Chapter 4 – The Smile That Doesn't Fade
Leon sat on the edge of the wooden bed, eyes fixed on the dim torchlight flickering across the room.
He slowly removed his headphones—
and instantly winced.
The silent world he once knew… shattered.
Screams. Metal clashing. Horses. People shouting orders. Even distant roars of monsters.
Everything crashed into his ears at once.
It felt like needles stabbing straight into his skull.
He immediately placed the headphones back on.
The noise stopped.
Silence returned.
Leon exhaled.
"…Too loud."
Even now, he couldn't understand why his headphones worked here.
No battery. No Bluetooth.
Yet they still muffled the world perfectly.
He smiled.
That same wrong, calm smile.
A normal human would panic.
But Leon simply sat there, observing every sound, every human movement, every shift in the guards' footsteps outside his door.
He was learning.
He was adapting.
He was planning.
---
Morning
A knight knocked sharply.
"Sir Leon. His Majesty requests your presence."
Leon opened the door with that gentle smile that never matched his eyes.
Outside, the head knight waited. Behind him stood the king—dressed plainly, no crown, yet radiating authority.
"Leon," the king said, "walk with me. I owe you an explanation about our world."
Leon nodded. "I would appreciate that, Your Majesty."
They mounted horses, riding through the forested path toward the capital.
The king glanced sideways at Leon.
"You're very calm. More than anyone I've ever met… considering what happened to you."
Leon smiled.
"I suppose I'm just… good at adapting."
The king didn't push further. Instead, he began to explain.
---
The World Beyond
"Our kingdom, Valerian, is one of the last human strongholds. We are surrounded by threats—some ancient, some newly awakened."
Leon listened silently as the king continued.
"To the north lies the Demon Territories. They've grown restless, attacking border towns without warning."
"To the west are the Demi-Human Nations—not enemies, but not allies. Their loyalties shift like wind."
"To the east, the Ruined Wastelands. Creatures born from corrupted mana roam freely."
"And to the south… a nation that once existed but fell. Now overrun by demons entirely."
Leon tilted his head. "And the other human kingdoms?"
"Gone," the king answered bluntly. "Wiped out. One by one."
Leon blinked once.
Still smiling.
"I see," he said softly. "So humans are losing."
The king looked at him, surprised by his tone—not fear, not worry, just a calm acceptance.
"Yes. And if things continue, Valerian will fall within the decade."
Leon looked ahead, eyes cold, calculating.
"…That won't do."
"Hm?"
Leon shook his head lightly.
"Nothing. Please continue."
The king sighed. "We fight constantly. And now, with the demons evolving and the demihumans refusing to help… we are running out of time."
Leon's smile widened just a bit.
Because in his head—
he already had a plan forming.
Observing the soldiers.
The kingdom.
The king.
The weaknesses.
The strengths.
He had been analyzing everything since the moment he arrived.
And now… he finally saw the path forward.
A path only he understood.
---
The Smile Returns
As they reached the capital's gates, the king looked at Leon again.
"You're strange, Leon," he said quietly. "Most people who hear this fall into despair."
Leon smiled brightly.
"Why would I despair… when the world is giving me so much opportunity, Your Majesty?"
The king frowned slightly.
But Leon…
He just kept smiling.
Because for the first time in his life—
He felt alive.
---