As soon as Zenon arrived at the main city, he went to see Eof, the veteran leader of the Arhon Knights.
Eof was an old man with an eye patch over his left eye and a full beard.
The spirit of its large size naturally made him nervous. Perhaps because his body was covered with scars from numerous battles, he had a completely different vibe from Drial.
"It is an honor to meet you like this, Captain. This is Zenon, who leads the guard."
"You are Zenon. I thought you were an old guy like me, but you were a young guy?"
Eof was delighted and shook hands with Zenon. Despite his overflowing spirit, he was a person with a warm smile.
As soon as he saw that smile, Zenon relaxed. Eof seemed strangely similar in texture to Drial.
"You protected Arhon while the knights were away, right? You must have had a hard time."
"No. Compared to what knights fought on the battlefield..."
"Don't say that. Whether it's a small battle or a big battle, the fact remains that you have to risk your life when fighting. Thank you so much for protecting my men's hometown."
"You worked hard to protect the world in the cold north. I sincerely congratulate you on your return."
Eof immediately liked the neat Zenon.
"We just came back and don't know much about Arhon's situation. I hope the cavalry can help me adapt."
"Of course. Just say the word."
"Are there many people like you in the Guardians?"
"Yes?"
"We lost quite a few knights in the north. We need to supplement the number of knights, and if there are any useful guards, I think I should ask the lord to appoint them as knights. What do you think?"
Zenon, surprised, closed his mouth. It took a long time to become a knight. This was a huge benefit.
Zenon suppressed his trembling heart and responded calmly.
"There are some members of the Guardian Corps out of duty, but there are many more who do it out of a mission to protect Arhon. I believe that if you select someone with skills among them, he will definitely be of help to the Knights Corps."
"As the leader of the Guardian Corps, you feel proud of my members. Great attitude."
"Thank you. For us, it is an honor just to have the opportunity to become a knight."
Eof was polite and spoke clearly and coherently, making Zenon unique as his grandson. He was worried because he had gathered a ragtag group of people to form a guard, but the moment he saw Zenon, he realized that his worries were for nothing.
If it was created by Rune and led by Zenon, the Guardians would definitely be a good group.
"There will be a monster subjugation soon, right?"
"That's right. I heard that the selection of mercenaries to subdue together has been completed, and the subjugation schedule has been decided."
"One of the knights and guards will remain in the castle."
"I think that's probably true."
"It's okay for us to compete, it's okay for us to rest..."
Eof, who was stroking his beard, felt gazes on him and glanced up. Lares was coming down.
"You two are here together."
"Nice to meet you again, manager. Yesterday, you scolded me for keeping up with my subordinates."
Eof apologized and politely greeted Lares.
Lares chuckled as he recalled the events of last night. Although Lares appears to be a handsome old man, he has actually lived a very long time and has seen more battlefields than Eof.
Those who traveled to the battlefield liked alcohol, and Lares was also a drinker at one time. So he understood the Arhon Knights, who were half-drunk and sang until dawn.
"It was rather an honor to be able to attend the heroes who ended the Frost Giant War. "Don't be sorry."
Lares smiled kindly and looked at the two captains in turn.
"The reason I came to you two was because of the subjugation. The schedule for subjugating monsters has been finalized, and Madam said she will entrust the knight corps to subdue the castle and the guardian corps to subdue it. It seemed like she wanted the cavalry to rest a little more."
"Oh, we can play and drink for another month!"
Eof liked it without any sign of dislike.
Zenon felt that he knew why Drial chose Eof as the leader of the knights and thought that the summer subjugation might be the last mission of the guardians.
It was lonely but happy. Among the guardians, there were some who found fighting difficult.
Zenon, hiding his regret and relief, greeted Eof.
"Then I will go first. I think I need to break the news to the crew and reorganize the training schedule."
"I see. See you later."
"Yes, see you again."
Zenon gave Lares a greeting and ran to where the members were gathered.
Eof smiled happily as he looked at Zenon's dependable back.
"Madam chose the person very well."
"He's a young man who had his coming-of-age ceremony this year, and it's really great. Madam also relies a lot on Captain Zenon."
"So, has Madam come back?"
"She came back before noon. He too, my lord."
"Hmm, did you say they were going for a moonlit walk on a dragon?"
Eof scratched his eyepatch and smiled bitterly. It was a look of disbelief at the lord and his wife's moonlit walk.
"May I ask what happened last night?"
"This old man doesn't know anything, so you'd better ask Madam directly. Even if it wasn't so, Madam was looking for the captain."
"Huh, coincidentally."
Eof immediately went to see Rune.
When he opened the office door, he saw Rune's back putting a bouquet of agapanthus flowers by the window. The hand that placed the bouquet in the vase was delicate. When he saw that, it reminded him of her childhood.
Eof had known Drial and Rune since they were teenagers.
Drial was a boy who was sweet but drew clear lines in relationships, and Rune was a girl who tried to endure the pressures of those around her on her own but was looking for a place to lean on. The boy felt sorry for the girl and showed compassion to her, and the girl relied on that sympathy to endure each day.
Looking back, Rune couldn't help but love Drial.
"Lady Helid, I heard you called for me."
"Did you have a good night last night?"
Eof, who had lost his memory, shook his head.
"With the help of the manager, I returned home safely without sleeping in the stable."
Rune chuckled at Eof's taunt.
"Sit down, don't stand. Let's sit down and talk."
Eof sat on the sofa and Rune sat in front of the desk.
Rune, holding a quill, got to the point without any rhetoric.
"Did you fight anything other than frost giants on the battlefield?"
"What do you mean by being something else...?"
"Something like a reanimated corpse."
Eof, who was loose, was shocked. How did Rune know that?
He was surprised, but he maintained his composure.
On the day the end of the war was declared, he made a promise to Drial.
"Let's keep everything we experienced in the war a secret. The truth must be hidden from the bereaved family as well. There is nothing good to know. Someday, as time passes, they may find out the truth. Because there are no eternal secrets. But I don't want those who lost their husbands, sons, or fiancés to suffer the same pain as us. If you agree with my opinion... Everyone put your right hand on your heart and swear."
The surviving Knights of Arhon placed their right hands on their hearts and swore to secrecy.
Although he did not swear in the name of the Gods, Eof promised unchanging loyalty to Drial, so he kept his mouth shut.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about. Have you heard any rumors about the war?"
"The reanimated corpses attacked the people of Emur village."
"Oh my. That's such a bizarre thing."
"Don't you know anything?"
"Nothing at all. It's a big deal that a dead person has come back to life."
The old man lied skillfully. Rune twisted her mouth as if she had expected it.
"Drial did a thorough job of cracking down on entry."
Eof grinned at the sarcasm.
Rune also turned her gaze to the documents as if she didn't want to ask any more questions.
"I heard that Eus went missing."
"You're talking about the youngest master... Yes, he is missing. There is no way to know life or death. If he was killed, I hope he did so without pain."
Rune did not like Drial's brothers, but he loved Eusman like her own younger brother.
He was a good and kind child.
When leaving for Arhon after an unfortunate wedding, the child held Rune's hand and said goodbye with a tearful face...
"Sister, don't understand our family members. Don't even forgive me. Don't feel sorry for Drial, just live your life. Right now, I just think about my sister's life. I will pray for my sister."
Why is everything he cherishes and loves ruined?
While thinking about Eus, who must have been scared on the battlefield, Rune bit her molars hard. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts.
"Did you hear about the subjugation from Lares?"
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