Through the moon garden

Pyrrhus enters the capital through a supply route developed by the coalition. The rescue is planned with Xeno rather than imposed on him. His sketch from Mara's cottage identifies a garden wall, service stair, and greenhouse roof that do not appear on military plans. A sympathetic servant can open one route, but evacuating that servant's family becomes part of the objective.

The map is intimate: moonlit courtyards, narrow balconies, pools that reflect guard lanterns, and expensive rooms that feel smaller than the countryside. Xeno begins as a controllable support unit with limited combat ability and useful court knowledge. He can open access points, persuade selected guards to stand down, and carry documents. Giving him agency during his own escape prevents the story from treating protection as his natural condition.

Halbrecht arrives before everyone can leave. He offers Pyrrhus safe conduct if Xeno remains. He argues that removing the heir during a civil conflict invites every ambitious lord to claim the crown is hostage. Xeno answers for himself: remaining under guard has already made his signature a weapon. Ciro's intervention, if earlier trust is sufficient, can buy an escape window through conflicting orders. Otherwise the company must fight a harder withdrawal.

The escape costs something visible: a trusted household member captured, an archive burned by officials, or a company injury if the player rushes. Xeno experiences his first night without palace security and cannot sleep. Pyrrhus resists the easy reassurance that he is safe now. Instead, he tells him who is on watch and what they will do if the alarm sounds. Their relationship begins to become practical rather than ceremonial.