It''s the Kingdom of Harzion.


    When you hear the name of the country, your eyes widen.


    I stop thinking for a moment because of the suddenness of it.


    The Kingdom of Harzion is the country where Irene is located........!


    Irene Harzion.


    In a previous life I met her and we became lovers.


    I was her family, her childhood friend, and her best friend. I met a woman who had lost everything, and she had lost everything, just like me.


    We talked about each other''s circumstances, understood each other, and then worked together to lick our wounds and comfort each other.


    We became lovers and swore we''d never lose her again, but I couldn''t protect her.


    So I killed myself next to her, ending her life in a previous life.


    Not a day goes by in this life that I don''t remember her.


    Every night I thought about her.


    I want to see her, hear her voice, touch her, hold her....


    Thousands of nights passed as I thought about these things.


    ''-- Eric-kun?　Do you hear me?


    What?


    I huffed when I was approached, and I saw Yelle and Liberto looking at me a little confused.


    ''''S-Sorry, I was in a daze,''''


    You don''t feel well?


    No, it''s fine. I''m sorry.


    The name of the country reminded me of Irene, and I was in a state of distraction.


    ''But the Kingdom of Harzion? Are we going there now?


    Mr. Liberto says it in a way that includes a few things.


    Somehow I know what he means.


    Currently the Kingdom of Harzion is in a bit of a rough or unstable state, as I heard from the rumors in the wind.


    I''ve heard that a lot of things are happening because someone has killed Felix Glazio, who was a sure-fire next king... well, me, but he was killed by someone else.


    With the death of the belligerent Felix, the belligerent guys are no longer fighting the war, so the equally belligerent guys are getting frustrated.


    Up until now, they knew they wouldn''t go to war, but because of Felix, they were on the verge of going to war.


    If it suddenly turns out not to be in the middle of the war, the belligerents are bound to be disgruntled.


    It seems that there are many other effects of Felix''s death as well.


    ''''Yes, now is the time to go to the Harzion Kingdom. We will learn what measures the King of Ceredonia Harzion is taking and how he is dealing with the current situation.''''


    Okay, this is going to be a bit of a pain in the ass.


    Liberto-san sighs without even trying to hide it.


    I would normally want to sigh one of those sighs too, but right now, in my mind, the anticipation is getting the better of me.


    Maybe - I might be able to meet Irene.


    I can''t help but feel that way.


    The Kingdom of Harzion is a big country. I don''t even know if I''m going to the city where Irene is.


    But I can''t help but think that maybe.


    ''''Please come back to the office tomorrow night. We''ll discuss a few more details there, and then you''ll leave the day after tomorrow morning. Is that alright with you?


    Yes, I understand.


    Okay, so can I go now?


    ''Yes, thank you for your time. Get some rest.


    Mr. Liberto leaves the room on his own.


    I greet him and bail as I leave the room before leaving.


    ''Well, good to see you the day after tomorrow, Eric. It''s going to be a bit of a hassle this time, but I''m sure you''ll be fine.


    Please, Mr. Liberto.


    Okay, I''m gonna go get a drink.


    Don''t go easy on him, okay?


    He doesn''t reply to my words, but turns away and leaves with a flutter of his hand.


    I''m pretty sure he''s not listening to me.


    I walk out of the office and then head to the cafeteria.


    I look for Tina, Elena and the others in the cafeteria.


    It''s become normal for me, Tina, Elena-san, and Yulina-san to always eat breakfast and evening meals together.


    Sometimes Viviana-san, who has been neglecting her duties as deputy commander, joins us there.


    I look around the dining room and find the four of them. It looks like Viviana-san is there today.


    I get my food and then go to my seat there.


    ''Oh, Eric!　Good job!


    Oh, good job.


    Eric, good job.


    ''Thank you for your hard work, you were guarding the guild today, right?


    Yeah, it''s still a bunch of jerks in there.


    Yulina-san and I did guarding in the guild together once, but she''s so beautiful that she often gets tangled up with the weirdos.


    Well, Yulina-san is strong, so it''s okay, but it seems weird to be looked at from afar with a lowly eye. That kind of thing isn''t really harmful, so it''s hard to crack down on it.


    ''''Commander Yelle is a very understanding person, so he''ll reduce the number of times I have to guard the guild, but still, I''ll have a little bit of protection to go around.


    Thank you so much for your help.


    Yulina looks more mentally tired than physically.


    ''Good work, Viviana,''


    I also say hello to Viviana, who is munching on a mouth full of things and eating them deliciously.


    ''''Hmm, Ofuahhhh...''''


    I don''t know what you''re saying.


    It''s supposed to look crude when she talks with things in her mouth, but when she does it, she looks like a little animal and it''s kind of cute.


    She swallows her food and smiles.


    ''Good job! Oh, yeah, Eric, I''ll see you the day after tomorrow!''


    What the...?


    The day after tomorrow?　What is it?


    Elena said as she tilted her head.


    Seriously, this guy!　It''s a top-secret mission and you can''t even tell people about it!


    Oh, my mistake.


    You just realized that?


    Mr. Viviana, what''s happening the day after tomorrow?


    Uh, yeah.


    I was told not to share this top secret mission with anyone I was close to.


    Viviana-san would have been told that as well, so I''m not sure how to respond after I slipped up.


    You''ll have to fake it somehow.


    You''re the one who misspoke, so do your best to clean it up yourself.


    ''Ah!''


    Whoa, I got an idea.


    "I''m going on a week-long trip with you, Eric, the day after tomorrow!


    At those words, the place quiets down.


    I see Yulina-san with a slightly frightened face in front of me, and Elena-san with a bitter smile on her face.


    They probably think that what they just said was some kind of mistake or a joke.


    But there is someone sitting next to me who takes these.............mainly a joke to me and so on.


    I can''t help but perceive something, a black aura that resembles murderous intent, emanating from next to me.


    ''Viviana, what do you mean by that?　And Eric, you can explain it to me, right?


    --and then I explained it like crazy.