Enzo woke up, gasping for breath. "S-Sir Liam..." he panted, struggling to get air into his lungs.

  A man sitting beside the bed spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "It's been a while, Enzo."

  Enzo turned his head toward the voice, blinking in confusion. "H-Hector? Where am I?"

  Hector smiled faintly. "At my house. I saw you being carried by the Marquis faction, so I told them I knew you. They handed you over to me."

  Enzo’s mind raced, the haze still thick. "How long have I been asleep?"

  "Three days, I guess. By the way, have you seen Iris, Jayce, or Carl? I haven’t seen them in a while."

  Enzo’s anxiety grew. "I—I thought you’d heard the news?"

  "What news?"

  Enzo swallowed hard. "T-that... they’re already..."

  "Already what?"

  Enzo’s heart ached. "D-dead..."

  Hector froze, his hand gripping Enzo’s collar. His voice was harsh, barely controlled. "What do you mean, dead?!" He shook Enzo, his anger flaring. "Huh? Answer me!"

  Enzo’s voice trembled as he spoke. "W-we got ambushed by goblins. But these goblins... they were stronger than before. I couldn’t... I couldn’t move. I heard Iris calling my name, but I was frozen in place. Jayce, Carl, the others... they were fighting, but... they were overwhelmed by the numbers."

  Enzo started crying. "I-I was only saved because our party leader pushed me away so that I could survive. I ran towards the lower floor because my way up was blocked by goblins. I was saved by Theodore."

  "I promised myself I wouldn't let someone die for my sake, but I’ve broken that promise. Sir Liam died because of me. I don’t even know what to do now, Hector."

  Hector’s face fell, his grip loosening. "I see. I’m sorry... I lost my temper. Tell me, how were my sister’s final moments?"

  "She was brave. She fought until the very end."

  "I see." Hector walked towards the door and left. "You should get some rest, Enzo. The fruits are there." He shut the door but opened it again slightly. "Enzo, do not carry that burden alone. I'm here with you. I always will be. Iris would be angry at me if I left you alone."

  Enzo bawled.

  Hector, frustrated, headed to a tavern to drown his sorrows. While drinking, he overheard a conversation among adventurers.

  "Many adventurers died on that expedition because of Erron," one said.

  "Yeah, only 76 out of 200 survived. How dare you blame their deaths on Prince Erron!" another retorted.

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  "It's also your great prince's fault that Liam Bors is dead. He was one of our greatest captains."

  "How dare you blame the prince when Liam sacrificed himself to save a boy!"

  The debate escalated into a brawl. Onlookers enjoyed the scene, laughing at the fighting pair. Hector, annoyed by the noise, intervened.

  "Stop it, you two! Before I crush both your skulls!"

  The room fell silent as Hector approached the fighters and slammed their heads onto the table.

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll pay for the damages," Hector said, after settling the bill. He left the tavern, heading toward the dungeon.

  Fuming, thinking about his sister Iris, Hector vowed, "I'm going to murder every single goblin."

  Hector slaughtered every monster in sight until exhaustion overwhelmed him, draining his mana. He passed out.

  Fortunately, a group of adventurers stumbled upon him and took him to the guild.

  "Is he alive?" someone asked.

  Edith replied, "Isn't it obvious? He's breathing."

  Nigel grunted, "Huh? Are you calling me an idiot?"

  Edith snapped back, "You're the one who brought it up."

  Nigel raised his fist, but Theodore intervened.

  "Quit it, you two. Why do you always quarrel? Pick him up, Nigel."

  Nigel picked up Hector's body. "This guy looks familiar."

  Theodore replied, "Yes, he's Hector, aka The Spear Knight."

  Edith asked, "What is he doing here?"

  Nigel spoke, "He's heavy..."

  Theodore replied, "I don't know."

  Theodore's party arrived at the guild, and a woman approached them.

  "What happened to him?" she asked.

  Theodore replied, "We think he's drunk. We found him sleeping in the dungeon. We'll leave him here until he's sober."

  Eloise stepped forward, "I'll take care of him; I know that guy."

  Theodore nodded gratefully, "Really, Miss Eloise? Thank you. We'll leave now."

  Eloise smiled, "Tell him not to venture into the dungeon alone when he wakes up."

  Hector woke up, his hand pressed to his forehead as the headache throbbed through his skull. "My head hurts."

  "Are you alright?" Eloise asked.

  Hector replied, "I'm fine, I'm fine."

  A man ran toward Eloise in urgency. "Miss Eloise, there is a major problem."

  Eloise asked, "What is it, Ray?"

  Ray replied, "Two factions are about to go to war. Our country will be in chaos. It's the Lyria Faction and the Marquis Faction."

  Adventurers overheard the conversation.

  "What?"

  "Is it true?"

  "This country will be destroyed."