As soon as the space where the Martial God had been trapped closed immediately behind us, I realized it had been shrinking all along. If Vice Commander Marenne hadn’t suggested leaving when he did, we might’ve ended up trapped there with him.

A chill ran down my spine at the thought, and I instinctively rubbed my arms, while the Vice Commander and Martial God seemed unfazed, walking ahead without a second thought. I guessed that the joy of reuniting with an old friend was enough to push such concerns out of their minds.

I exhaled deeply, my mind wandering back to the intense look the Martial God had given me earlier.

Those red eyes. The unmistakable, deadly intent.

I hadn’t encountered such malice since the days of the Torturer, and it was jarring to feel it coming from another human. I hadn’t done anything to upset him, at least as far as I knew. Maybe my mere existence unsettled him.

Is he just like that by nature? I wondered. But the Martial God I’d seen in the Vice Commander’s dream was a knight with a pure, untainted expression, his character as upright as his long years in service suggested.

So that expression earlier—it couldn’t have been the real Martial God.

Could he be under the influence of an Entity? But that didn’t add up either. If anything, it might’ve been a regular Entity, but someone on par with the Vice Commander wouldn’t fall under its control.

If that were the case, humanity would need to abandon everything and start building bunkers.

“Tanton, is something wrong?” The Vice Commander’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Oh! Vice Commander!” Startled, I saw that he’d approached while I was lost in thought, and he pointed ahead with a slight smile.

“We’re already at headquarters. What’s with the dazed look?”

“Oh…right. My apologies.”

Well, I reassured myself, the Martial God did give me a thumbs-up at the end. Surely it didn’t mean much.

As I tried to brush off my unease and follow him inside, the Vice Commander paused, stopping the Martial God with a thoughtful “Ah.”

“Hm? What is it, Vice Commander?”

“There’s something I should’ve mentioned sooner.”

“Oh, don’t keep me in suspense!”

The Martial God frowned, clearly impatient, and the Vice Commander chuckled, amused by his reaction.

“Always so impatient. It’s nothing major—just that the Commander is inside right now. We’ll meet with the Princess shortly.”

“Wait, what?! What did you say just now?!”

Shocked, the Martial God grabbed the Vice Commander by the shoulders, shaking him vigorously, while the Vice Commander’s head bobbed unresistingly.

“Why didn’t you say something that important right away?! How did the Commander come back?!”

It seemed the Martial God had assumed the Commander was in an almost impossible-to-escape state, and the news had left him visibly shaken.

“The Commander was brought back thanks to Tanton here, who risked his life to find her. Initially, he crossed into another dimension to stop an Observer from materializing, and that’s where he found her trapped in a dimensional rift.”

“I see…”

It sounded like the Vice Commander was trying to commend me, but his words made me blush uncomfortably.

“Another space and everything, and this guy saved the Commander himself,” the Martial God said with a grin as he looked at me.

“It’s uncanny how similar you are.”

Though his smile seemed friendly, something about it left me feeling uneasy.

“...Martial God.”

“Your Highness! It’s been too long!”

Even the Martial God, it seemed, spoke with respect in the Princess’s presence, although his demeanor was anything but formal.

The Vice Commander just watched, smirking a little, as if this were par for the course.

“I’m grateful you’ve returned safely. For so long, I watched the blizzards, wondering if you would ever make it back.”

“Haha! Hearing that Her Highness worried about me really hits hard! How about we clap to shake off those sad feelings?”

Following his random suggestion, we all clapped our hands instinctively. Oddly enough, it did lift the mood, making us feel a bit brighter.

The Princess, too, smiled warmly.

“After all this time, you’re still the same,” she said.

“Come on, the day I change will be the day the world ends, Your Highness.”

“That’s true enough.”

Seeing the easy camaraderie between the knights of Londan and the Princess, I could feel the strong bond they shared. The Vice Commander’s respectful demeanor made sense—perhaps he clung to order and rules because without them, the nation’s safety would be at risk.

“Ah, Your Highness, since I made it back alive, shouldn’t I get some sort of reward?”

The Princess chuckled softly. “I’ve already instructed Alpha and Beta to leave a commendation in the knights’ lounge. Feel free to take it.”

“What, no award ceremony? That’s downright disrespectful!”

The Martial God’s exaggerated shock was so amusing that I couldn’t help but laugh too. I understood now why people were so fond of him. With a personality like his, it’d be hard not to like him.

“Anyway, congratulations on your return. Go rest up; I’m sure carrying around a battle-worn body is no easy task.”

“Thank you, Your Highness! I feel energized already!”

The Princess smiled at him warmly, then gave the Vice Commander a signal to withdraw. I moved to leave with them.

Thud.

Strangely, just as I tried to step out, the door closed on me, and the atmosphere in the Princess’s chamber grew ice-cold.

What…what’s going on?

Turning slowly, I saw the Princess sitting at the table, her smile pure, as she gestured to the chair across from her.

“Y-Your Highness?”

She remained silent.

“Should I…leave?”

Silence.

“Oh, I see…would you like me to sit here?”

She nodded.

“Well, uh…I’m rather tired from the journey and would like to rest…”

Silence.

“Y-yes, Your Highness! Understood!”

The chill in the air seemed to deepen with every word I spoke. Fearing I’d freeze on the spot if I said any more, I quickly took a seat as she instructed.

Finally, the Princess’s smile faded as she took a few deep breaths.

Did I…do something wrong? I wondered. I hadn’t done anything that could harm Londan.

Or could this be because I’d used Entity powers in combat? If it was, I could understand her displeasure.

The knights had allowed it, but if the Princess was holding me accountable, then I would have to accept her judgment.

Realizing the severity of my actions, I immediately lowered my head, pressing it against the table.

Bang!

“T-Tanton?!”

The Princess’s surprised voice sounded, but I didn’t lift my head. Staying like this would surely help mitigate my punishment.

“I apologize, Your Highness! I deeply regret acting without informing you!”

Her groan was followed by a scoff.

“Yes, Tanton. Since you recognize your error, this conversation will go much faster.”

See? I was right.

The knights permitting my actions was one thing, but the highest authority in Londan was another matter altogether.

“Very well, then. Why don’t you tell me exactly what you did wrong and how you plan to make amends?”

I tensed at her words. “How I plan to make amends” was the part I feared most. If my response didn’t meet her expectations, it would only worsen her view of me.

What should I do? Just blurt something out?

Overthinking was only going to increase her frustration with me, so I went for it, taking a deep breath.

“…I deeply apologize for violating Londan’s taboo and using the power of the Entities. I will gladly accept any punishment you deem appropriate, Your Highness.”

“Yes, violating Londan’s taboo…and what?”

Wait, what?

I thought I’d covered my apology well enough, but the Princess’s response seemed unimpressed. Had I said something wrong?

Then, as she spoke, I began to understand.

“I’m fully aware that you’re using Entity powers in combat, Tanton.”

“…Oh, um, I see.”

“Did you think the Vice Commander wouldn’t report such a thing? I am informed of all that happens within Londan.”

Wait.

Then why was the Princess upset with me? I hadn’t done anything else on that scale.

As I pondered, she blushed slightly, looking away.

“…Do you really not know what you’ve done wrong?”

“…No.”

“…Your mistake,” she said, her voice trailing off.

“...is that you haven’t visited my chambers as often lately.”

…Pardon?