However, she did no such thing and quietly wished to leave this place.

"You sure?" Reinhardt asked softly.

Diana nodded without saying a word. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

And so, the two of them returned to the royal palace under the pale glow of the moon. As for Vaerion and Kaelith, they remained blissfully unaware that their not‑so‑private escapade had been witnessed.

Back at the palace, the princess said nothing. She went straight to her quarters, head low, her steps calm but hollow. Reinhardt didn’t stop her. He knew there was nothing he could say right now that wouldn’t make things worse.

Sometimes silence was the only kindness one could give.

The night passed quietly.

By morning, the world was noisy again.

With the capital still reeling from the demon attack and half the city in ruins, news spread through Aetherion like wildfire, and then beyond.

Thanks to the compact crystal‑based transmission devices gifted by Lunaris, the chaos reached every neighboring kingdom within hours. Envoys and dignitaries were busy scribbling messages and activating their runic comms, sending frantic reports to their home countries.

Naturally, such devastating news couldn’t be hidden. Still, the kingdom couldn’t allow despair to dominate people’s hearts. The officials needed a distraction, something to shift public focus.

Their answer? A celebration.

The grand wedding of Vaerion, the Dark Knight, who had supposedly slain a Heavenly King.

The irony wasn’t lost on Reinhardt when he overheard the announcement later that day.

The wedding that had been postponed because of the demon attack was to now proceed within the week. An event meant to reassure allies and rebuild morale. Dignitaries still stranded in Aetherion were courteously "invited" to stay and witness the ceremony before returning home.

Elsewhere in the battered city, the Temple of Light knights were already deep into reconstruction efforts. Hammers clanged, beams lifted, and debris vanished with divine efficiency.

"Do you need this beam over here?" Reinhardt asked, holding a massive wooden girder under one arm like it weighed nothing.

A sweating foreman turned, blinking at the sight. "H‑haha, yes, right there, Sir Knight! Thank you kindly!"

He and the others exchanged awed looks as Reinhardt effortlessly positioned the structure.

"Don’t worry about it," Reinhardt replied, dusting off his hands with a small smile.

The foreman chuckled. "I must say, you’re all built differently from the way you all work, it’s hard to believe you’re foreign knights!"

"Experience helps," Reinhardt answered wryly, glancing at his order, who were zealously cleaning streets, repairing roofs, and handing out food to displaced families. "They’re my pride, the Temple of Light."

Across the same district, a different kind of scene unfolded.

"Senior Vangeance! Where are you?" Kevin shouted, scanning the chaotic cityscape. His usual squad followed behind, equally tired and a little exasperated.

"That’s weird," the boy murmured. "I swear I saw him around here a moment ago."

One of his teammates frowned. "The whole city’s under repair. Maybe you saw someone else?"

Kevin shook his head, his confidence unshakable. "No way! That scary demon‑like face of his? I’d recognize it anywhere."

He should probably have said literally anything else.

Because before the group could even blink, a booming voice echoed behind them.

"Brat. Next group training, I’ll mop the floors with your sorry hide if you ever call my handsome face ’demon‑like’ again."

Vangeance dropped down from the roof of a nearby building, landing with enough impact to shake the dust loose from the walls.

"See?" Kevin said triumphantly to the others. "Told you it was Senior Vangeance."

"GRAB."

"OWOWOW!" Kevin yelped as a massive hand caught his head in a completely legal knightly grapple.

"I see someone’s having trouble with manners," Vangeance said dangerously. "Guess I’ll have to beat politeness into you later."

The others didn’t even bother intervening. They’d seen this dance too many times before.

"So," Silvia stepped forward, hands on her hips, "why are you hiding from us?"

"H‑hiding? Who said I was hiding? I was just... helping out." Vangeance’s voice faltered halfway through.

"Ah," Silvia said knowingly. "Keeping secrets now, are we?" Her tone turned mock‑sweet. "Very well. I’ll just tell Sir Marcus where you’re nesting these days. I’m sure he’ll love to come find you."

Vangeance froze. "T‑This is blackmail! And you call yourself a knight?"

"Of course," Silvia replied breezily, flipping her hair. "From my perspective, a knight must be versatile in every situation. Besides..." she gave him a sly grin. "I’m a noble. Manipulating people for my benefit is second nature."

The rest of the squad stared at her as if she had just declared herself an end‑boss. Even Kevin stopped rubbing his head long enough to gape.

Vangeance’s mouth opened... and closed. Words failed him utterly.

"Shall I repeat myself?" Silvia asked sweetly. "Do I call Sir Marcus?"

"Kuh! Fine! You win!" he barked in resignation. "Just don’t tell anyone else."

He gestured vaguely toward the small house behind them. "See that old couple over there? They mistook me for their son. At first, I wanted to correct them... but, well, one thing led to another and now I’m... helping them out."

The group blinked in unison.

"What?" Vangeance demanded, not liking the silent stares aimed at him.

Rolan rubbed his head, grinning faintly. "It’s just... we didn’t think Senior Vangeance had such a soft side."

"Huh?! You brat! Sounds like you need a proper spar too! Been hanging around Kevin too much, haven’t you?"

They all laughed quietly, though none of them missed how red Vangeance’s ears had gotten.

If he truly lacked a softer side, he wouldn’t have spent days helping two elderly strangers who just happened to mistake him for family.

"Dennis, where did you go?" called a frail voice from the little house.

"C‑Coming!" Vangeance replied immediately, his cheeks matching the sunset. He turned back to the squad, glaring half‑heartedly. "Seriously. Keep this a secret." And with that, he marched inside.

Through the open window, they could see him rearranging boxes for the old couple, listening patiently as the woman gave him instructions.

"I suddenly feel a lot more respect for Senior Vangeance," Kevin said, voicing what everyone was thinking.