In a way, he could now be more at ease regarding the remaining crimes, since what Leon's biological family had were minor crimes. Even so, that family was still problematic, so it would be better to erase them the same way he did with the evidence.
'I wanted to do this quickly, but it seems that won't be possible right now.'
He had been summoned to the capital of the kingdom, where several nobles would be gathered. The reason for the invitation was that the king wanted him present to be honored for revealing the traitors. Everything had been going well on the way to that event, but an unexpected incident occurred—a surprise invasion at the kingdom's border.
"I apologize for this, Leon. You were the one closest to the five elementals."
"No problem, Your Majesty Selibirt."
The king had a face full of regret as he spoke through the communication stone. At that moment, Leon was already at the kingdom's border, as requested. The kingdom Leon belonged to was a giant island, separated from the other three kingdoms in that world, and the border was considered a natural defense, filled with magical aquatic creatures throughout the region.
'I barely arrived and things are already changing.'
[Well, it would be surprising if they didn't change after you killed Reiligh. The news has already spread.]
There had been a drastic shift after Leon revealed Reiligh as a spy. The enemy kingdom now saw him as a greater threat than the other four elementals—even if he was the weakest among the five.
"Sir, everything is ready."
"Good work, Filgiri."
Behind him appeared a knight in standard armor. This man was Filgiri Mandrade, Surfien's father and a knight loyal only to Leon, just like his son. His hair was green, slightly longer than Surfien's, and his face carried a messy beard.
"You should take better care of your beard."
"My wife likes it like this."
"Exactly, my lord. All my life, I've only liked men with beards."
A woman with black hair and elegant beauty approached. To Enrico, she wasn't that impressive—he compared her to Valença, Serenya, and the others—but in this world she was considered one of the most beautiful among commoners, which was why that noble had been so obsessed with her.
"Jirena, how have you been?"
"It surprises me a little that you worry about me, my lord—and it makes me a bit happy. I'm doing very well, thanks to you and my family."
She smiled gently at him before walking over to her husband to adjust his beard, just as Leon had mentioned. Inside, Enrico rolled his eyes. In Leon's memories, Jirena had needed a long time to recover, and he himself had to intervene to calm her down.
'Aside from Leon and her family, they were the only ones who could help her when she remembered that mansion where she was kept.'
Even after Leon gave her the chance for revenge, Jirena had only improved slightly compared to before. It had taken a long time, and in her eyes, Leon was the hero of her family. That, in a way, made Enrico feel pity for them in the story when they died protecting Leon—even knowing how cruel he was.
[I don't know if they're good or bad people, and that makes me uncomfortable.]
'Oh, you're back finally.'
[Don't talk to me.]
'But you were the one who spoke first.'
Turning his gaze to the left, he saw the third knight who protected Leon in the original story. A man with long silver hair, wearing knight armor along with a mage's cloak. That person was Trevon Maiscrivi. In a way, he wasn't as loyal as the others—in fact, among all of Leon's knights, he was the one who eventually sided with the protagonist. Not the original protagonist of this world, but the one who replaced her.
'She should already be out there, planning how to survive.'
Since they hadn't met yet, Leon didn't care much about it for now—and even if he did, it wouldn't be enough reason to kill him, even though the body itself wanted to grab his neck.
'Control yourself, Enrico. Remember—you're not Leon, and you won't be the one betrayed.'
Placing his hand on his face, he rubbed his eyes, causing the two behind him to turn toward the direction he had looked. Both narrowed their eyes, making Trevon feel a slight chill—both from their gaze and from the strange feeling that someone wanted to kill him.
"He must have done something wrong."
"I agree with you, wife."
"How did I do something wrong?"
Seeing those looks, Trevon felt like he was being unfairly judged for some reason. Watching their reactions—and Leon's—his mind began searching for a reason why he might be under suspicion. In his memories, he had been a good knight. Not as good as Surfien or Knigrave, but definitely the third best. Maybe he wasn't as loyal as the others, but he was sure he had done his job well.
"Lord Leon, did I do something wrong?"
"No. I just have a slight headache."
"I'll call the doctors immediately, sir."
Jirena and Filgiri quickly went to fetch the medical team stationed near the border, while Trevon let out a sigh of relief upon realizing the issue wasn't about him. Leon kept his hand on his face for a few more seconds before lowering it, controlling the lingering tension. The wind from the sea hit his face strongly, carrying a salty scent and the distant sounds of magical creatures inhabiting the region. It didn't take long before the first signs of the real problem appeared—a distortion on the water's surface, as if something massive was moving beneath it.
"Let me take the front, sir."
Trevon noticed it as well. His gaze shifted immediately as he adjusted his stance. The previous lightness disappeared, replaced by real focus. Even so, Leon stepped forward despite his words, observing the horizon as his mana slowly expanded around his body. This wouldn't be a normal attack.
'So they started quickly…'
Creatures began emerging one after another—some familiar, others completely different from the usual pattern of that region. Among them, human figures appeared, all equipped, advancing directly toward the shore. There was no attempt to hide—it was a direct assault. Leon watched the scene and, in a cold voice, gave his order.
"Formation. Don't let them pass the line."