It had been three hours since Yelena entered and left the command tent. Though it was only around six in the evening, night fell quickly in the far northern reaches of Ursus. When she stepped outside, the sky had already dimmed, and in front of the tent sat a pot of warm stew and soup prepared for her.
Thankfully, it wasn't September or October yet. Yelena exhaled softly into her palms, feeling the warmth return to her body thanks to the medicine Felix had given her. By September, the northern lands of Ursus would already be freezing, with snow beginning to pile up.
Now, in July—the hottest season across Terra—the infected members of Reunion took advantage of the weather to venture out in search of food.
Earlier in the day, a scouting team had returned from an expedition. They brought back a few edible roots and, along with them, a piece of unexpected news: they had discovered a mining site not marked on any of their maps. The team hadn't dared to approach too closely. After spotting several patrol squads in the area, they wisely abandoned any thought of reckless heroics and returned to camp.
The meeting that followed centered on whether or not to attack the mine and rescue the infected trapped within. The proposal passed quickly—everyone agreed it was worth the risk. The next issue was deciding who would go and how many to send.
Reunion's upper ranks discussed the matter for a long time before reaching a conclusion: Talulah herself would lead the operation, commanding the main strike force, while FrostNova and her Yeti Squadron would provide crucial support.
Talulah had been straightforward in her reasoning. She could have easily asked Patriot and his Shieldguards to join forces with FrostNova's squad—had she done so, the mission would have been swift and effortless.
But it was obvious what Talulah truly wanted: to train her army.
She couldn't rely on the strength of Patriot and FrostNova forever. She needed to forge her own power base—soldiers who could stand on their own. FrostNova understood this well and did not question her judgment.
"Good evening, Miss FrostNova."
Alina approached Yelena with a gentle smile. "I've prepared dinner for you and your guest. I was hoping to serve some meat tonight, but yesterday the hunting party only managed to catch an infected boar…"
"To have any game at all is already a blessing," Yelena sighed. It was summer now, and hunting enough meat to last through the coming winter was vital. But here in northern Ursus, nearby regions showed clear traces of Originium contamination. Any creatures that lingered there inevitably became infected themselves, their flesh unfit to eat. Worse still, a single bite from one of them could spread the infection to terrans.
Yelena walked alongside Alina toward her cabin—only to freeze in surprise. A long line had formed outside her door.
The scene felt strangely familiar. She remembered something similar from before—when Felix had stayed at the Yeti Squadron's camp.
When she and Alina came closer, she realized the situation wasn't quite what she had imagined. This time, Felix wasn't repairing weapons for the infected. Instead, he wore a doctor's stethoscope around his neck. One by one, the infected sat obediently before him, stretching out their arms as they spoke, while Felix listened, occasionally nodding—or shaking his head.
As Yelena approached, she could finally hear what he was saying.
"…Uncle, you're not feeling unwell because your Oripathy has worsened—it's just a cold from staying out in the chill too long. Don't worry too much, just drink plenty of hot water."
"…Big sister, you've been skipping breakfast, haven't you? That dizziness is low blood sugar. If you keep working without eating, it'll make your condition worse—you don't want that, do you?"
"Young man, you're healthy enough—just that your heart beats faster when you look at that lady ahead of you. Ah, youth~"
Yelena was speechless. She watched as Felix continued to meet patients one after another. He wasn't treating their Oripathy—no one could. But for everything else—colds, fevers, minor illnesses—he gave them genuine medical advice.
The camp did have a stock of medicine. Whenever Reunion raided a noble's estate, the first things they looked for were food and medicine. For the infected, medicine was life itself. Oripathy might not kill instantly, but untreated ailments could accelerate its effects, cutting a life short far too soon.
"I didn't expect you to know how to do this," Yelena said in astonishment as she approached. Most of the patients had already left for dinner, and Felix stretched lazily, his expression calm and unbothered.
"Well, since I've got nothing better to do, I might as well lend a hand where I can."
Felix glanced at Yelena and lightly tapped her arm. "As for you—get some proper rest. Stop overusing your Originium Arts and relying on them too much."
Then his eyes turned to Alina. "Miss Alina, you've been staying up far too late lately, haven't you? I'm guessing you're preparing lessons for the children. Remember to pace yourself—overworking will only worsen your Oripathy."
Alina blinked in surprise, then nodded with an innocent expression. "Mr. Felix, you can practice medicine too?"
"I know a little," Felix said with a modest smile, then looked back at Yelena. "If you need any help, just tell me. I came here mainly to check on you. Seeing you safe and your condition stable—that's all I wanted."
Yelena caught Alina's tender gaze—one filled with the kind of warmth a mother shows a daughter discovering her first crush. Her pale cheeks turned faintly red.
"Don't say things that can be so easily misunderstood!" she blurted out, her voice slightly flustered. Under Alina's amused stare, Yelena's composure began to crumble.
Felix chuckled softly and decided not to tease her further.
He accepted the dinner Alina had brought, thanking her sincerely. It was enough for five people. After expressing her gratitude several times, Alina excused herself—there were still orphaned infected children who needed her care.
Once she had left, Felix carried the food into the cabin. Yelena followed closely behind, but soon realized something was off.
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"They all went to help out wherever they could," Felix replied with a shrug. "But only within the Yeti Squadron's camp. Some of the Reunion members still don't look kindly on us."
He sighed lightly, then added, "Degenbrecher's probably drilling the troops. Loughshinny is teaching Originium Arts to the Yeti members, Platinum is practicing with her bow, and Skadi's sparring with the melee fighters."
Yelena's expression dimmed slightly. After a moment, she sighed. "Talulah asked me to deliver a message. The four Reunion members who committed those crimes… she's already executed them. It was justified, but it's still stirred some resentment among a few of the infected."
"There's nothing that can be done about that," Felix said calmly. "We can't expect every infected person to understand or empathize."
"I understand," Yelena murmured softly. "I respect her decision… and I wish them peace."
Felix looked at her for a moment, then asked quietly, "You're preparing to march out soon, aren't you?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Do you need me this time?"
Yelena couldn't help but laugh. "Why do you say it like that? It sounds so… suggestive. Honestly, Felix…"
She scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. "You shouldn't say things that can be so easily taken the wrong way."
"Well," Felix said with a small grin, "that kind of misunderstanding is fine by me."
"Eh?"
"Yelena," he began, his tone turning somber. "If one day, Reunion marches south—conquering town after town—if their hands reach the mobile cities, and the flames of vengeance burn so fiercely in their hearts that they can no longer stop themselves…"
Yelena fell silent. From that single sentence, she saw a glimpse of Reunion's possible future.
If Reunion remained bound by hatred alone, it would never be accepted—never go far. The world would see them not as liberators of the infected, but merely as another terrorist faction, consumed by bitterness and rage.
Felix turned and walked back inside. Yelena hurried after him.
He sat down cross-legged on the floor and handed her a cup of tea. "There's medicine mixed in. It's the latest formula developed by Columbian researchers—should ease the pain caused by ice-based Originium Arts."
"Ah… thank you."
Yelena took the cup gently and drank it in one go. The bitterness she expected never came. Instead, it was faintly sweet.
"Felix," she said quietly, lowering the cup, "do you know of any way to lead Reunion down the right path?"
Felix met her conflicted gaze and shook his head. "I wish I could give you an answer—something that would secure Reunion's future—but there's no clear way yet."
"Why did Reunion form? Why gather the infected? Why fight to save those trapped in the mines? And when the rescued hear of this movement's existence—what do they feel?"
He asked each question slowly, deliberately. Then, with a faint smile, he added, "You already know the answers, don't you?"
"…"
Yelena held back a sigh. Just as she was about to respond, a strange warmth spread from her stomach outward. It wasn't illness, nor fever—no, it felt more like… a small furnace had ignited within her body.
"It's getting late," Felix said softly. "Yelena, you should get some rest."
Yelena had just started to rise when a wave of drowsiness washed over her. Felix reached out instinctively, steadying her, then gently guided her back to bed.
He pulled the blanket over her shoulders, intending to withdraw his hand—only to find that she hadn't let go. Her fingers lingered, her eyes fixed deeply on his.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
"I was just thinking," she murmured, "how lucky I am to have met you. Don't you think so?"
Yelena's voice was soft, almost fragile. She truly believed it—how fortunate she was, despite everything. She was an infected, one among countless others. There was nothing special about her—her face was pale and weary, her future uncertain, her days perhaps already numbered.
So why, she wondered, had someone like her been blessed to meet Felix? To fight beside him as a friend and comrade? Even after their separation, she often remembered him—like a ray of sunlight that once pierced the gray sky of her life. Now that he had come to Ursus, it felt as though light and warmth had returned to the frozen north.
"Because you've suffered enough," Felix replied gently, clasping her hand in both of his. "And because you deserve it."
He smiled faintly. "You deserve a beautiful future—to have the happiness that others take for granted. Even if the day comes when we stand on opposite sides of the battlefield, I'll still reach out my hand to you. I'll take you to see the sunrise and sunset from the rooftops of a mobile city."
"…Is that so?" Yelena whispered. "Then you'd better hold on tightly."
"I won't let go."
Yelena's lips curved into a faint, serene smile. Then her eyelids fluttered shut, and she drifted peacefully into sleep.
Felix remained by her bedside for a while, quietly warming her hand in his palms. When he finally stood, he lingered for a moment longer, then slipped silently out of the cabin.
Outside, he found Degenbrecher and the others already having dinner. They had spent the day working alongside the Yeti Squadron, but had avoided direct contact with most of Reunion's soldiers and civilians—many of whom still harbored resentment toward outsiders. Knowing this, they kept their distance, unwilling to stir further tension.
"I'm going for a walk," Felix announced.
"Eh? Alone, boss? No bodyguards?" Platinum looked up, startled.
Degenbrecher frowned slightly. "With the boss's strength, a head-on attack isn't a concern… but an ambush could be. Platinum's right."
Felix nodded thoughtfully. "Then come along, Platinum. Let's take a short walk."
"Gladly~" she replied with a cheerful grin.
Truthfully, she was delighted. It was a rare chance to spend time alone with her mysterious boss. She respected him deeply—and couldn't deny her curiosity about him. In fact, ever since joining Tomorrow's Development, she had tried to dig up information about Felix… until her questions reached Margaret Nearl, nearly giving the poor knight a heart attack.
Margaret still wasn't particularly fond of her; these days, Platinum counted it as a blessing if the knight merely muttered "Light be with you" without glaring too much.
Her feelings toward Felix, though, were a mix of admiration and longing. They were about the same age, yet his presence and strength far outshone even the proudest young knights of Kazimierz—those who fancied themselves heroes of their nation. Compared to him, such self-proclaimed prodigies seemed laughably small.
The two walked out of the camp together. Platinum carried her longbow slung across her back; she had sparred with Degenbrecher several times since joining and learned a few new tricks despite never being able to best her in close combat.
Word had already spread that they were Talulah's guests, a rumor that seemed to have taken firm root. As they passed, many Reunion soldiers and infected civilians either ignored them or assumed they were allies brought in by Talulah to help capture cities.
But not everyone looked on them kindly. Some of the infected still bore resentment—especially after Talulah's harsh executions that afternoon. When they saw the supposed "culprits" responsible for their comrades' deaths, they glared openly at Felix and Platinum, their eyes burning with silent anger.
Unfazed, Felix continued walking until they reached a small, low building. Through the narrow gap in the door, faint voices drifted out.
"—And in the end, the prince and princess overcame all hardship, leaving the kingdom behind to build a new castle far, far away."