Nox’s POV

As William made his declaration, Oswald turned back toward his father with a look of betrayal in his eyes. "Father, did you truly commit such heinous crimes? How could you?"

Johannes's complexion turned ashen as he stammered, "No… this is impossible."

However, just as Oswald was about to take action, William faltered and dropped to his knees, coughing. "Lord William, are you alright?"

Oswald immediately shifted his focus to William, looking at him with concern. However, Johannes used that opportunity to unsheathe his sword.

"Die, you ungrateful brat!" Johannes's sword shone with a blue light as he rushed toward his own son, ready to strike. However, the moment he was about to slash, Nox intervened with a sigh and grabbed Johannes's wrist. Johannes struggled to break free from Nox's grasp, but it was to no avail.

"Come on now, you’re too weak," Nox commented before taking Johannes's sword away, while Johannes could only look on in horror.

"You beast!" Johannes, with a horror-stricken face, punched Nox's face repeatedly, but Nox did not feel a thing. It was like a baby trying to pick a fight with a grown adult.

"Father, I’ve kept telling myself that there was some misunderstanding, that you were maybe controlled or manipulated," Oswald raised his spear as he faced his father, tears welling up in his eyes. "But for you to truly be so heinous, you broke my heart, father."

“All I ever did was for my family!” Johannes shrieked, his world collapsing all around him. “If you had seen the powers of those people, you wouldn’t have acted any differently. So, do not dare judge me!”

“I would have died fighting,” Oswald responded, letting out a deep breath, his voice cracked by hiccups. He then closed his eyes and readied himself before rushing toward Johannes with his spear, impaling him through the stomach. “And you shall now die, to preserve whatever semblance of honor you have left.”

Johannes looked down at his impaled stomach in horror. He then looked back at his son, taking in shallow breaths. “You… you bastard.”

With those words, he fell into a puddle of his own blood, gurgling before he finally died.

“I’m sorry, Oswald,” William said, painfully standing up as he looked at Oswald with a sympathetic expression. “No son should ever have to kill his own father. I’m terribly sorry you had to do it.”

“No, it was my own responsibility,” Oswald shook his head, biting his lip. “I should have known better. My own house was in the middle of such a grand conspiracy, yet I was none the wiser.”

Meanwhile, Arnold, who had been standing in shock throughout the ordeal, finally let out a long breath. He then checked Johannes's corpse for a pulse before saying, “I believe I should clean this place. We don’t want to attract more attention than necessary.”

“Thank you, Arnold,” Oswald nodded, looking at his father's corpse with a pained expression. He then muttered, “It didn’t need to come to this.”

Seeing that the situation had mostly been resolved, Nox decided to contact his partner, Magnus, telepathically. "Johannes is dead, and we've eliminated all of Nalia's men within the manor. The only ones left are those roaming outside."

After a few seconds, Magnus replied, "Thorian's orders are for Alacritas to deal with Nalia's men outside, and for you to bring William and Oswald to the Western Gate. Vigil will be there to treat William's ailments."

With a nod, Nox turned back to William and Oswald. "I’m sorry to tell you this under these circumstances, but we need to move. We will soon face Nalia, and there are preparations to be made."

"Will you be leading us to your friend?" William inquired, showing interest.

"Yes, one of our healers needs to examine you," Nox confirmed, then glanced at Oswald. "You'll also have the chance to ask Thorian more questions to better understand the situation."

“Sure, I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” Oswald responded absentmindedly before he scrunched his eyebrows as he looked back at Nox. "Also, is that the Monster King’s name? How odd. It sounds so human."

"Yeah, I found it weird too," Nox chuckled, then turned to Alacritas, who was by the door. "Anyway, we still need to move quickly. Alacritas, you need to handle the rest of Nalia's men in the city."

"Consider it done, boss," Alacritas nodded before dashing off.

With the silver-furred assassin already gone, Nox supported William on his shoulder as the group proceeded to exit the mansion. Turning to Oswald, Nox said, "Since we don't want to attract attention, I'll be using my ability to move us discreetly. Meet us at the Western Gate."

"I'll see you there," Oswald nodded.

With that, Nox utilized his shadow transportation, reappearing with William in a small alleyway, before hurrying to the top of a building. Their destination was the Western Gate.

* * *

Thorian’s POV

Having eliminated all of Nalia's men within the underground tunnels, Thorian and his men advanced towards the western gate. Observing this part of the city, Thorian understood the catastrophic potential of any battle occurring here.

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I need to organize the ambush further into the forest. Engaging Nalia there might risk a forest fire, but with abilities like Raging Tempest and Cascading Deluge, I can minimize that damage afterward, he thought.

His brow furrowed as he pondered further. Still, there's the risk that the battle could spill over into the city. Many could die if William and Oswald don't initiate an evacuation soon.

Thorian wasn't so hypocritical as to feign excessive concern for the lives of people he had never met. In his past life's insurgence, he had been responsible for thousands of deaths. Yet, as long as it didn't interfere with his plans, he was willing to take measures to limit collateral damage. He also wanted to avoid damaging his relationship with Locksley, whom he saw as future vassals.

Engrossed in his thoughts while sitting atop the ledge of the western gate, Thorian noticed some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Oswald, Nox, and William approaching.

In an instant, Nox vanished into his shadow with William in his grasp, only to reappear next to Thorian a moment later.

"The mission is complete," Nox declared. "Alacritas is dealing with the remainder of Nalia's forces."

"Good work," Thorian acknowledged, then turned his attention to William, who was observing him with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord of Locksley."

"The honor is mine," William replied, shaking his head slightly. "I presume you're the monster lord with the red fur about whom I've heard so much. Though, I wouldn't describe your fur as red; it's more multicolored."

"That's a story for another time," Thorian laughed. "But yes, I am the Monster Lord."

"Thank you for saving me," said William, bowing respectfully, his tone earnest. "I'm at a loss for how to repay such a deed."

"Let's not jump ahead," Thorian responded, his gaze returning to the forest. "We still have a significant battle to win."

"Is there anything I can do to assist?" William inquired. "I'm willing to offer all the resources this city can muster if it means defeating Nalia."

"No, the stakes are different in this battle," Thorian demurred.

William's expression turned somber. "It's frustrating to realize that, despite our efforts, we're still too powerless to contribute in combat."

"For now, your task is to evacuate the western side of Locksley," Thorian instructed gravely. "Should the battle reach this area, none of your civilians or guards will withstand the fallout."

"I'll ensure it's done," William affirmed, then eyed Thorian questioningly. "Yet, I'm puzzled by your willingness to help. You don't strike me as someone who acts without expecting something in return."

"We will discuss that later," Thorian sighed, acknowledging the underlying transaction. "But yes, I am expecting something in return."

"I understand," William responded with a knowing smile. "It would indeed be premature to discuss terms before the war."

Appreciating William's insight, Thorian signaled for Vigil to approach. The Star Kobold Mystic ascended to the top of the ledge in a single leap and addressed Thorian, "Shall I begin the healing?"

"Please," Thorian consented.

Upon Thorian's agreement, Vigil placed his hand atop William's head, and a blend of purple and golden light enveloped him. William, observing his hand in astonishment, then stood upright.

"This is truly miraculous," William expressed in amazement. "The fatigue and pain from the poison have vanished, and my breathing is normal again. What a remarkable skill."

"Like I told you, we have many incredible abilities," Nox added with a grin from the side.

"You indeed do," William agreed, still in awe. "This surpasses anything I imagined possible."

"With that settled, shall we head down?" Thorian suggested, glancing towards Oswald, who had been patiently waiting. "It would be impolite to ignore him."

Agreeing, Nox employed his Shadow Transportation to reposition themselves behind Oswald, while Thorian opted for a simple jump to join them.

"My lord, how do you feel?" Oswald inquired, concerned for the lord of Locksley.

"Better than ever," William replied with a hearty laugh.

Reassured by William's response, Oswald turned to Thorian with a grave look, "We meet again, Monster King. I've been informed that Tristan is still alive. Is that true?"

"He is," Thorian confirmed with a nod. "Currently, he's touring the village alongside Robert, James, and Little Roo. You'll see him after the war is concluded."

"I understand," Oswald nodded, while William, looking puzzled, turned to the two.

"Has something happened to my children?" He inquired, his expression turning grave as he faced Thorian.

"It's a complicated tale," Thorian sighed, then glanced at Nox. "Nox will fill you in on the details while you manage the evacuation."

"Wait, what?" Nox interjected, looking bewildered at Thorian. "What do you mean? I want to join in the fight against Nalia with you all!"

"That's out of the question," Thorian stated definitively. "You need to have undergone at least your second evolution to stand a chance in this battle. Otherwise, Nalia's weakest attacks would be fatal to you."

"No! I don't accept that!" Nox protested, his gaze sharp as he faced Thorian.

Observing the exchange, Thorian sighed and addressed Oswald and William, who both wore expressions of confusion. "This is rather awkward. Perhaps you should begin the evacuation, and Nox will catch up later?"

"We'll leave you to sort this out," William said, laughing heartily before nudging Oswald. "Let's move on; there's much to be done. And I'm eager to see the look on Henry's face when he sees me."

"That will indeed be quite the spectacle," Oswald agreed with a neutral voice, departing with William and leaving Nox and Thorian to their discussion.

Finally having some privacy, Thorian addressed Nox. "First and foremost, I must clarify something. Do not openly disagree with me so vehemently in front of others, especially those who are not closely allied with us. It projects a weak image of our community and leads to others underestimating our village. Is that clear?"

Taken aback by Thorian's reprimand, Nox looked down and nodded. "Sorry, I hadn’t considered that."

"It's alright, given it's the first time this has happened. Just ensure it doesn't become a habit," Thorian sighed, then moved on to the main issue at hand. "Regarding the battle, you currently have no chance against me, even without having to use magic. And Nalia is stronger than I am. Do you understand what this means?"

"But still!" Nox looked back at Thorian and protested. "I want my revenge. After suffering such a humiliating defeat, I can't just stand by idly while you all are fighting!"

"You won't be idly standing by," Thorian reassured him, pausing momentarily to conjure up a convincing task. "In fact, I have a critical mission that only you can undertake. I need you to guard the soulmire, in case anyone attempts to awaken it. It's possible we haven't dealt with all of Nalia’s forces yet."

Nox mulled over Thorian's proposition with a grumble. "Fine, I can do that. But you owe me for this favor, agreed?"

"I agree," Thorian replied with a relieved smile, pleased to have defused the situation. "Once this ordeal is resolved, I promise to fulfill any request you have."