‘W-what?’ Lucion was bewildered.

‘I knew you’d be surprised,’ the black figure said, clearly pleased.

‘So… you’re saying Veronia killed that darkness?’

Lucion recalled how desperately Veronia had clung to him when he dreamt of becoming the one to wear the cloak. But to think he had killed the darkness…

‘That’s right. Not only did he kill it, but he also turned the tables with a disguise.’

At the figure’s response, Lucion let out a hollow laugh.

‘So, you’re saying that Veronia has become that darkness?’

‘Exactly.’

“I am telling you, I am the king of darkness.”

‘Are you saying that ‘darkness’ refers to the king of darkness?’

‘Well, that’s all for today. Sorry, but I can’t say more right now.’

‘Why not? You were talking so much just a moment ago!’

‘It’s called a restriction, or maybe a lingering attachment. Anyway, it’s for your own good. Just trust me on this.’

The black figure smiled faintly.

‘See you next time.’

* * *

Lucion’s eyes fluttered open.

–Lucion! Lucion! Can you see Ratta?

Startled, Lucion saw Ratta nearby, tears streaming down her round eyes.

[Are… are you okay? Do you remember who I am?]

Russell’s voice sounded uncharacteristically flustered.

[I thought you wouldn’t wake up, Lord Lucion. It was so frightening; I can’t even put it into words.]

Bethel sighed in relief, her hands clenched tightly. She felt she should have protected him better.

“Are you al–”

“Are you alright, Lucion? Does anything hurt?” Shaela interrupted Carson mid-sentence.

“What about my sister and brother?”

Smack!

Shaela smacked Lucion’s forehead, but this time it didn’t hurt at all.

“I told you not to say things like that,” Shaela said, her voice trembling as though she were about to cry. She pulled Lucion into a tight hug. His body ached all over, likely from the fall from the tower. “I thought you wouldn’t wake up.”

Lucion blinked at similar words from Bethel.

[Hume! Hume! Lucion is awake!] Russell called loudly toward the door.

Bang!

“Y-young master!”

Hume burst into the room, nearly breaking the door down. This was completely unlike Hume, who would never act so impulsively under normal circumstances.

“I’m so glad. Really, so glad,” Hume exclaimed, unable to muster the courage to approach any closer, his tears flowing freely.

“I don’t know how many prayers I said… I begged for you to wake up. Please, I pleaded for it.”

“Was I… asleep for a long time?”

The reactions around him made Lucion wonder if he’d been in a coma for weeks. The thought made him anxious.

“You were unconscious for three days,” Carson said hoarsely.

Lucion blinked in surprise.

‘Three days? Just that?’

[Just three days?] Russell frowned.

Lucion avoided his gaze.

[It wasn’t just three days! It felt like forever to us,] Bethel said with a furrowed brow.

–That’s right! Russell is right, and so is Bethel! Ratta… sniff… Ratta was so scared. So scared you’d die! Wahhh!

Tears streaming down her face, Ratta pressed her head against Lucion’s cheek. Overwhelmed by guilt, he gently patted her head.

He had thought everyone was just overreacting, but three days in waiting must have felt much longer than he realized.

“I’m sorry…”

Smack!

“Ugh,” Lucion groaned as Shaela smacked his forehead again.

Nearby, Hume fidgeted nervously, clenching his hands.

“I’m awake now, sister,” Lucion said softly.

“Don’t apologize, Lucion! Do you know how grateful I am that you’ve woken up? I’m so thankful and proud. So please, don’t say sorry.”

“She’s right. This time, you were at fault, Lucion,” Carson added.

Rubbing his forehead, Lucion tried to change the subject.

“Does Father know?”

Lucion didn’t recognize the room he was in.

“Not yet,” Carson said, shaking his head.

“If Father were aware, he would either guide the soldiers eastward, faint, or perhaps both faint and then lead them east. Regardless, I was the one who proposed concealing this from him,” Shaela said.

Lucion wondered if his father would really act that way, but seeing Russell and Bethel nod in agreement made him chuckle. Given the current silence, it seemed that his father might have indeed fallen for his sister’s words.

“Then I’ll contact Father now.”

“No, it’s fine. You can do it later. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I-I’ll prepare some warm stew right away!” Hume said, flustered.

“No, I’ll go, Hume. There’s so much I haven’t done for Lucion. At least let me cook for him. You stay and rest–you’ve been awake for days,” Shaela said and chuckled as she left.

–Hume usually doesn’t sleep.

Ratta sniffled, her head slightly raised.

After Shaela left, Carson hesitated before speaking.

“I’m sorry.”

“Brother, why do you keep apologizing?”

“There’s so much to apologize for. Most importantly, I couldn’t help you. You must have been so scared.”

Noticing the bandage on Carson’s face, Lucion asked, “Are you okay?”

[Lord Lucion! Your injuries are worse!]

[Please, think about yourself, Lucion. No one is worse off than you!]

Bethel and Russell both shouted almost simultaneously, their frustration spilling over.

Their outburst left Lucion surprised and momentarily stunned.

‘What a surprise.’

He stared at Russell and Bethel with a bewildered expression.

[Because you lifted the curse on Carson and Shaela, your injuries are far worse. If Bethel hadn’t blocked part of it and used the Sunbeam, it could have been even more severe,] Russell said, his voice laced with frustration.

“If Shaela were here, she’d have smacked your forehead,” Carson added with a hint of regret in his tone.

“Then, Brother, you can hit me instead,” Lucion replied without hesitation.

“My slap isn’t as moderate as Shaela’s. It might hurt too much. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“I’ll take it,” Lucion said quickly, making Carson laugh despite himself.

“Anyway, this is the Magic Tower. With all the cleanup happening, it’ll be difficult to leave for a while.”

Carson began recounting everything that had happened while Lucion was unconscious–the battles fought by the knights and the members of the Ale organization.

Listening to him, Lucion felt both proud and guilty for everything his members had endured.

“The elder is safe, the leader of the Hand of the Void, Hotram, is dead, and a mid-level manager has been captured. They’re currently being transferred to the Great Light Temple under the guidance of the priests. The traitorous mages who conspired with the Hand of the Void were executed by Shaela, and the Magic Tower’s reopening has been delayed for a few days,” Carson explained.

“Has there been any reaction from the Neubra Kingdom?”

“It was handled discreetly, so there’s no need to worry,” Carson assured him, patting Lucion’s hand gently.

“The doctor said you need plenty of rest. You lost a lot of blood and even needed a transfusion.”

Hearing the word transfusion, Lucion’s expression darkened with guilt.

“It’s lucky our blood types match,” Carson said with a warm smile, meeting Lucion’s eyes.

‘It’s a relief,’ Lucion thought, noticing how healthy his brother looked.

Suppressing the urge to laugh, he asked, “Oh, and Brother… What about Heint? Did Sister hit him again this time?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Yes, although her methods were harsh, you’re safe now, aren’t you?” Carson’s smile carried a sense of pride.

‘Brother’s standards have really risen,’ Lucion mused. In the past, Carson would have grabbed Heint by the collar for something like this.

“Lucion,” Carson said softly.

“Yes, Brother?”

“You did well. I’m proud of you.”

“…”

Lucion’s eyes trembled at the unexpected praise.

“I… I…”

“We all know how much you’ve done, so there’s no need to downplay it.”

“Brother,” Lucion hesitated before finally asking, “Did… did many people die?”

“No. It was a great victory,” Carson replied, gently patting Lucion’s head.

“A great victory?” Lucion repeated, feeling a lump form in his throat.

“Yes. While there were casualties, our enemies were warlocks and traitorous mages. Considering that half of the Magic Tower wasn’t destroyed, it’s a significant triumph.”

Carson explained how Hotram’s plan to trap them on the fifth floor had inadvertently contributed to their victory. By gathering most of the warlocks in one place, they had been able to strike a decisive blow and eliminate the leader.

“Hamel… Hamel played the biggest role,” Carson added awkwardly.

[That’s right. You did it, Lucion,] Russell said.

–Yeah! Lucion was amazing! Ratta knows! He sparkled brighter than anyone Ratta has ever seen!

Flustered by their praise, Lucion fought the urge to hide under the blanket.

‘Stop it.’

Lucion felt like he would die from embarrassment.

Having Bethel almost done everything, she chuckled when she caught Lucion’s eye and discerned his thoughts.

[Lord Lucion, this victory belongs to you.]

“And it’s all thanks to you,” Carson added. “Didn’t the king say one of the conditions for victory was your safe return?”

“B-brother…” Lucion stuttered, overwhelmed by the pride and admiration he felt from them.

“Alright,” Carson said with a chuckle, unable to contain his laughter.

He could see Lucion’s face growing redder with every word and decided it was best to stop. Teasing him further could wait–Lucion needed to focus on recovering. Carson’s heart ached as he glanced at his brother, who was still covered in bandages.

“Can I speak to Brother Heint for a moment?” Lucion asked.

“Of course.”

Carson nodded and stepped aside willingly. Once he left, Lucion turned his attention to Hume, who was standing nearby, his concern evident in his expression.

“Hume.”

“Yes, young master?”

“I’m sorry for shouting last time.”

“No, it’s fine! You can shout or even hit me as much as you like. Actually… I’m sorry for being so incompetent,” Hume said, his voice tinged with guilt.

“Hume.”

The sharpness in Lucion’s tone made Hume flinch in surprise.

“Y-yes, young master!”

“Don’t ever say that again. Whether you’re competent or not is for me to decide.”

–That’s right! Don’t say things like that, Hume. It’ll make Lucion sad! Ratta promises not to say such things either!

Ratta raised her head proudly.

[Exactly, Hume. Everyone has their own weaknesses. What Lord Lucion can’t do, you can, and what you can’t do, Lord Lucion can. That’s how you support each other,] Bethel added, her tone kind and reassuring.

Hume clenched his fists and lowered his head slightly, taking in their words.

“I… I’m the young master’s butler. Sir Anthony said a butler’s duty is to protect their master. But this time…”

“You protected me from the light, Hume. I’m alive because of you,” Lucion said, his voice steady and sincere.

He extended his hand toward Hume, but Hume hesitated. Unable to bear the moment, Russell reached over, grabbed Hume’s hand, and placed it firmly in Lucion’s.

[Honestly, Hume, if you call yourself incompetent, then what does that make everyone else? You did more than enough, so stop being so hard on yourself,] Russell said firmly.

Just then, Ratta stretched up on her tiptoes and placed her tiny paws on top of their hands.

Hume looked at them with shimmering eyes.

–Come on, Bethel! Hurry up!

[Okay.]

Bethel giggled at Ratta’s urging and placed her hand atop theirs.

Now, all their hands rested together.

Hume gazed at them, his heart swelling with warmth. To him, they all shone as brightly as the moon and stars he had seen for the first time.

His chest tightened, filled with an emotion he had only read about in books–a feeling described as affection.

‘So this… this is affection,’ Hume thought, smiling broadly. He tightened his grip on their hands, treasuring the moment as something truly precious.

“Hume, you’re incredibly wise–more so than most. Don’t let such thoughts cloud your mind.

There’s someone else who should be saying that, but they’re not,” Lucion said with a sly smile.

[Wait, who? Are you talking about me…?] Russell frowned, catching on to Lucion’s words.

“Wow, you figured it out so quickly,” Lucion teased, his tone light and playful.

Russell looked annoyed but remained silent. After all, he had broken his promise to Lucion, failing to maintain his ghostly status.

Knock. Knock.

The sound of a knock on the door made everyone withdraw their hands.

Hume and Ratta glanced at their hands longingly before stepping back.

“Come in,” Lucion called out.

The door opened, and Heint stepped in, an awkward smile on his face as he met Lucion’s gaze.