I still remember that day.
The white light appeared without any warning.
There was no thunder, no warning, and no time for anyone to react.
All I remember is that everything in front of me was suddenly swallowed up by a blinding white light.
In the next instant, the world turned upside down.
My body felt like it had been thrown violently from a great height by some invisible force; the weightlessness almost made it hard for me to breathe.
Then--
The earth crashed into us head-on.
"Hmm..."
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a gray sky.
Immediately afterwards, I heard a familiar yet anxious voice.
Hilda!
"I'm here."
I tried to get up, but found myself in excruciating pain all over my body.
Philip stumbled and ran to my side.
His face was pale, his clothes were covered in mud, and his usual composed aristocratic demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
Are you injured?
"It's just a scratch."
I touched my temple.
A drop of blood touched my fingertip.
"And you?"
"I'm fine."
As he spoke, he looked down to examine his own body.
Just then, I noticed the ring on his hand.
The silver ring was emitting an extremely faint magical fluctuation.
I instinctively looked at my hands.
The other ring was also intact.
I suddenly thought of Rudeus.
Before leaving Roа, that child solemnly gave us some advice.
--Never take off your ring.
Although I listened carefully at the time, I always felt that he was being a bit too cautious.
But now...
Looking down at my unharmed body, I finally understood.
" Rudeus saved us."
Philip did not answer.
He just stared at the ring for a long time.
After a long while, he said in a low voice:
"I'm afraid it's not just us."
I followed his gaze.
The surrounding area was completely unfamiliar land.
There is no mansion belonging to the House Boreas.
There is no Roа.
There was no familiar forest in the Fittoa Region.
There was no one we knew there.
In the distance, the faint sounds of battle could be heard.
Swords clashed.
A deafening explosion.
There were also screams and cries that never ceased.
Philip's face gradually darkened.
"This is not Asura."
We found out later.
This is Land of Conflict.
Kingdom of Gadenia.
For the Asura nobles, this was almost like a distant, foreign land.
There is no familiar order here.
You can often encounter homeless people on the road.
Conflicts frequently occur between towns.
Caravans must hire armed guards to cross the wilderness.
For ordinary people, simply getting out of here alive is an extremely difficult thing in itself.
Not to mention us.
Two Asura nobles with no guards, no proof of property, and no local connections.
If Rudeus left nothing behind...
I can't even imagine if we'll survive the first night.
When I first encountered the bandits, I truly witnessed the terrifying power of that magical artifact.
That day, we had just left a small village.
A dozen or so men rushed out from both sides of the road.
Their equipment wasn't particularly sophisticated, but they were clearly used to killing.
"Kill the man!"
"As for the women... hehe~" They grinned menacingly and raised their knives.
Philip didn't waste any words with them.
He simply raised his hand.
The magical patterns on the silver armbands suddenly lit up.
The next moment.
boom--!
The massive Rock Bullet exploded with a deafening roar.
Dust billowed into the sky.
Those people didn't even have time to get close to us before they were all overturned.
I stood there, watching the scene unfold before me.
Philip remained silent as well.
After a while, he said with a wry smile:
" Rudeus is absolutely right."
It was only then that I realized.
What that child gave us was not some ordinary self-defense tool at all.
That was a trump card that could truly allow ordinary people to survive in chaotic times.
The food in the spatial pouch means we don't have to risk searching for it.
The medicines inside allowed me to treat most injuries.
Magic crystals can continuously replenish the consumption of magical items.
As for that ring...
I later witnessed a small mercenary group unleash magic on Philip.
All the attacks landed on him, but none of them actually damaged his clothes.
At that moment, I truly realized it for the first time.
Why was Rudeus so serious at that moment?
He truly had a premonition of some kind of disaster.
We only listened to him by sheer luck.
We hid in the Kingdom of Gadenia.
Philip did not immediately reveal his identity.
This was the best decision he ever made.
Because nobody here knows what the House Boreas Family means.
In Asura, we are nobles.
Here, we are just two strangers from a foreign land.
Philip began to use his political experience to find a way out.
I am responsible for taking care of him and assisting him.
We used the money we had saved in the brocade pouch to exchange for information, and we also bought maps from merchants.
After a period of investigation, we finally determined a route.
If we can board a large caravan heading west, we'll have a chance to leave the Kingdom of Gadenia and find a way back to Asura.
But just as we were preparing to set off...
I saw that person.
"Lady Hilda!"
I didn't even realize it at first.
The figure emerged from the woods in the distance.
Covered in dust.
He held a sword in his hand.
He exuded an aura of danger.
But I would never mistake that face.
" Ghislaine..."
Ghislaine remained where he was.
She looked at us.
Then he seemed to freeze.
The next moment, she rushed over.
"Lord Philip!"
"Lady Hilda!"
This was the first time I had ever seen her so distraught.
She carefully observed our condition.
She let out a long sigh of relief after confirming that we were really alright.
"Very good..."
"You're still alive."
I looked at her.
"You've been looking for us?"
She nodded.
"I've been looking for it ever since I landed."
I've searched many places.
I originally thought...
She didn't continue.
But I understood what she was trying to say.
In such a place, to find two people alive and well is a miracle in itself.
The appearance of Ghislaine also truly ensured our journey home.
She was in charge of the fighting.
Philip was in charge of the negotiations.
I'm in charge of logistics.
For the first time, the three formed a team in the true sense of the word.
We began to move westward.
During those months, I saw many things that I could never have imagined before.
The three major powers ostensibly signed a treaty of non-interference in the Land of Conflict, but in reality, undercurrents continued to surge and the situation grew increasingly volatile.
In this chaotic and Land of Conflict.
Some people fought over half a bag of grain.
Some people break down because they lose their homeland.
Some people lost their entire families in the war.
Here, the flag of a new country may have just been raised, only to be captured by other countries and another flag raised in the meantime.
We walked and listened along the way.
Meanwhile, news about the Fittoa Region gradually reached my ears.
At first, it was just fragmented rumors.
It became clearer and clearer later.
The Fittoa Region suffered an extremely severe disaster; the entire territory vanished.
I can't imagine it.
If Rudeus hadn't given us those things...
Have we also become part of that death list?
Several months later.
We have finally returned to the Asura Kingdom.
When I saw the familiar city walls, I was even a little dazed.
We're really back.
But what truly awaited us was not a reunion.
Instead, it's a far more brutal reality.
Lord Sauros is in trouble.
When I heard the news, I was completely stunned.
"Because of the Mass Teleportation to the Fittoa Region?"
"Yes."
"The kingdom believes that the lord bears an inescapable responsibility for the territory."
"So..."
Philip's old acquaintance did not continue speaking.
But I understand now.
Philip understood.
That night, he sat in his room for a long time without saying a word.
The candlelight on the table flickered continuously.
I sat down next to him.
Neither of us spoke.
A long time passed.
Philip then said in a low voice:
"My father is going to be executed."
I took his hand.
We can't do nothing.
He looked up.
The weariness that had first returned to Asura was no longer in those eyes.
Instead, something I was very familiar with was introduced.
That was the ambition of the House Boreas Family.
Just this once.
That ambition wasn't for power.
It was to save lives.
In the days that followed.
Philip hardly stopped.
He reconnected with his old network of contacts.
Visiting a nobleman.
We are looking for someone who can speak on behalf of the House Boreas Family.
Investigate the situation in Fittoa Region the disaster.
Compile a list of survivors.
Collect records from various regions regarding the Mass Teleportation.
He even compiled everything he had personally witnessed in the Land of Conflict into a report.
I haven't slept much for several nights in a row.
I know.
He wasn't trying to prove that Lord Sauros was entirely without responsibility.
Because in Asura's political environment, this was simply impossible.
A lord is a lord.
The disaster occurred in his territory.
Whatever the truth may be, he must bear some responsibility.
So Philip chose another path.
Since it cannot be proven that the father is innocent.
This proves that the House Boreas Family still has value.
He told those nobles time and time again:
Fittoa needs to be rebuilt.
The missing persons need to be resettled.
The survivors need land.
He kept explaining the underlying interests to them, kept making compromises, and kept submitting himself to others.
Gradually.
Things began to take a turn for the better.
final.
Philip was granted an audience with the King.
That day, I accompanied him to the palace.
Standing outside the main hall, I suddenly felt a little nervous.
Philip, however, remained unusually calm.
"Don't worry."
He said softly.
"I'm just going to tell His Majesty something."
"What?"
He looked into the distance.
" Fittoa is not dead yet."
Inside the main hall.
The king sat on his throne.
Philip bowed respectfully.
" Philip of the House Boreas greets Your Majesty."
Get up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The king looked at him.
"I heard you've returned from the Land of Conflict."
"Yes."
"Then you should know more about the situation there than most people in the capital."
"I dare not say I understand."
Philip lowered his head.
"But I saw it with my own eyes."
Tell me about it.
Philip remained silent for a moment.
He then recounted everything he had seen in the Kingdom of Gadenia.
He wasn't exaggerating.
There was no crying or complaining.
It was simply a calm statement.
"I saw many refugees from Fittoa there."
They didn't know where they came from, nor where they were going.
"The only thing they knew was that they originally had a homeland."
The king did not speak.
Philip continued:
"After my return, I also heard about the kingdom's handling of Fittoa Region."
His voice paused for a moment.
"Your subject dares not shirk responsibility on behalf of your father."
I stood behind him, watching him quietly.
At that moment, I finally understood.
Philip has changed.
If it were the old him, he would never have admitted this so easily.
But now, he has voluntarily acknowledged the responsibilities that the House Boreas Family should bear.
"Only..."
Philip looked up.
"I have a question."
"Explain."
"If Father steps down, who will take over the Fittoa Region?"
The king did not answer.
Philip continued:
"I am only worried."
"The kingdom has too many things to deal with right now."
"And Fittoa is far from the capital."
"If no one is willing to take it on..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
Because there's no need to finish speaking.
The king clearly understood what he meant.
A moment later.
The king asked:
"So, what do you think should be done?"
Philip lowered his head.
"Your Majesty, I dare not make the decision for you."
"I just feel..."
"It's safer to leave someone familiar with the local situation in place than to let a complete stranger take over."
The king looked at him.
"You?"
Philip did not answer, but simply bowed his head respectfully.
"If Your Majesty believes I am qualified."
"I am willing to give it a try."
After saying that...
The main hall remained quiet for a long time.
Finally, the king slowly said:
Do you know what Fittoa looks like now?
"Know."
Do you know what it means to rebuild a territory?
"Know."
"You're still willing?"
"Yes."
Philip's voice was utterly unwavering.
Because that's my hometown.
"This is also a responsibility that the House Boreas Family should bear."
The king remained silent for a moment.
Ultimately, he made his decision.
"Regarding Sauros Boreas..."
"Let's treat it leniently for now."
"Lordship terminated."
My heart skipped a beat.
Philip kept his head down.
He didn't speak.
The king continued:
As for you.
"I will give you a chance."
"But whether you can seize it or not depends on yourself."
Philip looked up.
"Your subject understands."
"If you can restore order to Fittoa."
"To give the lost people a place to return to."
"Let that land regain its vitality..."
The king paused for a moment.
"Therefore, you shall inherit the position of the new lord of Fittoa."
Philip was stunned.
I was stunned too.
This is not a simple pardon.
The king did not declare Sauros innocent.
Nor did it overturn the kingdom's previous decision.
He merely gave the House Boreas Family a way out.
A path that must be earned through tangible results.
Philip slowly knelt down.
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
As we left the palace.
The sky was clear.
I stood on the steps, looking at Philip beside me.
He didn't speak.
He simply gazed into the distance.
A long time passed.
He then said softly:
Hilda.
"Um?"
We're going home.
I looked at him.
But Fittoa is not the same as before.
"Then rebuild it."
His tone was calm.
But more determined than ever.
I suddenly thought of Rudeus.
I remember that before the child left, he handed us those things that could change our destiny.
Without him...
We probably died long ago in that unfamiliar land.
And now.
We not only came back alive.
This also preserved the House Boreas Family's last chance of survival.
I took Philip's hand.
"Let's go back together then."
"Um."
We walked down the long steps of the palace side by side.
Behind them lay the capital of Asura.
Ahead lay the devastated landscape of Fittoa.
That place is no longer the home it used to be.
But at least...
There is still the possibility of it becoming a home again.