Fortunately, your leave coincided with the annual summer festival in Linkon City. The streets were lined with vendors offering an array of delights—fragrant street food, refreshing shaved ice, cool drinks, and trinkets to take home as souvenirs.

The evening air was warm, the sun dipping below the horizon as lanterns flickered to life, casting a golden glow over the bustling festival.

With a freshly bought snack in hand from an exotic vendor, you turned to continue exploring, eager to pass the time until the grand fireworks display. But as you took your first bite, you collided with someone, sending your treat tumbling to the ground.

Annoyance flared, but before you could voice your frustration, a familiar voice spoke first.

"Sorry about that," he said.

You looked up—and your breath caught.

The man before you was none other than the colonel in casual clothes. But the soft expression and apologetic smile on his face were so out of place that, for a moment, you wondered if he had a twin no one knew about. This couldn’t possibly be the ruthless, ice-cold man you knew, could it?