“Ah…”

He seemed completely unprepared for this, his pupils darting around as the duke chuckled.

“Well, I’ll go with you.”

“…Really?”

“I’ll take responsibility for getting you there.”

“Really?”

Of course, he meant it. The duke wasn’t one to make empty promises or commitments he couldn’t keep.

Still, Yuri was surprised and repeated the question.

The duke, as if acknowledging this, continued to smoke without giving any particular answer.

“…Thank you.”

At first, he thought the duke’s help was a given, but as these favors piled up, he felt genuinely grateful.

The duke had done many things that he didn’t necessarily have to do.

* * *

Ever since the demonic beasts started flooding the area, the path to the ruins had been a nightmare. The duke hadn’t visited the place in at least a few years.

He had only been clearing out the outskirts to keep the numbers manageable.

He thought the unusually cold weather might have slowed the demonic beasts down, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

“…The situation isn’t good.”

The duke looked ahead and clicked his tongue.

“The numbers seem lower than usual… Is that so?”

Yuri hadn’t actively participated in extermination squads, but he had seen demonic beasts swarm and even invade Castle Cream during particularly bad times.

Sometimes, hundreds or even thousands of them would come, so this seemed relatively manageable. However, the duke had a different opinion.

“There are too many green-horned demonic beasts.”

“Green-horned demonic beasts? Ah, the ones with horns? They are quite large…”

Not only were they large, but they also looked grotesque and intimidating.

Still, there seemed to be about two hundred of them… With the duke’s usual skill, he should be able to take them down quickly, right?

It was strange, and the duke explained further.

“Those demonic beasts aren’t pack animals. They usually travel alone and prey on other demonic beasts.”

“…Really? There are clearly over a hundred of them here.”

“That’s the problem. Also, they are quite intelligent and have a high regeneration rate. You have to decapitate them to kill them.”

“……”

“Do you see the issue now?”

“Ah… Is it… possible?”

Would they be able to reach the ruins at all?

They were only two people. They had left Hamil and the knights behind, only relying on the duke’s exceptional abilities in dealing with demonic beasts.

Considering the security of the ruins and the safety of his companion, they concluded that two people was the best number to go. But now, he was starting to think it might have been a mistake.

Yuri felt disheartened.

They couldn’t wait for another opportunity. If this many were here during a lull, how many more would there be during the breeding season?

“There’s no other choice.”

“……”

Ah, giving up? This is bad…

“There probably won’t be another chance.”

The duke drew his sword from its scabbard at his waist.

“We can’t die, so let’s aim to break through.”

It was a relief that he wasn’t giving up, but what? Break through? Through that?

The duke dismounted and pulled Yuri off the horse, then immediately climbed a tree.

The duke placed Yuri on the branch and then smoothly descended, whipping the two horses with a lash before climbing back up.

The horses, startled by the lash, galloped forward loudly. However, they soon sensed the presence of the demonic beasts and started to turn and flee.

The demonic beasts noticed the fleeing horses and began to chase them at an incredible speed.

This was a desperate attempt to divert some of their attention, but the effect wouldn’t last long.

The duke quickly grabbed Yuri and leaped off the tree, summoning Morev.

“…Aaaah–!”

He almost screamed, but the duke clamped his mouth shut.

If he was going to jump, he should have warned him. Yuri inwardly cursed the duke’s ruthless behavior.

Despite his age, the duke was still incredibly strong.

Yuri, who had mostly lived a sedentary life of research, was lean but had a sturdy build, which the duke lifted and maneuvered with ease.

Swish–!

The duke’s sword skills were so proficient that it seemed he had been doing this all his life. (And in recent times, he had been.)

With each swing, the heads of the demonic beasts fell.

There were two or three types of demonic beasts, but the green-horned ones were the problem. They didn’t die with a single strike.

If their necks weren’t severed, they would quickly regenerate and attack even more fiercely. Their skin was also tough, making it difficult to decapitate them.

In the end, the duke was creating gaps by swinging his sword and breaking through them, aiming to push forward.

The green-horned demonic beasts were clearly quite intelligent. They would push weaker demonic beasts forward and attack from blind spots, or form a sort of encirclement.

The most frustrating thing was that the green horns on the green-horned demonic beasts had a purpose.

They would charge at high speed, using their horns like spears… As time passed, the duke’s body accumulated more and more cuts.

But there was no time to ask if he was okay. The green-horned demonic beasts were nearly indestructible, and as time went on, more and more of them appeared around them.

“If we get surrounded, we’re dead. We need to break through, even if it means pushing ourselves to the limit. Hold on tight.”

“……!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the duke summoned immense strength. A black force visibly gathered around him.

It was like darkness and shadows, pulling and fixing the demonic beasts to the ground like quicksand.

The duke started to run, squeezing through the gaps.

Moving at an incredible speed, Yuri struggled to keep his vision clear and had to cling tightly to the duke’s waist.

Despite the grim situation, he couldn’t afford to fall and die.

Aaaah–!

He screamed inwardly, hoping they would pass through quickly.

The biting cold felt like it was tearing his skin, but he was too tense to notice.

How much time had passed?

It felt like an eternity, yet it might have been only a short while. Something appeared in the distance.

“Eeeeh–! Where are you…!”

Had they gone mad while fleeing?

Suddenly, the view opened up, revealing a lake, and the duke ran straight into it.

What? It’s winter! It’s freezing! Why isn’t the water frozen here?

He had no time to ask or think further.

As the duke crossed the shore and plunged into the water, the thought of drowning filled Yuri’s mind, and he started to scream.

But something was strange. He still felt the jolts of movement.

“Ah…?”

Looking around, he saw Morev walking on the water.

What is this? Guardian Spirits are truly amazing!

Turning back, he saw the demonic beasts clustered at the lakeshore, grumbling.

Do they hate water? Ah, the duke mentioned a barrier. Is that why they can’t cross? But why are they so densely packed? How will we get out?

While pondering these questions, he turned his head forward and was suddenly confronted with an alien scene.

“Wh-What is this…!”

“As you can see, this is the final ruin of the Kramer duchy.”

Yuri, who hadn’t been briefed on what the ruins looked like or where they were, could only stare in amazement.

The atmosphere was completely different from the chaotic battle they had just left.

Thanks to the barrier, there were no demonic beasts, and there was no trace of any life form, making the place feel very quiet and ancient.

* * *

As soon as they entered the island, the battle came to a lull.

Yuri, who had just been on the brink of life and death, started to tend to his own affairs without any hesitation.

Despite not being a fighter, he showed no signs of fear after encountering demonic beasts, including the top-tier ones.

Was he a person with strong resolve?

Or was his purpose for coming to the ruins so significant that it overshadowed everything else?

Watching Yuri move busily in the spring water, which the duke used only for punishing Caligo, he slowly sat down.

Leaning against a half-broken wall, he let out a faint groan.

His wounds had reopened.

Yuri didn’t know, but the duke had a quite serious, unhealed wound. He had been injured when a large number of top-tier demonic beasts appeared not long ago.

He had been taking potions to recover during the respite, but the green-horned demonic beasts had started moving in groups, making it difficult to collect their horns.

He could only kill one or two at a time before retreating, so he hadn’t been able to gather the materials to make green potions for quite some time, and his supply was running low.

He had been sparing the potions, using them only to heal the surface, which led to the internal wounds reopening. Caligo, sensing the blood, started to scream and drink it.

His already noisy mind was becoming even noisier, to the point of being unbearable.

‘Haa…’

Perhaps because he had lost a lot of blood, his vision started to blur.

In this state, how could he possibly break through that chaos and return?

‘I’m tired…’

Actually, what difference would it make if he couldn’t?

He… was tired. He wanted to rest.

There were too many people who only cared about themselves, and somehow he had managed to survive until now, but he was desperately in need of rest.

In his blurred vision, Yuri’s black hair moved faintly.

What will happen when the ruins open? Is he going to become an Oathkeeper?

If Yuri becomes an Oathkeeper… will he take me with him?

If not… I’ll think about it when the time comes…

Slowly, as his vision darkened, he saw a strange light gathering in the distance, but he no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open.

His body was already cold and gradually growing colder, but he had no desire to do anything about it.

“…Your Grace! I found… ed…!”

Yuri seemed to be shouting something, but he lacked the energy to focus and listen.

“…Saena! ……We’ll meet soon….”

He thought he heard a name that was both familiar and unfamiliar, but his thoughts couldn’t connect.

As he slowly sank into the darkness, the duke suddenly realized that the voices in his head had stopped.

‘Ah…’

It’s quiet, so quiet…

Is this what a quiet mind feels like?

The cold silence that was slowly seeping into him was oddly comforting.

The duke slowly closed his eyes.

A slight twist appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Was it a smile, or…?

It was impossible to tell, as his head drooped and his long hair covered his face.

Leaning against the half-ruined wall, the duke no longer moved.

He seemed to have become part of the ancient ruins, or like an old still life in a painting, his surroundings frozen in time.

The only thing left was an afterimage.

A faint smile of a woman in a portrait, lingering in his eyes and then fading away.