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A face so handsome it could put even the most beautiful woman to shame.

A slender figure, hard to believe that it belonged to a swordsman, and with pale skin.

Large, doe-like eyes.

And to top it all off, exceptional swordsmanship.

Together with Urha, it wasn’t for nothing that they were called the twin pillars of the Eastern Army in terms of appearance.

“Women have no eye for men. True handsomeness means looking manly, like me!”

As the memories of the past naturally surfaced, a faint smile spread across my lips.

It was as if Bastion’s booming voice was still echoing in my ears.

‘……But, what in the world is this?’

The Trevor I once knew existed no more.

What stood before me was not the most beautiful human in the empire, but a ragged, old man with one arm and one leg.

The appearance I once knew was nowhere to be found.

Sunken cheeks, a beard covering his entire face, hollow eyes, and scars etched all over his face……

‘……What a pathetic fool.’

Suddenly, anger took hold of my mind.

Even if Trevor was a traitor, this anger wouldn’t subside easily.

Because it would’ve meant that he had betrayed his comrades for such a miserable outcome.

Of course, even if that weren’t the case, I’d still be boiling inside.

‘I’ll make sure the same thing happens to you, Emperor.’

Shaking off my thoughts, I finally opened my mouth.

“There’s so much I want to ask you…… but looking at you now, I don’t even know where to start.”

“……?”

At the same time, Trevor tilted his head in confusion.

“That’s my line. I’m not sure I understand. This isn’t a place for a child like you to come alone.”

“Do you really think I came here alone?”

Trevor hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“……I suppose not.”

“Let me formally introduce myself. I am Andrew von Meeke, the new lord officially appointed to the territory.”

“……”

For a brief moment, Trevor’s eyebrows twitched. But that was the extent of his reaction.

“……I see. So, you’re a prince of the Meeke Principality.”

The weak voice that followed made a vein bulge on my forehead.

‘I can’t take it anymore.’

This wretched temperament wouldn’t allow for anything beyond a simple introduction.

“Is this the peaceful retirement you wanted?”

“……Huh?”

“You said you wanted to live a long, happy life with your loved ones after the war. Forgetting all about fighting, you dreamed of living peacefully on the Andres Plains, farming. Wasn’t that your dream?”

“……!”

Trevor’s eyes slowly widened. It was the first time since our meeting that he showed such intense emotion.

“You said Urha’s swordsmanship would be perfect for watering crops. And yet, you sold that precious watering can to that bastard Emperor?”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, an overwhelming bloodlust wrapped around my entire body.

It was clear that his old reputation wasn’t for nothing. His energy was stronger and more brutal than anyone I had faced so far.

‘……It’s hard to breathe.’

I quickly circulated my mana, freeing myself from his oppressive presence.

Trevor’s eyes flickered with a brief surprise, but it passed just as quickly as it came.

“……It seems you aren’t exactly ordinary, Prince.”

“If I were ordinary, would I have come here on my own two feet?”

“From now on, you’ll have to answer my questions honestly. If not…… you won’t leave here alive.”

It was a vicious threat.

“You bastard!”

A booming voice suddenly echoed from behind me.

It was Marquis Foltaine.

Behind him were hundreds of knights.

Of course, I didn’t even glance their way.

‘I know exactly what this guy is going to do next.’

Flash!

Just as expected, Trevor’s figure vanished in an instant. The most cautious of the five closest to me. Despite his beautiful appearance, he was colder and more ruthless than anyone.

Claaaaaang!

“……!”

The sound of metal clashing violently. Sparks flew as our swords collided. I had drawn my weapon and blocked his attack just in time.

“How……?”

Trevor’s bewildered voice rang in my ears.

“You were aiming to cut off my arm in one strike, weren’t you?”

“……!”

“What, were you planning on taking me hostage?”

Sarcasm slipped into my voice. As I’d said, had I not blocked the attack, my arm would’ve been severed.

“Trying to make me a cripple like yourself? You has-been.”

“……”

“With that pathetic skill, you couldn’t even scratch the old emperor’s beard.”

In that moment, flames ignited in Trevor’s eyes.

“You’re running your mouth, you insolent little prince. Do you want to die?”

“Oh?”

A smile crept across my lips, almost involuntarily.

‘There it is. His old self is finally coming out.’

By that time, my allies had already reached a close distance.

“You! What do you think you’re doing!?”

Of course, the first to arrive was none other than Marquis Foltaine.

“How dare you swing your sword at the prince!?”

Clang!

Trevor swung his sword wide and backed up without hesitation. If he hadn’t, the marquis’ sword would’ve cleaved his skull in two.

Hummm!

A transparent barrier soon formed in front of me.

“……I’ll kill him.”

Milon, who had swiftly cast a shield spell, growled ferociously from the front.

“Wait! Both of you, stop.”

I quickly raised my hand to calm them.

“I had a bad feeling last night…… I knew today wouldn’t go smoothly.”

Trevor, now at a full distance, gave a bitter smile.

“……I didn’t expect you’d bring a Master with you.”

Even if he was a fallen hero, Trevor’s eyes still worked well enough. In an instant, he had discerned the strength of Marquis Foltaine.

“But…… I suppose I have no choice.”

“……!”

Slash!

Suddenly, Trevor used his sword to draw a long line in the ground.

“Whoever crosses this line will die by my blade.”

That was a threat from the Swordsman of Illusions. Once known as the most brilliant hero of the eastern part of the Empire.

Gulp.

The sound of dry swallowing echoed from all around.

Then—

“Captain!”

“……!”

Trevor’s eyes shook violently.

Whip!

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the direction behind Trevor. There, another group of people was rushing toward us.

“All of you. Why are you……?”

“We couldn’t just stay hidden in safety while you, Captain, were fighting all alone.”

They numbered around 500.

However, they weren’t all well and able—each of them was either injured or had broken limbs.

They were likely the remnants of Verdant Vale.

“I told you to stay hidden, didn’t I?”

“How could we?”

“Fools……”

“Luckily, our friends from the other races lent us weapons. With such fine swords in hand, we can at least take one of them down with us on the way to the afterlife, can’t we?”

The group burst into laughter.

The tension in the air grew even thicker.

“I heard Count Kaiman has entered the Hart Kingdom. It seems that bastard threw them a scrap of rotten meat. Rotten meat, as in the Emperor’s favor. And without a shred of shame, they gobbled it up like the hyenas they are.”

Hostile gazes were now fixed in their direction.

“……We’ll stay with you until the end, Swordsman of Illusions.”

The curious thing was that the group appeared to be divided, like oil and water.

‘The ones from the Empire must be in the first group…… then the second must be the original Verdant Vale forces.’

Considering that, 500 people seemed woefully little.

‘……So, the rest are all dead.’

My face hardened as I realized this.

“Wait!”

Narakas, who had arrived late, quickly stepped forward.

“There’s no need for us to fight among ourselves!”

“……?”

“I’m the leader of the Mask of Night. I have something to discuss with you!”

“……!”

Narakas was stepping in to clear up the misunderstanding. He likely believed this conflict was sparked because of him.

However……

“That son of a bitch’s the leader of the Mask of Night……?”

His words only served as a catalyst for more tension.

“That damn bastard!”

“So it’s true that the Mask of Night has allied with those weaklings!”

“Fine, we’ll kill you all. This will be your graveyard!”

At that moment, Krong, the former leader of Verdant Vale, stepped forward.

“Captain, you should retreat to the back.”

“No. I’ll fight, too.”

“There’s no place in this world where a commander takes the front line.”

“……”

Trevor gave a bitter smile.

There was indeed one such commander.

‘……Although I can only think of one.’

Of course, he didn’t say it out loud.

“If anything happens to you, the morale of the entire group will collapse.”

“Do you not trust me?”

“It’s not that.”

Krong replied without the slightest hesitation, giving a faint smile.

“It’s just that we want to keep our dream safe, as much as we can.”

“……”

“You promised, didn’t you? That you would help us achieve our dream. If something happens to you before that, the Verdant Vale will never find peace.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. In this terrain, a group, small in number, can fend off a large force. We’ll show them that we’re not to be trifled with. Besides, your body isn’t in great condition right now, is it?”

As Krong said, Trevor was a wreck both outside and inside.

It was because he was suffering from poison.

The chances of fully regaining his former strength were slim.

‘How did I end up like this……?’

Trevor smiled bitterly once more.

‘……I wonder if I’ll ever return to my former self.’

Not only had his strength vanished, but so had the happy days of his youth, all lost to the ashes of the past.

‘How pathetic.’

During their escape from the Empire, most of his subordinates had been killed. Verdant Vale, which had allied with him, wasn’t much better off.

Most of them were wanderers, unable to return home or belong anywhere else due to various circumstances.

These people had one dream.

‘To have their sincerity recognized by the world.’

Though the people of the continent scorned Verdant Vale as mere bandits, these outlaws never stole indiscriminately.

They targeted only the wealthy who were rotten to the core—the villains of society—and distributed their plunder to the poor.

But……

‘……Even that has its limits.’

The Empire’s relentless suppression campaigns had reduced the thousands who once belonged to Verdant Vale to just this small, sorry group.

Trevor was their last hope.

‘But…… what can I possibly do for them?’

Trevor genuinely wanted to repay the kindness of those who had sheltered him in his time of need.

Many of Verdant Vale’s members had been drawn to his reputation and supported the idea of making him their new leader.

However, Trevor was now a broken man.

As the young prince had said, he could no longer use his famed illusion swordsmanship or dual-wielding techniques.

“Hey! Why are you making things worse?”

At that moment, the prince’s voice snapped Trevor out of his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“I knew you weren’t the brightest, but this is beyond belief. Get lost!”

The prince suddenly shoved aside the man who had introduced himself as the leader of the Mask of Night.

Trevor found himself gaping in surprise.

‘……Is that guy really the leader?’

What kind of leader carries themselves with such a lack of dignity?

More importantly—

‘If he really is the leader, then that means the prince isn’t normal either.’

Despite this unexpected scene, the prince’s subordinates remained silent but watchful.

The prince had started walking forward, alone.

Meanwhile, the enemy forces began to move like predators closing in on their prey, stealthily encircling him.

Trevor couldn’t help but think……

‘……The young prince is too reckless, and relies too much on his own talent.’

Even with all the talent in the world, it would mean nothing once the prince was surrounded.

These were veterans who had survived the Empire’s brutal hunts.

That was what Verdant Vale had become.

But then—

“Oh, right! You, the scout knight over there.”

“……?”

The prince’s bizarre behavior didn’t stop there.

“……Yes?”

The scout, who was relatively close, quickly ran toward the prince.

And the strange scene continued.

“Let me borrow your sword for a second”

“Excuse me?”

“Your sword. Let me borrow it.”

“……But Your Highness, you have a fine sword on your waist. Why mine……?”

The prince glanced in Trevor’s direction.

“I just happen to need one more.”

***