The first time Silmara had seen Sir Alaver again, she could not help but feel nostalgia and joy in seeing the man she once loved.

But she had realized then after talking to him, that he was not the true Sir Alaver Amarasil she had come to know.

And her duty to the Verdant Doves to be only an observer in Dante's Trial of the Illumination forced her to remain silent. She was not allowed to interfere with the Trial.

Though, she had even given Dante subtle hints like dropping her mask and making Dante realize that Sir Alaver now had no memory of Silmara.

This is because demon possession cannot truly consume all of a person's memories especially one about 90 years ago.

This was not the only thing that Dante realized after Sir Alaver had abandoned the Expedition.

The nation of Prosperia being the home of the Alchemist Merchant League was the sole competition of the nation of Sylvanalia in Agricultural products. It was not a surprise that they would abandon the Expedition for their interests in weakening their competition.

"Was it all a mere coincidence? Grove, Guardian, Safe..." Dante thought. "I needed to keep the Grove Guardian Safe."

"It was a conspiracy aiming to trigger a Trophic Cascade."

Dante confident in himself and with the strength of his allies shouted at the demon.

"A trophic cascade! This was your plan all along wasn't it, demon!"

The demon giggled and cast death energies on its injuries.

Garik asked, "A Trophic Cascade?"

"A Trophic Cascade is when you remove a major predator in an ecosystem. Its removal will affect other species, and those changes can ripple through the ecosystem. Like how the Shadowspawn Bats are attacking in daylight, or the Grumblethorns are moving in packs. Keeping the Grove Guardian occupied and weakening it resulted in this."

Garik then realized. "If the Grove Guardian dies, the apex predator, the Sylvanalia Forest would result in a rampaging overpopulation of monsters attacking the farms and markets here. But what has it got to do with the Knights of the Swift Wind?"

Dante then said, "It's a two-sided Trophic Cascade. They aren't just targeting the Grove Guardian. They're after the apex of the Nation of Sylvanalia. The High Archdruid and his lineage."

Garik gritted his teeth. "The High Archdruid's lineage has been keeping the peace in this monster-plagued land for hundreds of years. With that lineage gone... So much devastation would occur. All of Sylvanalia would perish! Leaving a power vacuum where this demon can use the knights for his sinister purposes."

The demon slowly clapped.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the little children do have brains. It will be nice, eating them later."

The demon licked its lips.

The Holy Mystic Silmara had done her part and would no longer participate in the battle against the demon before them. So she moved back to protect the High Archdruid's daughter.

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"Enough of this. If my secret is out. Then let me show you who I truly am!"

The demon ripped off his face and unleashed his menacing and sinister aura.

Dante had no protection against this. He was struck with fear and hopelessness against the demonic foe.

The horror of the night had penetrating fear that succumbed Dante to paralysis.

He did not have his father Conrad to save him. Or his Archangel's Ward mother to carry him on her back safely. The demon was too powerful for him.

Dante was alone.

Garik Drekthar slapped Dante back into reality.

"Do not fear, Lord Monfort. Alone, you will not stand a chance against this demon."

Dante shook his head, and his heavy breathing slowed.

"Wake up! Dante!" Garik shouted. "The demon is right in front of us."

Dante's heart beat harder and harder. His knees shivered in despair.

Seeing the distorted body of Sir Alaver Amarasil in front of him made his stomach churn and he could not bear to look at him.

Dante turned to Silmara, his eyes looking for help as fear entered his thoughts.

"I can't do this. I can't. I'm just a useless NEET. This is not my world. I am not like my mother and father."

Silmara, was with the High Archdruid's daughter, protecting her from the demon who wished to get a hold of her.

Garik grabbed Dante by the back of the neck and lifted him into the air.

"Who are you, Dante de Monfort? Why do you fear such a puny demon? Trust in the Holy System! Believe like you always have!"

Dante remembered his past life. Of when he was very active in their local Baptist Church. All his life he had lived and breathed being a believer. But that was no longer him. He was a skeptic. He knew he was weak.

Garik Drekthar threw Dante back to the Holy Mystic Silmara to protect him from the demon's strikes.

"Protect him too, Sister Silmara. I will handle this demon."

"Zehahaha! Zehahaha!" the demon laughed with his neck bleeding out, and his guts out.

"Holy Paladin?" the demon that had disguised himself as the Knight Commander for years walked closer.

The demon gnawed the edge of his sword on the ground and wobbled forward toward the young Garik Drekthar.

"State your name, demon!" Garik proclaimed.

"Who? Who?" the demon asked. "You want to know... my name? It's me. Your mentor. Your father figure."

"I have been following your tracks for years now, demon."

The demon tilted its head not understanding anything.

"Do you remember the Sunfire Duke Fandor Jaspenia?" Garik asked.

The demon tilted its head left and right to jokingly jog its memory.

"Oh... I remember. Fandor the Champion of Solara! Zehahahaha!"

Garik tightened his grip on his greatsword. His blood pumped but he was controlling his anger. His face tightened and his eyes only focused on the demon in front of him.

"Fandor the Champion? He wasn't much of a champion after I was done with him. It was fun making him kill all those women, and children, and sending those poor soldiers to their deaths. Zehahaha!"

The demon's arms elongated into long black slithery tentacles.

"As I recall, a certain loyal young Paladin was the most devastated one after the Duke died. Wait... Was it you?! Zehahaha!"

"Enough!" Garik shouted. "Your reign of terror ends now!"

Garik revealed the Scriptures that were attached to his left arm. His Scripture had an exquisite ivory cover adorned with golden armor motifs and sacred symbols.

Its gilded, fine-edged parchment pages held tales of valor, chivalry, and divine protection.

The text glowed and it was written in a noble, elegant script, exuding a sense of unwavering devotion to righteousness.

[Scriptures of the Holy Paladin]

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Name: Garik Drekthar

Descendancy: Mensorian Marialian of the Errant Knighthood

Class: Holy Paladin of Valor

Piety: Champion

Esteem: Decent

Tithing: Contributor

Thaumaturgy: Church of the Holy System

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[Charism: Gift of Discernment ]

[Blessings: Righteous Might - Passively increases attack power, Shield of Faith - Passively reduces incoming damage from evil forces ]

[Invocations: Purifying Light, Blessing of Fortitude, Smite of Justice, Righteous Fury, Radiant Vigilance, Aegis of Divinity]

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[Reliquary: Greatsword of Fandor the Champion]

[Authority: Authority of the Paladin ]

[Affiliations: Kingdom of Solara, Errant Knighthood, Order of Valor, Knights of the Swift Wind, Faithful Realms of Mensor]

[Covenant: Covenant of Errant Knight, Covenant of Retribution]

[Trials: Trial of the Steel, Trial of the Errands, Valor's Gauntlet ]

"Your reign of terror ends now, Marquis Andras, the Gray Demon Knight!"

When the demon heard its name, its head turned into an owl's and it screamed so loud it blew away the whole surrounding forest.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!