The goodwill ambassador from the Kingdom of Girik kept approaching Lunarsion. The one who reported this to Dagan was the first prince, Skyred, who had already demonstrated his prowess in both domestic and foreign affairs.
“The Kingdom of Girik is likely aiming to cause trouble—perhaps not outright sowing discord between you, the hero, and our royal family, but at the very least spreading scandals.”
It was a rather petty objective.
The goodwill ambassador, Catastro Girikhora, was well-known even to Dagan. He was 28 years old, a handsome man with bluish-silver hair and strikingly droopy purple eyes. He was the only full-blooded younger brother of the current King of Girik, who had ascended the throne a year ago. His noble maternal lineage was celebrated, yet he was even more infamous for his indiscriminate flirtations with both men and women.
Half a month after Dagan set off to hunt down the remaining enemies, Catastro arrived at the royal castle. Officially, his visit was to celebrate the defeat of the Demon King and the marriage between the hero Dagan and the third prince, Lunarsion, strengthening diplomatic ties between the two kingdoms. But no one truly believed that pretense. It was obvious that his persistent attachment to Lunarsion—whom he had met only once a decade ago—had other motivations. Lunarsion was fluent in many languages but had little experience in face-to-face diplomacy, making him an easy target for manipulation.
Each time Lunarsion visited the royal castle, Catastro seemed to materialize out of nowhere, openly showering him with flirtations. Of course, Lunarsion paid him no mind, cutting him off before he could get too close.
“Oh! I have admired you since childhood! You have grown so beautifully. And to master our Girik language so perfectly—this must be fate!”
“You must be mistaken. I do not know you, and I certainly do not believe in fate.”
“You must be lonely without the hero by your side. If you like, I can offer you some comfort—”
“That’s quite alright. Farewell.”
“A man of such low birth could never be worthy of someone as noble as you—”
“Are you insulting my husband? If you refuse to take that back, I will lodge a formal complaint with the Kingdom of Girik.”
At times, Lunarsion was referred to as “The Frozen Moon Prince,” “The Unsmiling Ice Ring,” or “Lord of Cold Marble.” He fully embodied these cold titles when dealing with Catastro, rejecting him with a distance that would not even allow his shadow to be near him.
However, Catastro remained a prince of Girik, the younger brother of the current King of Girik, and outright expelling him before the wedding festivities concluded could spark a diplomatic crisis. The decision to accept diplomats early had now backfired.
That was not the only concern. From the very beginning, Lunarsion and those around him had tried to avoid encounters with Catastro. Nevertheless, he always managed to appear at every destination.
Skyred avoided direct accusations but hinted at the possibility of an informant within their ranks to Dagan—someone close enough to know the minute details of Lunarsion’s movements.
“But even if that’s the case, this all feels unnatural. I have a bad feeling about this. I will ensure you can return as soon as possible, so when the time comes, go straight to Lunarsion.”
Skyred’s instincts never failed him. The “pest” in question was clearly more than just an ordinary nuisance. Dagan felt anxious, but many remnants of their enemies still remained.
Two months had already passed as he traveled across various regions, yet he still had at least another month before he could return. It wasn’t just the sheer number of enemies left—his personal presence in each place carried great significance.
“The hero Dagan and his knights have arrived! We are safe now!”
“We will never forget this kindness! Even my late son’s soul can rest in peace!”
Many found relief in the hero’s presence—some broke down in tears to express their gratitude, others clung to newfound hope as they worked to rebuild. As long as they waited for him, he could not leave.
“Lunarsion… please, stay safe.”
Swinging his holy sword, Dagan thought of his beloved.
Author: Yohan O
A bit of this, a bit of that, a bit of everything except straight
