I rode the Ministry of Mysteries’ carriage toward the noble district of Eupeheim.
While Ulysses served as the city’s lord, several other nobles maintained estates here as well. Regardless of political faction, keeping a manor in Eupeheim was a mark of prestige for any aristocrat.
"……Yawn."
I let out a long yawn as the carriage swayed.
According to the coachman, it would take about twenty minutes to reach the Marquis Ignat Manor. Since yesterday had been my first time in Eupeheim, I’d stayed up quite late and felt a lingering sleepiness. A short rest now would probably do me good.
"……Time to sleep."
It was only a twenty-minute trip. I closed my eyes, hoping to avoid greeting Ulysses with a tired face.
————I realized almost instantly that I was dreaming.
The moment my eyes closed, I drifted off, and a dream began to unfold. Curiously, unlike my usual dreams, my five senses were incredibly sharp.
I stood there as a bystander, forced to watch the scene around me.
A vast number of knights had been mobilized. Their swords were clearly masterpieces, and those among them who could weave magic were undoubtedly first-class. The sheer force gathered here was a testament to why Leomel was hailed as the world’s preeminent military power. With magic weapons at their disposal, no nation would dare seek a fight.
I didn't recognize the location, but judging by the gates, it was likely the Marquis Ignat Manor.
『My, my. What an ominous greeting for a masterless house.』
Unlike the reality I knew, this scene took place in the dead of winter, with a light dusting of snow covering the cobblestones. An elderly gentleman stood before the gates, greeting the sea of knights.
Many of the knights were visibly trembling with tension. In the front line facing Edgar stood the pride of the Lion Sanctum; even they had sweaty palms, unable to look away from the butler as they stood in a state of extreme stress.
One knight stepped forward.
『Lord Edgar, please accompany us to the Imperial Capital.』
『Hmm. And why is that?』
『……You surely understand. It concerns the incident where His Highness was kidnapped.』
『Heh. It seems you are concerned about our house's involvement.』
『—! This is no place for jokes! I cannot believe a man of your caliber doesn't understand that!』
With a weary sigh, the old gentleman shed his jacket. Despite the winter chill, he didn’t seem to care, standing there in his white shirt and suspenders. He rolled up his sleeves and exhaled a plume of white breath.
『I apologize, but I cannot comply.』
The knights drew their swords in unison. Several hundred soldiers immediately assumed combat stances.
As Edgar looked up at the winter sky, his expression was profoundly lonely. He turned back to look at the Marquis Ignat Manor, unable to stop the trembling in his hands or the twitching of his eyes.
There wasn't a single soul left in the manor. Edgar himself had locked the doors just a moment ago. Even though he likely knew the day to reopen them would never come, he tucked the keys away with great care.
When Edgar turned back toward the knights, they saw tears streaming down his cheeks.
『I will give you one last warning. If you all withdraw, I will not swing my sword.』
『You know we cannot do that.』
『Then, is there no choice but to fight?』
『If that is what Lord Edgar desires. We must restrain you and search that manor.』
『……That is a problem.』
Edgar's tears dripped into the snow accumulating on the cobblestones, but the falling flakes quickly erased the traces. Edgar watched this and laughed self-mockingly.
『This manor is my very soul. It is the proof of my service to the Ignat family, and I wish for it to be left in peace. Even if you have your reasons, I cannot yield.』
The outcome was certain; there was nothing left but to cross blades.
It happened the very instant the knights stepped forward to ensure they wouldn't be forced into a defensive position. The old gentleman vanished. Only the spot where his shoes had been remained free of snow. The flakes drifting on the wind shook irregularly for a split second.
『……Eh?』
Before blood could even spray from the chest of the knight in the lead, two silver swords had already pierced through his body.
Then, the scene shifted abruptly.
Edgar had sustained heavy injuries in the battle at the manor but had managed to escape to a safe house prepared by Ulysses. An Ignat family attendant was nursing him, and he had narrowly escaped death. In exchange, however, he had lost an eye and now wore an eyepatch, and his left arm had been replaced with a prosthetic.
Without paying his injuries any mind, Edgar spoke to the attendant with cold detachment.
『How much time has passed?』
『……A very, very long time.』
『Then, please tell me. What happened while I was asleep?』
Ulysses had lost his life in the Baldur Mountains, and a new Hero had been born in Leomel. Upon learning this, Edgar wept, overwhelmed by the shame of being the only one to survive.
『……Lord Edgar, you should do what only you can do,』 the attendant said through her own tears.
『There is nothing I can do. Despite being a butler, I failed to protect my master and Lady Fiona. Knowing that, what is it you expect me to accomplish?』
『……We attendants do not know either. However, even if Lord Edgar were to take his own life, the master would not welcome you.』
Knowing Ulysses, that was certainly true. The two, who knew the hearts of the Ignat family better than anyone, looked at each other and wept quietly once more.
Initially, Edgar became a purposeless wanderer. Since the Ignat house no longer existed in Leomel, he spent his days in constant thought of his master and Fiona. However, in a corner of a town outside the empire...
『……It seems there are still many secrets hidden that must be unearthed.』
Blending into the bustle of the town, he made a resolve.
『This old body has one last job. Before I go to my master’s side, let me accomplish what must be done.』
The true meaning of that murmur remained a mystery, but in the vision, Ren saw Edgar travel to various lands. The long passage of time was condensed into a single, overwhelming moment.
Eventually, Edgar returned to Leomel after a long absence. A Leomelian knight spotted him, and based on that report, a force including Lion Sanctum Knights was dispatched to his hiding place. Naturally, Edgar noticed and fled.
However, hampered by his missing eye and prosthetic arm, he could no longer fight as he once had. He was unable to escape as completely as before. Cornered in a town's slum, he leaned his back against the grimy wall of a house.
Having begun his journey to pursue a certain truth, he now closed his eyes and prepared for the end.
『……Master, Lady Fiona, your unworthy butler is coming soon. Please, allow me to serve at your side once more.』
Hurried footsteps drew near. He waited for the final strike.
『……Eh?』
Suddenly, every single knight who had been closing in fell to the ground. No blood was shed; they had all simply been struck across the neck or stomach with such precision that they lost consciousness instantly.
Witnessing a scene he could never have predicted, Edgar caught sight of a figure nearby clad in a grimy robe.
『————You must be Lord Edgar.』
『————You certainly don't look like a knight.』
『Indeed. Rather, I am an enemy of knights…… no, an enemy of Leomel.』
The figure pulled back his hood to reveal his face.
He was still a boy, with neutral, well-proportioned features. The boy approached Edgar and lifted the old man onto his back. While Edgar was still reeling from shock, the boy began to speak.
『I was looking for you. I suspected that you might hold some of the information I'm searching for.』
『……I do not understand. Why would you be pursuing such things?』
『Isn't it obvious? It's because I have a goal, too.』
With that, the boy kicked off the cobblestones and leapt onto the rooftops. He moved across the houses with a footwork so fast and light it felt like flying. Edgar murmured a soft "Hmm" in wonder. It seemed it was still too early for him to join his masters in the afterlife.
『Young one, pray tell me your name.』
As they were about to escape the town, Edgar asked the name of the boy who had saved him. The boy did not slow his pace as he answered.
『I am Ren Ashton—the Great Sinner who took the lives of the White Saint and the Academy Principal.』
Hearing the boy's name, Edgar was left speechless by the staggering truth.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
"——Ren-dono, Lord Ren Ashton."
Ren’s shoulder was shaken, and he woke to the coachman’s voice trying to rouse him.
Until a moment ago, he had been trapped in a dream that condensed years of time.
……What was that?
Was that a memory from a different timeline? One where Ren Ashton and Edgar had formed a connection and acted together? That was all he could gather. He had no idea why he had seen such a dream, or why it had been shown to him now. If he had to compare it, it felt like the vision he’d had when he was kidnapped by Jelququ long ago.
Dazed, Ren rubbed his eyes and looked at the coachman, his mind still reeling.
"I'm sorry. I fell asleep for a bit."
"No, I should be the one apologizing. We are almost at the manor."
The carriage had stopped about a ten-minute walk away from the Marquis Ignat Manor. It couldn't proceed any further because knights had blocked the road. According to them, an anomaly had occurred in the underground waterway, and they were conducting an emergency inspection.
"It seems you can only go forward from here on foot, sir……"
"In that case, I'll walk. There are plenty of knights around here anyway."
Ren pushed open the carriage door and stepped onto the cobblestones with a light thud. He gave a small nod to the coachman and began to walk.
……Oh, he's right.
A dozen or so meters ahead, the road was indeed cordoned off. As he walked past the guards, one of them called out to him.
"You there, where are you headed?"
"To the manor of Marquis Ignat, just ahead."
"……To, to His Excellency’s manor?"
The knight was left shell-shocked. Even if these knights served the nation of Leomel, Ulysses was effectively their direct superior. It was a surprise they couldn't ignore. However, none of them suspected Ren was lying; they had seen him emerge from the Ministry of Mysteries' carriage.
Since the knight didn't move to stop him, Ren proceeded without hesitation.
After walking for a few minutes, the Marquis Ignat Manor came into view. It was the same massive gatehouse that had stunned Licia. Approaching it head-on like this, the scale of the estate became clear—it was easily as large as the castle of a small country.
Ren started to murmur "It's huge" to himself, but the words didn't quite leave his throat.
Instead, he stopped and said it again, this time out loud.
"……It’s huge."