The boys were searching for Hector through the castle with the soldiers.
"Alexandre..." Michael called softly.
"Yes?" Alexandre replied, approaching him.
The two moved to the back of the group.
"Let's say we don't find Hector, what do we do then?"
"We leave him. Our hands are tied anyway."
"Good..." Michael's tone lowered, and Alexandre noticed.
"At least until we're strong enough to find him on our own."
That last sentence rekindled Michael's resolve.
"Yes, but we'll find him first," he said, clenching his fists.
A soldier turned, noticing how far behind they were.
"You two, close the gap!" he ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
They quickly rejoined the group.
Leon, meanwhile, approached one of the soldiers.
"Can I ask you something?"
The sudden question took the soldier by surprise.
So this guy can speak normally... not just scream nonstop.
"What's wrong?" the soldier replied.
"Can you tell me more about the Demon King and what kind of threat his army truly poses?"
"What else is there to say, beyond what the general already told you? Demons are evil and merciless..." Leon felt the weight of his words. "I saw it with my own eyes: my comrades and civilians massacred after being tortured, just like my family..."
Leon's eyes softened.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you relive all this."
The soldier noticed the expression on Leon's face.
"Don't worry. I understand. Anyone would be shocked by this."
[Meanwhile, somewhere else in the castle...]
Where's the exit!?
Hector was clearly terrified.
"I should go back... but what am I supposed to say? That I was just going to the bathroom?"
He froze when he heard the clanking of armor echoing from around the corner.
"Shit!"
Panic took over. He pushed open the nearest door and slipped inside, pressing his back against it. With a shaky breath, he pressed his ear against the wood.
Please, don't come in here...
The footsteps were getting closer. Hector held his breath. Then they died away, and a wave of relief washed over him.
"That was too close..."
He turned and finally looked around the room: his eyes widened.
"Wow."
[Elsewhere in the castle…]
"Ahhh…" Alexandre's groan caught everyone's attention. "I'm tired of wandering aimlessly."
One of the soldiers glared at him. "Do you have a better idea, then?"
"Yes, indeed. It's not the first time he's run away like this," Alexandre said, sounding as if he'd been there before. "Hector's probably panicking right now. He gets agitated easily."
"So what do you suggest?" another soldier asked.
"In this situation, if I were like him…" Alexandre paused to think. "If I couldn't find the exit and panic took over, I'd look for something—the only thing—that could calm me down. Which leaves me with only one option."
The others understood immediately. The soldiers didn't.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" one asked.
"What's this castle like, artistically speaking?" asked Alexandre.
[Throne Room]
Soldiers and clerics were clearing debris from the collapsed ceiling. The royal family, the armored soldier, and Enea waited in silence for the group to return.
The soldier looked at Enea.
"Enea, right? We can trust you and your friends?"
Enea kept his eyes fixed on the door. "We'll see. We'll find out when they return," he replied coldly, leaving the soldier stunned.
One of the young women next to the King and Queen bristled at his tone.
"Hey! Show some respect! You're not the only ones in a difficult situation right now!" she shouted, her blue eyes shining.
Enea didn't even turn to her.
"Excuse me, are you?"
"I am Princess Alexia Lysara, first heir to the throne and commander of the First Unit. And let me be clear: your attitude is unacceptable. Look me in the eye when I speak to you!"
"My apologies, Your Highness. I didn't mean to ignore your situation." Enea finally turned to her, his calm, confident presence exuding a quiet pressure that surprised everyone in the room. "But my priority is to protect my friends."
When he finished, Enea looked back at the door.
"As for the trust you can have in us, I can't promise you that now. But I can promise you they will return."
[Where the group is]
A soldier opened a door, and Hector appeared, staring at a painting of a girl immersed in nature.
"Hector!" Michael called, rushing in with Andrea and Leon, followed by three of the four soldiers.
"How did you know he would be in a place like this?" the last soldier asked Alexandre.
"I know him all too well," Alexandre said softly. "Ten years together, there are no more secrets. Only two things keep him grounded when he's lost: us... and art."
He approached Hector.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes... I just panicked for a second."
"Good. You know what's going to happen, right?"
"Yes..."
Alexandre smiled and put an arm around him.
"Hang on a little longer. We got you."
[Back in the Throne Room]
The King kept his eyes fixed on the door, impatient.
"We're taking too long. Perhaps we should mobilize the city guard. What do you say, General Howard?"
Enea glanced at the armored man out of the corner of his eye.
So he's a general...
"Just say the word, Your Majesty," General Howard replied, bowing.
"Then begin..."
The heavy doors swung open, blocking the King's command. The group entered, followed by Hector, his head bowed.
One of the soldiers stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty, we've recovered the boy."
"Excellent. Well done."
Alexandre glanced at Hector and gave him a quick nod. Hector met his gaze, took a deep breath, and walked toward the center of the room.
"I'm sorry! I sincerely apologize for what I did, to the royals, the soldiers, and all of you, my friends," he said nervously.
The royal family and the soldiers looked surprised, but his friends smiled, all except Enea, who remained stoically impassive.
"Hector," Enea shouted, and Hector turned to him. "You don't have to apologize to us. And you know that if it happens again, once, ten times, a hundred times, we will always come looking for you."
Enea's words touched Hector, and Daniel noticed it immediately.
"Still the same crybaby as always!"
Laughter erupted among the group, easing the tension in the air.
General Howard stepped forward to the center of the room.
"Now that you're all here, I need a definitive answer. Can we count on you to stand with us against the Demon King's Empire?"
The boys looked at each other. Enea approached his group.
"In situations like this, we always do the same thing: stick together." Enea placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, meeting the gaze of each of his friends in turn. "You already know how it works. The question is simple: yes or no. Even one 'no,' and we won't fight for the Empire."