Draco's feet ached as he walked along the path, trying to find his way back to his subordinates.

After the shocking discovery he had made in the depths of that cave, he was prepared to venture outside in search of his men.

He needed to get back to the Capital where his elder brother might be troubled with the distressing news spread throughout the land.

To achieve that goal, he first needed to reunite with his men and that was exactly what he was doing right now.

Hence, even when his feet ached and his body felt sore, he continued to walk along.

As he stepped on the snow, his footprints began to imprint on the white carpet of fluffy substance which covered the entire land.

'How much further?' He wondered to himself as the exhaustion due to what he had experienced was beginning to catch up with him.

'Up ahead, hundred meters to the north.' An elegant yet slightly stiff voice was heard in his mind, giving him the answer to his rhetorical question.

Draco flinched at first, startled by the voice but soon realized that he was not alone on this short journey.

Therefore, he nodded his head and followed in the direction that the voice had revealed to him.

With the destination so close to him, Draco's feet hastened as he walked in the direction where he was sure to meet familiar faces.

At the same time, Horace and Sigma were seated around a bonfire that had been created using the firewood found in Roschester, famous for its ability to burn despite being placed in damp surroundings.

Sevenz had been seated inside the carriage when he heard Tutu squawking while looking at him.

The two took a moment to converse with each other before they rushed out of the carriage.

This hasty action of his startled the two black shadow knights who had been warming their hands near the flame.

Their eyes remained fixed on the man of foreign origins who was staring in a whole other direction without paying them any heed.

This made them turn in the same direction and their eyes widened at the sight they beheld.

In the distance, a figure dressed in black was trudging in their direction, causing their hearts to leap with joy.

Jumping up in the next instant, the men almost squealed in excitement as they had already recognized the one who was walking towards them.

Without waiting for him to reach them, Horace, Sigma, and even Sevenz ran towards him to meet him halfway.

However, before they could reach his position, they halted in their paths.

'That…' Sevenz narrowed his eyes while Horace and Sigma became cautious as they leered at the one following their Master.

Draco could sense their suspicious gazes falling behind him but he did not have the patience to explain this situation to them.

Therefore, he remained silent and passed them by before reaching the spot where the tents had been pitched and the fire was lit.

Disregarding his status as a Prince, Draco sat on the ground close to the fire to warm his body.

On the other hand, the one who had been following him all along also imitated his actions and sat next to him, enjoying the heat of the flames.

This left the three men and their etchers who were rooted in their places where they had come to greet him midway.

Sevenz was the first to come back to his senses as he ran towards Draco to check on him.

"Where have you been?"

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"And this is…?"

The questions in his mind slipped out before he even knew it.

"Master, we were worried for so long!" Sigma knelt before the young boy who was taking in the warmth of the flames kindling before him.

Horace was swift to kneel before him as well with his head bowed.

This posture was to hide the tears that had brimmed in his eyes after seeing his master whom he feared to have lost forever.

Draco's heart warmed along with his hands as he took in the view before him.

All along, he had been worried about his brother but failed to notice that there were others too who cared about his well-being.

His ears reddened at this thought and he looked away to hide his embarrassment.

"Why are you making such a fuss? I've only been gone for a few hours." He rebuked his subordinates who were getting emotional for such a small reason.

They were his shadow knights and should be able to keep their emotions in check at all times but looking at them now, they were failing to do so.

As Draco's head was turned away from them, he had also failed to notice the look of surprise which had taken over their faces.

Sevenz's lips twitched at the simple words that this Prince had spoken to snub the concern and worry they had just shown towards him.

This caused his anger to rise and he did not hesitate to let him know about it.

"What few hours!?" He snarled, not caring that this young boy seated before him was the Prince of this Kingdom.

The sudden emotional outburst caused Draco to turn in his direction and all he found was a look of fury and exhaustion appearing on his friend's face.

"You've been missing for three whole days!" Sevenz made his anger known through his words.

He and every man with him had spent the last three days in search of this young boy in the cold and freezing temperatures, without caring for their own health.

They only had these simple tents to come back and recuperate for a short while before they headed out into the snowy terrain of the bordering area.

However, Draco had behaved as though they were making a mountain out of a molehill which managed to infuriate this young man of foreign origins.

In response, the boy was speechless as he blinked at Sevenz with his widened emerald eyes brimming with confusion before turning to his knights.

This made Sigma and Horace nod their head, indicating that whatever Sevenz had spoken was the absolute truth.

They had indeed been searching for their Master for three days since the blizzard had swept him away.

They had searched every nook and cranny of this area but found no traces of him to be found anywhere.

Though disheartened, Sevenz and Sigma were unwilling to give up and even threatened the rest so that they too would not give up until the Prince was found.

"Would not have been so worried if I had known that this would be the reaction I would receive from you." Sevenz scoffed at his friend for his indifferent attitude.

Draco wished to speak against what had just been said, however, before he could voice out his opinion, there was someone else who had a lot to say.

*Grrr…*

The low growl of the one who had arrived with the young prince diverted their attention towards it.

Sevenz glanced down and saw that seated next to Draco was a big ball of fluff.

Snow white fur coated its entire body and its pale blue eyes were narrowed as it leered at him.

From just one look, they could make out that this little creature seemed furious thanks to the fur on its back which was standing on end.

"Calm down." Draco's gentle voice was heard amidst the growl which succeeded in halting the low growls the creature was letting out.

'Was I away for three days?' He questioned while looking into those pale blue eyes of the creature who now had turned towards him.

'Time works differently in that place so there is a high chance that their claims are true.' The voice, same as the rigid voice from earlier, echoed in his mind.

'I see…' Draco nodded, thinking of how this newly discovered information would affect his plans.

With him and the creature next to him falling into silence as they looked at each other, the rest had complicated expressions on their faces.

'Tutu, is that…' Sevenz inquired and saw his etcher nod before he could complete his speculation.

Similarly, Horace and Sigma had also sought their etcher's opinions and reached the same conclusion as Sevenz had.

Their eyes widened in shock as they alternated their gaze between their Master and the ball of fluff seated obediently by his side.

Feeling their ardent gazes, Draco realized that introductions were due so he smiled while placing his hand on the head of the furry creature.

"Meet Astolfo…" He mentioned the name of the being who had accompanied him on his short journey, returning to this location.

"My etcher." He added, finally disclosing the identity of the creature who was now looking right at them, memorizing their faces while they did the same.