Weekend Holiday.

Marion eventually moved to the Apart family’s estate, following Louis Apart. Maxime had long established connections with the Bourdain family due to frequent invitations, but Marion had only visited the Apart estate once. That reasoning had worked in persuading her to move.

Louis Apart felt a quiet sense of pride as he received Maxime’s heartfelt gratitude. Though he was curious about what his son’s true intentions might be, he set his questions aside for the moment.

“Over there should be fine,” Louis said. “Yes, my lady,” replied Marion’s servant.

Marion only had one maid with her. She had served Marion for quite some time, even amidst the frequently changing staff. Marion realized she didn’t have much luggage to take with her. After all, there was nothing left for her in the royal capital or at home. And she didn’t find that fact regrettable.

All of her belongings were loaded into the carriage. The maid bowed her head toward Marion.

“It’s all packed, my lady.”

Marion nodded faintly, while behind her, Louis Apart watched both her and the maid. Marion had a bittersweet expression—somehow both somber and content. Louis spoke to her.

“Thank you for accepting my son’s request, Marion. I know it must have been difficult, and perhaps you felt pressured...”

Marion shook her head.

“I was happy to hear that he wanted me to come. Please, don’t worry about such small matters.”

With that, Louis closed the door to the carriage and climbed in last. As soon as he was seated, the carriage set off. Rolling down the well-paved streets of the capital, the carriage swayed gently—just enough for the passengers to relax.

“I’ll be relying on you, Marion, at least until Maxime returns from his deployment,” Louis said. “...I will do my best, Father,” Marion replied, her voice tense. Louis couldn’t shake the thought that the look in her eyes behind the mask resembled that of a wounded animal.

He didn’t know what kind of upbringing Emil Bourdain had given his daughter, but it seemed unlikely that the emotions reflected in her eyes were purely innate. Louis could guess the emotions Maxime displayed whenever he spoke of her.

“Make yourself comfortable. As you know, it will be a long journey to our estate.” “Yes...”

Marion nodded and adjusted her posture. Louis Apart was still somewhat of a difficult figure for her.

“When was the last time you visited? It feels like it’s been years,” Louis asked, turning to one of the family servants seated beside him. The servant thought for a moment before answering.

“It must have been about three years ago, sir. It was in the spring. I recall Lady Marion being quite different back then compared to now.”

Louis nodded. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, recalling the past.

“That’s right… It must have been right after Maxime graduated from the Academy...”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, regardless, Marion, do you remember that time? Both you and Maxime seemed so awkward back then.”

The carriage passed beyond the center of the capital. Whether it was the jolting of the carriage or her own thoughts, Marion’s head bobbed slightly, and her long black hair fluttered gently with the movement.

“I remember the estate being surrounded by many mountains and trees—it was a beautiful place,” Marion said.

Louis smiled.

“Yes, our estate is quite mountainous. There are plenty of lakes as well. I’m not sure if Maxime took you there during your visit.”

Marion shook her head.

“He mentioned the lakes but said they were too far from the estate to take me there at the time.”

Louis let out a quiet chuckle.

“Typical of Maxime… It is quite a long walk, and he’s never been one to burden others with unnecessary hardship.”

As he gazed out the window, the buildings grew more sparse, and the once-smooth roads began to grow rougher.

“Take your time to explore the estate once we arrive. There are many hidden views, even ones I’m unfamiliar with.”

The carriage continued down the road, now lined with thick trees and overgrown foliage. Marion had dozed off, perhaps from exhaustion. Her maid spread a thin blanket over her legs.

Louis noticed and gave a subtle nod to his servant.

“You have it safely, don’t you?”

At the low-voiced question, the servant patted his chest lightly and nodded confidently.

“Of course, sir. I’ll deliver it to the guild as soon as we reach the estate.”

Louis glanced at the servant with a concerned look. Though the worry wasn’t directed at the servant, but rather at the request left to him by Maxime before he headed to the no-man’s land. Louis understood the intent behind Maxime’s second request.

The servant, still confident in his ability to fulfill the task, hesitated and asked cautiously.

“But... do you think the request will be answered?”

Louis raised an eyebrow, unconcerned.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure Maxime thought it through when he wrote it.” “It’s been almost eight years since their whereabouts became unknown... We can’t be sure they’re still affiliated with the guild. They might have transferred to the one in the capital...”

Louis waved dismissively.

“Even if it’s not at our estate’s guild, they’ll be active nearby. That’s just the type of person they are.” “You mentioned they don’t take on personal requests...”

At the servant’s observation, Louis sighed and closed his eyes.

“We’re simply delivering a letter to the guild. We’re not asking them to go looking for the person, so there’s no need to worry.” “You know that’s not why I’m concerned, sir.” “Of course.”

Louis then thought back to the moment Maxime had handed him the letter.

“Father... I have a request.”

Maxime’s expression had been unusually serious. Louis, sensing the gravity of the moment, had tried to lighten the mood with a bit of banter.

“What? You come to see your father after all this time, and all you have is a request? You ungrateful child. Couldn’t you at least visit more often...” “It’s not that...”

Louis had given his son a playful scolding, but the solemn look on Maxime’s face made him stifle his teasing.

“Well, go on. I’ll hear it, though I can’t promise I’ll grant it.”

Maxime sighed, as though the weight of his words had been lifted slightly.

“See? Wouldn’t it be easier if you didn’t look like you were about to ask me for something life-or-death?”

Maxime had only responded with, “It’s a simple request.”

With that, Maxime had pulled a letter from his coat and handed it to Louis. As he took the letter, Louis raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

“Don’t tell me this letter is for me.” “As much as you’d like that, it isn’t.” “I wasn’t expecting it, son.”

Louis twirled the letter between his fingers, curiosity getting the better of him.

“So, who’s this letter for?” “It’s less of a letter and more of a formal request. A personal one.”

At that, Louis’s expression soured.

“A request? For an adventurer? You know the largest guild is right here in the capital, so why...”

Louis stopped mid-sentence.

“You want to send a message to your mentor.” “Yes, Father.”

Louis’s face hardened, realizing that Maxime’s mentor could only mean one person.

“The one who’s been missing for nearly eight years...”

Maxime bit his lip and spoke.

“It’s fine. I know it’s a long shot, but if I send it through the guild near our estate, it should reach them eventually.”

Louis had inspected the envelope with skepticism.

“Well... if you say so.”

He didn’t ask any more questions, tucking the letter away.

“A guild in the countryside when there’s one right in the capital?” “They’re likely working far from the capital... And besides, someone could be watching.”

To ensure everything went smoothly, and to protect everyone involved.

“I have to take every precaution.”

 

_____________

 

The atmosphere in the Raven Knights was more tense than usual.

The members had only recently shed the awkwardness typical of a newly formed order, but the current mood felt even more rigid and uncomfortable than when the group had first officially been established. An unknown tension hung in the air, stirring curiosity among the members, though no one dared to speak of its cause.

“It’s unusually quiet today. Both you and the Raven Knights.”

Paola was sparring with Maxime. They had expected communication from the no-man’s land much earlier, but it had been delayed.

“I didn’t choose to cause a commotion,” Maxime sighed.

Christine hadn’t shown up since clocking in that morning, and Theodora hadn’t been at the training grounds, focusing on her recovery from an injury. In truth, if Theodora had been present, Maxime would have been quite troubled by her presence.

Paola, as the most senior member, had been taking on the bulk of the responsibility, leading the autonomous training sessions in place of the absent commander and vice-commander.

Paola lowered her sword and frowned.

“Even Roberto’s been busy lately, barely showing his face. It’s hard being the old one left behind.”

Maxime swung his sword through the air. Though his body was slowly being consumed by the curse, he was still able to hold out.

“Now that you mention it, Roberto’s not here today either.”

Maxime glanced around.

“He asked for permission to leave for a while due to some urgent matters. He’ll return soon enough.”

Paola, in a rare moment of irritation, replied with a slightly frustrated tone.

“So, Maxime, you’ll have to be my sparring partner. Grab your sword.”

At Paola’s prompting, Maxime readied his stance. The two knights stared each other down for a brief moment before exchanging several swift blows and then pulling back. The sound of steel clashing echoed through the air, perfectly timed with their movements.

Paola had accumulated a wealth of experience from countless duels with various knights, but sparring with Maxime always seemed to broaden her perspective on combat. After another exchange, she looked at Maxime with curiosity.

“By the way, every time we spar, I can’t help but notice...”

Maxime tilted his head slightly.

“Your swordsmanship is fascinating. Aside from your technique, you’re unusually skilled for someone your age, especially given your limited experience as a knight.”

Maxime gave a wry smile at Paola’s compliment.

“Is it because you’ve inherited your mentor’s style? No... experience like that can’t simply be learned through style alone.”

Maxime shrugged.

“I think it’s because of my mentor’s training methods.”

Paola raised an eyebrow in admiration and lowered her sword.

“What kind of mentor puts you through training that results in such a unique sword technique?”

Maxime felt a bit embarrassed. One of his mentor’s training methods had been to leave him in a perilous environment and push him to the brink of death.

“...Someday, I’d like to meet your mentor.”

“If I ever manage to get in touch with him, I’ll introduce you.”

Maxime chuckled, and Paola let out a short laugh.

“So, you don’t even stay in contact with your mentor.”

“He always called me his ‘good-for-nothing student.’ He was a difficult person who didn’t care about rank or status.”

As Maxime and Paola continued their casual conversation about his mentor, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps rushing into the training grounds.

Paola frowned. A knight, drenched in sweat, was stumbling toward them, panting heavily. When he saw Paola’s face, he picked up his pace and rushed over. He was one of the knights stationed in the no-man’s land. His armor, like that of all the knights in that area, was in terrible shape, but now it appeared to be in especially dire condition.

“Sir... Sir Paola.”

The knight, still catching his breath, addressed Paola. Her voice was steady as she responded.

“You look like you’re in a hurry.”

The knight nodded.

“Where is the commander... where is the commander right now?”

“I’ll take you to him. What’s going on?”

The knight swallowed hard, trying to calm his breathing, and spoke in a shaky voice.

“The cliffs at the edge of the no-man’s land... they’re crumbling. And the monsters beyond them... it’s like they’re all coming over, as if they’re dragging every creature that hasn’t shown up before...”

The knight gritted his teeth as he finished.

“Thousands of monsters are pounding on the walls.”