The night had finally grown quiet.
Most of the lanterns inside the inn had already been dimmed, their flickering light struggling against the encroaching shadows. The dinner rush was over. Only a few final customers remained scattered around the restaurant, nursing their drinks and finishing low-voiced conversations before heading back into the biting cool of the summer night.
Chairs scraped softly against the floor. Coins clinked—the sound of wealth, or at least the lack of it, changing hands. The scent of cooked meat and greasy broth still lingered warmly in the air, a stubborn reminder of the day's labor.
Behind the counter, Da-li sat with a calm, almost predatory stillness, organizing the daily wages for her staff. One by one, the workers stepped forward to collect their pay. It was a mechanical process.
Waitresses bowed politely. Kitchen workers offered respectful thanks. Even Toru managed to behave like a civilized human being for at least six consecutive seconds. It was a record.
Then, Rui stepped forward.
Unlike his pathetic display earlier, he no longer looked like a man whose soul had been publicly executed. He was emotionally damaged, sure, but he was functional. In this world, that was considered tremendous progress.
Rui rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward in his stained apron.
"Thank you for talking some sense into me, Madam."
Da-li handed him his wage pouch without a word.
"You're welcome."
Rui accepted the small pouch carefully, weighing the meager coins. He gave a respectful bow.
"See you tomorrow, Madam. Good night."
Da-li nodded softly. "Good night."
Rui turned and walked out through the inn doors, and was immediately ambushed by the vultures waiting outside. Toru threw an arm around Rui's shoulder with enough force to bruise.
"LET'S GO GET SOME SAKE!"
Rui blinked once, his emotional state recovering with suspicious speed.
"SAKE!?" A dramatic pause followed. "HELL YEAH!"
One of the waiters raised a hand, his stomach probably as empty as his pockets. "What about food?"
Toru proudly lifted a wrapped cloth bag. "I packed chicken."
The waiter looked as though he had been told his life was ending. "Man… I want no chicken." He let out a long, suffering sigh.
Rui pointed at him with absolute, drunken authority. "Nope. Chicken and sake. No discussion."
The group erupted into a loud, pointless argument as they disappeared down the street.
"WE ALWAYS EAT CHICKEN—"
"BECAUSE IT'S CHEAP—"
"AND DELICIOUS—"
Their voices faded into the distance, leaving the lantern-lit streets to the crickets. Silence gradually returned to the inn.
Da-li watched the doorway for a moment, her eyes reflecting the dying light. She finally stood, the wood of the counter creaking beneath her weight. The last employee waved goodbye, the doors closing with a soft, final thud.
For the first time all day, the inn became still. Only the faint, rhythmic crackling of the remaining lantern flames broke the silence. Da-li stretched one arm behind her back. It was a small sign of tiredness. Rare.
Her eyes drifted toward the window, looking out toward the distant direction of her home. Toward her daughters. A faint warmth appeared in her gaze, a sharp contrast to her usual icy composure.
Then, she suddenly stopped moving.
Something outside had changed. It wasn't the summer wind. It was the atmosphere itself—a shift in the pressure of the air.
Da-li's expression sharpened, her eyes narrowing with piercing intensity. It didn't feel dangerous, but it was unfamiliar. Ancient.
And it was approaching.
Inside the inn, the lantern flames flickered as if terrified. Da-li quietly turned her gaze toward the dark street beyond the window. Watching. Waiting.
The inn remained quiet. Only a few guests were still staying for the night, buried in the deep shadows of the upper floors. Da-li stood near the counter, gathering the last few account papers with practiced ease.
The front door creaked open slightly. An older man stepped inside, leaning on a long wooden staff and carrying a dim lantern. It was Tong, the night watchman.
Tong immediately straightened his back when he saw her. "Evening, Madam."
Da-li gave a small nod. "Tong." She placed the final ledger aside. "I'm heading home. Only a few guests are staying tonight, so I gave Vera the shift off. She'll be back with you tomorrow night."
Tong adjusted the lantern in his hand. "Understood, Madam. I'll take care of the rest." He hesitated for a second, then added carefully: "…You work too hard sometimes, Madam. Just saying."
Da-li blinked, slightly surprised by the old man's audacity. Then, she chuckled softly. It was a rare, warm sound.
"Good night, Tong."
"Good night, Madam."
Da-li stepped past him and pushed open the inn doors. The cool summer air hit her immediately. The village streets were calm, lanterns swaying gently beneath a dark blue night sky. Far away, the fields were alive with the humming of crickets.
She began walking home at an unhurried pace, her long black hair swaying behind her like a shroud of ink. But deep within the silent night, that strange feeling remained.
Watching. Waiting.
Moonlight poured softly across the quiet village path. The air was still. Peaceful.
Da-li walked alone, her footsteps barely making a sound against the stone road. Then, she stopped.
A small, knowing smile appeared on her lips.
"I know you've been watching me. You can come out now."
The night answered instantly.
SHING—!
A sharp blade shot toward her from the darkness, fast enough to split the air itself. It was a strike meant for a high-rank target.
But before the steel could touch her, a white, scaled tail emerged from beneath Da-li's robe with a violent snap.
CLANG
The blade stopped cold against the tail as if it had struck a mountain of solid diamond. Not even a scratch.
Da-li slowly turned around.
Standing several meters behind her was a woman clad in silver-blue armor. On her shoulder was the unmistakable crest of the Draco Army. Her lower face was hidden beneath an armored mask, and her long blonde hair shimmered like frozen silk.
Cold mist drifted around her boots. Even the air near her seemed to freeze.
Da-li's eyes softened. Recognition, and perhaps a bit of annoyance, flickered there.
"It's been a long… long time. Blizzfall."
The armored woman immediately dropped onto one knee. Her head bowed deeply in absolute respect. Absolute loyalty. Her voice trembled beneath the mask.
"At last… I finally found you… My Empress."
The summer wind passed gently through the trees. Da-li looked at her for a long moment. There was no shock. No fear. Only a deep, ancient exhaustion.
"You shouldn't call me that anymore."
Blizzfall responded without a heartbeat of hesitation. "I cannot obey that order."
Da-li sighed. The knights of Draco were many things, but disloyal wasn't one of them. It was a curse, really.
Blizzfall lifted her gaze. Even through the mask, the relief in her eyes was unmistakable.
"General Raizen never stopped searching for you. The Seekers still move across every kingdom. Many had begun believing you no longer wished to return."
Da-li looked toward the quiet night sky. Her voice remained calm.
"And what do you believe?"
Blizzfall froze, then answered honestly. "I believe the Draco Kingdom stopped feeling alive the day you disappeared."
Silence fell between them. For the first time in years, an ancient knight of Draco stood before the woman they never truly stopped serving. Blizzfall stood from her kneeling position and extended a gauntleted hand.
"Now, Your Majesty… Come with me. Let's return to the kingdom. Everyone is waiting for you."
Da-li looked at the offered hand, then very gently, she stepped past it.
"No, Blizzfall. The kingdom is fine. It is thriving."
Blizzfall's hand tightened into a fist. "A child succeeded in surviving during the absence of its mother… but that does not mean the child stopped needing its mother." Her voice was trembling now. "As Empress… the people of Draco are your children. And we need our mother back."
The words lingered heavily in the air. For a moment, Da-li said nothing. That silence hurt more than a direct rejection.
"The kingdom smiles," Blizzfall continued softly. "But it still waits. The knights still kneel toward an empty throne."
Da-li's expression shifted. A flicker of pain.
"General Raizen leads us. And he leads well. But even he cannot replace you."
Da-li closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw a frozen kingdom and a lonely man standing beneath falling snow. Waiting.
"…You all deserve better than me."
"Never say that!" Blizzfall's composure broke. "Not even once."
"Go back, Blizzfall," Da-li said, her voice firm. "Return to the kingdom. Forget that you've seen me."
Blizzfall froze, then lowered her head. "Pardon me, Your Majesty… but I cannot do that. I will not leave without taking you with me."
Da-li's gaze narrowed. "So… are you planning to force me?"
"Never!" Blizzfall's eyes widened. "There is no world where I would raise my blade against my Empress. The only reason I attacked from behind was to make certain it was truly you. I was already going to stop the attack."
Da-li looked unconvinced.
Blizzfall coughed awkwardly beneath the mask. "…Probably."
Da-li sighed. "Then how exactly do you intend to take me back?"
"I will call the General."
The atmosphere turned cold. Da-li knew that if Raizen came here, he would drag her back by force, kingdoms be damned.
"Listen to me carefully," Da-li said, stepping toward her.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Come with me. There's something I want you to see before you make any decision."
The knight looked confused, but she nodded. "…As you wish."
Da-li turned to leave, then stopped. "Before that—"
"Hm?"
Without warning, Da-li grabbed the knight's wrist. Blizzfall's brain visibly malfunctioned for a second as she was forcefully dragged down the road.
"Y-Your Majesty!?"
"Quiet," Da-li commanded. "I cannot allow anyone to discover a Draco Army Captain is wandering around this village. You're dressed like you're about to invade a kingdom."
Blizzfall looked down at her glowing armor and the massive crest on her shoulder. "…Ah."
"Exactly my point."
And so, the legendary Captain Blizzfall was led through the peaceful village by her Empress, looking less like a conqueror and more like a captured criminal, completely unable to resist.