During the night, in the camp in front of the underground entrance.

Everyone was inside their private tent, getting ready to sleep. The day was particularly exhausting for the group, but there was still a lot to think about.

Orion was thinking deeply about the fights and how both companions managed to kill 'Corrupted Lords' by themselves.

Even though he still had a part to play in their demise, he didn't act more than necessary.

'Amelia has been improving so much since we came in here, or should I say, since she met Karteira?'

Sitting on the bed, Orion pondered.

'For Karteira, the strange thing is how fast she's made herself a part of our lives. Until yesterday, she wasn't this important.'

'There was this weird feeling when I met her. She stood out from the rest because of her ability to fight on another level than those fairies we've met since arriving.'

Even though Karteira was the strongest fairy, she still had to train weak fairies to defend the village in case the worst happened. They were incredibly weak, though, as casualties often occurred when the seal weakened.

'She can act as our shield, but she doesn't miss on the offensive part either. Tiohr-nam did make a great warrior out of that person.'

He kept thinking for a short while before feeling the fatigue of the day catch up to him.

'I've been using my elements all day, running around endlessly, and even doing some crazy stuff too. It's time to rest for today.'

Yawning, he placed his left hand in front of his mouth, turned to the side, and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift in peace.

When Orion fell asleep, the same process happened to the two other members of the group.

Amelia sat on her mattress and began her reminiscences about the whole day.

She did mostly the same as Orion, and before long, she let herself fall asleep too.

Karteira was the one with the most to think about.

To begin with, all of this began when she fought against Orion and Amelia. If not for the fight, she would have never opened her heart this much.

When she realized the two showed no restraints when fighting, she felt a tingly sensation on her back. She gave everything, and they received it without looking away.

She was still suffering a great deal the day before.

Her scar kept her awake at night, and her eye still itches from time to time. She didn't have anyone to speak to besides the Queens, and she was letting her rage take over most of her actions so far, which didn't help.

In a single day, she managed to improve so much just by fighting alongside them. She finally understood that her power was not only there to be used. There was so much more to do with it.

After taking that fire beam straight on, the trust she never showed toward her ability slowly grew. She couldn't believe she never took time to look at her abilities or even ask her mother about them.

She decided to save her and ask questions once she had recovered.

And it was at that point that she, too, let the sleepiness invade her mind.

~

In a house inside Hocride.

A man wearing a butler outfit entered a room after knocking three times.

After hearing a slight shuffle, he entered the room.

"Lady Kamala, I have a report to make."

Kamala Genathis, the Lord of the port city of Hocride, was sitting on a chair on the balcony, looking at the glistening sea.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The man looked at her for a sign to continue, which he received with a nod coming from his master.

"Our neighbor, Sir Ivan Borias seems to be preparing something big. I received a few reports from traders that a lot of his soldiers are restless and demand something to fight against."

The man froze in place when Kamala threw a cold glare toward him.

He managed to regain his composure after a moment and finished the report.

"There is a risk that Sir Ivan will attack our city for seemingly no reason. The strange movement of the Apostles recently made it clear something awful was happening."

He didn't give any advice, as it wasn't his job. He only had to explain the report and leave.

After receiving another nod, he exited the room, his face full of sweat.

'I've rarely seen Lady Kamala this angry. Last time was when her mother tried to sell her off.'

'This will not be pretty if Ivan tries to invade our city.'

The butler walked away while wiping the sweat on his forehead with a piece of cloth.

Inside the room, Kamala was having a hard time processing the reason for such an act.

'The craziness derived from drinking the cores. That's the only answer. Just like that mother of mine. Do I have to kill another Apostle?'

She glanced at the port, which was bustling with life.

'The city is most important. Protecting the citizen is a priority.'

'We just have to wait for their movement.'

~

The soothing sound of rain could be heard outside.

Droplets fell on the tents, falling from the leaves of Tiohr-nam that protected them. A distance away, the rain was crashing strongly where the tree's reach stopped.

This morning was colder than usual, and the sky was darkened by countless dark gray clouds.

Amelia opened her eyes, woken up by an unusual sound.

*Cling*

Since she had just woken up, she couldn't make any guesses about what these sounds could be.

Still half asleep, she removed her blanket and breathed on her cold hands. She got up and, even half awake, instinctively put on her pants and jacket.

After readying herself, she opened the tent's zipper and looked around to locate the source of the sound.

She found it relatively quickly.

Orion was half naked, his top missing, showing his perfectly sculpted abs under the rain. Something unusual was in his hands— two daggers that seemed to belong to Amelia.

Further away from him, Karteira was in complete, full-plated armor, breathing roughly. She was standing clear of the rain.

"One more time, sharpen your movements."

Orion stepped forward with his left leg and, with a swift impulse, left the place he was at, straight at Karteira.

She did the same, although a bit slower, and the sound of metal colliding was heard once again.

*Cling*

The sharp plates on her hands met the dagger Orion used, creating sparks under the rain.

They switched sides, as Karteira now stood in the rain. He looked at his torso, and a red line slowly appeared across it.

"Good, that's the first hit you've managed to connect. Try it one last time."

He healed the mark with the white aura and readied himself once again. Karteira was completely out.

All the while, Amelia was only beginning to awaken fully.

'How long have they been training?'

One last exchange happened, and Karteira dropped to the ground, instantly removing her armor. Orion saw another red mark on his flank, showing she did not lose focus even under extreme lack of energy.

"It's good enough for this morning. What did you think? Did you manage to understand how to better move your hands?"

She rolled on her back and looked at him with a tired look. She was unable to speak yet, but she still managed to nod, even though it was quite difficult to do so.

"I see. That's fine, then. I wasn't sure close quarter was a thing I could help you with, and since I was the one to teach Amelia the daggers' art..."

He shrugged and turned to Amelia.

"Good morning, Amelia. Did I wake you up?"

Orion smiled at her, his body dripping water. For a second, she couldn't help but admire his body, which he rarely showed.

"Good morning. Don't worry, it's already late enough."

Her gaze drifted to Karteira.

"But how long have you been training for her to be in this state?"

She pointed at Karteira, who had her arms crossed over her face, lying on her back.

"Maybe thirty minutes? I was training alone an hour ago when Karteira woke up and joined me, asking me to help her improve her hand coordination."

"Having mounted blades on your arm is quite different from holding a weapon, so I agreed. I had no reason to refuse anyway."

Swiping the wetness off his chest, Orion walked past her, walking in the direction of his tent.

"Amelia... Good morning."

Karteira managed to catch her breath and sat on the ground.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?"

Amelia walked to her and extended her hand. Karteira grabbed it and stood up.

"I'm fine. I never expected his training sessions to be like this. It's so much more exhausting than my own training. And he doesn't mind being a target either... It's so... ridiculous."

The usual smile she showed when fighting appeared, but there was satisfaction mixed in there. Knowing she could do this every morning was making her blood boil.

"Anyway, you have to stop for now. You've worked hard enough, so take the next hour to refresh yourself."

The three moved toward the tents. Orion entered his tent to wear a shirt, and they all sat at the table that was provided with the tents.

Orion and Karteira took a bottle of water each and drank a good amount of it.

"Alright, time for breakfast, I guess? After that exercise, I can only imagine how angry you two are. Though there's not much, we received some bread and a jar of jam. I don't know what flavor yet, though."

Karteira pondered for a moment and shared her guesses.

"If it's the Queens, you either get plum flavor from Dramia or you get blueberry flavor from Drania. What color was it?"

"Clearly red. We received plum jam then. Orion and I never ate a plum before."

Amelia turned around and used everything that could help prepare breakfast. She managed to toast the bread correctly and spread the jam evenly for everyone.

"Alright, enjoy."

She placed the three plates on the table and sat next to Karteira.

*Crunch*

'It's good!'

While thinking about how good this breakfast was, the three finished their breakfast in peace.

...

After packing the essential stuff, they prepared to move back into the underground.

"Alright, time to finish what we've begun. We are close to the end too, so don't lose focus now."

"We know. Don't go losing focus, either."

"Fine, I'll be careful."

They entered once again, prepared to face the last 'Corrupted Lord' and its legion.

Further inside, where many roots intertwine between each other, forming a round object, a giant insect was staring at the light emitted between its gaps.