November 21st, 2030...

Several months have passed.

I am currently 27 years old, and over eleven years have passed since my regression.

So much and very little have happened all at the same time.

It is late November, and I am in the late stage of my preparations to leave the Randalorion Kingdom so I can start my new life in Dustinville. After several correspondences between Regulus Heathcliff and me, it has been confirmed that all preparations for my arrival have been sorted out.

I can start heading down there anytime from now.

Whew... at long last!

As I lean back on my armchair, staring at all the old letters and piles of paper documents that lie sprawled before me, I can’t help but smile.

These are the last set of things I need to sort through before I am done packing.

They also contain old memories from my traveling mercenary days.

Letters between me and my old teammates.

My old travel journal.

Unfinished drafts of my academic treatise that I never published.

Coded messages between me and my past lover.

Budgets and financial reports.

Receipts from clients.

Mission statements... and many more.

All of them are laid bare in front of me as I smile in nostalgia.

Seeing everything that reminds me of the past causes me to think back to the event that started earlier this year—the Paranormal Abductions.

It was resolved so swiftly once the Ouroboros Sect got involved.

Speaking of the Sect, I haven’t heard from them yet.

But that’s fine...

After the entire thing ended, I bid them farewell and went to visit my Aunt Leila.

Surprisingly, not much had changed about her life.

She was still married to Lord Krawford—the real Lord Krawford—and they were glad to see me.

Naturally, without the influence of Lucien Zevalis and the many complications he introduced into her life, my aunt isn’t currently as buoyant as she was. It was Lucien’s influence that allowed her to have access to certain special resources and connections, which led to increased influence in the alchemy market, after all.

But that doesn’t matter much.

She and Lord Krawford are still quite wealthy due to the fertile land of the estate.

And my aunt is still a skilled Intermediate Alchemist.

Someone like that can never be poor.

I did find ways to glean information from her and found that almost every single account and experience she had was the same as before.

Lord Krawford still travels often.

He loves her very dearly, and their dynamic is constant.

She continues to dress provocatively, enjoys experimentation, and lives her life however she chooses without a care in the world.

It’s almost frightening.

Not much has actually changed about my aunt’s life.

No, she’s not a Leviathan.

Her husband isn’t one either.

I think the answer lies with Lucien Zevalis and how skilled he was at inserting himself into my aunt’s life. I don’t know when or how he did it, but at some point, Lord Krawford must have been eliminated, and Lucien slipped in.

He was practically the same as the Lord, with almost no noticeable differences. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

That’s why my aunt’s current life shows little to no changes.

After spending a few days in their residence and familiarizing myself with everything—just to make sure it’s alright—I finally left.

We still share letters every once in a while, and she knows I’ll be heading to Dustinville soon.

Moving on...

After I left Aunt Leila’s place, I sent a letter to Regulus, thanking him for his help in the whole affair. He was very instrumental in the Paranormal Abductions Investigation—enough so that Lucien had to travel back in time to erase our progress.

Fortunately, I remembered key details, and this also made me realize the frightening nature of the enemy we were up against.

What else?

Hmm... yes, my close friends and remaining family members are safe.

None of them died.

Although... I did hear that Sir Jerome Sirius perished in the strange meteor shower that befell the Randalorion Kingdom. I somehow feel like this is connected to Lucien Zevalis, but since the effects did not vanish after his Temporal Implosion, I cannot prove it.

I did attend his funeral, and I visited his grave on a few occasions.

How I wish there was something I could have done to prevent this.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t.

I was too busy engaging with Lucien and his core scheme to devastate the Kingdom.

I have no regrets on this matter, but it is a little sad.

’He already gave me the letter of introduction which I need for Lady Beatrice of Dustinville. I suppose we’ll have one more topic to discuss if I have a chance to meet her.’

There were actually tens of thousands of people who died in the meteor shower. However, apart from my old teacher, no one I cared about died. None of this changes the fact that it was a tragedy, but I can’t help but sigh with relief that this is all it cost us.

I will never say this out loud, though.

After all, other than the eight of us who participated in stopping Lucien, it is doubtful that anyone else in the Kingdom has a clue of how staggering the casualties could have been.

For the sake of tact and also respecting the ones who died... it is best to be quiet.

Tragedy—regardless of scope—is still tragic.

There’s also one final matter that really concerns me, though I find myself helpless on that front.

It has to do with Seraphina.

Although Klein, Seth, Uncle Damon, Leon, Serena, Anna, Jonathan, and all my other friends and acquaintances were without any damage, Seraphina suffered severe trauma from the abduction.

I initially thought that, because of the Temporal Implosion, the Paranormal Abductions would not have occurred at all... but I was wrong. The abductions did occur, which makes me believe that there were other Leviathans besides Lucien who were involved.

I’m guessing they were hired hands—Rank 1 or at most Rank 2 Leviathans—whom Lucien made perform his bidding, almost like the case of Zarius.

This will explain many things, including how he was able to evade the capture of the Ouroboros Sect when they had already arrived in the Randalorion Kingdom, yet he still gathered so many sacrifices during this period.

I wish I could correspond my guesses with Alistair and the rest, at least to get their input, but I have no means to contact them.

This is, sadly, part of what it means to be a member of the Ouroboros Sect. Until I conclude my Initiation, I shouldn’t hope to speak with any of them.

Back to what I was saying...

The abductions did occur, and a lot of the aftermath happened as well, but the main difference is that we were able to find the members earlier since Lucien never went back in time to disrupt our progress.

But this wasn’t an entirely good thing.

Because we interrupted the Enlightened Witnesses of Truth Cult’s preliminary rituals, certain people suffered permanent damage from this matter.

One of those people is Seraphina.

Before the reset, she had lost consciousness due to heavy trauma and was unresponsive.

However, there was hope for change and eventual development.

Now, it’s worse.

Her trauma was at its peak during the earlier periods of her capture, and interrupting the ritual while she was drugged with heightening medicines caused permanent damage to her mental and physical state.

Her ’Existence’ has partially collapsed.

Since I can see this as a Leviathan, I am certain that no conventional medicine can cure her.

My contacts in the Dark Guild also don’t have any solution for this.

It is a problematic situation.

The damage has been stabilized for now.

Seraphina is in a comatose state and has to remain undisturbed, or the matter may worsen.

Of course, this has placed Klein in a very difficult position.

He has dedicated these past couple of months to finding a cure for her. Although I have also tried using my channels, I can’t find anything worthwhile in the Randalorion Kingdom.

My only hope is to leave this remote area and head somewhere better.

Only then can I truly help.

’Klein is currently by Seraphina’s side in his barony. He has enough savings, and there are many business ventures he has gotten into. He even purchased one of my most lucrative business channels while the Dark Guild consumed the rest, so I’m sure nothing is lacking financially.’ I sigh, shaking my head slowly.

No, I can only imagine the kind of mental turmoil he is undertaking.

Sadly, I am powerless in this.

I feel guilty leaving him behind, but I have been with him throughout this period, and I cannot delay my travels any longer.

I must also move forward with my own life.

’Seth, Ciel, Leon, and Uncle Damon will be traveling with me. They’re all prepared, so there shouldn’t be any delay. Once I sort out a few more things, particularly all of this stuff in front of me, I should be gone by the end of this week.’

After a few seconds of shutting my eyes in silence, I finally get up.

"Well... I should start packing up now!"

My hands get busy with the boxes, parchments, and paper documents among the pile.

In this process, I notice something familiar.

Familiar, but strange.

It is a portrait—one that I was given many years ago.

During my visit to Lerois, the border town of the Randalorion Kingdom, my attention was drawn to a string of missing persons cases. I was also hired by a poor teenager who gave me his entire savings in order to find his missing sister.

What was the boy’s name again?

Hassan! Yes!

I remember he had ebony skin, and he looked like a foreigner.

However, the portrait he handed over to me featured a rather pale-skinned woman, so I figured the two were adopted siblings.

It was because of this case that I got to know about the atrocities going on beneath the Lerois Cathedral. I involved my acquaintances at the time, and together we stopped the Living Chess games and slaughtered everyone responsible.

That was the very first time we worked as a team, and from that moment on, we completed many other missions together... until we became The Wandering Nine.

I remember...

I couldn’t find Hassan’s missing sister, and even though I tried my hardest, I also couldn’t find the boy. It was almost as though the whole encounter was a dream.

"But this portrait... hmm...?" I pick up the old, crumpled piece of paper and stretch it carefully.

Then, my heart nearly stops.

My hand grows cold as the piece of paper falls to the ground, once again landing among the pile.

I stare at the image in disbelief.

Cold sweat trickles down my face as I try to organize my thoughts.

A pale face.

Dark gown, like the night.

Black-tinted lips and fingernails... and an ethereal beauty unlike anything I’ve ever seen!

I recognize this woman!

"I-isn’t that... Lady Anastaisa?!"

"Hmm..."

A soft sigh echoes amidst the darkness as a figure sits comfortably upon his golden throne.

His dark brown hair matches his light ebony skin.

Donning a bright golden crown, with a white turban cascading down his face, he lightly taps his jeweled hand on the golden armrest of his majestic seat. Although he isn’t wearing any shirt, his lower region is draped in pure white apparel made of smooth white fabric.

His hands have golden jewels dancing on them, and a magnificent golden necklace rests beneath his neck. Two of his legs are raised—one placed upon a stool that resembles a treasure chest, while the other crosses it—revealing his golden sandals that shine with ephemeral beauty.

With a slender build and a youthful face, he maintains a royal disposition.

However, as his emerald green eyes watch a clear screen before him, witnessing the recent events of the Randalorion Kingdom, he can’t help but show a deep frown on his elegant face.

"Haa... what a mess." A soft, gentle voice leaks out.

It quietly echoes in the shrine-like hall that presents itself before him.

The man on his throne shakes his head, muttering a few unintelligible words as the scenes play out consecutively.

Then, it finally rests on a particular Rank 1 Leviathan.

Witness Harbinger... Javier Aditi.

His eyes narrow at this point and his frown deepens, almost growing murderous.

"A shame. He actually joined the Ouroboros Sect." The mighty king who sits atop his glorious throne casually dismisses the screen that showed all of these scenes. "That makes him my enemy now."

Hassan slowly rises from his throne, floating away from the palace of ruins.

"I might just have to kill him."

[End of Volume 2: To Them That Move The World]

~ Author’s Note

Hello, everyone!

We’re finally done with the second volume.

First, I’d like to thank my dedicated readers who have stuck with this story despite all the problems that have occurred on this journey. Bull_Shit_3883, Blitzz1, and Darkillusion27 especially... I see your Power Stones and Golden Tickets. Thank you for your continuous support so far. You give me the strength to keep going.

Treatise of a Failed Knight isn’t a popular novel, and as I said in the beginning... it isn’t for everyone. However, for those who continue reading, I promise that you will be rewarded.

One of said rewards is this upcoming volume!

Volume 3 is the pinnacle of my journey as an author and will be considered the highest peak in this story so far. Honestly, Volume 2 was a little underwhelming for me, and I lost some of my zeal at some point. A lot of problems also occurred IRL, which affected the quality and execution of certain things. I can only blame my inexperience and lack of skill as a writer for not providing the desired experience I wished to express.

However, I am confident that Volume 3 will be a major step up from Volume 2.

In fact, Volume 1 and Volume 2 combined probably do not hold a candle to Volume 3... at least in my own mind. You will have to make the right judgment on this matter by yourselves.

What should you expect?

Well, Javier is finally leaving his Kingdom and will now experience a much larger world beyond his wildest imagination. I will also FINALLY be exploring the economics of this world while delving into its politics and history. This volume will be the most immersive regarding this world and its operations.

Naturally, Leviathans will also be elaborated on in this volume.

The respective organizations, their intentions, their activities, and many important members will be introduced in this volume. Some terrifying characters will rear their heads in this volume...

If you stick to the end, you will be met with a rather pleasant conclusion.

This, I promise!

Well, I wish I could say more, but this is already getting too long. I simply wish for you to keep reading the story while supporting me as much as I can.

Thank you for reading Treatise of a Failed Knight.

Volume 3 is called... "Against A Kind That Devours The Rulers."