"Walk faster you idiot."

I couldn't quite remember how long I walked. All I thought about was ways to insult Evelyn and make her continue forward.

The more I cursed at her the less scared she felt.

It was funny to think about.

"Hurry up! You're useless."

It wasn't hard to mimic how the previous Julien spoke. It was rather easy if I had to say so myself.

"Ah, you idiot! That's the wrong direction. Next time you mess it up I'll beat you and Leon." I raised my voice whenever she went in the wrong direction.

Evelyn would flinch, but she would quickly move in the right direction shortly after. It wasn't long before we finally managed to reach a familiar path and I sighed in relief at the sight of it.

"Looks like you're not worth for sh-"

As the words were getting out of my mouth, I blinked once. That was all it took for my surroundings to change.

By the time it did, a group of unfamiliar people appeared before my eyes.

"Наа... Наа.."

"Ukh...!"

"Stay close! They wouldn't dare blow up the mine! We're safe here. I've called for reinforcements. Damn it...! This was an ambu-"

All noise ceased as I felt over a dozen eyes stop in my direction.

"-it."

I pursed my lips and looked around.

....I suddenly felt like throwing up on the spot.

I more or less understood what was happening. The third leaf had ended and I was back. Unfortunately, I came back right after the troops had retreated into the mine.

'What wonderful timing.'

I wanted to curse the third leaf.

However, I had no choice but to maintain my cool as I took several steps forward and headed for the exit of the mine.

"You...!"

Finally realizing the situation, the soldiers hurriedly stood up.

I started to run then.

"Get him!"

Thankfully, everyone appeared to be injured to some extent. Especially their captain. He felt extremely threatening.

To the point where I doubted I'd even last a few minutes against him.

He was thankfully injured.

Still, it didn't mean that I was out of the clear just yet.

"Huff...!"

Rushing past the tunnels of the mine, I looked to my right and left. I had arrived right where I had left Evelyn.

If everything was the same as it was in the past then the exit was...

"Found it."

I locked sight with the path that led to the exit. But the moment I did, my steps slowed down. "Uh...?"

It was then that I realized the path ahead of me was completely blocked.

When did...?

Clank, clank-

The clanging of metal reverberated behind me, signaling the arrival of the guards. Their armor clinked with each step, growing louder as they closed in.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Pushing several guards to the side, the captain from the other team looked at me with a smile.

I stepped back, pressing my back against the wall.

The captain looked around.

"You have nowhere to hide or run."

So he said.

His tone was low, and his presence was terrifying. It was to the point where it made me

shiver.

"Ho."

I swallowed silently, pressing my back against the wall behind me.

"This is perfect..."

All of a sudden the captain stopped. He looked at me with a smile as he looked behind him.

"Right, with you here things are a lot easier for us. We just found our perfect hostage."

"Hostage? Your plan is to use me as a negotiation chip?"

The captain laughed all of a sudden.

"That's right! Who would've thought we'd get such a windfall?"

Loosening his joints, he approached me once more. I stared at him and lowered my head for a

brief moment.

To be honest...

I was dragging this out.

...I just wanted to see what he was thinking. Did he have some other plans that we weren't

aware of or anything like that?

He didn't.

Now that I knew there was no longer a point for me to stay.

"I like the sound of your plan. It would definitely work if used correctly."

"Hm?"

"But..."

Raising my head again, I locked eyes with the captain who frowned. I could tell he felt something amiss with the situation.

But it was too late.

A purple orb appeared in my mind as my body started to become transparent.

".... You neglected to factor in the fact that I was never trapped to begin with."

"...!"

Realization hit the captain, but it was already too late.

"Stop him!"

...Slowly, I sunk into the rubble behind me.

"No!"

His voice faded shortly after.

***

"Are you saying that the young master is inside?"

Captain Thalric closed his eyes and tried his best to control his expression. In front of him,

Leon glanced towards the mine with a frown.

"....It's a possibility. I've tried to look for him but he's nowhere near in sight."

"I see."

The Captain frowned while his expression slowly started to crumble.

Clench.

His grip over the device used to explode the mine tightened. All he had to do was channel his

mana into it for the explosives planted within the mine to detonate.

He was just one step away from burying the Viscount's main force...

One step.

"Here I thought he had changed. But as expected, people don't change so easily. I should've

seen this coming."

The disappointment and anger in his voice was palpable.

Leon could feel it from where he stood. He wanted to tell him that Julien had indeed changed.

That he was a different person because he was, but... Leon knew he couldn't say such things to

the Captain.

He could only remain quiet while silently cursing at Julien.

'Why did you have to disappear now of all times?'

Leon looked behind him to see Evelyn stare at the mine with a blank expression.

"What's wrong?"

Evelyn didn't answer immediately.

She looked lost, almost in a daze. Worried, Leon reached out for her.

"Uh? Ah...!?"

It was only then that Evelyn snapped out of it as she turned her head to look at Leon.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter...?"

"No, you just looked out of it. Are you okay?"

"Ah, that.."

Evelyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm okay. I was just reminded of something that happened in the past."

"Oh."

Leon turned to face the mine.

He didn't have a lot of fond memories of the mine. He also didn't have bad memories. He used

to treat the place as some sort of place where he could rest after being forced to become

Julien's test dummy.

... It was a place he used to take naps and rest.

And it was also the place... where he received the Chalice.

His memories of the situation were rather blurred. He didn't remember much. All he could

remember was seeing the ceiling of the mine break down above him, knocking him out

unconscious.

By the time he woke up again, he was out of the mine with the Chalice inside of his body. Even now he didn't really know what had happened.

However, it was here that his fate had changed. If not for the Chalice... Leon didn't know if

he'd still be alive.

"Haa."

Leon closed his eyes.

"Captain!"

All of a sudden, several soldiers rushed to their side.

"We couldn't find any traces of the young master. He's nowhere near in sight. How should we

proceed?"

Captain Thalric remained silent as he turned his attention towards the mine.

Although Leon couldn't detect any obvious shift in the Captain's expression, the simmering

rage radiating from him was undeniable. It was as if the air around him grew heavier with

each passing moment.

.... It was to the point where Leon felt that he had no choice but to step back.

Being in the same space as the Captain felt suffocating.

"Captain...?"

The soldiers weren't faring that much better either.

They all felt suffocated by the Captain's presence. Eventually, forcing himself to calm down,

the Captain turned his attention away from the mine.

"Stop everything at once. Spend more time looking for the young master. If he's stuck in the

mine we would've known by now by the soldiers of the Raimsal family. I'll inform the family Head of the situation. If no-"

His words stopped halfway as his head turned to face the mine again.

He wasn't the only one as Leon, Evelyn, and pretty much everyone present turned their heads

to stare at the entrance of the mine.

It was then that they spotted a faint figure coming out of the mine.

11

As though he was a ghost, he calmly walked out of the rubble before stopping.

Feeling the numerous gazes that were directed at him, Julien frowned and subconsciously

touched his face.

"Is something the matter?"

Even his voice was the same.

"....Oh god "

Leon was the first to snap out of it as he realized what had happened.

He almost had the impulse to cover his face as his expression strained.

'He really did enter the mine.'

It was already obvious before, but it was clear now.

As if not sensing the strange looks that the people were giving him, Leon turned his head to

point at the mine.

"I had to do something inside. You can go ahead and do as you please now. They're all quite

injured."

Then, as if nothing had happened, Julien patted his clothes before heading towards Leon and

Evelyn.

The two of them were the quickest to snap out of it.

By now, they were already used to Julien pulling stuff like this. It had become the norm by this

point.

"You, stop."

It was right when Julien was about to reach them that a hand stopped him. Julien frowned and turned to face the Captain, but before he could say a word, the Captain

grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward, pulling him close until their faces were inches

apart.

"What sort of shit are you pulling?"

His tone was low, and his expression was indifferent.

However, his presence was suffocating.

"You've wasted a lot of our precious time with your little stunt. You could've compromised

the entire operation. How are you going to answer this?"

"...."

Julien's face appeared unfazed by the situation.

It was as if he had expected something like this to happen.

The Captain interpreted Julien's silence as indifference, and his stern expression began to

crack, revealing the frustration simmering beneath the surface.

"As expected, you didn't change at all. Everyone is raving about how strong you've become,

and how much you've changed, but you're the same irrespon-"

"I'm sorry."

The Captain's voice stopped all of a sudden.

Blinking his eyes, he looked at Julien who looked straight into his eyes.

"I'm in the wrong, and you're right."

lence filled the space as all eyes fell on Julien.

"..."

A strange

Did he just...?

"Whatever you're saying, you're right. I take responsibility for all of this."

Julien pressed his hand against the Captain's hand and loosened himself from the grip. Fixing

his clothes, he lowered his head slightly.

"...You can report this to my father later. I'll accept whatever punishment he has for me."

The reality of the situation was that Julien understood how much trouble his actions had

caused.

It wasn't something he could control, but it was still his fault.

....As such, it was only right that he apologized.

But...

"...Now that I've got the apology out of the way, let me make one thing clear." Julien's brows knitted together, his voice dropping to a more threatening tone as he swiftly

snatched the device from the captain's grasp, leaving the man momentarily stunned.

"You work for me. Not the opposite."

Click!

He channeled his mana onto the device.

"You don't get to berate me in front of my vassals."

Before anyone could react, the terrifying explosion reverberated from behind them.

BOOOOM-

On this day, the gold mine collapsed. Viscount Raimsal's soldiers all perished without putting up any resistance. ...And the Evenus Household began to rise beyond the scope of a Barony.