"..."

Simonne chuckled as he grabbed his knapsack by his side and searched for something within. After a few seconds of rummaging the bag, he then took something out and immediately threw it at Kaiji.

"...What's this?"

"A low-ranked Sigil."

Kaiji's eye widened in surprise.

Looking back at the object upon his hand, he somehow felt it grew heavier. The thing Simonne just gave him looked like a silver metallic disk with some intricate markings and symbols embedded upon its surface. He could also somehow feel something... pulsating from its inside.

"Fortunately, I still have a spare one of Sigil with me." Simonne smiled. "You keep it."

Kaiji's gaze shifted back at his companion, then back at the thing at his hands and landed back again at Simonne. He hesitated. "...Isn't this expensive?"

"It is." Simonne said in a casual tone. "But there are countless things like that at the Institute. So don't worry."

Kaiji couldn't help but smile back in gratitude. "Thank you."

"Suit yourself." He said as he stared in the distance.

---

"Invaders?"

"All comprised of beastsmen." General Leonel responded in a flat tone.

The old man sitting behind the desk frowned. So this is really the area where they initially passes, he thought. "I see." He paused for a second and continued. "Have you finally found that boy already?"

"...We haven't."

*Slam*

"Then what are you still doing here?!"

The old man behind the desk furiously slammed the flat surface of the wooden desk and bellowed.

General Leonel gritted his teeth and suppressed his emotions as he replied back. "...Yes." And turned back.

After the knight left the room, leaving the door closed, the old man behind the desk said to himself. "...That boy still must've been around here. I can't just let him get away."

"...Otherwise... all my plans will go to waste."

A glister of sinister light glinted upon his eyes.

---

General Leonel walked through the door and left the building with an indistinct expression which seemed to hid both regret and dissapointment. He tightly clenched his fist and thought of the person he cared the most. "Anna..." A drop of tear trickled down from the corner of his eyes.

'Do I really need to follow him?' He thought to himself. Although he knew himself that he had no other choice. Or at least, that's what he had considered.

He raised his hand and lifted an object that was wrapped around his broad neck, just beneath his armor plate- an amulet. He brushed his fingers upon its surface and felt the cold gem at the center which seemed to emenate a warm red glow. 'It had been sixteen years now since the time we've last met. But I still don't know where you are... '

*footsteps*

"S-subordinate Rinto, r-reporting for General Iron Knight." A rather young soldier came from the corner and made a salute as he tried to fix his posture by standing straight, chest out. He seemed to be nervous.

"...What is it?"

"T-the c-corpses..." The young soldier stuttered.

"Corpses?" General Leonel narrowed his eyes. "Take a deep breath first."

The soldier did as General Leonel instructed and inhaled a large amount of air. Then exhaled it all out.

"There... there are reports of a few dead soldiers at the back of the village which have this strange injuries on his... their chest." The young soldier fidgeted.

"What kind of strange injury?"

"A... hole. A small hole at the chest. Even smaller than a pike of a spear. And it also seemed to be burnt... We don't really know."

General Leonel's eyebrows deepened even more as wrinkles appeared at the middle of his forehead. "Lead me to them."

---

The crescent moon brightly shone above the dark horizon as the cold breeze went across the lands. Beneath the sky fully glittered with stars, a carriage was lingering beside a large round rock. And beside the carriage, a small campfire had been laid out using some dry kindlings they've got from the trees.

Kaiji sat upon a wooden log just beside the campfire, and across him was Simonne, also sitting at a log.

"What should we talk about?"

Kaiji asked as he grabbed a piece of a dried meat and placed it inside his mouth.

"How about your life?" Simonne replied, also chewing on a piece of dried meat. "It would be nice to hear what kind of place the church had been to you."

"It'd been relatively boring there." Kaiji sighed. "We aren't even allowed to go outside the church unless there's some sort of a festival or anything of the kind. Always, do chores. And follow instructions. Follow every orders. Rules and regulations."

"...I somehow feel empathy."

Kaiji shifted his eyes towards Simonne and pointed. "What about you?"

"Kind of the same like you." Simonne said while loudly chewing at the dried meat. "I was raised at the Institute, also not knowing who my parents are. But I never felt lonely despite that. It may have been because of my friends that I've met there that I never grew lonely." He said while reminiscing. "Only that, the rules there were all pretty strict, and the elders will punish you if you caused them troubles. Like giving you twenty to forty push-ups and carrying heavy water buckets."

Kaiji chuckled.

"But overall, it was quite fun living there." He said as he swallowed the meat.