Ella Walsh, if not for her absence in the game, Leon would have disregarded her as just one of this world's resident's but she is a mystery now that he sees her this way.

The Princess Consort, a member of the royal family by marriage, the supposedly future Queen of Amber.

"Why the fuck are you in the woods alone without escort or some big shot wizard looking around for you?" That was the thing Leon was dying to ask but he just had to keep it in all the way.

Speculations, ideas, scenarios all were running through his head. It can all be a mistake but with such a good-looking fiancee, why would a man fool around with girls left and right?

A womanizer's nature is beyond his understanding.

But what is this girl's situation at this point when her fiance is disregarding her? Why didn't she appear in the game? There are no princes aside from Prince Edward at the moment as the rumor is that most of them disappeared so there is only one Prince and one Princess Consort.

She was rather a very depressed and quiet person judging from her behavior during this walk back to the camp. She may have calmed down a bit but the gloom around her was from the next level. Also, she chose not to speak a word to Leon.

It was all over when they finally saw signs of the Mercenary and Academy camps.

"Ahoy! Over here! I found the young lady!" Immediately as Leon saw a band of knights and mercenaries patrolling the premises, he shouted to call them over.

Their reaction was swift as they all ran towards the voice and once they saw the young lady accompanied by the mercenary, the knights all hurried towards her with their cloaks and blankets.

"Your Highness! You're alright, Your Highness?"

"Quickly, summon Sir Evans."

"This way. We found the lady!"

Leon was completely pushed to the side and the knights took over as they ran around and kept summoning their superiors and informing the other staff officers. Leon, who seemed to have been disregarded, retreated away before anyone who may recognize him appears.

The girl, however, looked in his direction and their eyes met each other. She looked at him as if curious for the first time but she could only see his eyes. Leon nodded towards her and kept his distance as the other mercenaries surrounded him.

"You're from the League of Virgins, right?" One asked.

"Say that again and I'll bite your throat." Leon replied.

They started laughing at him as he seemed to hate the name as much as it is bad.

On the other hand, the girl he saved whose name is Ella Walsh met an elderly knight whose mustache was as thick as they can get. He looked down towards her with stern eyes.

"Young Miss."

"Sir…"

"It's good to see you back. We will return to the city this instant." He said.

"Wait…" Ella's voice rose a little bit to stop the man who was turning around and dragging her away, "His Highness… he…"

Her question was obviously about her betrothed, the Prince. To reply to this, the elderly knight remained silent and didn't even turn around to face her.

Something felt rather off as this man who would usually scold her was rather silent as he stood still.

Not too far from that scene and not too far off Leon's as well, a few soldiers were transporting weapons on some wagons and pushing them through the forest.

"Hurry up! His Highness wants those Ballistas in position before the attack."

As a soldier shouted those words, both Leon and Ella focused their attention on what's happening over that side. They saw plenty of weapons and soldiers being transported as if a war was breaking out.

"What's happening?" Both Ella and Leon asked this question to those around them.

"His Highness has found the Goblins' Den."

"He's going to eradicate all the Goblins of the forest."

"The Prince is rather angry at the Goblins after today's incident."

Those were the answers heard. Leon narrowed his eyes as this wasn't really something he foresaw while Ella smiled with a surprised face.

"High Highness…" Ella wondered, "He is looking for m…"

"Young Miss, let's just leave." The elderly knight tried to drag away Ella but she was already looking the other way.

Once he turned towards her, what he saw was the thing he never wanted to see on her face at this particular moment.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Hope.

"You remember that Pearl girl? The one that was hired by the nobleman?" A mercenary asked Leon.

"Yes, the one who had problems with Titus." Leon nodded.

"Yeah, that one. Turned out she was hired by the Prince no less. An incident happened this morning and Pearl was taken out by Goblins. His Highness swore vengeance for her." The mercenary said.

"I mean Pearl is a loss since she was pretty and all but the Prince is a real good man. He'd do all that to avenge his subjects." Another added.

"Hmph!" Leon snorted and walked away, "Let me offer you guys a round in the honor of his Highness."

As Leon walked off, the one who heard the conversation not too far from him was Ella.

The Prince… her Prince… the one she waited for all that time… the one she went missing just to do something that wins his attention.

He is what now?

A pretty mercenary?

Avenging another woman? While his fiancee is missing?

Ella was a person who would let her emotions control her and this time, her emotions were something she felt for the first time in her life. She didn't even react or do anything other than showing a blank emotion. Even her head went blank without a single thought yet her heart was just scattering slowly… and painfully.

The elderly knight overheard the conversation between the mercenaries as well and felt the grasp of the young lady weaken in his hand. He closed his eyes now and looked back at the girl who became as still as a ragdoll who would move into any direction he'd drag her to.

In a fatherly moment, he brought her to his side and covered her with his cloak walking away.

***

"You seem alright." At the entrance of the Mercenary Camp, Leon was met with a woman leaning her back to the wooden fence.

"It's you." Leon narrowed his eyes as he looked at her then looked the other way.

Erielle narrowed her eyes as she looked at Leon up and down.

"How did you escape the strangler's grasp?" She asked.

"No thanks to you." He replied.

"I thought you didn't want me to interfere."

"I thought you are here to watch over the students."

Leon seemed unamused with the Elvish lady who was following him the entire trip around the forest. She's a witness to what happened to his party as well as what he did to Pearl, how he put together the Obelisk, and how he saved the Princess Consort.

But Leon wasn't aware of her presence before the part when she guided him towards Huxley using wind and leaves.

Was she there when he raided the Academy's Camp and put his Cobra card? If she saw him then his secret identity will be exposed.

"Since when did you start to follow me?" He asked.

"Since the morning." She replied.

"Yeah. What was I doing back then?" He asked.

"Why are you asking?" She seemed curious, "You are hiding something?"

"Obviously."

"Too young to have this many secrets, aren't you?"

"It's never too young." He retorted, "Since when?"

"I said in the morning… exactly after you and your people started to go deeper into the forest." She said while raising her hands, giving up the argument, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Vadim. I returned to the capital in order to meet some people."

"… Alright." Leon wouldn't tell if she was lying but that seemed like the truth so he let it drop, "Where's Vadim?"

"He was going to look for you but I stopped him. He's now at the Academy's Camp investigating some robbery." Erielle said.

"Well… not my business then." Leon shrugged his shoulders and innocently left.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I wanna rest."

She didn't stop him even though it got under her skin how rude he has become. As an Elf, her emotions aren't as complicated as those of humans but at least she imagined him to be a little bit curious like his kind. Right now, he behaves like an Elf after crossing a new circle.

"Hold up!" Erielle called, "Have you… by any chance, have you ever possessed any Elder Sap before?" She asked.

"Elder Sap?" Leon looked back, "What is that?"

"It's a Poison that is famous among Elves." She said.

"Why would I have any of that?" Leon shrugged his shoulders and left.

"I just wondered… it doesn't work on humans anyway." She thought for a second before smiling and heading off herself.

Leon narrowed his eyes but he couldn't figure out what that woman was thinking of… as if narrowing his eyes would help him figure things out anyway.

"Leo! Leo! You're alright!"

Just before he could turn around, Huxley and Titus ran towards him with surprised faces and wide eyes. They held his arms and his shoulders checking on him.

"I'm fine, both of you!" He said as he pulled his arms and backed away, "What's with people and personal space these days?"

Titus looked at Leon with bewildered expressions before looking around and getting closer.

"The situation with Pearl." He asked.

"They won't know." Leon nodded, "Did you figure out how to cover for me and Huxley if someone suspects us?"

"Yes, I said that you two were split from us." Titus nodded.

"And Edrick's wound?"

"The arrow looked like human's but I blamed it on Goblins anyway. They salvage stuff from dead Mercenaries too."

Titus and Leon nodded in understanding as their faces seemed serious, Huxley on the side looked rather baffled by Leon who was supposed to be less experienced as a Mercenary but turned out to be on the mental level of a veteran like Titus.

"And you found the missing Young Lady?" Titus asked.

"The Princess Consort herself." Leon confirmed.

"Won't this complicate things?" (Titus)

"On the contrary. If you guys act all goody two shoes and just say you were doing your duty, those big nobles will be good to you and feel indebted." (Leon)

"But… What was the Prince doing when his Princess was just found?" (Titus)

"Don't ask me! Sure as hell I don't want to know what goes inside the mind of a noble much less a royal." (Leon)

"You and me both. You did well." (Titus)

"One last thing, this is where we part ways." (Leon)

""What?""

Titus and Huxley reacted in the same manner with confusion visible on their faces.

"This is as far as I go. I overstayed my welcome… I already have the license I came for." Leon said.

"That's… regrettable." Huxley said.

"It was an honor to fight alongside you, Leo." Titus offered a handshake which Leon accepted.

"Let's meet again in less shitty days. Deliver my best wishes to Edrick and Cenric." Leon said as he looked behind before quickly turning back to Huxley as he took off his helm, "Hux, put on my helmet… quickly."

Huxley felt rather confused but he reached out to the helmet and put it on as Leon said.

"And?" He asked.

"Wait for it?" Leon said as he undid the neck-straps of his padded coif and turned it into a heavy hood.

"You there… Mercenary."

At that moment, a Knight approached the three and called for a Mercenary. He was excitedly eyeing Huxley.

"Y… Yes… me?"

"Yes, you. You are the one who saved the lady. Master Evans would like to convey his thanks personally and ask for your name." The Knight said.

"Wh… me?" Huxley was baffled but he immediately looked towards Leon.

"His name is Huxley and he's a damn hero." Leon said as he winked before leaving as he snatched a bottle of booze from a nearby mercenary who was just passing, "To Huxley!"

"TO HUXLEY!"

Every drinking Mercenary nearby simply just raised his booze. Leon tossed the bottle back to its owner as he finally walked off.

His destination wasn't outside the forest though, it was further deep. Something in his heart pulled him in and he had one last show to host. The Prince is vulnerable at the moment and shame on him if it is not the time to strike.

Shame, hate, darkness… smile.