Roland.

That was the name given to him in this world. It was also a nostalgic name, reminding him of an old friend and comrade in arms.

But that was about all that was familiar to him.

Similar faces, but different people. The ones he knew and who were dear to his heart were not only younger, but changed as well.

Still, he didn't mind. At the end of his path, even though he failed at the end, he was given a second chance. Though his friends and allies weren't with him, though his purpose had vanished, he had a new one to work for. Not only that, but he was given a chance to fulfill his nostalgic childhood dream.

Roland craned his neck, marveling once more at the lack of stiffness that he had become accustomed to in his later days. After doing that, he sighed and looked up at the sky. "Youth really is wasted on the young, isn't it?"

Ambitions left unfulfilled. Ideals left by the wayside chasing childish dreams instead of confronting reality. And by the time he did, he was already a man. Then, in the blink of an eye, the path was at its end.

Roland chuckled and then lowered his head, continuing on his way.

The usual morning patrol. Rudy- No, 'Lord Rudras' had taken a few days off to inspect the Distortion and make repairs to the port with Enoch and Eos. There had been some talk as well of paving a new path to the port to allow for safe transportation home for victims of the Spacetime Rend, but it seemed that he intended to have an initial survey before finalizing anything.

Though it was odd that he only took Enoch and Eos when two of the women he loved the most had arrived.

But Roland supposed that Lord Rudras was just that type of person. Even in his memories, Roland remembered that person being the same in his world.

Either way, that left Roland with free time to do as he desired.

Thus the patrol.

"Good morning, Mister Roland!"

Children greeting him as he passed by.

"Oh my. Up early again, Sir Roland?"

Middle-aged women greeting him with sly and suggestive looks.

"Working hard, eh Captain Knight?"

Adventurers showing their appreciation with a cheerful smile and greeting.

As always, he returned their greetings with a nod and a polite wave.

And as always, he felt nostalgic doing so.

It was a familiar and yet unfamiliar scene. In the beginning, it had been different. People feared him for his appearance and then later feared him for his abilities. It was only near the end where he and his companions built up a small home for themselves that he was greeted with a smile.

Of course, his enemies still feared him. But that was a matter of course.

Even so, walking around the kingdom of Arcadia...

Roland looked at the peaceful scenery around him. At the children playing without a care in the world, whether demon, beastfolk, human, or elf. At the adventurers walking by with friendly expressions and camraderie. At the lush greenery and pleasant atmosphere. At the magical innovation allowing supplies to transport across the kingdom at rapid speeds...

The culmination of countless ideals. Both his, his companions, and his siblings. It was a dream-like kingdom that seemed straight from a storybook that his parents used to read him. The utopia that he sought to create beside his liege.

Roland stopped his patrol on the paved path cutting across the kingdom, taking a seat on an unoccupied stone bench. After that, he looked out at the scenery around him. At the oasis within the turmoil of the outside world, like a mirage that could vanish at any moment.

But it wasn't. This was reality, one wrought by Lord Rudras and created in a manner similar to the myth of Saint Milis.

It was also something that Roland could never have imagined.

Rudeus Notos Greyrat.

The one who summoned his soul just as it passed from the mortal coil and gave him a new life was different than the one Roland remembered.

To begin with, he was young. Far younger than Roland expected considering the circumstances. Yet, despite his youth, his mastery of magic was far more advanced than the Rudeus that Roland knew.

Then there was his hand. Specifically, his left hand.

As long as Roland knew, Rudeus had an artificial one. Of course, it was created with such intricacy and mastery that it was the same, if not superior to flesh and blood. And yet, it was still artificial.

Lord Rudras was whole. The only part that seemed flawed in his body was his right eye. But even that was remedied by Rika giving him a Demon Eye of Clairvoyance.

And that was another difference.

The Great Empress Kishirika Kishirisu. The Immortal Demon Lord of Demon Eyes. The one who was the betrothed of the Fighting God Badigadi.

She should have helped Rudeus in the past, granting him the two Demon Eyes that he continued to use until his dying day. But it was a transactional deal. She had never thrown her lot in with him, even after the Orsted Corporation grew in enough power to influence countries.

Yet she was here. Not only was she here, but she seemed to be from another world entirely, separate from both the current one and the one that Roland knew.

In short...

"Life truly does contain countless surprises, doesn't it?"

Roland loosened his helmet a bit to get fresh air and looked out at the peaceful kingdom. As he did, he let out a long sigh.

Although his body was in his prime, his old spirit had followed with him. There was an urge to find a cold brew and sit down with others, reminiscing about the good old days.

But there were none of them here. Though his knights were fast comrades and Astolfo... who Roland still wasn't sure was male or female. Although they were good friends, they didn't share his history. His past.

It was similar, but different.

...Maybe that was the price for choosing to stand against-

"Oh!"

A soft female voice.

One that Roland knew very well.

He instinctively stiffened when he heard it, expecting a lecture. But he quickly relaxed and turned towards the speaker.

A beautiful elf woman with blue-tinged silver hair and green eyes. She wore a slightly transparent blue dress that trailed after her, matched with long black gloves and leggings. Her black leather boots lightly tapped against the paved road as she walked over before she let out a soft smile. "You're Roland, right? The Knight Captain?"

"That's correct."

Roland gave a curt response, doing his best not to stare. Although his face was covered, she always had the knack for seeing through his lies.

It should be impossible for her to determine who he was, but-

"Do you mind if I take a seat here and chat for a while?" The elf woman... No, Sylphy Greyrat smiled and said, "Since Eri is out with the kids, I thought I'd take the time to get to know the people who have helped my Rudy."

Roland tensed.

Sylphy paused and tilted her head. "...Is it no good?"

"...It's fine." Saying that, Roland shifted over a bit in the seat.

Sylphy smiled and sat down next to him. "Thank you."

Roland simply nodded. As he did though, he couldn't help but notice the differences between her and the one in his memories.

Faint scars along her neck. A brief glimpse of more on her chest as she sat down. And probably more hidden beneath those gloves and leggings that she wore despite the warm weather.

It stood in stark contrast to the pristine and unblemished skin he remembered. Not only that, but Sylphy's body build was different as well.

Although there was the obvious disparity in their 'assets' up top, Roland noticed that Sylphy was trained. Her body was lithe and honed. Furthermore, the way she moved was with the confidence of a woman accustomed to reacting to conflict in an instant, and in close range.

Not like the magician in his memories who mostly supported Rudeus in the home and from a distance.

Roland had heard from Orsted once that Sylphy could have become a world-renowned dungeon explorer in a time where Rudeus didn't exist. At the time, Roland couldn't have imagined it.

Her? The waif-like beauty who seemed more suited to a library than the battlefield, a dungeon explorer? The kind woman who cared and fussed over her children even as they were useless freeloaders?

It was an unimaginable setting.

But the Sylphy seated beside him was even more unimaginable.

"Is something wrong?" Sylphy blushed and then tugged up her collar. "I-Is it the scars? I'm sorry if they seem a bit disturbing..."

"It's fine." Roland shook his head and said, "I just didn't expect them."

Sylphy smiled. "Yes. That seems to be the case with most people."

"Don't you want to heal them? If you asked, I am sure that Lord Rudras would."

Considering his ridiculous magical feats, Roland was certain that simple scar removal would be possible. And especially more so considering that Sylphy was one of the loves of Rudeus's life.

"Mm..." Sylphy fiddled with her gloves. "...I'm thinking about it. My Rudy seems troubled by them, but at the same time..." She stopped and looked up at Roland. "They're proof, you know? That I overcame all those obstacles and made it to my dream."

Roland subconsciously reached for his face.

They were gone now, but he could still remember the countless scars marring his face.

People had asked him the same question and he had given almost the same response.

Proof of his battles. A record to show how hard he fought to get where he was...

Sylphy noticed Roland's action and said, "Are you the same, Mister Knight? Is that why you wear that helmet everywhere you go?"

"No. At least, not anymore. It's mostly a habit from a misspent youth."

The days running around proclaiming himself to be an Ally of Justice and boldly shouting out the names of his techniques...

Looking back, Roland couldn't help but cringe. But in the end, they were what led him to finding his path, so he couldn't say they were wasted.

...Although he did find it odd that history seemed to be repeating itself a bit.

Now that his purpose had vanished with his death, he once again donned a full suit of armor and hid his face. But rather than defending justice beneath the moon with black armor and a blade as dark as night, he now fought for it in broad daylight wearing white armor along with a gleaming sword and shield.

A hero rather than an ally of justice.

Sylphy giggled and said, "It must have been some youth then to have that as a habit." She leaned back on the bench and said, "Though I suppose I shouldn't be talking considering my own misspent youth."

A long silence. Comfortable, but strange.

She was different. And the last time Roland had seen her in his world was when she was seeing him off.

So sitting beside her again after so long was nostalgic. But it was also strange.

Like looking through a distorted mirror- No, through a distorted window. Although a different world, it was also a different time.

A time where she didn't know him while he knew her. And a time where the soft and kind smiles he remembered were a little marred. Jaded in comparison to the ones he saw every morning and when he returned.

"So." Eventually, Sylphy broke the silence and said, "Is it hard working as a knight here?"

Roland smiled and said, "It can be. But compared to what I was doing before... I can't say I like it more, but it's more relaxing."

A real hero. A true ally of justice. Clear enemies and monsters to fight, unlike the murky gray territory he bled for alongside his comrades.

"That's good!" Sylphy smiled and looked at Roland. "It's important to take rests and not work too hard. Especially if you're the captain."

"Of course."

Another silence. But like before, it was a comfortable silence.

Still, after a moment, Sylphy frowned and looked at Roland, staring at him with her glowing green eyes, the opposite of the soft crimson he remembered.

"...It's weird." After a bit, she mumbled and said, "I barely know you, but it's comfortable being around you. Just like with Rudy. But... it's also different."

Roland tensed and then carefully said, "I *am* his knight. It's inevitable that I take on a bit of-"

"No." Sylphy cut him off and shook her head. "It's not that." She stared intently at Roland's mask, as if trying to see beneath it. "...You aren't Rudy. But you're like Rudy... only mixed with something else. Something familiar..."

Roland's eyes widened.

And then he remembered it.

A casual remark that Lord Rudras said one day. About how he devised a spell in his youth to grant others the ability to see mana. And how he passed that spell to his friends and families to keep them safe against Hitogami... Or rather, Being W.

Roland quickly stood up and started walking away. "Pardon my rudeness, but I just recalled a task I need to perform."

"Wait!" Sylphy stood up and ran after Roland. "The reason why you hide your face. Is it because- Ah!"

The trailing blue dress that Sylphy wore tangled up her feet, sending her plummeting towards the ground.

Seeing that, Roland instinctively moved to catch her.

A soft clang on the ground. His helmet falling because of the speed he had to move to catch her.

Hearing that, Roland's eyes widened.

And Sylphy's did as well. "Green hair? And that face..."

"I-I'm leaving. Sorry." He quickly grabbed his helmet and then ran off.

"W-Wait!" Sylphy called out after him, but Roland was already long gone.

Dammit. Even after growing up and living his own life throwing away the Greyrat name, he still couldn't hide things from her, could he?

Roland put his helmet back on, fastening it as he ran and muttered, "So much for avoiding his expectations this time around..."