After spending the night in the shade of a rock to avoid the sea breeze, Belhard woke up to the sound of waves. It looked like new firewood had been added to the bonfire. Karna also popped out of the tent at the same time. Only Elliot was missing.

Belhard got up, stretched his stiff body, and looked around. Then Elliot appeared from the shore, illuminated by the morning sun.

"It's done!"

"... What's that?"

"A boat to cross the Zalto Strait!"

What on earth was he talking about?

"Come here, come here!"

Led by an excited Elliot, Belhard and Karna headed for the shore. There, they found a shining white raft that looked like it could fit the three of them. It was made from the driftwood that had been pruned the day before.

"No, that's impossible..."

"The current in the Zart Strait is slow in the morning, we can cross now! Come on, get ready!"

"No, no, it's not about the tide or anything, we can't cross it on this raft!"

Karna nodded beside him.

"Then I'll go alone."

Belhard remembered that the death of the hero had put humanity on the brink of extinction.

"Okay, okay. Let's go, Karna."

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Believing Elliot's words, he decided that now, when the tides were calm, was the perfect time.

Karna understood Belhard's true intentions, and nodded in agreement, despite his fear.

The three quickly packed up the camp and prepared to depart.

"Let's go!"

"Crossing the Zart Strait?!"

Trasteria couldn't believe her ears. The hero had done the exact opposite of what the three writers had all said in unison: "That's not possible."

What should we do...? For now, we have to go too. We'll look for a boat and meet with former representative Fenbach...

Trasteria and the others began their calculations at high speed and hurried to the Zart Strait.

Elliot was fully prepared, and even made an oar out of driftwood. He happily steered the oar across the Zart Strait, but as they approached the center of the Strait, the current suddenly became strong. The raft, which was only secured by vines, gradually began to loosen.

"Elliot, shouldn't we go back?"

"I want to go back, but there's nothing I can do!"

Belhard took the oar from Elliot and quickly turned the raft around, but the raft was already beginning to collapse.

"Elliot, Karna, get caught by the driftwood! It's going to collapse!!"

"Aaaahhh!!"

The voyage ended when he heard Karna's scream.

Karna woke up to the crackling sound of burning firewood and Belhard's loud voice. Feeling the sand on his cheek, he realized his life had been spared. He raised his head slightly. His white robes were a little dry thanks to the fire.

Belhard was lecturing Elliot.

"Listen, Elliot. Historical facts tell us that even if you're a hero, you can't defeat the Demon King alone. You have to look after your party properly!"

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

"If this doesn't teach you a lesson, never act on your own. When you do something, consult with your party members!"

Being the older of the two, Belhard decided to take the initiative. Even though Elliot was over fifteen, he still didn't know enough about the world. This time, he keenly felt the need for supervision.

While Elliot was being scolded by Belhard, the northern part of the Organov Empire was hit by a thunderstorm never seen before. The rivers suddenly rose to their feet and overflowed, the fertile land was washed away by the rain, and crops were destroyed. Many people were left stranded in their homes, and many were killed.

"Is this the influence of the hero?"

Tsar Organov said, gazing out at the land through the rain-soaked windowpane.