I think that sitting with him might ease it. I take a seat on a rock near the campfire.
"What is it, son? Can't sleep?" he asks.
I shake my head slightly. "Just a bad feeling. The back of my neck feels heavy."
He turns toward me and smiles. "I feel it too," he says.
I fall silent for a moment. "Do you have a plan yet?" I ask.
Oliver tilts his head slightly. "I think I do. But that plan will change if this feeling of ours truly becomes an obstacle," he says, ending with a soft laugh.
I give a faint smile and stand. "Thank you, Oliver."
"Sleep well, son."
"You too, Oliver."
The weight at the back of my neck eases.
Sunlight brushes my face. Morning arrives. Along with the light, faint sounds drift in from outside the tent.
I slowly open my eyes.
"HIRO!" Rose shouts as she throws the tent flap open.
I jolt upright. "Wake up. Everyone's waiting. Breakfast is already done, you know," she says.
I let out a long, heavy breath. Too heavy—because today means facing everything again.
I sit up slowly. "All right. I'll be there soon."
Rose starts to close the tent. "Hey. Leave it open."
"Do it yourself."
When I step outside, the smell of roasted meat hits me immediately. Everyone is already sitting in a circle by the campfire—Santiago, Bartra, Grizz, Gruzz, the crew… but Oliver is not there.
Rose stands nearby, handing out skewers of grilled meat. "Where's Oliver?" I ask.
"Hard to wake up," she replies. "Just like you."
I glance toward his tent. Come to think of it, what time did he even sleep last night?
"The Captain is always like that," Bartra says while eating beside me. "No problem starting without him. Besides, he likes his food cold, son."
I nod slightly. Rose hands me a skewer, and I take it. She sits beside me.
"Eat before it gets cold," she says.
"I like food when it's cold," I reply.
She snorts. "You really are just like my uncle."
Breakfast goes on as usual—noise, laughter, the crew in high spirits. Grizz and Gruzz joke around, Bartra joins in, Rose teases her uncle, drawing a thin smile from Santiago. Everything moves as it should.
I glance toward Oliver's tent. For a moment, nothing happens. I am about to look away when the tent flap begins to open—Oliver.
Oliver steps out slowly, lifting his shirt and scratching his stomach. "Hey, hey, you lot. You're way too loud. Hooaam…" One hand covers his mouth as he yawns, the other scratching hair that does not itch.
"You haven't started yet, have you?" Oliver asks as he comes closer.
Everyone shakes their head—except Bartra, who raises his hand holding meat and takes another bite.
Oliver freezes. "YOU ALREADY STARTED, DIDN'T YOU?!"
—
"Ugh, honestly. You people—I'm your captain, you know. Why do you always leave me behind instead of waiting?" he grumbles while eating his meat and drinking his champagne.
"That's your own fault, Uncle. Why did you wake up late? We were starving. Bleh," Rose shoots back.
Oliver scratches the same spot on his head again. "Yeah, yeah. Fine."
I lift my gaze to the blue sky, white clouds drifting, birds circling above. Will this calm last? I do not know. I am still confused by how fast everything has changed—what I thought were ominous signs turn out to be nothing worth worrying about. I look at Oliver's face. This is how it is supposed to be.
Breakfast finishes properly. Oliver stands and looks up at the sky.
"So, explain the plan, Captain," Bartra says.
"All right, all right. Traveling by land is not actually this tightly controlled when leaving Zepharia and heading toward Nimurelle."
"So?" Grizz asks. "Hm?" Gruzz adds.
"Of course," Oliver raises his bottle of champagne. "LET'S GET MOVING!"
"YEAH!" everyone cheers.
Oliver turns back toward the tent. The others begin to stand—then someone appears from another direction, walking while leaning on a staff. An old man?
"Moving on? Where to?" he says as he approaches. Everything falls silent. All eyes turn to him.
A distinctly noble appearance, with a single monocle over his left eye—a young professor. Yet his expression is strikingly mature.
"Captain?" Santiago calls.
Oliver stops and turns. "Hm?"
"Do you recognize that man?" Santiago asks.
Every gaze shifts from the stranger back to Oliver.
"Who is he, Uncle?!" Rose asks.
Oliver is silent at first. "One of the Vanguard—Albert. His presence has purpose and intent…" he replies.
"Who?!" Bartra asks.
"Hiro," Oliver says. "EVERYONE, PROTECT HIRO!"
From the circle near the campfire, we scatter into a loose formation to face him. Santiago takes the front. I stand in front of Rose, with Rose at the rear.
"My arrival is simple—just to retrieve the crystal. You know what I mean, don't you?" he says, raising his staff to chest height. The weapon is partly wrapped in straps—a swordstaff.
"SANTIAGO!"
—BOOM—BOOM.
Two bullets fly fast, but he reacts in time, cutting both into four pieces.
"Hm?" Santiago freezes.
—SPLASH. In a burst of speed, Albert closes the distance, slicing Santiago's arquebus clean in half.
"SANTIAGO, LO—"
SPLASH—Santiago is cut down across the body. "Ukh—" He collapses instantly.
"BARTRA, SHOOT HIM."
SWAK—SWAK—SWAK. Three slingshot rounds fly, but each is split in two the moment they reach him.
"What is this?" Bartra freezes. The rest of the crew does as well.
"GRIZZ, GRUZZ, FALL BACK," Oliver shouts.
Albert begins sliding his swordstaff back into its sheath. "The only one I want is him." He points the staff straight at me.
"Anyone who stands in my way accepts the consequences."
SLSHH—Oliver draws his sword.
"Then face me," he challenges, blade raised at chest height.
"As you wish."
SLSHH—Albert draws his blade and mirrors the stance.
Oliver charges, closes the distance, plants his footing, and swings.
"Do not waste my time."—SPLASH—Albert cleaves straight through Oliver's chest. "Argh—" One strike. Oliver falls instantly. His sword flies free and embeds itself in the ground. Albert resumes his slow walk toward me.
The crew cannot rush him. It takes only moments for Albert to cut through and pass them all, in an instant.
Grizz and Gruzz take their stances near him. The rest, along with Bartra, try to block his path.
I glance at Rose. She does not move to stop him.
I smile. "Please… let me face him. Do not interfere," I say.
Rose turns toward me slowly, confusion written all over her face.
—SPLASH—SPLASH. Two strikes. Two bodies fall.
Bartra's entire body trembles as the man approaches. I step toward Bartra and pat his shoulder.
"Just let it happen. Please," I say.
SWASH—an arrow streaks past my side, aimed at the man.
I freeze and turn toward Rose.
SLASH—the arrow is cut in half right in front of him. He grabs one piece and hurls it back toward Rose.
"Rose—"
SWAK. The blunt half of the arrow slams hard into Rose's forehead.
Rose drops, collapsing instantly.
PLAK—Bartra falls beside me. I look up.
Albert stands directly in front of me.
He smiles thinly. "Will it really be this easy to kill you?"