It’s dark.

  There was no clue how many days had passed.

  It would be nice to put a watch on my wrist at times like this.

  I tried to think so.

  Now I’m wearing a time-sensitive watch, trying to lift my arm.

  However, because of lack of power, even that simple movement took a long time.

  The skin on the back of the hand was dry and the veins stood out.

  It was only natural that I only ate enough food and water to hold my breath.

  I turned my head and looked at the chair opposite me.

  Migente Ivan was fast asleep with his eyes closed.

  Even the appearance of a dead person is not lively enough to believe.

  I listened in a moment of fear.

  Luckily, I heard a very shallow breath.

  Oh, thank God.

  To be honest, it was a relief that Migente Ivan was not left alone rather than that he was safe.

  Inside the quiet carriage, I only could hear a small wind responding.

  When we first got stuck here, we talked a lot.

  But it was also a luxury to talk more and more.

  As such, fatigue and hunger came quickly.

  The conversation decreased rapidly and the time to sleep increased.

  Now all I did was open my eyes and look at the ceiling from time to time and see that Migente Ivan was still breathing.

  And when I reach the point where I can’t stand my thirst anymore.

  Click.

  I carefully opened the lid of the water bottle I was placing on my side.

  And just one sip.

  I closed my eyes and swallowed the water, feeling as much as possible as the water went into my body.

  "Ha."

  It was too bad.

  There’s no way this great thirst can be solved.

  Sometimes I felt more thirsty.

  At that time, I was caught up in the urge to give up everything and drink all the water.

  But I can’t.

  I can’t give up here.

  If I hold on a little, if I hold on, they will come to save me.

  I’ll be able to get out of this dark and narrow space and get back to my daily life as if this had never happened.

  I could only resist the urge to think like that.

  Instead, I kept sleeping like Migente Ivan.

  And I had a dream.

  In my dream, I wasn’t trapped in the ground.

  Instead, I dreamed of reading books peacefully in my mansion and walking through familiar Lombardy’s downtown.

  Sometimes I dreamed of my previous life.

  I see Perez riding a horse in the distance in the multitude of crowds, shoulder-to-shoulder.

  Perez, with an expressionless face, only looks down at the people gathered to see him with an emotionless gaze.

  Then I take a deep breath until my chest swells, then my throat bursts, and I call out his name.

  At that moment, Perez’s red eyes look at me.

  For a brief fleeting time, I succumb.

  Will you recognize me?

  And as if to soothe my heart, Perez’s eyes are filled with vitality.

  With a secret smile that only I know, he opens his mouth to call my name.

  But dreams always end there.

  I want to hear Perez’s voice.

  I can’t hear.

  "I’ll definitely listen to it this time."

  Feeling sleepy again, I muttered.

  I just fell asleep hoping to hear Perez calling me, in my dream this time.

  "Tia!"

  Wait, I think someone called my name.

  But deep sleep struck me again before I could open my eyes again.

  * * *

  "How many people will it take to move the mountain?"

  Violet murmured so blankly at the rescue scene where countless people came and went.

  Lombardy’s power was great.

  Starting with soldiers from the central region who arrived on the second day, helping hands gathered one after another.

  The mercenaries hired by Pellet Corporation rolled up their sleeves, and engineers at Lombardy Construction, who originally came for Ivan’s reconstruction, also tried to prevent further collapse.

  The next day heavy equipment arrived from nearby Lombardy mines.

  Since then, rescue efforts have continued to increase.

  Throughout the day, dozens of people took turns carrying stones and scooping out dirt.

  So the collapsed mountain was disappearing little by little from the top.

  It’s literally moving mountains.

  But in the face of a restless time, the man was so helpless.

  It was already the fourth day of the accident.

  As the sun dimmed, large torches stood here and there.

  It was to continue working at night.

  But now those involved in rescue operations are beginning to question one by one.

  "Is Lady Lombardy still alive?"

  Violet already knew that such a conversation would take place when one or two people sat around during the break even though everyone did not show up.

  It was the workers who had experienced several collapses in the mine that helped in this situation.

  "There’s a lot of big rocks and piles of dirt, so the air will flow pretty low."

  That word was now the only hope of Violet and the people.

  "What kind of person do you think Lady Florentia is?"

  Violet pulled herself together by saying so.

  Then Ramona, who brought a steaming drink, talked to Violet.

  "Have a warm drink, Miss Violet."

  Ramona, one of the first to run after hearing of Florentia’s accident, works with others to distribute food to rescue workers and treat them if anyone is injured.

  "Thank you, Miss Ramona."

  "I’m sure Lady Lombardy is safe. Cheer up, Miss Violet."

  "Thank you."

  Violet said with a weak smile.

  "You must be very close, Miss Violet and Lady Lombardy."

  "Lady Florentia is the reason I work for Pellet. She’s the one who helped me dream bigger. I’m sure there are many other people who can’t pay back to Lady Florentia. That’s the kind of person she is, Lady Florentia."

  "She is a person who receives a lot of love."

  Ramona smiled with a complex face.

  "People are coming! Lombardy! I think they’re Lombardy’s!"

  A soldier working on the high side shouted loudly.

  Violet quickly gave Ramona the tea she was drinking and ran towards it.

  It was about fifteen people who rode horses to the scene of the accident.

  Among them, about ten people were wearing Lombardy’s knight’s uniform.

  Perhaps they found Violet, too, and they started to drive towards her.

  Clack! Clack!!

  "Woo woo-hh."

  The only horse carrying two people stopped with a loud throw.

  Then the man in the back got off the horse in a hurry.

  "Lord Gallahan!"

  Violet cried out in surprise.

  It took more than ten days by carriage from Lombardy to here.

  No matter how fast you drive a horse, it takes a week.

  But, arriving here in just four days.

  Can’t imagine what the journey was like.

  "……Tia, where is Tia?"

  Gallahan, who was tired of his parish complexion to the limit at a glance, asked Violet as soon as he saw her.

  "Not yet……"

  Gallahan staggered slightly at Violet’s words.

  There was a man who held Gallahan’s shoulder like that.

  It was Clerivan.

  "Please guide him to a place to sit, Miss Violet."

  "And water and food."

  "Warm would be better."

  Gilliu and Mayron, who arrived here with Gallahan, who were not used to riding in turn, rubbed their stiff eyes and said.

  "I’ll take you this way."

  Violet set up a bonfire nearby and guided Lombardy’s group to sit and rest.

  People had already moved out of the way.

  The twins made a groaning sound when they barely attached their hips to the chair.

  Every castle that passed this far, they ran, changing horses.

  Eventually, some of the Knights, unable to find a new horse, had to be divided into two groups.

  It was a strong march that had never even heard of Lombardy’s experienced knights.

  But everyone knew Gallahan’s mind, so they ran and ran their horses.

  "First, let me tell you about the progress we’ve made so far, Lord Gallahan."

  Violet explained what had happened so far in her calmest voice.

  She thought that she should not show her agitation.

  "So you’re saying the key is to get that huge rock out tomorrow."

  Gallahan, who listened to Violet’s explanation, said.

  "Yes, the mining engineer says there will be progress down there shortly."

  "That’s right. Mining technicians say we’ll make progress down there in no time to time."

  "What do you say there is a way?"

  “The method of detonating using the manatan used in the mine is the fastest, but it was excluded due to the risk of further collapsing of the ground, and there is only one method left.”


  Violet said, barely wetting her dry mouth.

  "Even if it takes time, it’s about using equipment to remove rocks little by little, and using aura swords to break out several pieces. The latter is probably the fastest and safest way……"

  Violet blurted out her words.

  "The only thing that can cut off that rock is His Highness Second Prince, the swordmaster."

  "There’s no way that the Prince would spare his strength for Lady Florentia’s work, Violet?"

  When Clerivan asked, frowning, Violet answered, biting her lower lip.

  "Rather, it is a problem because His Highness is using too much energy. He has already collapsed several times…… Even now……"

  "Is the Second Prince here, now?"

  Gallahan asked.

  Perez was a man of great presence.

  Although there are many people, Perez could not have been so unnoticed.

  "Yes, over there…… Violet pointed helplessly to one side."

  "Is that…… is that Perez?"

  Gilliu said incredibly.

  He couldn’t see clearly because it was dim, but he could see that it was the back of a man kneeling on the ground.+

  It looked so small, so exhausted.2

  He couldn’t imagine Perez, who was always high and strong.

  "We’ve tried to force him to take a break several times, but every time the person who tried to stop him, they got seriously injured…… No one has dared to do so since three knights were injured."