A momentary feeling of floating as the area in front of me turned white.


    Then, when my feet hit the ground and the light subsided, it wasn''t the village of the demon tribe I was in earlier, it was inside a building.


    I look around.


    Next to my right is Viviana-san, who, like me, has transitioned using a magic tool.


    This is the interior of a building somewhere.


    It''s quite spacious, with a beautiful sofa and desk.


    "Ho-hee, I''m really back.


    Viviana, where are we?


    I don''t know which room, but it''s probably the Royal Palace.


    I knew it.


    I''ve never been in this room before either, but this opulence and other things were familiar to me.


    As I look around the room, I find a large window.


    I rush up to it and open it up.


    This seems to be a room on the upper floor of the royal palace. From the window, you can see the whole view of the royal capital.


    The capital, seen from there, has already been turned into a battlefield.


    Fires were rising everywhere and buildings were falling down.


    And we could hear the voices of battle and shouting, which we hadn''t heard when the windows were closed.


    ''This is awful. We''re about to lose.''


    I heard Viviana''s voice as she looked out the window from behind me.


    It wasn''t her usual lazy voice, but a bit tighter.


    As far as King''s Landing is concerned, it''s pretty much under attack.


    But we haven''t lost yet.


    The battle isn''t over yet.


    We have to go to the rescue immediately!


    We have to quickly determine where to go.


    I can tell the soldiers of the opposing demon tribe from the soldiers of this one, by their clothes.


    As far as I can see it from here, the front line of the current battlefield is right in front of the royal palace.


    A lot of soldiers are fighting and bleeding and falling.


    So this side is the back gate.


    If so many of the opponents'' soldiers are coming at the back gate, it is likely that more are coming at the main gate.


    ''Viviana-san, can I leave the main gate to you?


    Sure, I''ll come to you.


    If you compare my strength with Bibiana''s, I will win if we do a one-on-one.


    However, when fighting many, Bibiana-san can be more effective.


    She''s powerful enough to kill dozens or hundreds of people with a single shot of magic.


    I can fight that number as well, but the latter is far stronger than slashing a hundred people one by one with a sword over tens of minutes, or releasing a single shot of magic to kill a hundred people.


    That''s why I let Viviana-san go to the main gate, where the number of the opposing soldiers would be greater.


    It''s hard to leave the hardest one to a woman, but she''s in the right place.


    ''''Please. Also, there''s a possibility that there are already enemies inside the royal palace, so please be careful.''''


    I know.


    ''His Majesty Leo I don''t think he''s going to be easily beaten, but I''m wondering if that should be the priority in case he''s attacked.


    If His Majesty Leo, the king of this country, is killed, this country will be completely defeated.


    The opponent''s goal is to corrupt the royal capital and to have His Majesty Leo''s head.


    ''''No, I don''t think you have to do that!


    What? Why?


    ''Leo-san always says, ''Protect the people over me.'' So Leo-san doesn''t have to protect you!


    No, I don''t think I need to protect it.


    But, yeah.


    He''s likely to say something like that.


    So we don''t have to go through the palace.


    Well, let''s go. Bibiana, you''ll go to the front gate. I''ll go to the back gate.


    Okay. Let''s get on with it then, Eric.


    Of course.


    I''m angry at you all right now.


    The fact that you attacked this country, that you did so much damage to King''s Landing, is what really pissed me off.


    But what pissed me off the most was that I never got a chance to talk to Irene.


    I finally got to meet Irene, who I''ve been wanting to see time and time again for sixteen years and who I haven''t forgotten a single day of.


    And yet, with you guys coming, I had to go back.


    Christo''s decision to bring me back was not wrong.


    But I wonder why I hold a grudge for nothing.


    I''d be lying if I said I didn''t wonder why you''d bring me back when I got to see Irene in my dreams.


    I don''t want to think about that.


    I know it in theory, but my mind isn''t convinced of it.


    I didn''t want to feel that way about my best friend Christo.


    I''ll have to tell him when he comes back this way.


    With a wry smile, I said, "Why did you bring me back?


    He knows I like Irene anyway, so I can say that much sarcasm.


    And in order to laugh about it, I have to defend this country through and through.


    If you guys hadn''t come along in the first place, I wouldn''t have had to say that kind of sarcasm to Christo, and I could have had a solid talk with Irene.


    In other words, it''s all your fault.


    I can''t blame you for feeling this way because I''m human.


    So I''ll never forgive you.


    I put my feet on the window sill and jump and stand there.


    It''s a big window frame, so my head doesn''t hit the top when I stand.


    And Viviana stands next to me, too.


    ''Well, shall we go then?''


    Yeah, I think we should go.


    Then we get together and jump down.


    I head to the battlefield on the ground, landing on the roof and other parts of the royal palace that are sticking out in places.


    It''s the kind of action that would get me accused of disrespect or something like that, but I''m sure I can handle it now in an emergency situation.


    Viviana-san was there until she jumped down next to me, but she''s gone.


    She probably went to the main gate with her levitation magic.


    Then I land on the ground and go to the back gate where they are fighting.


    On my way there, I saw that a wall of ice had been created on the battlefield.


    The only soldiers in this country who could do that would be Commander Anne, Viviana, and Tina.


    There, Tina is there. She''s still fighting, she''s still alive.


    And we''re on the battlefield.


    There are a lot of soldiers in this country, but most of them are already out of magic and can''t move.


    They all have a look of despair on their faces already.


    In the midst of it all, Tina is still trying to fight, staring towards the ice wall.


    I''m kind of happy or relieved to see that, but I can''t help but laugh a little.


    I''ve never been away from Tina before, not even for a day since I met her.


    I was worried because this is the first time I''ve been away from her this much, but I''m relieved to see that she''s doing well.


    And the fact that she still had the strength to fight after all this despair showed that Tina was still strong, which made me somewhat happy.


    Thank God, Tina is alive.


    I almost lost it again.


    ''Tina, you did a great job.''


    He calls out from behind and puts a hand on his shoulder.


    ''-- Eric!


    As if to reassure Tina, who looked at me happily and said that.


    And to myself, as if to make a vow.


    Yeah, you''re waiting. I''ll take care of it.