"At last, we can go by the teleportation circle."
In a luxurious chamber washed in late afternoon light, Noa reclined against a long velvet sofa the color of deep wine. Lina sat comfortably atop his lap, legs tucked to one side as she ate Crystal Jellies one after another, each translucent cube catching the light like captive starlight. Vionette sat beside them with composed elegance, sampling the same sweets with delicate movements, her posture as refined as a painting come to life.
Across from them, on a second sofa upholstered in pale ivory silk, Mara and Isla sat close together, leaning in as though conspiring over state secrets.
"—Yes! Yes! Princess did that..."
"Our Noa started to…"
Their conversation flowed with suspicious enthusiasm, nodding and gesturing like two mothers gossiping over tea. It was worth noting that neither of them was speaking about their biological child.
Noa shifted slightly, resting his cheek against Lina's soft hair, his voice threaded with amused disbelief. "When did those two get so close?"
Vionette mirrored him, pressing her cheek gently to Lina's other side, her crimson eyes narrowing playfully. "I know right?
Lina, unimpressed and mid-bite, pushed both of them away with slow, deliberate palms.
"They were like that in the carriage too," she said flatly. "You two just didn't notice."
"…"
"…"
Looking at the two adults who suddenly felt attacked without defense, Lina offered a small smile that did not suit her age. "Of course you two wouldn't know. You were in your own world in the carriage. Alone."
Vionette immediately rubbed her knuckles against Lina's head in retaliation. "Stop saying that. You're not old enough yet."
"…I have a guess who taught her those," Noa muttered, glancing toward Mara and Isla with visible disappointment, as if betrayed by his own allies.
"Big bro, why didn't we go by the teleportation circle before?" Lina asked, licking sugar from her fingers.
"I don't know," Noa replied lazily, closing his eyes and pointing directly at Vionette without looking. "Ask her."
Realizing the accusation had landed squarely on her, Vionette stiffened.
"W-well… you know… we'll be busy later. Y-yea, that's why." She waved her hands in a flustered rhythm, as though physically batting away responsibility.
knock-knock-knock
"May I enter, your majesty?"
Numael's calm voice carried through the heavy door like a blade gliding across polished stone. He had been sent to prepare the teleportation circle.
"Ah, Numael. Enter," Vionette replied at once, posture restored as if embarrassment had never touched her.
creak
The door opened slowly, reverently.
Numael stepped inside, helmet removed this time. A cascade of wavy black hair framed a face carved with quiet symmetry. His black eyes were deep and unreadable—like still water beneath a moonlit sky, concealing either tranquility or drowning depths. His expression bore no arrogance, no eagerness. Only steadiness. He looked less like a knight fresh from battle and more like a sword sheathed in silence, waiting for the next command.
"Are we ready to go?" Noa asked, studying him with idle curiosity.
"Yes. Please follow me."
...
They stepped into the heart of the engraved platform, standing within the innermost ring while attendants in ceremonial robes moved to the edges like priests preparing a sacred rite.
Teleportation circles functioned only in pairs. Without its twin carved far away, this intricate array would be nothing more than decorated stone. Each carried a coordinate imprint—a resonance signature—that allowed distant anchors to recognize one another across impossible distance.
Refined Aether shards were placed into outer sockets. The crystals dimmed as their essence was drawn inward, veins of light tracing ancient sigils.
Such was the price of folding space.
Teleportation did not send travelers across the world in the conventional sense. Instead, for a single controlled instant, it forced two distant points to agree they were the same place. Distance was not crossed.
It was denied.
The farther the destination—or the heavier the presence within the ring—the more fuel it demanded. And afterward, the array would sleep, cooling like overheated iron.
Light coursed through the inscriptions. The air tightened, pressure building against the skin.
Somewhere in Crimvane, a twin circle awakened in answer.
The central glyph ignited.
The world folded—
—and distance ceased to exist.
"And here we are. Welcome to Crimvane."
"Whoa."
Noa's voice carried genuine awe as his eyes adjusted.
They stood within the royal teleportation chamber of Crimvane's castle. Beyond its tall arched windows, the kingdom unfolded like a painting touched by divine hands.
The castle rose like carved ivory from rolling hills. Crimson banners—bearing a crimson rose encircled by ivory rings and golden thorns—fluttered atop pristine white towers. Vast gardens embraced the fortress, sculpted hedges curving like deliberate brushstrokes, reflective ponds mirroring the sky, and stone bridges weaving through lilies. Marble statues in crimson cloaks stood sentinel, their silent forms echoing the banners above. The air carried the faint perfume of roses and incense, a fragrance both soothing and sovereign.
Serene.
Commanding.
Unyielding.
"C'mon. Let's go. I'll arrange you some rooms," Vionette said brightly, already stepping ahead.
creak
Numael opened the door once more.
Inside, white marble halls gleamed beneath vaulted ceilings. Crimson tapestries warmed the space with authority, sunlight from tall windows painting floors in hues of soft red and white. Grand staircases spiraled upward, chandeliers shimmered like captured constellations, and small fountains whispered quietly in alcoves. Every chamber—study, council hall, gallery—balanced elegance with discipline, as though beauty itself had been trained to kneel.
"Rose!" Vionette called, her voice echoing.
"Wow… It's so pretty," Lina breathed, eyes sparkling like the ponds outside.
"Yea," Mara agreed softly.
It really is huge and beautiful, Noa thought, gaze drifting upward.
Rose, the head maid, approached swiftly yet gracefully. Her long light-red hair fell in a straight braided cascade down to her thighs, and golden eyes shone with sharp awareness. Her maid uniform was pristine, tailored to both elegance and efficiency.
She bowed deeply. "Yes, my lady?"
"Prepare three rooms for them. Highest quality ones."
Rose froze for the briefest moment and examined the three guests behind her. A cute girl. A beautiful woman. A good-looking man.
Ordinary.
Completely ordinary.
Who are these people? Are they royals? Though, doesn't seem like it.
Unable to deduce their identities, she surrendered to duty.
"I shall. Please excuse me." With another bow, she departed.
As she left, she overheard—
"Hey, where can I go to make a weapon?" Noa asked.
"I'll show you the place," Vionette replied eagerly.
Princess herself is showing the place? Who is he?
"Let's go~ I will show the best plac—"
Thud.
A hand seized Vionette's hair mid-step.
"Hi there, my little sister~"
The voice was silk wrapped around steel.
She appeared every bit the poised noblewoman. Long black hair cascaded in soft waves framing a face of striking symmetry. Crimson eyes—identical to Vionette's—burned with restrained intensity. Her white dress flowed elegantly, embroidered with subtle threads that whispered of nobility without shouting it.
"S-Seliora…h-hi. Long time n-no see" Vionette's voice trembled.
"What took you so long to use the teleportation circle?" Seliora asked, smiling sweetly with eyes very much not smiling.
Her gaze flickered with fire—amused, but dangerous.
Who is that? 'Sister'? Noa assessed silently.
"Uhh… Listen, Seliora… i-it was…It was a hard task."
"Is that so~? Did you forget you have work as a queen?" Seliora's smile widened. "And where do you think you're going just after coming back?"
Vionette's eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"Y-you know… to show my partner a good blacksmith. Yea! That's it."
Seliora paused.
"…Partner, you say?"
Her gaze landed on Noa.
He waved awkwardly.
"Oh! You're him? I'm sorry, but I will be taking Vionette for a moment."
"Huh? No! I have to go show him."
"You're talking about Marnok, right? I'll assign a maid for him. So you don't have to wait, my little princess."
"B-but…"
"No buts. Let's go. There are so many letters from the aristocrats."
Seliora dragged Vionette away by her hair with effortless composure.
"Nooo—!"
Her scream echoed through marble halls like a fallen queen protesting fate.
'We'll be busy' my ass.
Noa exhaled deeply. Even he found Seliora hard to deal with.
"Isla," he said calmly, turning to her. "Please look after these two while I go do my business."
She nodded firmly. "Of course."
Noa crouched to Lina's level and patted her head. "I'll be back. Listen to them, okay?"
"Okie!"
…
Crimvane stretched outward like a living painting touched by discipline and light. White-walled villages with crimson-tiled roofs dotted rolling hills. Rivers shimmered like liquid silver, weaving through wheat fields and gardens heavy with roses and jasmine. Polished stone roads connected hamlets and watchtowers, banners snapping crisply in the wind.
From above, the kingdom did not look conquered by tragedy.
It looked composed.
"Whoa… This might be at the same size as US, if not bigger," Noa muttered as he exited the castle gates.
Seliora had arranged a maid for him.
Of course.
…Rose.
The capital bustled with life—vendors shouting, children running, merchants negotiating. The air itself seemed alive.
"It was way more popular before," Rose said softly, her golden eyes dimming for a moment. Even a maid could mourn decline.
"Don't worry. Vionette is here, so it'll be fiiine," Noa replied casually.
He had buried his own past long ago. The ruins of his former self were sealed beneath laughter and found family. Without Lina and Mara, he would still be a ghost wandering ash.
Rose glanced at him in shock. Not only did he call the queen by name casually—he did so with absolute confidence.
"So Rose," Noa continued, stretching slightly. "Where are we going? Meet that Marnok guy, right?"
Rose shook her head gently. "Her Majesty said: 'Don't go to meet him without materials. He'll turn you down even if it's me. Go to Blackmoor Dukedom first. There will be something interesting for you.'"
"Getting materials… and Blackmoor Dukedom?"
"Yes."
Noa remembered her words.
I'll give you entertainment.
A slow grin curved his lips.
"Heheh."
"Well then," he said, stepping toward the waiting carriage, eyes gleaming faintly with anticipation,
"Let's go to Blackmoor."
And somewhere beyond those ordered fields and disciplined banners—
A new thread of fate waited to be pulled.