While Viktor and Flik were patrolling near the Highland Border, they spotted two bodies floating down the river—two boys, one brown-haired, the other blond. Viktor immediately went after the brown-haired boy, while Flik pursued the blond.

Viktor managed to pull the brown-haired boy from the water, and once the boy regained consciousness, Viktor began questioning him. Shortly after, Flik returned, reporting that he had been unable to save the blond boy. Due to the boy he had rescued being a Highlander, Viktor decided to imprison him, having learned that his name was Riou.

As they prepared to return to the mercenary fort, something caught Viktor's eye. He halted and told Flik to take Riou and the other mercenaries back to the fort without him—he had something else to investigate. Annoyed but compliant, Flik led the group away, while Viktor stayed behind.

Once alone, Viktor turned toward the river bend, where he had seen something behind the bushes on the far side of the bank. With caution, he crossed the river to investigate. When he arrived, Viktor was shocked to find another person, but this was definitely not the blond boy from before. The figure before him was pale and trembling, their clothes and hair soaked. But what alarmed Viktor the most was that they were unconscious. He knelt down and gently shook them, hoping to wake them up.