"Do you not know where they fled to?"
"I believe they will be caught soon enough, as we are tracking them. Those two are not particularly skilled at fleeing."
"They were people who lived comfortable lives, after all."
They escaped with the help of Count Luejak.
To be more precise, it was likely the Count's daughter's doing. She was probably the one who gave the purification magical tool to Frisian as well.
"While the remaining Maxel faction is causing some delay in bringing him down, he made such a grand blunder in the Montel Territory that the remaining moderates will soon make their decision. Before long, his qualification as Crown Prince will be officially raised. Naturally, there will also be talk about His Majesty's unreliable judgment."
"Yes."
I heard the Emperor has secluded himself. Of course, I didn't think the Emperor was voluntarily keeping out of sight. Rather, Heinrich must have employed some scheme.
I wouldn't be surprised if Heinrich had crippled his own father or fed him drugs to render him in a comparable state.
Did I not suffer worse at the hands of my own family?
The world I lived in was such a place. A world where even among family, reason preceded emotion, and calculating gains and losses was taken for granted.
And now I too am trying to completely erase the name of Roam.
A bitter smile surfaced on my lips. No matter how far my body is separated, in the end, I am Roam's child and think that way....
"You're not going back there."
Suddenly, a memory of Zenon's voice popped out from a corner of my mind.
It was something he had said to me on a day that felt so long ago.
"Is your matter progressing well?"
Startled from my daze by Heinrich's question, I quickly composed myself. I answered in a somewhat hurried tone.
"Yes. It seems it will be accomplished soon."
"That is fortunate."
A faint smile settled in Heinrich's voice, which had been full of exhaustion. Listening quietly to that voice, I inadvertently spoke.
"It is thanks to you, Lord Heinrich."
"Thanks, you say. We simply gave and received from each other."
"Even so. If you had not borne goodwill toward me in the first place, this relationship would never have even begun."
Heinrich fell silent at my words.
Looking calmly at the magic stone that glowed brightly to indicate the ongoing communication, I spoke.
"I am grateful for that sentiment."
"......You really are..."
Heinrich, who had been about to say something, closed his mouth again. Instead, he exchanged a few soft words of personal regard before ending the communication.
Even after the blinking magic stone completely lost its light, I continued to gaze down at it.
"From now on, practice expressing your gratitude."
Zenon's image came to mind, smiling brightly as he spoke.
Not everyone desires gold coins. What he wishes for is simply a token of gratitude.
Until now, I had only understood that with my head and accepted it as something to learn.
And now.
Amusingly enough, I felt I finally understood those words, just a little.
* * *
It was night.
Given the situation where entering the monster-infested Trebi Mountain Range might not allow for comfortable rest, we decided to camp at the foot of the mountains and enter in the morning.
On this peaceful night that might be the last, Nadav, who had no need to sleep, volunteered for guard duty and remained awake alone.
[Something feels strange.]
Nadav's gaze turned toward the black ridge visible in the distance.
The Trebi Mountain Range. Beyond those dense forests lay their destination. Though he didn't know the exact location, he could feel an unknown energy throughout his body.
However, that energy was not clearly defined, as if it were placed amidst thick fog, and Nadav had been feeling frustrated for a while now.
'If other Durahans were here, we could have heard their opinions...'
Anelli, who always kept three or four Durahans summoned by her side, had not summoned any Durahan other than Mori and Nadav until arriving here.
Even Palides, who was said to be most convenient to keep close since he could transform into a human, was in the subspace.
Mori, who had been extremely few of words from long ago, did not react much even when Nadav expressed such sentiments.
In the end, until reaching this place, Nadav had to feel this unidentified energy alone.
[Brother, did you remember something?]
Nadav, who had been staring ahead, turned his head.
Mori, who had been guarding the sleeping Anelli's side, had crawled out at some point.
[No, strangely enough, my memory is still not perfect.]
Though the surroundings were dark, it was not much of a problem for Nadav, so he could easily confirm the black snake looking up at him worriedly.
Mori and Nadav were brothers, but Nadav sometimes thought of Mori as a truly inscrutable younger sibling.
Those large eyes seemed to know many things, yet Mori had never easily spoken about anything.
Perhaps Mori spoke the most with the Commander and Soana.
[What about you?]
At Nadav's question, Mori firmly shut his mouth.
In the past, he would have let it pass, but today, somehow, he couldn't overlook that silence.
[Mori. Have you regained your memories?]
[Do you think we will regain our memories?]
Mori asked a question instead of answering. Nadav, who had been silent, shook his head and turned his gaze.
[Since all the Knights of the Round Table have gathered, the Commander will soon lead us to rest. With the final authority before us, naturally we too shall become whole.]
He had heard that Dasha's condition was poor.
When Nadav reunited with Anelli, Dasha had already entered the subspace, so he hadn't met her directly.
'The Commander is hurrying her steps because of Dasha as well, I heard.'
Because Dasha was unstable and might go on a rampage again at any time.
[Didn't Dasha also not remember the Commander when she opened her eyes, but regained some memories after meeting the Commander? Just as the other Durahans have done.]
[Everyone slowly regained their memories. But there's one thing that no one has been able to remember.]
As Mori said, while everyone was piecing together their past bit by bit, there was one thing they couldn't recall.
The traitor.
[Brother, should we be regaining our memories?]
Mori asked worriedly. Instead of answering immediately, Nadav let out a long sigh.
Was it because they couldn't remember the traitor? Even chewing on the word "traitor" brought forth no emotion.
In the first place, the only emotions permitted to all Durahans were obedience and loyalty toward the Commander.
Though their outward behavioral patterns might differ, fundamentally, they were all the same.
[Regaining memories is not our will, Mori. It is the Goddess's arrangement.]
Everyone knew that their emotions were blind.
They had already known from the past.
That their obedience was abnormally blind. Even without Soana needing to deliberately awaken them.
In the first place, would it have been possible to wait for the Commander all this long time without the Goddess's intervention?
[Brother.]
[That is why we must perform the final authority.]
At Nadav's words, Mori only quietly looked up at him.
[The final authority will eliminate not only the power of birth but also the power of death, and we will be freed from the Goddess. The Commander as well.]
Birth arbitrarily designs their entire lives. Death arbitrarily ends their entire lives.
The difference between the two is that birth tries not to release its power, while death, knowing its power, tries to release it.
A grown child ought to become independent, and parents ought to accept that.
[Even if we regain our memories, what we must do does not change. So do not worry.]
[Brother...]
[Everyone knows. Mori, they are the Twelve Knights of the Round Table.]
Those chosen by the Commander, those permitted to accompany that journey.
[As in the past, this time too, we follow the Commander's will.]
Nadav's voice was imbued with firm faith. Mori, hearing Nadav's words, fell into quiet thought for a while.
Then slowly opened his mouth.
[What if the Commander changes her mind?]
[Changes?]
Nadav chewed on those words as if he had heard something strange. Then let out a low laugh and spoke.
[Mori, do you still not understand the Commander?]
[Hm?]
[Why do you think the Goddess chose the Commander as her proxy?]
Mori looked at Nadav with puzzled eyes. Nadav looked at his younger sibling with warm eyes, then spoke calmly.
[Though the process may differ, the result is the same. That one promised us, and will surely keep that promise.]
Knowing that, Birth desperately moves her proxy to somehow interfere.
Nadav's head lifted a bit higher.
[The freedom of the gods. The perfect completion of the world.]
From the far edge of the sky, a faint bright light could be seen rising.
[Rest for all beings.]
Dawn was breaking.
* * *
I had heard rumors that the Trebi Mountain Range was rugged, but I didn't know it would be this bad.
There was no path to enter the mountain range, so it was fine that we reached the foot of the mountain at random, but the slope was too steep and covered with all sorts of weeds, making it hard to find a place to step.
"......Not only horses, but it would be difficult even to walk."
"Wouldn't it be better to just burn it all with magic?"
Listening to Samuel and Zenon's opinions, I gazed at the scene before me.
Since Zenon was an outstanding mage, it might be possible to designate an area and burn it.
"Or how about crossing over with flight magic?"
"Oh, that might be cleaner. But flight magic only applies to the caster and one other person. You know you have to climb up yourself, right?"
"You seem to want to leave me behind at this opportunity, but my guidance isn't finished yet."
I glanced at the two of them putting their heads together and whispering while worrying about how to proceed, then slowly approached the slope.
Up close, it looked even more hopeless.
Vines of unknown origin were tangled here and there, and upon closer inspection, thorny bushes were positioned in various places.
As I looked at them with hesitation, I reached out slightly. It was to roughly gauge how much of the brush the weeds occupied and what the shape of the ground hidden beneath was like.
It was the moment my fingertips were about to touch the vine.
[Commander, be careful!]
Mori, who had been in my pocket, suddenly poked his head out with a startled voice.
"Huh?"
I reflexively pulled my hand back, but the green vine had already wrapped around my wrist. Looking down at my arm that was firmly grasped, I calmly muttered.
"A monster."
......Right, it was about time a plant-type monster appeared.