Veradia was composed of double walls. The outer wall connected by a drawbridge, and the inner wall protecting the main tower.
And in the space between them, several facilities and residential areas existed.
Unlike the walls that maintained their complete form, a significant number of buildings in the residential area were damaged.
"This is unexpected."
At least from the outside, it had looked intact, so naturally he assumed the inside scenery would be the same.
Zenon, who had been looking around, habitually checked Aneli's complexion. Ever since she used her divine power on Ganik, her face had been pale the entire time.
"You need to rest a bit."
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine at all."
Despite Zenon's firm words, Aneli had an indifferent expression.
Perhaps she was desperately repeating to herself that she was fine. She was certainly someone who would do such a thing.
Or perhaps she truly believed she was fine.
"The way down from the mountain was rough, and the journey here was longer than expected. Sitting down to rest for a moment would be good."
Instead of pointing out her potentially unstable emotions, Zenon told her how treacherous the path they had taken to reach this place had been.
"Actually, my legs hurt a bit too."
At his feigned whining added as an afterthought, Aneli hesitated.
After showing signs of contemplating for a moment, Aneli soon nodded.
Fortunately, there were a few intact buildings among the damaged ones, so they chose one sound building to rest for a while.
Whether buying a little more time for her remaining farewells was the right thing to do, he couldn't know.
However, Zenon didn't want her to force herself to process all of this work at once.
Because this wasn't the kind of farewell to be roughly and stubbornly resolved like that.
Also, time to accept farewells should be given sufficiently to anyone.
* * *
When they visited Febryn Monastery, the Durahans had been too busy rejoicing as they recalled forgotten memories.
However, now that they had arrived at Veradia Castle, the Durahans couldn't simply rejoice like before.
This was because through Dasha and Ganik who came before them, they had learned what they would gain here.
[Someone must have protected this place.]
[Yes, just like Ganik guarded the castle gate.]
Bark in the form of a black bear, and the hornet Tristan who had settled on his crown, conversed in low voices while looking around the residential area.
While Aneli rested briefly, they had come out to look around the vicinity beforehand.
As the Durahans who were always in whatever situation during camping had paired up to stand guard around them, they intended to scout this place where they didn't know what might be there this time as well.
The difference from usual was that this time, almost all the Durahans had come out in a crowd.
Even Mori had been kidnapped, silk pouch and all.
There were various reasons, but their intention to have conversations about this situation among themselves was significant. Rather than someone taking the lead, it was an atmosphere created implicitly.
[Mori, how do you know Ganik guarded the castle gate?]
Zigor, who was sitting with folded wings next to Tristan, suddenly turned his head.
[Huh?]
Mori, who had stuck only his head out of the pouch and been looking around continuously, was startled and looked back at Zigor.
It was Palides who spoke in place of Zigor who was hesitating to answer.
"Because Mori has had better memory than you since long ago?"
[What? Palides! Fight me right now!]
At Zigor's appearance, puffing up his feathers and challenging her to battle in his own threatening way, Palides sneered.
"I don't fight with a mere sparrowhawk."
[Gah!]
Zigor flapped his wings as if he would transform right at that moment.
However, even while black smoke billowed out, Zigor did not transform into a Durahan.
It wasn't just Zigor. Among the Knights of the Round Table present here, not a single one stood in Durahan form.
It wasn't because they couldn't transform.
It was because they feared that when they returned to their true forms, they might unknowingly face their rest with their regained heads.
The rest they had waited for so long, yet now that it was right before their eyes, they were afraid.
[I don't think your head is here.]
[I know. Because I wouldn't have left the captain's side until the very end!]
Even while responding boldly to Minte who spoke indirectly, Zigor ultimately did not transform.
No one mocked Zigor as a coward for watching him like that. They simply turned their gazes away pretending not to notice.
Soana, who had been watching the Durahans with a gentle gaze, settled on Nadab's saddle and looked back at Mori.
[Mori, by any chance do you remember? Who was protecting this place.]
At Soana's sudden question, Mori's eyes went round. Reflexively looking at someone, Mori quickly hid his head back into the pouch.
The movement was so quick that the other Durahans busy chattering didn't notice Mori's unnatural silence.
Only Soana noticed the one Mori's gaze had briefly touched.
Soana didn't necessarily voice what she had noticed. Instead, she quietly watched the Durahans.
[Actually, I didn't know our rest would begin like this.]
Tristan, who had been contributing to the noise with meaningless bickering with Zigor, suddenly spoke up.
[I thought I would be given a bit more time...]
"Actually, me too. We finally all gathered, but to think we have to part ways right away."
Palides nodded in agreement with Tristan's words. Her voice, sunk in depression, revealed her feelings.
At her words, silence circulated among the Durahans. Soana, who had been watching the heavy atmosphere spread quickly, opened her mouth calmly.
[It's the rest we've been waiting for all along.]
It was a tender voice like usual, yet with a firm tone.
[Everyone, you've endured until now for that.]
"I... don't really know."
Palides answered hesitantly.
"I still haven't gone boating with the captain even once."
After failing at boating a couple of times, there was a time when Aneli had comforted the disheartened Palides.
At that time, she had said she would later introduce her to a magician from the Magic Tower who was proficient in weight-reduction magic through Zenon.
Saying that even wearing heavy armor, it wouldn't interfere with boating.
Perhaps that was a consolation to get through that moment. Palides was easily swept up in emotions, and Aneli always worried about that.
However, Palides had been happy even with just words. And she had remembered continuously, and often boasted to other Durahans.
[If it's boating, you did that a lot in the old days.]
At Soana's words too, strength didn't enter Palides's drooped shoulders.
"That was the captain from the old days."
[Since it's not that you haven't done it at all, the regret is...]
"No. It's completely different."
Palides shook her head.
"I haven't done it with the current captain. The captain doesn't know at all how good I am at fishing. Doesn't know how well I row either."
[Come to think of it, I haven't been able to show my brave appearance either! I've only shown the appearance of beating up mere Lizardmen! I'm a knight who presents fearsome terror to enemies at the vanguard!]
Zigor cut in flapping his wings. He was so urgent that he flapped his wings roughly enough for several feathers to fly off and fall to the ground.
Bark, who brushed off Zigor's feathers stuck between his fur, shrugged his shoulders and said.
[If it's combat, I'm the expert! If you saw my sparring, you'd assign me to guard duty right away?]
[Bark, grow some awareness. Idiot.]
At Minte's pointing, Bark who had been puffing out his chest proudly became dejected and hung his head.
Then this time Tristan shouted in a cheerful voice.
[For the current captain to know my charm, it still needs much more time!]
[You just stop luring bugs. You didn't summon bugs all the way here too, did you?]
[My, Minte. bugs. The correct term is insects. How upset would they be if they heard?]
The atmosphere that had become somewhat gloomy turned noisy again.
Soana watched those Durahans with a strange look, and Nadab, who had been silent, called her in a low voice.
[Soana.]
The Durahans, chatting noisily while crossing the residential area, were growing further away.
This was why Nadab, who had been walking slowly with Soana on his back, had completely stopped his steps.
[We are not God's puppets now. The thread of birth was cut long ago.]
Soana answered while keeping her gaze on the retreating figures of the Durahans.
[For us to have fallen asleep in this state...]
[It's to meet the captain.]
Soana closed her beak. At Soana's attitude as if maintaining silence to deny her own words, Nadab lightly shook his head.
With a whoosh, along with his shaking, a calm voice continued.
[Despite the fact that she is not the captain of old, she brought us who had lost our heads all the way here. So you too, trust her.]
[I... trust your devotion.]
[Our devotion is possible because the captain exists.]
[Nadab. Anyway, since we're facing rest, there's no need to engage in unnecessary arguments.]
As Soana said, whatever the Durahans discussed and whatever views they opposed, the result to face was the same. The rest met after a long, long wait.
The price of devotion that should have been received long, long ago.
At Soana's words, Nadab lightly tapped the ground with his front paw. He wasn't trying to deny Soana's words.
[Right, we are facing rest. And whatever form the knights accept it in, that is their will. Even if it is not the form you were guessing.]
It meant that the Durahans making clumsy excuses and trying to find reasons to somehow stay by the captain's side was not something someone told or forced them to do.
Whether Soana understood the intention contained in Nadab's words was unknown. She simply remained silent.
[What? Soana! Nadab! What are you doing there?]
The Durahans who had gone ahead discovered the lagging Soana and Nadab late and called out to them loudly.
Soana, who had been sitting on Nadab's saddle, slowly unfolded her folded wings. With just a couple of wingbeats, Soana's body floated up.
She flapped her large wings and soared above the overcast sky.
Nadab, who had glanced at the ascending Soana, moved his steps that had paused for a moment.
[Ack, I think it's raining!]
Tristan's voice clamoring that wings shouldn't get wet was heard. Indeed, dark-colored drops could be seen increasing one by one on the ground.
It was time to return to their captain.