The Kingdom of Matt lay stretched across the border between human and monster territories. With the relentless expansion of the monster domain and intermittent skirmishes among neighboring human nations, the kingdom spanned vast lands—from the outermost villages to the royal capital, covering a distance akin to a large city.

For the heroes, assisting border nations in combating the monster threat was both duty and strategy—a way to earn goodwill and secure the allegiance of those territories for the League of Heroes.

Originally, Karen was meant to ride separately, given her unique standing in the kingdom. However, she insisted on sharing the carriage with the others, prompting a switch to a larger transport. Escorted by a procession of soldiers and devoted followers, they began their journey to the imperial border.

“Last night, I gave it a lot of thought. When we fought the Goblin Centurion, I realized I didn’t need to be so hasty,” Layton muttered, gazing out the window. “Thinking back…Dus, Holy Maiden-sama, Miss Miruku—they were all there, able to keep it occupied. I looked like I was drawing its focus, but…well, it didn’t really work. I fought on my own, never thinking of my role within the team.”

“It sounds like you’ve finally figured it out.” Anyi nodded.

Rushing forward, wielding strength without strategy, wasn’t teamwork. No matter how capable his allies were, Layton had led them by the nose, not by cooperation. Real teamwork meant seeing the bigger picture, recognizing each role, and aligning actions to the team’s success.

Without that encounter with the Goblin Centurion, how long would it have taken him to understand?

“Thanks, Anyi.” Layton patted his shoulder.

Anyi inclined his head. “As thanks, help me kill the Demon Lord.”

“Hahaha! The Demon Lord or whatever else—slay them all! Let’s drive monsters out of this world!” Layton cheered.

Karen smiled, asking, “Do you all despise monsters that much?”

Layton’s face lit with fervor. “Of course! Those beasts forced my family into hiding. I want to make sure monsters can’t harm people anymore. Everyone deserves peace!”

Ariana chuckled, looking slightly sheepish. “Honestly…before I became a hero, I didn’t even know what monsters were. I mean, I used to say ‘Hobgoblin’ as ‘Boolean.’”

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Karen burst out laughing. “Did everyone mispronounce it at first?”

Layton chuckled along with her, while Anyi and Miruku remained silent.

Ariana continued, “At first, punishing monsters was just a mission from Kami-sama. I’d never even seen one, and I didn’t know what it meant. What did ‘punishing’ a monster even involve? But…thanks to Anyi, I’ve learned. Without him, I’d still be a Holy Maiden hidden in a temple.”

She looked gratefully at Anyi, who kept his eyes on the passing scenery. “My family was nearly wiped out by monsters,” he said quietly. “I won’t let anyone else go through that. That’s why I’m fighting. But we’re still a long way from the goal—we’ve only faced slimes and goblins.”

As he finished speaking, all eyes fell on Miruku.

Miruku: "..."

According to this atmosphere, is it my turn to speak now?

“Um, save the world! My goal is to save the world! Okay, just like that!”

Miruku blurted out hastily, then shrank back, feeling a surge of relief.

Alright, that’s enough!

“What about you, Karen? Do you have any reason to punish monsters?” Ariana asked, calling her name with ease.

Layton and Miruku perked up, curious. This sheltered princess, blind from birth and kept away from the dangers of the world—how could she harbor any resentment toward monsters?

“It’s because of her eyes,” Anyi said coolly from the side.

Karen looked slightly surprised, then nodded. “Mr. Carl is right; a monster stole my sight. But…how did Mr. Carl guess?”

“Your parents are well, your family is prosperous—you’ve likely not known the hardships others have,” Anyi replied, his voice even. “You were born blind, so your parents likely shielded you from monster lore. Without knowing of them, you’d have no reason to despise them. And yet, here you are, driven by an obsession to punish them. The only conclusion I can draw is that a monster wronged you directly. But for you to hold such hatred, the wound must run deeper than a mere encounter.”

Karen nodded thoughtfully, a faint smile on her lips. “Mr. Carl, your insight is as sharp as ever,” she said, her unseeing eyes cast downward. “As you deduced, a monster stole my sight.”

Her voice softened, and her mind drifted to that moment long ago. “I was young…my parents took me to the kingdom’s borders to glimpse the old castle. It was distant, hazy in the landscape, but through the windows, I could see it.”

She paused, clenching her fists. “From that day forward, my vision grew dim. Each day, the world became less defined, colors faded, and shapes turned to shadows. Until…nothing remained.”

Ariana’s face twisted in anger. “That’s just cruel!” she burst out. “To rob you of your sight, just because you saw it?”

“Yes,” Karen whispered, fists shaking. “Too cruel… I’ve asked myself the same thing, time and again. Why? Why did it take my eyes, leaving me with nothing?”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she quickly brushed them away with her sleeve. How many times had she shed these same tears, unable to comprehend the harm done to her?

“This time, take your revenge,” Anyi said softly.

In truth, he hadn’t deduced Karen’s suffering from her story alone. He had a hunch—one based on an all-too-familiar creature among the undead. The Beholder.

A monster infamous for its ability to steal sight, inflicting a curse of blindness upon those unfortunate enough to gaze upon it. And as it was classified as a Class 3 monster.

Class 3 undead monsters… formidable, ruthless, and far more deadly than Slime Kings or Goblin Shamans.

The path ahead was growing dark indeed.