He didn’t disagree.
“That’s just how it is. It’s the truth. This village—this ruined, forgotten place—was one of many that collapsed under the weight of my father’s relentless taxation.”
“That’s awful…”
Shouta could only whisper the words, stunned. Across from him, Blud stared off into the distance, his expression distant.
“You may not believe me when I say this,” he began softly, “but the Kaizell Empire wasn’t always like this.”
“Hah? Give me a break,” Agnos snapped, scoffing with disbelief. “You seriously expect us to swallow that?”
Blud didn’t react to the jab. He neither flinched nor argued.
“I don’t blame you for doubting me. But it’s the truth. Back when my grandfather ruled—not my father—the Empire didn’t wage war on its neighbors. It was a peaceful nation.”
“Huh… Now that you mention it,” Berard muttered as he finished dressing the last of the meat. “Things only started spiraling after the Previous Emperor stepped down.”
Blud nodded gravely.
“Exactly. Just as Berard says, everything changed the moment my father inherited the throne. He’s the one who twisted the Empire into what it is now.”
“Are you serious?” Agnos frowned. “What happened to your granddad? Did he die of old age or something?”
“No. He was still young… but he fell victim to a curse. He hasn’t woken up since.”
“A curse…”
In this world, curses were no small matter. They were powerful, insidious forces—and once afflicted, there was no known way to break them. If Blud’s grandfather had succumbed to one and become unable to rule, then it made sense why the throne had passed to his son, Sheldt.
And Sheldt… had led the Empire down this dark path.
“In any case,” Blud continued quietly, “I’ve long wanted to change things… but I lack the strength to make that happen. All I’ve done is drift, paralyzed by how little I can do.”
“I get it,” Shouta said, nodding slowly.
Then Blud shifted his gaze toward the others. “And what about you?” he asked. “You are heroes, summoned by the Empire itself, and yet you chose to flee. There must be some goal behind that decision, no?”
His question struck a chord, but truthfully, Shouta and the others had no clear answer.
They didn’t know where they were going. Not yet. They only knew one thing: whatever that hero group had become… they couldn’t follow it any longer. Something deep in their gut had warned them. If they stayed, they’d lose themselves.
And so they had run.
Just then, the one who had been quietly leading their ragtag group from the start, Karen Kannazuki, finally broke her silence.
“Our goal…” she said calmly, “is to reach Seiichi-kun.”
“…!”
Her words sent a ripple through the group—not just Shouta and the other heroes, but even Blud, Berard, and the others looked stunned.
But Karen continued, utterly unfazed by the weight of the surprise.
“I’ve completely given up on the rest of the hero party,” she said firmly. “As long as I have the people here with me, and Seiichi-kun, that’s enough. That’s why our first priority is finding him.”
“I see,” Blud murmured. “But… do you actually know where he is?”
“No,” Karen replied without hesitation. “But one thing’s certain… wherever he is, the Kaizell Empire hasn’t gotten to him yet. That narrows it down to one of two places: either the Kingdom of Winburg or the Valshe Empire. But I’m convinced he’s in Winburg.”
“That’s…” Blud began, instinctively ready to object. Her logic was flimsy at best, built more on gut feeling than anything substantial.
But as he opened his mouth, a flood of memories stopped him—memories of Seiichi. All the wild, ridiculous, impossible things that boy had done.
He couldn’t say a word.
Neither could Berard nor the others. Their eyes widened as the same realization dawned on them.
“I’m actually speechless,” Blud muttered. “I can’t find a single reason to deny it.”
“I-I mean, if Seiichi-sensei’s involved, the Kaizell Empire probably wouldn’t matter at all,” said Youko Hino, flustered as she realized she’d spoken out of turn. “Ah… sorry! I shouldn’t have interrupted!”
Despite the stunned silence that had fallen over them, Karen’s confidence only grew. She straightened her posture, her voice rising with conviction.
“Besides,” she added, “I do have a decisive reason for believing Seiichi-kun is in the Kingdom of Winburg, and not the Valshe Empire.”
“Oh? And what would that be?” Shouta asked cautiously.
Karen drew in a deep breath, her expression as serious as ever.
“My intuition.”
“…”
A silence heavier than lead descended upon them. The air practically crystallized.
This… this was her decisive evidence?
Karen, who had just delivered a string of surprisingly logical reasoning and even pointed out a few sharp, insightful observations along the way, had ended her argument with that?
Even so, all those present—except for Youko Hino, who had already witnessed the full extent of Karen’s bizarre personality in the Barbodel Magic Academy’s Home Ec room—found themselves… uncomfortably convinced.
Somehow, it made perfect sense.
“My intuition,” Karen declared again, this time with even more gravity.
“You don’t need to say it twice!” Shouta fired back instantly, his voice exasperated.
Karen blinked in confusion. “Then why are you all so quiet?”
“Because we’re trying to come to terms with the fact that your intuition is somehow… the most convincing logic we’ve heard all day!” he shouted.
She tilted her head slightly, still not understanding what the problem was.
All except Airi, who quietly nodded to herself.
“I get it. I really do. You just know, right? You can feel which direction Seiichi-kun’s in.”
Karen’s expression brightened. “As expected of Airi-chan. Honestly, you’re the only one who truly understands. This is why amateur Seiichi fans can’t be trusted.”
“‘Amateur Seiichi fans’?! What the hell does that even mean?!”
I can’t keep up with this anymore… Shouta thought, nearly collapsing from the sheer absurdity.
Karen clapped her hands together with finality. “In any case, we’re heading for the Kingdom of Winburg.”
“I get that,” said Blud, arms crossed. “But like I told you, the roads leading there are crawling with Kaizell patrols.”
“That, too, has been accounted for,” Karen said with complete confidence. “We may be escapees, but don’t forget that we’re among the most capable of the heroes. We’ll break through. And if we treat this as a trial of love for Seiichi-kun, then honestly, it’ll be too easy.”
“Your resolve is impressive,” Blud admitted. No matter how strange her reasons were, the way Karen moved forward despite the danger… there was a brilliance to it.
“Which brings me to my next point,” she said cheerfully. “Why don’t you come with us, Blud-kun?”
“Huh?”
The offer caught him completely off guard, and he let out a dumbfounded sound before catching himself.
“You’re lost, aren’t you? Unsure what to do next,” Karen continued. “Then just come with us. Figure things out after we get to Winburg.”
“I-I can’t just…”
“You can make excuses later,” she said, stepping forward, her voice gentle but firm. “You don’t need a perfect reason right now. What matters is moving forward.”
She smiled faintly.
“And besides… Seiichi-kun’s there.”
That sealed it.
“A hundred percent. You should go,” Agnos said without hesitation.
“I agree,” added Berard with a nod.
“Y-Yeah…” Youko chimed in timidly.
Blud stared at them, speechless. “You traitors…”
But even as he sighed at how quickly his companions had jumped on board, he couldn’t deny the small fire stirring in his chest.
“All right… Fine,” he said finally. “Even if the road ahead is treacherous… as long as I get to see Seiichi-sensei, everything will fall into place.”
And so, with their decision made, Karen’s group and Blud’s party began preparations to travel together toward the Kingdom of Winburg: the place where their answers, their hopes, and perhaps their futures awaited.