In the large room, Cadel, Van, Lumen, and Lydon, who had returned to his normal size, were gathered together, and serious voices were heard among them.

“If the information Sir Garuel gave me is true, there is no better way.”

“Don’t worry, Commander. Your mana will come back, the only question is where to find a magician who can imbue you with mana.....”

Lumen and Van racked their brains, trying to find a way to regain Cadel’s mana as quickly as possible. Their worried faces were serious.

Cadel, looking at those subordinates in turns, pointed to a huge fairy lying around behind him.

“If it’s a magician, we have one here.”

“....Lydon?”

“You said Lydon’s powers were sealed. Shouldn’t he be running low on mana?”

Even though Lydon had half of his powers sealed away, it was a downgrade from being an ‘overwhelming genius’ to a person of ‘regrettable ordinary talent’. In fact, in this battle, Lydon used a variety of powerful magic spells and never once failed.

He should have enough mana to fill the mana vessel in his body. With that thought, Cadel looked back at Lydon.

Still sprawled out in a debauched position, he stared at Cadel with a deep look in his eyes.

“Lydon, can you do this for me? I just need you to infuse me with your mana until my mana returns.”

It wasn’t that difficult, and there was nothing to lose. All it would take was a little care, and Cadel was sure that Lydon would grant the favor without much thought. However.

“Why should I?”

Lydon widened his eyes as if there was really no reason to do so. An innocent question with no malice. It was rather Cadel who was embarrassed.

“Why..... You’re in the same mercenary corps? We should help each other when we need help!”

“Hmm, maybe in a fight, but I’m not interested in that, and a Cadel who can’t use magic is no fun.”

It was a firm refusal indeed. Cadel was speechless, his lips pursed. Van and Lumen, enraged on his behalf, denounced Lydon, saying ‘Let’s dispose of that piece of junk right now’ and ‘He’s a damned fairy who’s been ungrateful from the start’. Their anger did not dissuade Lydon.

‘I never thought Lydon would come out like this. It’s difficult. If I find another magician here, I will be bound to the White Kingdom unconditionally.’

In addition, Lydon’s attitude was also a problem. As soon as Cadel was judged incapable of recovering, it seemed that he would leave in search of another ‘fun’ to satisfy his curiosity.

How much pain he had suffered for being a guardian he had never been before! The feeling of betrayal made his teeth tremble.

‘....No, calm down. I already knew Lydon was a crazy fun-loving bastard. He’s as simple as he is crazy.’

Hiring another magician would drastically change Cadel’s plans for the future. Once on the wrong track, he would continue to take suboptimal lanes, which could adversely affect story progression.

He couldn’t let that happen when there was a useful magician sitting right next to him.

‘I have no choice but to coax him.’

Cadel, whose eyes shone solemnly, looked back at Lumen and Van.

“Can you give me a minute? I’d like to talk to Lydon in private.”

“Commander, it’s difficult to kill that scum with only your strength. You will need my help.”

“You don’t have to convince him, I’ll get a magician, and I’ll find a place to bury the fairy.”

Apparently, the two men were quite displeased that Lydon had refused the request, as they were more upset than the one who had been denied. Cadel smiled weakly at the two angry men, trying to calm them down.

“I’m not going to kill Lydon, and it’s too early to start looking for another magician. I just woke up and I don’t have the strength to be angry, so when I tell you to go, will you just go?”

They also had consideration for the patient. Eventually, Lumen and Van, respecting Cadel’s wishes, trudged out of the room. Only Cadel and Lydon remained in the silent room.

Lydon was staring at Cadel with a face that kept him from knowing what Lydon was thinking. Cadel, facing that straight gaze, uttered a voice as sweet as he could.

“Now, it’s just the two of us here. If there’s anything you want, feel free to tell me.”

“What I want?”

“If there’s anything you want as a condition for imbuing me with mana, I’ll do my best. A trade of sorts.”

Hmm. Red eyes stared at the curtains fluttering in the wind and the landscape beyond. It was an attitude of wanting nothing in particular.

“Come on, cooperate. You’re the one who suffers the most when I’m not funny. You can’t stand being bored. You think you’re gonna find another human being here who’s as funny as me?”

As he spoke calmly, hiding his impatience, Lydon’s gaze shifted to Cadel once more. A pensive gaze lingered beneath the disheveled blond hair as it lazily swept over his face.

After a long pause, Lydon suddenly grabbed Cadel’s wrist. Cadel’s center of gravity on the bed tilted in an instant, and his upper body collapsed.

Cadel, who had fallen down without a chance to hold on, slammed his face into Lydon’s chest. Stars seemed to twinkle in front of his eyes for a moment at his dull pain.

“What is it all of a sudden!”

“Are you really going to listen to anything?”

Cadel lifted his head, his nose crushed against Lydon’s hard chest, and saw a kind face looking down at him. Lydon was a radiant beauty that just by looking at him, Cadel’s eyesight seemed to improve, but only interest overflowed in Lydon’s gaze toward him.

Cadel nodded hesitantly, and the corners of Lydon’s mouth moved up in a charming arc.

“There’s no taking back, Cadel. It’s a promise.”

* * *

After completing the main quest, Cadel planned to collect more reputation through sub-quests in the White Kingdom. For the upcoming knight order promotion quest.

However, with a body that had lost mana, it was impossible to properly fulfill the sub-quests. So should he give up the reputation? Ridiculous.

Cadel intended to rake up the reputation somehow, and at last, came up with one possibility.

“You want me to check the condition of the Baskin Village’s villagers?”

“Please, Van. I blew up their whole village, and all their homes and farmland are gone. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’d like to, okay?”

“No one’s going to blame Commander for that.....”

“Just see if they need anything.”

“All right, Commander. Then take a good rest in the meantime.”

Substitute quest progress using his subordinates.

He wasn’t sure about the main quests, but the degree of occurrence of sub-quests might be possible to activate through the members. Cadel sent Van to check.

In fact, accepting the quest itself was more certain and more convenient if Cadel did it himself. However.

‘If they find out I’m well enough to walk around, I’ll be meeting with the King, and I’d like to put that off as long as possible.’

He was avoiding the King’s audience by pretending to be a weak patient in front of the healer who visited periodically. Since he was in such a situation, it was unreasonable for him to go looking for sub-quests on his own.

And the system window popped up, just as Cadel had hoped.

「Knight ‘Van Herdos’ has discovered the sub-quest ‘Uncomfortable Legs’ !」

「Upon acceptance, the quest will proceed.」