In front of the Teleportation Hall of Cakranloka City, Gara was greeted by knights of the Esalavya Duchy. He immediately boarded the carriage they had prepared.

Along the way, Cakranloka did not look much different from any other city.

"I thought there would be a huge difference since this city is on the border," Gara murmured.

Not long after, the carriage left the central district.

The scenery changed completely.

Knights in full armor and Liners in flowing robes were stationed everywhere. It seemed that just beyond the city center lay the barracks for knights and Liners.

The further they went, the more signs of battle became visible. Cracked stone. Scorched ground. Dried blood that the cold wind had not fully erased.

Gara’s heart pounded. His palms were damp.

He was truly anxious.

Fortunately, even outside the city center, the roads were well maintained. The carriage moved swiftly.

Soon, it stopped before a tall tower.

"Young Master Gara, Commander Ramun is being treated inside," one of the knights said as Gara stepped down.

Gara nodded.

Tristan emerged from the tower and immediately led Gara inside. He kept telling Gara not to worry, though his own expression betrayed far more concern.

Inside a private chamber where only Ramun lay, the middle-aged man rested with his eyes closed.

Gara stood beside him and examined his injuries.

"All external wounds have healed," Gara muttered, brows furrowing.

"The healers handled those," Tristan replied. "But the Commander hasn’t woken up. The healers don’t know why."

"What if it’s the same poison that put Duke Eshaan into a coma?" Gara’s suspicion deepened.

"The healers checked. There’s no poison," Tristan answered quickly.

"I’ll still give him the antidote."

Gara had prepared every type of antidote and medicine before coming. If Ramun remained unconscious despite the presence of healers, then the cause was not ordinary.

With practiced precision, Gara controlled his water and guided the pill down into Ramun’s stomach.

"Gara, I’ve prepared a room for you. Why don’t you rest there until the Commander wakes?" Tristan suggested once Gara finished.

Gara shook his head. "I’ll wait."

Tristan could not persuade him further. He could only watch from the side.

Seeing the dark circles under Gara’s eyes, Tristan regretted contacting him at dawn. He should have waited until noon.

About thirty minutes later, Ramun’s fingers twitched. Then his eyes opened.

"Commander was poisoned with the same toxin as Duke Eshaan?" Tristan exclaimed in shock once the situation became clear. "Does that mean someone sabotaged us during the invasion?"

Gara nodded gravely.

Ramun, his mind still hazy, barely understood. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating when he saw Gara standing there.

After some time, clarity returned.

Gara explained about the poison found in his body.

"The amount was likely very small. That’s why the other healers didn’t detect it. But it was enough to keep you unconscious," Gara said. "Did you have contact with anyone outside our forces before or during the invasion?"

Ramun’s thick brows drew together. His cold face made him look intimidating, but neither Gara nor Tristan flinched.

"I met no one outside our side. But the sudden surge of mistwalkers was strange. There were too many, appearing out of nowhere. The wounds I sustained were from mistwalkers. They forced me toward the frontline, where I had to face a swarm of mistwights."

"If there was poison in my body, the only source would have been the mistwalkers," he concluded.

"But Commander," Tristan interjected, "it’s the same poison that put Duke Eshaan into a coma."

"There was sabotage during the invasion," Gara muttered, his voice low and edged with restrained fury. "The Duke needs to know."

Ramun still looked confused, but Gara quickly shifted the topic.

"The young Liner who came to help you when you were surrounded by mistwights..." Gara asked carefully.

Ramun nodded slowly. "You mean the beginner Liner? He looked about your age."

Gara nodded. "He’s... my friend."

"He appeared after the other knights fell. He was strong. We fought the remaining mistwights together. For a moment, I thought we could both survive, until..."

Ramun’s voice faltered.

"Until what?" Gara’s voice rose sharply, panic flashing across his face.

"Another wave of mistwalkers emerged from nowhere," Ramun said quietly. His gaze lowered. "He was taken by a mistwalker."

The moment those words left his mouth, tears slid slowly from Gara’s hazel eyes.

"I’m sorry, Gara," Ramun said. "I wanted to help him. But the mistwights and mistwalkers around me were relentless."

He felt uncomfortable seeing his nephew cry. As if he had failed.

Tristan placed a steady hand on Gara’s shoulder.

"When reinforcements arrived, Commander Ramun was still struggling against the mist creatures. No one wanted this outcome."

He chose his words carefully. He knew how important Madha was to Gara.

But, he also knew casualties in a mist monster invasion were inevitable.

"If Madha was taken by a mistwalker and entered the mist... he would have turned into a mistfiend," Tristan added softly.

Gara’s tears flowed harder. It felt as though something sharp pierced his heart.

His mind echoed with cruel logic, urging him to accept Madha’s disappearance.

Five months ago, when Madha left, perhaps there had already been a sign. A quiet omen that he would truly be gone.

Without realizing it, perhaps his heart had begun preparing for this loss.

Gara shook his head sharply. "No. Madha might just be missing."

Ramun looked confused. He glanced at Tristan, who wore an expression of quiet difficulty.

Ramun finally understood. The young Liner who saved him had been more than just a friend to Gara.

"Every knight and Liner who falls in the invasion receives compensation," Ramun said solemnly. "And since Liner Madha bravely saved my life, I will grant him special honors."

He meant to ease Gara’s sorrow. Instead, it sounded like a formal acknowledgment of death.

Though Gara had begun adjusting to Madha’s absence these past months, his body was still in shock.

Suddenly, pain struck his abdomen.

First sharp, stabbing. Then twisting cramps that stole his breath.

Gara clutched his stomach tightly.

"Gara, what’s wrong?" Ramun asked in alarm.

...