Kai, who had his little scratches healed by Montmorency, had begun questioning Kirche, who was roasting meat with Tabitha around a bonfire. Guiche appeared to be completely content and had been talking loudly to himself with a glass of wine in his hand. He seemed too content to be traveling. It was well past midnight, and the twin moons glittered beautifully over the surface of the lake. It was a wonderful sight.

Kirche approached Kai to see if all his 'injuries' had healed. Kai felt a little bitter that they were able to match Super Saiyan so easily.

"You two were really good."

"Well, that's to be expected since you were fighting alone. Guiche was useless, Montmorency was only watching, and Louise only dealt the final blow," Kirche said while proudly brushing up her hair. Seems like being able to match a Super Saiyan inflated her ego.

"So, why are you attacking the Water Spirit?" Kai asked sitting next to the bonfire.

"Why do you need to protect it?" Kirche countered.

Louise, who had been nestling up to Kai's back for some time, pulled on the sleeve of his shirt sadly.

"Do you think Kirche is better than me?"

"Ah! No! I was just asking about what's going on! Why don't you get some rest?"

"No way! I don't need rest! Don't you want to talk with me? That's the thirty-second time you've told me to sleep today."

Taking a deep, frustrated breath in, Kai calmed himself down. "We can talk later, you should sleep right now. You just cast a big spell, aren't you tired?"

Louise was bashfully tracing circles with her finger on Kai's chest.

"Then... promise me with a kiss."

"Huh...?"

"Kiss me or I won't go to sleep."

Kirche stared at them, her mouth wide open.

Looking at each other, Guiche and Montmorency giggled. Kirche and Tabitha were still unaware of what had happened.

Kai reluctantly kissed Louise's cheek.

"Cheek isn't enough!" Louise puffed out her cheeks and muttered bluntly.

He wasn't going to give her a full-blown kiss in front of everybody! Even more than that, he wasn't going to give her a full-blown kiss when she was like this!

He thought for a while and finally kissed her forehead. Louise was reluctantly satisfied, and crawled into his lap, resting herself between his knees and pressing her body against his chest, and she finally closed her eyes. Soon her breathing slowed and light snores escaped from her lips.

"How did you manage to domesticate Louise to this degree? I didn't think you were the type of guy who was able to entice a girl, yet she is already treating you like a god!" Kirche asked in admiration.

"This is the reason we're protecting the Water Spirit. Somebody," Kai gave Montmorency a nasty look. "Made a love potion and Louise drank it. I was the first person she saw and well... here we are."

"Love potion? Why did you make such a thing?" Kirche asked Montmorency, who was nibbling on some meat.

"Oh, I was just curious to see if I could do it," Montmorency had sidestepped the question with a trivial answer.

"Really, a woman who has no confidence in her charms is the worst. Don't you agree?"

"Go die! Anyways, it's all Guiche's fault, if he had drank it we would not need to search for the antidote now!"

"Are you saying it's my fault to begin with?"

While those two argued, Kai explained the situation to Kirche in full. In order to make the antidote, they needed the Water Spirit's tear. And in exchange for it, they needed to repel the attackers...

Kirche looked awkwardly towards Tabitha who had been staring into the fire with a glazed expression.

"This is bad, we can't fight you, but if we don't stop the Water Spirit, Tabitha's family will be in trouble..."

"Why do ya need to get rid of it?"

Prompted by Kai, Kirche replied hesitantly. She couldn't openly tell the private matters of Tabitha's family.

"You see, the water levels have caused damage to the surrounding area. Tabitha's family has suffered losses because of the damage so we have been entrusted to get rid of it."

So that was it. They couldn't go back empty-handed. Then how should they handle it... Kai considered it for a while and concluded.

"That's fine, you can stop attacking the Water Spirit and we can find out why the Water Spirit is raising the water level so much and ask it to stop."

"The Water Spirit will listen to us?"

"I mean we talked to it earlier."

Kirche considered for a second and asked Tabitha, "As long as the floods stop and the land is restored would that be okay?"

Tabitha nodded.

"Great, it's decided! We can carry out the negotiations tomorrow!"

ㅤ

ㅤ

Early the next morning, Montmorency, like the day before, released her small frog familiar into the lake to call the Water Spirit. The water parted and the Water Spirit rose up through the morning mist.

"Water Spirit, the attackers will no longer bother you, as per the agreement will you give us a part of your body?"

As Montmorency finished talking, the Water Spirit's body trembled and a portion of its body was repelled as a thin line into the vial Guiche was holding.

Its promise completed, the Water Spirit sunk back toward the lake, however, Kai quickly called out for it to stop.

"Wait a second! I have something I wanna ask!"

The Water Spirit rose up from the water's surface, taking, to Montmorency's displeasure, a naked Montmorency's shape once again.

"What, mere human?"

"Why did you raise the water? Please, if there's a reason tell us. We would be willing to help if you stop."

The Water Spirit's body grew in size and assumed various positions. It concluded by twisting its form into that of Montmorency in a gesture that seemed to express feeling. Maybe its reflecting its thoughts?

"I will consider entrusting this task to you. Since you have both honored the previous contract and proven yourself."

Suddenly seeming angry, the Water Spirit paused. Kai didn't say anything but waited for the spirit to continue. After several shape changes, the Water Spirit had settled once again in Montmorency's form and continued to speak.

"A long time ago, your kind stole one of my treasures."

"A treasure?"

"Yes, my most important possession was stolen from the deepest part of my lake, about thirty months before the moon's crossing."

"Approximately two years ago..." Montmorency murmurs.

That checks out with the flooding.

"Are you trying to take revenge on people by increasing the water level and flooding the villages?"

"Revenge? Our kind does not have such a purpose. I am simply trying to retake my treasure, and even if it takes an eternity, water will slowly erode the land. Even if I must sink the entire continent I will regain what I have lost."

"You're willing to do that much?"

That could take hundreds, no, thousands of years to do.

"You sure are patient."

"Our concept of time is different, for me the whole is the same as the present. All time is the same to me, regardless of the present the future will always come. It makes no difference as I will always exist."

The Water Spirit did not seem to have the concept of death. Time on this scale would be unimaginable to a person like Kai.

"Well, I'll get you your treasure. What is it?"

"My treasure is the Ring of Andvari, it had been with me until now."

"I think I have heard of it," Montmorency muttered. "A legendary magic item of the water system. It is said to be able to give false life to the deceased..."

"That is not incorrect, but death is a concept that I do not understand, therefore I cannot understand your description. The Rind of Andvari does not simply bring false life, it is the embodiment of the ancient "Control of the Water", it is not simply a magical item."

"Then who stole such a thing?"

"Using wind magic, several humans came into my dwelling. They did not disturb me in my slumber and took away my most prized possession."

"So you don't know who it is?"

"One of the people went by the name Cromwell."

Kirche said to herself, "If I remember correctly, he is the new Emperor of Albion."

Everyone but Kai could not help but look at each other in dismay

Kirche continued, "Could he be a different person? There could be two people with the same name... If he has the power of false life, what will he use it for?"

"Those who are controlled have their freedom stolen. They must obey the owner of the ring."

"It is a truly evil ring, controlling people is a disgusting power," Kirche said in a low voice.

Kirche continued to mutter to herself, she felt as if she should have remembered something but couldn't grasp the thought.

Kai nodded to himself and turned towards the Water Spirit.

"Got it! Please stop raising the water level and I promise that I'll get you your ring back!"

The Water Spirit vibrated.

"I believe you, if you can bring back the ring I will no longer raise the water."

"Alright, then when should I get it back to you?"

This time the Water Spirit shook and trembled.

"Before your life ends, otherwise I am unconcerned."

"You don't mind that long?"

"I don't care, to me tomorrow is no different than ten years." After saying this the Water Spirit returned to the depths of the lake.

In that flash, Tabitha stopped it by calling out, "Please wait."

Everyone stared at Tabitha in surprise. Although she was there the entire time, this was the first time she had spoken.

"Water Spirit, I wish to ask you something."

"What is your question?"

"We humans have always called you the 'Spirit of Oath', I would like to know the reason."

"Mere human, my and your existence are completely dissimilar. I cannot understand your question completely, but I can speculate. My existence in itself is the reason for this name. I do not have a fixed shape, yet I will never change. For uncountable generations, I have always been here with the water."

The Water Spirit, trembling, spoke. The sound rang in the air.

"Because you are eternally unchanging, therefore you will forever carry our hopes." Tabitha nodded, then shut her eyes. In the end, who did she make an oath to? Kirche gently put a hand on her shoulder.

Montmorency, having seen Tabitha make an oath, poked Guiche.

"What?"

"Quickly, make an oath too."

"What oath?"

"What did you think I made the love potion for anyway?"

"Mmm! Ah... I swear that I will consider Montmorency above all others from this point forward..."

She poked Guiche again.

"Oww... Ah...! Really! I swear!"

"I don't want to be above others, I want to be the only one. Swear you love only me!"

Guiche forced sad words out in a tone that most people would find hard to believe.

"I swear..."

Louise had also pulled on Kai's sleeve, her eyes were gazing up at him.

"You too, swear to me."

Kai looked at Louise's face. Today he had to tell this Louise goodbye and he couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Even though it was only because of the love potion, how many times had she told him that she loved him?

But, it was all fake. Nothing truly behind those words. Besides, he preferred the original Louise. Sure, she was rude, plus she treated him like a dog, but he still preferred that one. He'd get that version to say that she loved him, even if only once.

"You are not willing to swear to me? You don't love me?"

Tears filled Louise's eyes.

"Sorry... I can't swear to you... I can't make a promise to you the way you are now."

When Kai said this, she began to cry. Kai gently stroked her head.

ㅤ

ㅤ

In the royal palace of Tristain, Henrieta lie in her bed, only wearing a thin chemise. The room she was in belonged to her father, the deceased King, but she had begun to use it after becoming Queen.

Beside the enormous canopy-included bed was her father's favorite table. She quietly reached out with her hand and took the bottle of wine. Pouring it into her cup, she drank it all down in one gulp. Before, she lightly drank alcohol when she ate... but after becoming Queen, she didn't need to eat to drink.

To Henrietta, who was nothing but a figurehead for the government, being asked for decisions was something she felt anxious about. Most resolutions were brought to her in a decided state, but even so, the one who approved those was her. What was more, even though a state barely anything was happening, the war was still going on.

Even though she was just an ornamental ruler, numerous responsibilities for her had already occurred. Henrietta was still handling that pressure. She couldn't sleep without drinking. She couldn't show this to her attendant court ladies or chamberlains, so she drank the hidden wine in the dead of night. Once again, she poured wine into her cup. I might have drank too much. She thought drowsily through her intoxication. She quietly chanted a rune and swung it down at the cup she had poured wine into.

Water overflowed from the tip of her wand and filled the cup. It was a spell that condensed the water in the air to be a fluid once more.

The water overflowed and spilled out of the cup. Possibly because of her drunkenness, she couldn't control the amount she poured. She drank it all.

Henrietta, whose cheeks were dyed pink in color, fell on her bed once again.

When she was drunk, what she remembered was... the fun days. The glittering days.

The few times where she actually felt she was alive.

The short time of the summer when she was fourteen years old.

The words she wanted to hear just once...

"Why did you not say it at that time?"

Henrietta asked, covering her face with her hands.

But, the person who would say it is no longer here. Nowhere in this world.

She felt that victory might heal sadness.

She thought that the exhausting work of a queen might let her forget about it.

However, she couldn't forget. Brilliant victories, words of praise, the shouts of the people who respect and love her for being a saint... cannot match just one word.

She unconsciously shed tears. Oh no, she thought. Tomorrow morning will be early. There are negotiations with Germania's ambassador. To Tristain and Henrietta who wanted to end this foolish war as soon as possible, it was an important negotiation. I can't show them my face wet with tears. I can no longer show my weak side to anyone anymore.

She wiped her tears. And when she reached out for her wine cup again...

There was a knock at the door.

Who could it be so late at night? Did something troublesome come up again? It's annoying, but I can't ignore it. Albion might have dispatched their armada again.

Henrietta wearily put on her gown and asked from her bed.

"La Porte? Or are you the Cardinal? Why would you come at this hour?"

However, there was no reply. In exchange, there was another knock. If it isn't the Grand Chamberlain or Cardinal, then just who is it?

"Who is it? Identify yourself. For people who visit the Queen's room so late at night, there is no way one cannot name themselves. Now, speak. Otherwise, I will call someone."

"It's me."

Henreitta froze as she heard that voice.

"It seems I drank too much. This isn't good, to hear such hallucinations so clearly..."

Murmuring that, she placed her hands on her chest. But, the intense beat of her heart would not stop.

"It's me."

"It's me, Henrietta. Open this door."

Henrietta rushed over to the door.

"Prince Wales? No way. You should have died by that traitor's hands..." In a trembling voice, she said that.

"That's a mistake. And I, am alive."

"That's a lie. A lie. How?"

"I had run away. The one that died... was my impersonator."

"That... Even though, the Ruby of Wind is..."

Henrietta checked the ring, a memento of Wales, that was on her finger.

"To deceive the enemy, you have to start with your allies, right? Well, it is understandable that you do not believe me. Then, I will let you hear the proof that I am me."

While trembling, Henrietta waited for Wales's words.

"In the night when the wind blows."

The watchword she heard often at Ragdorian Lake.

Forgetting to even answer, Henrietta threw open the door.

The smile she had dreamed of many times stood there.

"Ooh, Prince Wales... You really are safe..."

What followed could not become words. Henrietta tightly hugged Wales's chest, and she placed her face there and sobbed.

Wales tenderly petted her head.

"You are the same as always, Henrietta. What a crybaby."

"That's because I had completely thought you were dead... Why did you not visit sooner?"

"After losing, I escaped on a cruiser. I was hiding in Tristain's forest the whole time. I could not let the enemy find my whereabouts, so I had to move many times. I came to the lands of the castle you live in two days ago... It took time to investigate on when you would be alone. There is no way I could just stand in the waiting room as an audience in the daytime, right?"

Saying that, Wales smiled teasingly.

"As always, you are so mean. You don't understand... how much I grieved... how lonely I felt."

"I understand. That is why I came to see you."

For a while, Henrietta and Wales embraced each other.

"You can come to this castle as much as you want. Albion does not have the power to invade Tristain right now. After all, their reliable armada is gone. This castle is the safest place in Halkeginia. The enemy can not lay a single finger on you."

"It can not be like that."

Wales smiled cheerfully.

"What do you plan to do?"

"I have to return to Albion."

"What a stupid thing! That is like pointlessly going to throw away the life you barely managed to keep!"

"Even so, I have to return. I have to liberate Albion from Reconquista's hands."

"What a joke!"

"It isn't a joke. For that reason, I came to meet you."

"Me?"

"Your powers are necessary to liberate Albion. There are cooperators in the country as well, but... Even more, I need a person I can trust. You will come with me, right?"

"No way... I am happy for those words, but that is impossible. I could have gone on such adventures when I was a princess, but I am now a queen. Whether I like it or not, the country and the people are placed on my shoulders. Please do not say such impossible things."

However, Wales would not give up. With even more zealous words, he tried to convince Henrietta. "I know it is impossible. But, you are necessary for victory. In the middle of that lost battle, I realized it. About just how much I needed you. I need the "Saint" who will bring victory upon me and Albion."

Henrietta felt something hot welling inside her body. She was needed by her beloved person. Drunkenness and loneliness accelerated the urge welling inside her.

Even so, Henrietta desperately answered.

"Do not trouble me anymore. Please wait, I will have people come and prepare a bed for you. Tomorrow, again, we can discuss this topic, slowly..."

Wales shook his head.

"We won't make it in time tomorrow."

Then, Wales easily said the words Henrietta had always wanted to hear.

"I love you, Henrietta. That's why, come with me."

Henrietta's heart started beating in the same rhythm as the times when she and Wales rendezvoused at Ragdorian Lake.

Slowly, Wales drew his lips near Henrietta. To Henrietta's lips that tried to say something, Wales sealed it up.

In Henrietta's mind, she recalled all kinds of sweet memories.

Because of that, Henrietta did not notice the sleeping magic cast on her.

Still feeling happy, Henrietta fell into the world of sleep.