Chapter 3 — The Ring and the Sword

The following day, after Mihoshi had made up his mind to head for the capital city, Concordia, in search of information about Nightfang, he walked through the village on his way to the local library.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to Lunette.Even now, a faint hesitation lingered in his heart—Was it really the right choice to help that child?
At that moment, he felt something strange.

A presence.
It felt as though someone—or something—was watching him.
He stopped and turned around, scanning his surroundings.Yet all he saw were ordinary villagers going about their daily lives.


“…Am I just imagining things?” he muttered.“Maybe I stayed in the forest too long… Guess my senses are getting messed up.”


Shrugging it off, he turned back and continued on his way.
What Mihoshi didn’t realize—
Was that something truly was watching him.
From afar, perched silently atop a rooftop, a single bird observed him with unblinking eyes.

“…So you’ve finally awakened,”the presence murmured softly.“The chosen soul.”


Noxvalen City — Somewhere within Utopia

Under the dim and somber atmosphere that blanketed the city, a lone man made his way toward the castle.

He had long hair and pointed ears—There was no mistaking it. He was an elf.

As he reached the castle gates, two guards stepped forward and stopped him.

“Excuse me, sir. Do you have official business here? If not, then please—”

Before the guard could finish his sentence, a large-built man emerged from inside the castle and spoke up.

“Hm? Isn’t that Leon?It’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”

[Tarin, Captain of the Knight Order of Noxvalen, and one of the Zodiac]

The guards blinked in surprise.
“Captain Tarin… You know him, sir?”
Tarin let out a short laugh.

“I suppose you wouldn’t recognize him.This is Leon—an elf from Coronelux.He’s one of the war’s survivors… just like me.”

Then Tarin glanced back at Leon.
“You’re here to see Noxia, aren’t you?”

Leon lifted his head.

His icy-blue eyes held a calm gentleness, layered with unmistakable sharpness.
“I’ve come to deliver important news,” he replied.“Is Noxia here? It’s extremely urgent.”

Tarin’s expression stiffened.

“Don’t tell me…”“…Is it about him?”
Leon nodded slowly.

“Yes.The soul destined to inhabit Stellan’s body… has awakened.”

The moment Stellan’s name was spoken, Tarin’s demeanor changed completely.
Without another word, he told Leon where Noxia was.


Leon hurried inside the castle, climbed the stairs, and followed the long corridors until he reached Noxia’s room.

Knock. Knock.

No response.

After a brief pause, he knocked again.

Knock. Knock.
“Noxia? Are you in there…?Hm. I’m coming in.”

He slowly opened the door— And what he saw was not an empty room, but—

“…You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“She’s sleeping…?And that posture, too…”

“Zzzz… mmm…”

The one sleeping soundly was—

[Noxia, Queen and ruler of Noxvalen—A city that served as a refuge for those who once lived in dystopia]

“…Unbelievable.”
As her snoring and quiet mumbling filled the room, Leon took a deep breath.
Then—

“Wake up, Your Majesty!!”

“—!! A-ah!!”
Startled awake, Noxia tumbled straight off the bed.

“Ow… my butt…Leon? If you’re coming in, at least knock properly…Your queen was sleeping, you know…”

“I did knock. Twice,” Leon replied flatly.“Honestly… you’re exactly the same.Whether it was before this city existed or now.”

Though his words sounded sharp, there was a hint of relief in his voice.Seeing that she was still the same Noxia he remembered eased something in his chest.

He even let out a small chuckle—rare for someone usually so cold-faced.

“And don’t you have paperwork or something?Why are you just sleeping here?”

“Mmm… I had to deal with a lot yesterday,” Noxia yawned.“So I dumped everything on Tarin and went straight to sleep…”

Leon glanced at the clock on the wall.
“It’s nearly three in the afternoon.Seriously… when did you even go to bed?”

“Umm… around four in the morning, maybe?”

“I don’t know. I crashed the moment I got back.”

Leon sighed.

“Well, I guess I can’t blame you. Sleepy Queen, I’ve got news.”

“News?” she asked groggily.“If it’s about elves, I don’t care.”

Leon took a deep breath.

“He’s back.”

Noxia froze.

“Stellan… has returned.No—what remains of him has.”

“…Stellan…”

Painful memories surged back into her mind.
Leon walked to the map hanging on the wall and pointed to a specific city.

“He’s currently in Ferra. Hard to believe, but his prediction was right. The soul he summoned from another world was destined to head to Ferra first.”

“And now,” he continued,“it seems he’s moving toward Concordia.”

Noxia stood up, sorrow and longing filling her eyes.Her fists clenched tightly.

“Then we need to hurry and—”

“Stop.”

Leon cut her off immediately.

“If it were me or Tarin, that’d be different. But you can’t go. Not now.”

“And even if he still looks the same on the outside…”

“…Stellan’s soul is gone.”

Leon lowered his gaze.The same painful memories haunted him as well.

“He—”

He stopped himself.
Seeing Noxia’s face trembling as she desperately held back her tears, Leon realized he had almost said something he never should have.

“…Can I be alone for a moment…? Please?” she whispered.

“…Yeah.”
Leon quietly stepped out of the room.
Outside, Tarin was waiting.

“So… it’s just as we thought.”

“Yeah,” Leon replied softly.“She was the one who loved him more deeply than anyone else.”


Inside the room, Noxia cried silently.
After a while, she wiped her tears and recalled the words Stellan had once spoken and the last moment with him in the past

-“Even if the lifespan of this body could still last for several hundred more years…the lifespan of my soul—stolen away from me—has only a little time left.”


He clenched his fist, teeth gritted in anger.Then, slowly, he forced himself to calm down.

-“What I must do now is find a soul suitable enough to take my place.If I succeed… my existence as a soul will disappear completely,and be replaced by the one who is chosen.”

- “Noxia… it might be a little late, but…”


Stellan took out a small, dark-brown wooden box.When he opened it, inside lay a silver ring.
The moment Noxia saw it, tears began to spill from her eyes.

-“Even though we had already agreed to be husband and wife… I never gave you a ring. So…”

Stellan’s voice began to tremble.Though he tried desperately to hold back the sorrow within him, it was impossible to hide—it showed clearly in his expression and his movements.

Joy, and grief, intertwined.

Joy at being able to give this to her. Grief at knowing what it meant.
To become her husband—officially—even without a ceremony. Still, it was enough.

And it was the last thing he could give her…the last thing he could do, at this moment.

Back in the present—
“Lan… I’ll wait,” Noxia whispered.“Even if the soul inside that body isn’t truly you anymore…”

She gently touched the ring on her finger and smiled through her tears.


At the stairway leading down
On the stairway, Leon and Tarin were discussing the soul currently inhabiting Stellan’s body.

 “So… how is the soul that replaced Stellan?” Tarin asked.


 “It’s still too early to judge,” Leon replied.“I can’t perform a mana check through the eyes of my bird familiar.If we want to know whether he’s truly suited to use Stellan’s body or not…the only way is to go and see for myself.”


 “Then let me go. I could help him get used to his power faster.”


They stopped at the castle’s entrance.
“No need,” Leon said flatly.

“You’re a physical combatant.If he’s not accustomed to that body yet, or doesn’t know how to fight,you’d just end up beating him senseless before we learn anything.”

“I’ll go myself.And there’s one more thing…”

Leon reached beneath his cloak and revealed a sword.
 “Stellan himself asked me to deliver this blade to the one who would take his place.”


Tarin stiffened slightly the moment he saw it.
The scabbard was shaped like that of a katana—jet black, adorned with crimson wave-like patterns near both the mouth and the tip.The guard had a golden cross-shaped design, and the hilt, katana-style, was deep red.

 “…That sword… Are you sure he’ll be able to wield it?” Tarin asked.

 “I have my doubts as well,” Leon admitted.“But if Stellan believed that the soul replacing him could use it…then I’ll believe that too.”


Cut back to Mihoshi

“So that’s how it works…All I had to do was register at the gate to get a city pass.That was way easier than I expected.I thought it’d be way more complicated.”


The sound of a book being placed back on the shelf echoed softly.
Mihoshi waved to the librarian as he left the library and stepped outside.

 “Still… seriously? Nothing at all?, Damn it… If I go all the way to Concordia and still can’t find any information about Nightfang,what am I supposed to do then…?”

As he muttered to himself while walking, a familiar voice called out from behind him—

He turned around and saw Lunette running toward him.
“It really is you”


She laughed brightly, and seeing her in such good spirits made Mihoshi smile as well.
 “My mom wanted to thank you, so she asked me to bring this to you.”


She handed him the cloth.When he took it, he realized it was a scarf.
 “Mom said winter’s coming soon, so she wanted you to have this as thanks for bringing me home.”

Mihoshi thought to himself: (Come to think of it… this world has seasons too.Even with a cloak, having a scarf does make me feel more at ease.)

 “And also… if you don’t mind, Mister Stellan, you can come have a meal at our house. At least before you leave the city.”


Mihoshi smiled gently and replied in a calm voice.

 “Mm.Actually, I’m leaving today.But before I go, I’ll stop by.”


Later that day

That same day, Mihoshi visited Lunette’s home and accepted Luna’s invitation to dinner.
During the meal, he spoke about where he planned to go next. He also promised that he would try to look for her husband—
 “If I find him, I’ll bring him back.”


After that, Mihoshi left the house and headed toward the village exit.
A carriage bound for Concordia was waiting there, and he decided to take it.
“Alright… finally heading to Concordia. I hope I’ll find something… information about Nightfang.”


The sound of a box shifting.
 “Huh?”


Is that the coachman’s box? Mihoshi wondered.
The coachman spoke up.
 “Excuse me for a moment, sir—Lock.”

A faint light enveloped Mihoshi’s body.
 “What is this…?”

“Just a spell to keep you from falling off the carriage,” the old man said with a chuckle,before summoning the horses.


Mihoshi thought:(Is he worried I might fall asleep on the way and tumble off or something?)

And then—
The horses began to run.
 “Wait—?!”


Their speed increased rapidly—far faster than expected.
 “This speed is—no, wait…Isn’t this like three times faster than a normal horse?!”


Yet strangely, despite the incredible speed, the wind brushing against him and the leaves flying past felt unnaturally calm.
It was as if Mihoshi were watching a movie rather than experiencing it himself.
That sensation came from the magic the coachman had cast on Mihoshi—and on the carriage itself.

Lock Once applied, the user and the selected targets are bound together and enclosed within a barrier-like magical field. Any wind or objects entering the barrier are returned to their normal state—their usual speed, their usual force.
And so—

Mihoshi arrived at the gates of the capital city, Concordia.
After paying the fare, the coachman placed a large, heavy box in front of Mihoshi before departing.

 “Wait… this isn’t mine.I thought it belonged to that old man.”


Suddenly, the box began to move.
A familiar voice echoed—
The lid slowly opened, revealing what lay inside—