deep, calm voice.
Hearing the voice, Spark stirred awake.
"Huh? Uhmm…" Spark mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Baldwin climbed down from the roof of the carriage, a soft chuckle escaping him as he eyed the masked man.
Athan stepped closer and addressed the stranger politely.
"So… who did you say you were again?"
"As I said, I'm a lonely traveler," the man repeated.
"A lonely traveler, huh?" Spark said, still groggy. "So… how can we help you?"
"Actually," the man replied, "I was hoping to get a ride—if that's possible?"
"Oh, ride? Sorry, sir, we're—" Spark began, but Baldwin interrupted him.
"Of course," Baldwin said smoothly. "I think we can help you."
Spark rushed to Baldwin's side and nudged him with his elbow. Leaning in close, he whispered urgently,
"Hey! He could be part of a bandit gang! Even if he's not, are you really okay with letting a stranger ride with us?"
Baldwin leaned in and whispered back,
"You didn't leave me any room to ask questions, but if he is a robber, then we won't be the ones in trouble."
"What?" Spark blinked in confusion.
"And if he's just a lonely traveler," Baldwin added, "then he deserves a little kindness."
"May I join you for the ride then?" the man asked again.
"Uhmm… yes, you can," Spark finally agreed, though still a bit hesitant.
"So, where are you all headed?" the man asked.
Spark hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Crossroad Academy."
The masked man let out a subtle sigh of relief.
"Ah… and how much are you asking?"
"Excuse me?" Spark frowned.
"The price. How much for the ride to Crossroad Academy?" the man clarified.
"It seems there's been a misunderstanding," Spark said, adjusting his robe. "This carriage belongs to the governor. It's not a public one, and we're not running a rental service. We're letting you on because our guest here wanted to help."
"Oh," the man bowed slightly. "My deepest apologies. I misunderstood. Thank you for your generosity."
"We're glad to travel with you, Masked Man," Athan said with a friendly tone.
"My name is Matthew," the man said, lowering his head.
"This is Baldwin," Athan introduced, gesturing beside him, "and I'm Athan."
"I'm Spark," the boy added, though his voice was already fading into a yawn.
Spark returned to his usual spot to lie down again. Meanwhile, Matthew sat a short distance from the carriage, taking a spot on the grass.
Baldwin and Athan sat together near the small campfire. The soft crackle of flames and the gentle night breeze were the only sounds that filled the peaceful silence of the blue-tinged, moonlit night.
After that, Baldwin and Athan traveled for another day with Matthew. Nothing seemed off. During lunch, Matthew politely refused any food from Baldwin, though he offered his own dry rations to share. Still, because of Spark's unease, no one accepted any food from the masked man.
For most of the journey, Matthew didn't ride inside the carriage. Instead, he remained seated quietly on the rooftop. Neither Baldwin nor Athan seemed to care much about who he was or what his purpose might be. Their only real goal was to gather information—anything that could help them return to their world.
"We'll be entering a small town soon! Or... well, you could say it's more like a peaceful village," Spark shouted as he drove the carriage.
"A village, huh?" Athan said, looking out the window.
"Practically a small town, according to him," Baldwin added with a smirk.
"Town and village aren't the same thing," Athan muttered.
"Maybe they are in this world," Baldwin replied with a chuckle.
Suddenly, Spark yanked the reins, braking hard. The carriage jolted and nearly tipped over. Matthew, however, didn't fall. He remained seated firmly on top.
Baldwin and Athan looked out the window to ask what happened—but their words stopped when they saw it.
Smoke. Fire. Rising just ahead.
"We're pulling back. Now!" Spark said urgently.
"Why?" Matthew asked, jumping down from the rooftop.
"What's with you now? Did you lose your memory too, like those two inside?" Spark snapped.
"Hey! We're still here, you know!" Athan shouted, stepping out of the carriage. "You said we were your guests. What kind of behavior is that?"
"There are bandits in the village!" Spark barked. "We can't go through the town—it's suicide! If they spot our carriage, we're dead meat!"
"What about the people?" Matthew asked calmly.
"The people?! Are you out of your mind? If we go there now, we're next! Especially with this fancy carriage—it's like waving a golden flag to a starving wolf!" Spark said.
Just then, they heard the sound of hooves—fast, approaching—from the left.
"Shit! Hey! Masked man! Matthew! Get in the carriage or I'm leaving you behind—they've seen us!" Spark shouted.
Matthew turned slightly. "Your thoughts are as old as your age," he said coldly. "You can still run now. Someone needs to buy you time. But even then, they'll catch you."
Without hesitation, Spark fixed the reins and spurred the horses. The carriage lunged forward—now racing across uneven terrain, a stretch of grassland scattered with trees.
"If you want to die so badly, go ahead!" Spark shouted over the wind. "You think like an old man!"
Inside the carriage, Spark opened the small sliding window that connected to the back.
"Hey! You two better hide! They didn't see you yet—I'll buy some time!"
"Come on," Athan replied casually, "do we really look that flashy? Our clothes are pretty normal."
"That's exactly the problem!" Spark snapped. "Your faces aren't normal! You look like royalty or rich heirs! Those bandits will see you as walking treasure chests!"
"Hmm, if they're planning to take us hostage, they better be strong," Baldwin said with a teasing smile, shaking his head.
Athan's eyes widened dramatically.
"Oh no! Save me!" he cried in mock terror, raising one hand and spinning theatrically around the carriage. "We're just poor little children—uhuh!"
Baldwin burst out laughing. Spark slammed the small window shut in frustration.
"Hey, you should watch your left," Baldwin warned, opening the side window. Spark ignored him.
With a sigh, Baldwin reached out, grabbed Spark by the neck of his shirt, and yanked him down just in time.
An arrow whistled past where Spark's head had been—and struck the carriage's wooden frame.
Spark's eyes widened.
"It's not over. More are coming," Baldwin said calmly, still seated, yawning.
As he spoke, three more arrows hit the carriage. One came directly toward him—but he casually caught it mid-air.
"Who told them to use bows if they don't even know how to aim? Boring," Baldwin muttered, rubbing his temple.
Spark had made two major miscalculations. First, the bandits weren't coming from the left—they were flanking them from the trees. And second, he'd assumed Baldwin, Athan, and Matthew were ordinary people.
Now he was beginning to realize: they were not.
"Here comes the trash," Baldwin said, grinning.
Suddenly, a man on horseback lunged at the carriage. Spark reacted instinctively, jerking the reins hard. The carriage swerved, narrowly avoiding the attacker.
"He's on a weak, free-range horse," Athan commented casually, chewing on a snack. "We've got two well-bred stallions pulling us, but with the weight of the carriage… it slows us more than you'd think."
"I got the craziest job in the world," Spark muttered to himself, driving as fast as he could through the chaos. "Sorry, Mother… sorry, Father… I might not survive this time!"