“The king, that man... he’s really overflowing with ambition.”

Jorfe , summarizing his impression of the king after hearing about the dinner conversation, gave a concise critique.

seha , munching on the food I had brought her while lounging on the sofa, tilted her head in confusion and asked,

“Huh? Really? But he said he’d hand everything over to Alpheus . If he’s so ambitious, shouldn’t he be clinging to power until the bitter end?”

“That’s not ambition—that’s greed. The king doesn’t want to be remembered as some pathetic old man clinging to power. He wants to leave as a respected former king a wise leader who stepped down at the right time to usher in an era of prosperity by passing the torch to his successor.”

“But then he wouldn’t be the protagonist of the story anymore. How is that ambitious?”

“That, seha, is the grandest dream a usurper can have—to change a nation with their ideals and then pass on the torch of that light to the next generation. If Alpheus turns out to be an exceptional king, the current one will go down in history as a great founding father.”

“Wow. Inferior species are so simple-minded. With memories like that, no wonder they’re always getting exploited by those in power.”

“It’s clever, really. Extremely cunning,” Jorfe shuddered, as if chilled by his own observation. seha, on the other hand, barely moved, her expression apathetic, her foot tapping idly.

“Well, it works out for Alpheus, doesn’t it? The guy’s practically donating the entire kingdom to him. What a saint. A philanthropic king!”

“If you look at it simply, sure. But if you think about it carefully, it’s like he’s giving away nothing at all.”

“Sounds like you’re just being cynical. He’s giving his kingdom and even throwing in his daughter as a bonus.”

“Technically, none of those are truly his to give. The kingdom was something he took from the previous king, and his daughter? Well, everyone lets their children go eventually.”

“Hmm, I guess so.”

“And let’s not forget the title of ‘national patriarch’ he’ll gain later. It’s all about taking credit while offloading the burdens onto someone else.”

It was a rather cold yet accurate insight. For the first time, seha adjusted her posture, leaning forward with a serious expression.

Then Jorfe chuckled dryly and added in a nonchalant tone,

“Of course, it’s not entirely a bad deal.”

“Huh? What’s with the sudden change in tone after that whole lecture? Are you kidding me?”

“At the very least, he has no intention of harming Alpheus. The worst he’s doing is leaving Alpheus to clean up his messes. Compared to the loyalists who serve and are later discarded, this isn’t a terrible outcome.”

“Still, it’s just about assigning him more annoying responsibilities. Not bad, sure, but not great either.”

“Even so, if Alpheus can bring peace to the human kingdom, I’m all for it. Alpheus would make a great king.”

It was high praise, perhaps too much for a mere street mercenary to receive. Yet even seha, yawning as she nodded, didn’t seem to disagree.

“Well, there aren’t many humans out there who are well-regarded by both the elves and the Harvits. So yeah, he could be a good king—as long as he doesn’t mess things up before his coronation.”

“And it’ll be important for him to resist the temptations around him. Many will try to pull Alpheus to their side, some with extreme motives.”

“Like rebellion, maybe?”

“The people’s trust in the king isn’t as solid as you’d think. He’s a usurper who seized the throne through rebellion and even suffered the humiliation of having his princess abducted by a dragon.”

“And then some crazy guy shows up and rescues her. And this guy? Turns out he might be more capable than the current king. Talk about having a solid claim to the throne.”

“And if the elves and sages support him, it’d be even more compelling.”

seha scoffed at Jorfe’s words, but his tone remained serious as he turned to me and continued,

“So, Alpheus, you need to be careful for a while. Choose your company wisely, and act cautiously. I think ascending to the throne as smoothly as possible is your best bet.”

“...”

“Of course, if you don’t want to be king, that’s your choice, and I’ll respect it. But still, I think you should—”

“...”

“Alpheus, are you listening?”

Sensing that something was off, Jorfe grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward him. But I was too lost in my thoughts, mumbling the same phrase over and over.

Then, meeting his gaze, I finally spoke clearly.

“...The lip mark I left—it was still there.”

“What?”

“The lip mark I left—it was still there.”

I stared at him blankly, repeating myself.

“The lip mark I left, Jorfe—it was still there.”

“Alpheus...”

“Why... why did it have to be there?”

“Good grief,” Jorfe muttered, momentarily at a loss. Then, gripping my shoulders tightly, he spoke with a grave tone.

“Listen to me. Not yet, Alpheus.”

“Not yet.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, now is not the time. You haven’t even secured an official engagement, nor built solid alliances. Sure, you’re popular across the kingdom, but not here in the palace.”

“I know that.”

“Then you should know not to provoke the king right now.”

“I know.”

“Are you sure you know?”

His voice was heavy with worry—he’d never seen me act like this before, and it made him even more concerned. Honestly, I didn’t understand why I was acting so foolishly either.

As I wrestled with my thoughts, seha casually tossed out a sarcastic comment.

“Why don’t you just stop him already? At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they get all lovey-dovey.”

“seha .”

“If it’s what he really wants to do, just let him be. Like you said, he’s spent his whole life living like a pushover, and now, when he’s finally standing tall, you’re telling him to wait again? How much worse could that feel?”

“seha, you know you shouldn’t say things like that.”

“What, am I wrong? It’s ridiculous for people who are about to leave anyway to boss him around. Looks like you’re just trying to make me the bad guy here.”

“That’s not it, seha...”

Were they about to argue again? It happened often enough, but those fights rarely ended well. Regaining my composure as the party leader, I quickly intervened between the two.

“I’ll be careful, Jorfe .”

“What?”

“I’ll be careful. In situations like this, you’ve never been wrong before.”

I replied with a firm expression, making it clear I wasn’t just paying lip service. Jorfe hesitated, then spoke with a slightly apologetic tone.

“Of course, this is just my opinion.”

“...”

“But I think it’s the best path for you, Alpheus .”

I nodded silently, a gesture of solemn agreement. Yet, deep down, I wasn’t confident I could actually keep my promise. Unable to face him, I averted my gaze, haunted by the memories of that night.

Why did the moonlight seem so blinding, even in the middle of the night?

Maybe it was my imagination. Or perhaps, as Jorfe once suggested, it was a mild form of psychosis. Maybe the memories of bloodshed and slaughter were stirring up my trauma.

Or maybe it was the vivid mark left on her neck—a crimson stain that had rooted itself deep in my obsession.

“...”

Either way, I couldn’t sleep. Overwhelmed by the agony of sleeplessness, I eventually rose from my bed and stepped out of my room.

“Sigh...”

A suppressed thirst escaped as a sigh. Without much thought, I wandered, and before long, I found myself heading outdoors. Perhaps the nomadic instincts honed from years of wandering had subconsciously guided me.

Or maybe I secretly hoped to meet her under the guise of chance.

That thought lingered as my gaze turned toward the royal palace’s outer walls. My trained eyes quickly identified the location of her room.

“The fifth floor. Left corridor, farthest inside.”

Fittingly, the queen’s chamber was at the highest point. The surrounding walls were made of reinforced materials, offering robust security. It wasn’t a bad location for protecting someone important.

But it was also excessively secluded. The high elevation made it feel as isolating as a dungeon, and the reinforced materials around the left wall blocked any view of the outside, leaving the room suffocating.

In truth, it seemed less like a queen’s chamber and more like…

“What are you thinking, you idiot?”

“…Ah.”

A sharp voice suddenly broke my train of thought. Startled, I looked up to see seha perched on a tree branch like a cat.

“Can’t sleep? What are you, some lovesick teenager? Thinking about that woman all night, huh?”

“...”

“Look at your face. Nailed it, didn’t I?”

“Don’t climb the garden trees, seha. The gardeners work hard to maintain them.”

“Ugh, you’re such a pushover, I swear,” she muttered, leaping down from the branch with an exaggerated motion. Of course, she made a point to snap the branch for good measure.

“So, what are you doing? Taking a stroll?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah, your body must be itching for action. After saving the world, how could a little princess possibly satisfy you?”

“Seha.”

“Just be honest with me. No need to put on an act around me.”

Ignoring my serious tone, she responded with a smirk, throwing an arm around my shoulder and jabbing my side with her free hand.

“I can tell just by looking. Your head’s so full of her you can’t even function. I don’t know why, but it’s clear she’s the only one for you.”

“...”

“But you’re such a pushover that, because Jorfe told you to stay put, you’re actually staying put. What does he know? He’s from a species that doesn’t even reproduce—what could he possibly understand about love?”

“You’re not exactly one to talk.”

“Shut up. I’m just too busy to waste time on romance.”

Her poking finger turned into a fist that drove straight into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. While I groaned in pain, seha crossed her arms and fired a direct question.

“So, tell me the truth. Is it that you don’t want to marry the princess, or do you really want the queen?”

“What are you trying to say, seha?”

“That depends on your answer.”

“...I can’t answer that.”

“Ugh, you useless bastard,” she cursed, letting out a colorful string of profanity as she turned her gaze toward the distant hills.

“I’m leaving in three days. Jorfe’s coming with me.”

“Three days?”

“Maybe sooner.”

The announcement, much sooner than I had expected, brought a pang of regret. But before I could linger in the moment, seha cut through my thoughts.

“So, if you have any requests, make them now.”

“Requests?”

“About that woman. Anything. Just say it.”

“You’re not going to stop me?”

“If I try to stop you, you’ll just do something even crazier, you lunatic.”

It was, in its own way, a brutally accurate assessment. seha grinned mischievously, her tone turning serious.

“But since I’m the crazy one in this party, if our noble hero must keep his hands clean, I’ll handle the insanity for you.”

“...”

“So, if you want, just say the word.”

“I’d even kidnap the queen for you right now.”