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The brutal images of the battlefield flooded Sterix's mind, everything that had transpired rushing back to him in a devastating instant. Through the onslaught of these memories, he saw Elinous, burned past the point of recognition; Lree, missing his entire lower body; a lone, severed wing; and Flora's peaceful smile. He couldn't piece together any other details of Flora's final moments—only that haunting, lingering smile remained locked in his head.

Sterix's eyes snapped wide, the vivid horrors simply too much for him to bear. Who exactly possessed the power to do such terrible things to the heroes, and what could their goal possibly be?

“...Wait…” Sterix mumbled, covering his mouth as his thoughts spiraled deeper. “How did I end up sentenced to act as bait?” His voice was barely a whisper as he desperately tried to piece the timeline together.

‘Something doesn't add up… If I was in a catatonic state this whole time, how could I have possibly been placed on the bait team? Did they just come to their own conclusions without ever hearing my side of the story? The last thing I remember, I hadn't done a single thing that would qualify me for a penal vanguard.’

Meanwhile, the young man had just taken the last piece of his fruit, a content grin spreading across his face.

“That hit the spot,” he said, setting the empty plate back onto the side table.

“Was this some kind of setup?”

Sterix unexpectedly muttered the words aloud instead of keeping them to himself, drawing the young man's attention once more.

“Did you say something?”

The question shattered Sterix's focus, snapping him abruptly back to reality.

“...Huh?” He turned to the young man, pausing for a moment to process the query before quietly replying, “It's nothing. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“Oh, thoughts?” The young man seemed amused by the concept, his voice sounding even more curious than a moment ago. “How do you get lost in them in the first place? You've just been lying here the whole time, so how?”

‘This kid has got to be kidding, right?’

Sterix finally confirmed the suspicion he had harbored earlier: this kid was just dense—or something incredibly close to it.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, Sterix tried to clarify what he meant. “Listen, kid. I get that you're lacking in knowledge of what's going on, but at least try to understand one thing—”

Before he could finish, the young man interjected. “I'm not a child.”

“Huh?” A surprised breath escaped Sterix.

“I'm actually older than I look… I mean, I'm twenty-one years old,” the young man stated, trying to back himself up.

“Twenty-one? You look like you're seventeen.”

“A lot of people say that.” The young man scratched his temple awkwardly, the smile never slipping from his face. “But, if I had to guess, you and I aren't actually that far apart in age.”

‘...Right, now I see why he's on the penal team. Though, technically speaking, he's still just a kid, and he thinks we're close in age… I'm seven years older than him.’

“By the way, the name's Tetaramas.”

'Tetaramas?’ The name sounded incredibly familiar to Sterix, as if he had heard it somewhere before. It didn't take him long to piece it together.

“Wait. As in Tetaramas, the thief who steals from high nobles?”

“Well, it's actually like… I used to take from them,” Tetaramas clarified. “But not only them. I take anything that catches my eye… I mean, my body kind of moves on its own sometimes.”

As he explained himself, Tetaramas didn't even seem remotely concerned. If Sterix had to guess, the guy was a dangerously free spirit who constantly stumbled into far more trouble than he ever intended.

Sterix just stared at him for a moment without saying anything before turning his gaze somewhere else.

“I'm not lying!”

Sterix's silent response made Tetaramas think he was being doubted. Stumbling into awkwardness just from the lack of a reply, his tone grew defensive.

A moment passed before Sterix stretched his arms, feeling the tension finally loosen from his joints. He felt remarkably energized, completely devoid of pain. He quietly considered the possibility that it truly had been two months. Yet, healing this thoroughly could have easily taken place in just three weeks, meaning there was still a chance he hadn't actually been asleep for two whole months.

Given Tetaramas's erratic behavior and criminal background, it was entirely possible the thief had lied to him for some personal gain. Though looking into it any further right now felt like a waste of his newfound energy.

Sterix swung his legs over the edge and stood, testing his weight for the first time since opening his eyes. His legs felt numb—not completely paralyzed, but carrying a heavy, phantom numbness that nearly threatened to collapse beneath him.

He clenched his teeth, calling upon his fire-lightning element to burn through the stiffness. In a swift, brilliant flash, blue lightning-flames surged down to his legs before vanishing into thin air in the blink of an eye.

Now firmly on his feet, Sterix made it his absolute priority to gather information about his situation before confronting whoever had set him up.

Taking a final sweep of the room from his standing perspective, he noticed a heavy iron chain binding Tetaramas's right leg to the bed frame, severely restricting his movements. The chain was short, clearly designed to prevent the thief from escaping the room. Sterix felt a flicker of curiosity, but he could already guess exactly why such precautions were necessary.

“Well, I'm off,” Sterix said blankly, approaching the exit while Tetaramas watched him in a silent daze.

A second later, the door slid open, the heavy frame shifting aside. A man stood on the threshold, holding a heavy keyring meant to unlock Tetaramas's restraints. The newcomer flinched as if he had just looked upon a ghost—though it wasn't fear, but utter shock at seeing Sterix standing awake.

“...When did you—?” the man began, his voice cutting off before he could finish the question.

Yet, it was Sterix who felt the true shock wave of surprise hit him. The figure standing before him was no ordinary guard; he was the First Prince of the entire kingdom surrounding Biua.

However, the attire he wore completely betrayed his royal status, making him look like someone who naturally belonged in the ranks of the bait team.