Max walked through the enormous castle hallways with a calm smile on his face.

Several days had passed since the incident in the Mirror Dimension.

His injuries were practically healed.

Dorian had insisted so much on rest that even Moonlight had ended up becoming a sort of personal guard whose job was to stop Max from running off to look for trouble.

And things seemed to be relatively under control.

The massive doors of the royal hall opened before him.

Max stepped inside.

The King of Eldoria sat upon his throne.

The light filtering through the stained-glass windows illuminated the entire chamber.

"You’re recovered already, lad."

"Almost completely."

"I’m glad to hear it."

Max smiled.

The king rested an arm on the throne.

"I’ve heard the full report about what happened."

Max scratched the back of his neck.

"That must have been a pretty strange read."

"It was."

The king let out a small chuckle.

"But it also made one thing clear."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"What’s that?"

The king looked directly at him.

"That you still have an important mission to complete before marrying my daughter."

Max nodded.

"Yeah."

"And I also understand that you’re not going to sit still until it’s finished."

"Probably not."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

Then the king released a resigned laugh.

"That’s why I’m going to allow you to assemble a party of adventurers with anyone you choose."

Max’s eyes lit up.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Thank you very much."

The king waved a hand.

"Don’t thank me yet."

"Why?"

"Because I suspect the people you’re going to choose are going to cause me problems."

Max grinned.

"Well..."

"Go on."

"If it isn’t too much trouble..."

The king sighed.

"Let’s hear it."

"I’d like to request the service of the king’s personal knight again."

The king closed his eyes.

"I knew you were going to say that."

Max smiled.

"Neros."

"No problem."

"Really?"

"Neros agreed before you even asked."

Max blinked.

"He came yesterday."

"And what did he say?"

The king imitated a serious voice.

"If the boy is going to fight monsters from another world, somebody has to stop him from doing something stupid."

Max burst out laughing.

"That sounds exactly like him."

"I know."

The king rested his chin on one hand.

"Who else?"

Max took a deep breath.

"Little Moonlight."

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Moonlight?"

"I promised I’d take her on my next adventure."

"And you intend to keep that promise?"

"Yes."

"That’s dangerous."

"I know."

Max sighed.

"But I also know she’s going to follow me anyway."

The king laughed.

"That’s true too."

Max smiled.

"Besides, I’ll do my best to keep her safe."

The king shook his head.

"I can honestly say you understand what it means to be a father."

Max let out a small laugh.

The king settled back into his throne.

"Continue."

Max raised another finger.

"I also want the Wand of Eldoria to come with us."

The king immediately understood.

"Seraphine."

"Exactly."

"You’re going to need the most powerful mage in the kingdom."

The king nodded slowly.

"That makes sense."

Then he frowned.

"Though I am concerned about the castle’s defenses."

"I figured."

"Without Seraphine here—"

Before he could finish...

The doors of the hall burst open.

And an excessively confident voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Max knew that voice.

Far too well.

The king smiled.

"It seems the guests for my daughter’s wedding ceremony are already arriving."

Max turned his head.

And a huge feathered figure strode into the hall.

A bird-man, proud and confident, wings spread wide and wearing an enormous grin as always.

"Gawain..."

The bird-man opened his arms.

"MY GREAT FRIEND!"

Max laughed.

"No way."

Gawain marched across the hall.

"It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other!"

The guards watched him in confusion.

The king simply looked accustomed to it.

Gawain reached Max and slapped him on the back so hard he nearly sent him to another world.

"After everything we’ve been through together."

"You still hit just as hard."

"And you’re still just as fragile!"

Max laughed.

"What are you doing here?"

Gawain dramatically spread his wings.

"What kind of friend would I be if I missed your grand wedding?"

Max smiled.

"I suppose a bad one."

"Exactly."

Gawain pointed at the king.

"Besides, after helping you win that duel for the princess’s hand against the elf Taniel..."

Max was already laughing before he finished.

"I knew you were going to bring that up."

"You could say this wedding is partially mine too."

The king laughed from his throne.

Gawain finally extended a hand.

Max shook it.

A firm handshake between old companions.

Gawain smiled and then narrowed his eyes.

"Oh."

Max already knew that look.

"What?"

"That smile."

"What’s wrong with it?"

"It always means you have a plan."

Max smiled even wider.

"Maybe."

Gawain started laughing.

"I knew it."

"I need help."

"I knew it."

"For one last adventure."

"I figured."

Max shook his head.

"Are you going to let me finish a single sentence?"

"No."

Both of them burst out laughing.

Gawain proudly thumped his chest.

"I’ll do it for old times’ sake."

Max smiled.

"Thanks."

"And because I’d follow you to the ends of the world."

"That sounded pretty dramatic."

The king laughed again.

"Humans truly do have a special talent for convincing people."

"See?"

Max said.

"I didn’t even have to persuade him."

Max smiled.

"Well. There’s still one more person."

The king raised an eyebrow.

"Another one?"

"Yes."

"I’m listening."

Max hesitated for a few seconds.

"I need Miss Thara to come with us."

The king blinked.

"The politics professor?"

"Yes."

"The one who teaches my daughter?"

"Exactly."

The king rubbed his temples.

"I don’t understand why you’d need a politics professor."

Max smiled.

"It’s complicated."

"I already assumed that."

"But she’s going to help us."

The king sighed.

"Very well."

Max bowed.

"Thank you very much."

The king pointed at him.

"But come back safe and sound."

"I’ll try."

"No."

The king rose from his throne.

"Come back safe and sound."

Max smiled.

"I’ll do my best."

"I don’t like that answer."

"It’s the best one I can give."

The king shook his head in resignation.

"My daughter’s future husband shouldn’t die before the wedding."

Max laughed.

"No promises."

"I don’t like that answer either."

The king began walking toward a side door.

Max watched him.

"Leaving already?"

"Yes."

"Some important matter?"

"Lunch."

"Sounds pleasant."

"With my pet."

Max already knew who he meant.

"Chloe."

"Exactly."

The king sighed.

"She insisted that we have an important conversation that’s long overdue."

Max immediately felt a stab of guilt.

’Oh no.’

Because he could perfectly imagine what that conversation was about.

The need to return the summoned people to their own worlds.

And that included Chloe.

The king still didn’t seem fully aware of what that meant.

Max scratched the back of his neck.

’This is going to be a disaster.’

The king walked toward the exit.

"Good luck with your mission."

"Thanks."

"And remember."

Without turning around, the king pointed at Max.

"One week."

Max smiled.

"One week."

"Then you get married."

"Then I get married."

The king finally disappeared through the door.

The enormous hall fell silent.

Gawain stepped closer to Max.

"So?"

"So what?"

"What kind of adventure are we about to have?"

Max looked out toward the windows.

Thinking about all the summons that still remained.

The secrets yet to be uncovered.

And the mission the system had given him.

Then he smiled.

A smile full of trouble.

"A pretty complicated one."

Gawain let out a hearty laugh.

"The best ones always are."