Clouds embroidered patterns across the blue sky.

Feeling the wind brush against his ears, Tesetan opened his eyes.

“...What is this?”

At the peak of a high mountain overlooking everything, he was seeing such a sight for the first time in his life.

“Magic?”

The city spread across the land was vast and boundless. It could not be compared to Tallocium’s capital.

Where is this?

In all his years as a mercenary, he had traveled the entire continent, yet he had never once seen anything like this...

“This is why people love hiking in the mountains!”

A rough voice suddenly rang out nearby.

He turned his head—people in strange clothing were gathered all around.

Each of them had a huge backpack on their back, hands on their waists, stretching their arms and legs as they exhaled, “Hup! Hup!”

Some even slammed their backs against trees...

‘Are they insane?’

The moment the thought crossed his mind, one of them suddenly stared at him.

“Whoa, that face—just like an actor! Are you here for filming?”

As the person approached, Tesetan instinctively stepped back.

But more and more people had already gathered around.

“Oh my, what a funny face~ Are you filming ‘I Live Alone’? A new actor? Or a singer?”

“Mom Cheorho, these days foreigners come to our country to sing trot.”

“Oh, right! Young man, huh?”

The woman who had been speaking suddenly froze. The orange band tied around her forehead fluttered.

“That’s not a young man!”

“Oh my!”

“How adorable!”

Tesetan flinched. Before he could react, the people suddenly closed the distance all at once.

But their gazes were no longer on him.

“The baby is so small, so small! About two years old?”

For some reason, everyone was looking somewhere behind his shoulder, their faces melting with affection.

“Oh my, tired? Those little eyes are closing. How can something be this cute? When it’s time to marry her off, her father will cry tears of blood.”

“Why is the child dressed so lightly. Wait, I have a blanket...”

Tesetan stiffly looked around.

And then he realized that his upper body was wrapped in something.

Not only that—one of his hands was supporting something behind his back.

As if holding it so it wouldn’t fall...

‘What is this.’

At that moment, something warm and soft was felt in his palm.

More precisely, he only now “became aware” of it.

“Papa.”

A voice that made his heart drop.

A sleepy child’s voice.

Someone pressed their face into his neck and rubbed against him.

“Papa, did we already reach the top?”

“Ah, just listen to how she talks!”

“Baby, how old are you? What’s your name?”

Tesetan turned his head.

And indeed.

He saw something clinging to his shoulder.

A small white hand.

Several strands of hair were scattered across the back of it, glimmering like dull gold.

“Hello, aunts.”

His heart began to pound.

Forcing his frozen thoughts to move, Tesetan thought:

‘What is this?’

Why am I carrying a child?

And who is this... no, who are they, to keep calling me papa?

“Baby, did you come to the mountain with your dad?”

“Yes. But the baby’s legs hurt if she walks in the mountains, so papa is carrying me.”

“She speaks so well! Who taught you?”

“Papa and... Grandma Chae Ja Boksu from next door taught me.”

“Oh my! You even know how to respectfully say adults’ names? Then you should say Grandma Chae, Bok, Su.”

“...Yees!”

Tesetan turned his head even more.

Finally, in his blurred field of vision, a round white cheek appeared.

He swallowed and was just about to look at the rest of the face—

“Squad Leader!”

Someone struck his cheek sharply.

Tesetan’s eyes snapped open.

Right in front of him, curly red hair swayed.

“You’re awake? Have you lost your mind?!”

“...Ribia.”

Tesetan tried to get up and groaned. His entire body ached as if he had been beaten.

“What the hell happened.”

He quickly looked around.

A low ceiling.

The sound of fabric rustling came from all sides.

“Squad Leader. We almost died. Because of your outburst...”

At Allerik’s words, Tesetan fell silent.

The dream he had just seen began to fade, and the events from before he lost consciousness rapidly returned to his mind.

‘You’ve lost your mind.’

After the prolonged battle, he had finally landed an effective blow on the King of the Dead.

‘You bastard, trash, I’ll kill you—!’

The members of the Agavert squad had erupted in rage.

And then the outburst began...

‘Don’t leave only Tie behind, please!’

Tesetan abruptly sprang to his feet.

“Squad Leader! Where are you going?!”

Allerik rushed after him, but Tesetan, hastily putting on his shoes, said:

“We’re still at the ruins, right.”

“...Yes. But why...”

“Don’t follow me.”

Tesetan strode toward the exit of the tent.

There was only one thought in his head—to see the King of the Dead immediately.

But—

“...!”

The moment he opened the tent flap, Tesetan was forced to stop.

Someone was standing in front of the entrance.

A massive, powerful body.

A face frozen with rage and a huge war hammer in hand.

“You look fine. Seems like you’ve already recovered.”

Basto looked down at him.

Meeting his gaze, Tesetan spoke in a low, threatening voice:

“Move.”

But Basto only smirked and narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t want to.”

A vein bulged on Tesetan’s forehead.

Should he just knock him out?

At that moment—

“Where do you think you are going, may I ask?”

A calm voice came from below.

He lowered his gaze—a gray-haired old man was leaning on a cane, looking at him.

Tesetan frowned, and Nordix continued:

“You weren’t, by any chance, heading to Astie?”

Astie.

The true name of the King of the Dead.

Tesetan’s expression darkened.

Nordix gently patted his shoulder.

“The King of the ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Dead is currently unconscious. If you don’t mind, give us a little of your time.”

Tesetan stared at him.

Then, cursing under his breath, he stepped back.

Inside the tent, from which all squad members had been cleared out.

“To be honest, I’m surprised. Such an outburst... it must have been difficult for you all this time.”

Tesetan coldly raised his head.

Running his fingers over the bandages on his hands, he said:

“Stay out of my business. It’s none of your concern.”

But Nordix’s expression did not change.

He only gave a faint smile.

“How could it not be our concern? Because of your outburst, we all nearly died.”

Tesetan fell silent.

Nordix calmly added:

“If it weren’t for Astie, we really would have died.”

Tesetan clenched his fist. Blood seeped from the wound, soaking into the bandage.

“Our squad leader absorbed all of your mana.”

Said Nordix.

The old man’s faded eyes were now looking straight at him.

“From your body, where mana and holy power had mixed and gone out of control. She carefully extracted only the mana.”

“...What?”

A memory surfaced—the moment the outburst subsided.

The King of the Dead, sobbing, clung to him.

At the same time, he had felt the power sealed inside him being released.

It was not a forceful intervention like a spell or a seal.

It was natural.

Like water flowing.

Like wind blowing.

“Why did you insist on a sword duel?”

Nordix’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Tesetan raised his eyes, unable to hide his confusion.

“I know you are ambitious. But I find it difficult to understand why, for that ambition, you would take such a risk.”

Nordix remained calm.

“Of course, it is fortunate that after such a battle, both of you survived.”

“Is the King of the Dead alright?”

Nordix nodded.

“She has not regained consciousness yet, but yes.”

“...I still need to see her.”

Tesetan stood up again.

But once more, Basto blocked his path.

“We’re not finished yet.”

Basto stared at him.

“That was a duel with everything on the line. And you lost.”

His gaze shifted to Tesetan’s right wrist, where the vow bracelet still remained.

“When will you disband it?”

“....”

“Your mercenary squad.”