212: That's how it always goes—villains show up last.

We'd shattered the imperial army's main force and secured a few survivors deemed heroic class.

Lord Kyle, as the noble, stepped out of the city wall with Alphard and his personal knights to speak with them.

Of course, I was right there with them.

Stepping through the gate, the ground all around us was blackened and scorched. But I breathed a sigh of relief—no strong smell, probably blown away by the wind.

When we arrived, Raidock and Camille were already there, along with Solar, Eva, and Marilyn. The surviving imperial soldiers were bound tightly with specially reinforced ropes.

I took point.

"Hey, Raidock. Real hero stuff, huh."

"Guess so."

That casual tone—god, it's infuriating. Just fall apart already!

I looked at the imperial soldiers. They were all resigned, their faces stern, but none were shouting at us.

I nodded to Alphard over my shoulder, thinking I could safely introduce Kyle now. Alphard gave a curt nod back, and Kyle, waiting in the rear, was brought forward.

When Kyle stepped in front of them, the general—Zett Overl, as he called himself—raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Kyle Goldendown von Eriksil, and I’m the lord of this Eriksil territory."

"The lord? I’d heard rumors, but you’re awfully young."

"Rumors?"

"..."

Zett shut up like he’d just realized his mistake. He’d definitely heard it from Bella—Kyle’s adoptive mother, not his birth mother.

Bella still held a grudge against the previous lord for cutting her son Zaid out of the inheritance. It was a twisted kind of revenge, really.

Still, she went after Kyle and Maina’s lives too—no room for pity there.

“Bela Bairoroad… no, now just Bela. I heard it from Bela herself.”

Zett held silence for a moment, then finally gave in to Kyle’s unflinching stare, letting out a sigh.

“Now I’m back with the Barthark ducal family. I’m Bela Barthark now.”

“Returned to your imperial family, then. They must’ve been told the whole story—how Bela was cut off from the Bairoroad line?”

“Political reasons? I don’t know. But from the Barthark duke’s point of view, it makes sense. His daughter, alone, returns to the family. Pleads desperately against the kingdom and the Bairoroads’ crimes. Even if the kingdom sends a formal protest later… it won’t be taken lightly.”

I blink. A little surprised.

We’ve seen Bairoroad’s crimes with our own eyes—there’s no question who’s in the wrong. But to Bairoroad’s father, a noblewoman came back alone, body and soul. He won’t believe the kingdom’s complaints so easily.

I turn to Eva, who’s standing nearby.

“Circumstances change how you see things, huh.”

“True. People don’t believe anything they haven’t seen themselves. And family bonds… they’re hard to ignore.”

She nods slightly. Then her eyes sharpen.

“Why’re you talking to me, though?”

Because you were nearby. That’s the truth, but it feels awkward to say.

If Leifan were here, I’d’ve handed it off to him. But she’s probably busy right now—screaming at the guildmaster in the production guild, probably.

“Ah… well… you’re easy to talk to. And you know things.”

"Easy to talk to? I've never been told that before..."

"Wait? Really? Out of all the women I know, you're up there near the top."

That’s true.

Maybe it’s because I’m a former mage, but I’ve always been calm. Easy to approach.

"Y-You don’t have to say that! I’m not… not happy about it!"

"Ah. So you weren’t happy? My bad."

Guess being easy to talk to isn’t actually a compliment.

Maybe she just doesn’t like talking to me at all?

"Alright. I’ll stop trying to start conversations from now on."

"Wha—?!"

"Huh?"

He panics, shaking his head violently.

"N-No, I mean… you’re kind of… special. I don’t mind you talking to me, actually…"

"Yeah, no pressure. Don’t force it."

"I’m not saying that at all!"

How the hell am I supposed to read this reaction?

Just when I was stressing, the savior showed up.

“She’s just confused ‘cause she doesn’t have many friends.”

“Camille!”

“Don’t worry about it, just keep talking.”

Camille suddenly appeared, ignoring Eva’s flustered panic, and slapped me on the shoulder.

“Keep being good to my sister. She’s fun to hang with.”

“Ah, yeah. Got it. Eva’s someone I respect.”

I didn’t get the “fun” part, but still—losing friends is sad.

“Ugh!”

Eva glared at Camille, face red with anger, when a silver-haired swordsman stepped forward.

“Can you two at least keep some tension?”

“Raidock-sama!”

Of course it was Raidock.

He looked unimpressed by our nonsense, but I noticed something off about him then, so I leaned in and whispered.

"Hey, you're acting kind of twitchy, aren't you?"

"...This is a battlefield. Naturally."

I get what he means. But the outcome’s already decided. Why’s he so wound up?

Closer look—Alphard seems pretty tense too, scanning the surroundings.

Raidock rested a hand on his hip, letting out a dry chuckle.

"Right now, Kyle’s the one doing the questioning. Keep it down. Eva, remember your guard duty."

"Yes. …Remember, Craft."

"Sorry."

Yeah, I’d messed up the timing. Learned my lesson.

Camille was staring back and forth between me and Raidock, lips twitching, but I had no idea why.

Shook it off. Focused again on Kyle’s conversation.

Just as Kyle was about to ask Zett something important.

"Why’d the Empire go to war with the Mizoho Shrine Nation and the Maugaria Kingdom?"

“It’s the Emperor’s decree. We’re… Imperial soldiers. Orders are absolute.”

Like how you can’t defy the king’s decision in this country. Especially not for soldiers.

“…But honestly, I didn’t want to attack the castle this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… I mean…”

Zaid hesitated, then lowered his gaze to the ground.

“There’s someone entrusted with full authority by the Emperor. But the one actually holding that power… is…”

Zaid gritted his teeth, frustration sharp in his voice.

“Could it be that the real power lies with…?”

Before Kyle could finish, Raidock and Alphard suddenly drew their blades, tensing up.

Kyle glanced around in alarm. Following Raidock’s gaze, he saw a shadow rising from far across the water, splashing as it approached.

As it drew closer, it slowed, then halted mid-air.

Descending slowly from the sky, wings trembling, was a monster—wasp-like, but twisted, unnatural.

Despite its grotesque form, it spoke in a strangely broken tone.

“—Hey hey. What in the hell is this?”

And in its arm, it held Bella cradled like a child.

The creature set her down on the ground. She lifted her eyes, glaring with bitter hatred.

“Why? Why isn’t Golden Dune dead?”

I swear to the gods—I mean to punch this thing right in the face.