Ana had been sent to the royal army.
Mako stood before Zoe and Andrew.
"I know," Mako said with a plaintive tone. "I know what it means. You don't need to look at me like that."
"Sorry," Zoe and Andrew said in unison.
"It's fine," Mako said. "It's just… There couldn't be a worse time for this."
Andrew and Zoe were likely the ones who understood these words best. They didn't know Mako personally, but their roles in the Royal Court gave them one clear insight: being recruited into the royal army was a death sentence.
Or so they believed.
"That's odd," Andrew said. "They don't usually recruit nobles unless it's an absolute emergency… I mean, we're in tense political times, but…"
"She volunteered," Mako said, dejected.
Andrew couldn't believe his ears.
"Impossible! It's madness, suicide. Now? When war could break out any moment," Andrew exclaimed.
Zoe smacked Andrew's shoulder, scolding him for his lack of tact in front of Mako.
Andrew tried to apologize, but Mako waved it off.
"It was her decision. There's nothing to be done. You two, being part of Galandria's defense, are the most informed on this," Mako said.
"We are part of Galandria's defense, Mako," Zoe corrected, "including you."
"Right!" Andrew said, slamming his fist into his palm. "Defending a city isn't easy."
Zoe smacked Andrew's shoulder again.
"The kingdom. We defend the kingdom," she corrected once more.
"Of course! But we mainly handle the city of Galandria, not the whole kingdom," Andrew said defensively.
"We should note that for the next meeting. It's confusing to name a kingdom after its capital," Zoe said, glancing at Andrew.
"Yeah! Or is it the other way around? Maybe the city was named after the kingdom?" Andrew mused.
Mako stared at them, his face a mix of confusion, eyebrows raised, unsure what to say.
'Are these two always like this?' Mako thought, a faint smile creeping onto his face.
Despite his calm expression, Mako was still deeply worried about Ana. Though he found the odd pair of Zoe and Andrew likable, he'd only spoken to confirm his worst fears.
◇◆◇
But Mako's days wouldn't just be paperwork. If tensions with other kingdoms were high, Galandria's problems didn't start at its borders… Dark shadows were growing in its own streets.
The queen periodically delivered royal announcements in the city square, surrounded by as many guards and soldiers as possible.
Citizens from all over filled the streets to hear the latest news alongside the queen's royal words.
"People of Galandria," the queen said loudly, holding a scroll as usual, "I come to decree grave news."
The gathered crowd looked at the queen with puzzled expressions, many visibly worried.
The queen, standing on a small podium, continued reading.
As she spoke, a group of guards brought forth a man chained by his neck and limbs.
This time, it wasn't Mako facing condemnation on the platform, under the shadow of a guillotine.
Mako watched from a row of nobles behind the queen, listening to her words and observing the scene.
Mako swallowed hard.
'To think that not long ago, I was on that same platform,' Mako thought to himself.
Then, the guards forced the condemned man to his knees before the crowd. That's when everyone saw his face.
The audience gasped, murmuring "It can't be" or "Impossible" under their breaths.
The man being condemned was none other than…
"Sir Arthur II!" the queen declared, pointing at the man before all. "A renowned hero of our homeland has committed treason against the Crown!"
'Who?' Mako wondered.
He'd never heard of Sir Arthur II—not just since returning to the past. Even before awakening his system and looping back in time, Mako couldn't recall the man's name or face.
Sir Arthur II… Mako saw only his back, noting his gray hair. He assumed he was a relic of the past, but the crowd's shock suggested otherwise.
This was someone famous and revered.
With that, the queen began pronouncing her sentence.
Mako couldn't shake a chilling sensation coursing through him. It was a macabre kind of déjà vu.
Normally, Mako was covered from the neck down in elegant, long-sleeved attire adorned with intricate designs, hiding his many scars.
But Mako remembered them all.
Especially the mark encircling his neck like a halo—the scar from being beheaded for his brother's betrayal in the future.
In that moment, the atmosphere shifted.
"Any last words, Sir Arthur?" the queen asked, watching as guards prepared the guillotine to sever his head.
Sir Arthur II, a man with gray hair, pale skin, and a thick white beard matching his hair, glared defiantly at the queen.
"Oh, yes. I have last words." With a grave tone and dark eyes, Sir Arthur II looked skyward and said, "I'll see you in hell, Queen of Galandria."
Mako felt the air grow heavy after hearing the words of this kingdom hero, moments from execution by guillotine.
But before he could process it, he realized why…
A line of guards stood before the queen, ready to defend her from any threat, but in that instant, something happened.
A group of guards holding back the crowd shouted, while others collapsed to the ground.
"What's happening?" the queen said, unable to grasp what was unfolding below the podium.
Sir Arthur II, still gazing at the sky, basked in the sun's rays on his skin.
"Ah," Sir Arthur II gloated, "at last, divine punishment will fall upon us all."