Mikhail, who was rapidly regenerating, didn’t dare to look at the furious Leiu.

“THEY are working with Eliminator. My former Master was going to help them. THEY are coming to this isolated dimension for the Primordial Light here.”

The beans were spilled in an instant. Mikhail abandoned all thoughts of lying and laid the truth bare before the Nameless Knight, whose expression was truly horrifying.

“Do they know about Sedos’ fragment?”

“Yes… b-but I’ve come here first.”

Leiu didn’t ask anymore questions, instead, he used the gathering Darkness to create a portal out of this place. After which, he looked at Lucy and Feylord.

“You two, leave. I don’t need your help anymore.”

“S-sir, what about-”

Feylord wanted to stay, but the youth’s cold look left him no room to give a verbal objection.

“I don’t care why you changed your mind. I’ve followed you and I want to know the truth.”

In response to her resolute demand, Leiu’s ever-so-slightly softened.

After a sigh, he responded,

“Go with Arthur and you will learn everything.”

“The Parasite?”

Upon the mention of ‘Parasite’ and ‘Arthur’, Mikhail twitched for a second. His curiosity notwithstanding, he kept silent.

“Yes.”

Leiu didn’t deign to elaborate any further, nor did he wait for Lucy to ‘agree’. An invisible force pulled her into the portal and out of this small isolated dimension.

Back in the ‘real world’, Feylord nervously looked at the vanishing black portal and then at Lucy.

“What are you going to do now?”

“None of your concern.” She retorted before walking Westward, in the direction of Wilsden.

…

“Please spare me! I had no intention of helping THEM.”

“Do you know why Eliminator is coming?”

Mikhail shook his big head while folding his now fully-regenerated bat-like wings.

‘Even if it’s an Outer God, it wouldn’t be able to absorb Sedos’ Primordial Light. If so, why would ‘it’ come here? It couldn’t have predicted my presence here, then it must be after something here?’

Although Leiu has yet to recover all of his powers, he was still infinitely stronger than when faced the Angel Corps in the Imperial Capital. He was able to sense everything in this dimension, including the dormant yet potent fragment of the fallen Creation God.

Besides an over-abundance of Primordial Light, there were no hidden treasures or the like in this place. It was just a space absolutely dominated by a God’s essence. For Mortals, notably those fully-prepared, this Primordial Light could prove to be a boon, however, Eliminator was different.

‘If Eliminator is coming here, then it must’ve been hiding somewhere in Mundus. Why wasn’t I able to detect it? Is it because of that anomaly in that mansion? Or was someone or something hiding it?’

“Who, among the Circle of Damnation, was going to absorb this Light?”

“The Holy Necromancer.”

“And how are you able to absorb that which is supposed to kill you? You’re not a Gargoyle, are you?”

“I was a soul blessed for Rebirth, but, later on, I was banished to Hell.”

Seeing Leiu give him a piercing glare, Mikhail hastily added,

“I-I was an Angel.”

“Continue absorbing the Light.”

“...”

Albeit confused, Mikhail did as ordered. He floated upwards, his body, like a vacuum, pulling a deluge of Primodial Light into his body.

Although the process was fast, it would still take a long time due to the sheer quantity of Light Energy in here.

‘I need to find a way to escape. There’s no way he’s going to spare me!’

Seemingly focusing on his task, Mikhail was panicking. He had grown considerably strong and was confident in escaping from the Circle of Damnation, but the Nameless Knight was what many would consider a genuine god-like entity.

The fact he had been beaten so brutally without any means of resistance was a clear indication of the difference in their strength. Even so, however, Mikhail was unwilling to fail and get swept by the Darkness when the goal was in sight.

‘He’s weakened. I have to stall for time until Eliminator arrives. But… why does He want me to absorb the Light? Is it to ruin the Circle of Damnation’s Plan? That doesn’t make sense. Why would someone like the Nameless Knight worry about THEM?’

…

Wilsden

The Baron’s Manor

“Of course there are.” Affirmed Aerin as he sat across from Chris.

“Really?”

When he saw Chris get excited, the minstrel calmed him down and explained,

“Don’t jump into conclusions just yet. Tell me, Chris, do you have any idea how vast the Universe is? There are innumerable Gods and a nigh-infinite number of stars and planets. In comparison, Astria is a minuscule grain of sand in an all but abandoned corner of the Universe. Therefore, it stands to reason that there are an uncountable number of ways to save Miss Evelyn.”

“Then why can’t you help us?”

“Because I genuinely don’t know any of those solutions. One would have to traverse the grand expanse and search. There are dozens of inter-galactic organization, massive planets, and isolated worlds filled with mysticism and wonder beyond anyone’s comprehension. I have no doubt in my mind there exists many such organization and places that have ways to recover Miss Evelyn’s soul. The thing is; You literally can’t go to such places.”

“Can’t you call your friend? That Undead Jester. I thought it was able to take people literally anywhere.”

“It could, but that comes at a price, one which isn’t dissimilar to Miss Evelyn’s. If you seek Its help, wouldn’t you be perpetuating the problem?”

Upon seeing Chris’ expression become downcast, Aerin sighed.

“Astria is a very special planet, Chris. More than you could ever imagine. Of course, there are many under-developed planets like this one, but those are known to almost everybody and were purposely left to develop on their own until the right time comes. Astria is a unique case and the absence of any nearby and habitable celestial bodies isn’t an accident.”

“...”

“I’m truly sorry. I am the Undead Jester’s friend, but when it comes to the covenant it makes, I can’t force it to do anything.”

“Alright. Thank you anyway. What about Charles’ suggestion? Do you think it could work?”

Aerin didn’t give an immediate response. He pondered for a couple of moments before answering,

“The source of Miss Isabella’s condition is the Anomaly, which I know little about.. Still, the Epastes Grod does have strong spiritual effects and could potentially awaken a comatose patient.”

Chris felt hopeful once more. He sat there in a prolonged silence, fiddling with an empty cup of tea until Arthur came.

“We’re leaving this evening, Chris.”

“Yeah yeah.”

Absentminded, Chris headed to his room to prepare what little baggage left.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Is there something you want to ask?”

Amidst the awkward silence, Aerin softly smiled at Arthur, who had been giving him an inscrutable stare.

“I can’t shake the feeling that you’re hiding things from us.”

“I swear that I’ve told you all I know.”

“About Evelyn and Isabella, maybe. As for the other matter?”

“Other matter?” Aerin frowned, seemingly confused.

“Nevermind. I hope you resolve whatever strange things are happening here. Farewell.”

Inexplicably enough, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to fully trust this friendly minstrel, moreso than Leiu.

The Nameless Knight didn’t speak in riddles, instead choosing to reveal everything to Arthur.

In comparison, Aerin was shrouded in mystery.

‘If I became connected with Isabella and Lucy after meeting him, then he’d be the primary suspect. Alas, it happened way earlier… after leaving Green’s End and seeing that Gargoyle. Why us three specifically? Isabella and I come from Earth, but beyond that, there’s nothing in common. Lucy is even more of an odd case.’

…

Evening

As Julie escorted Arthur and co to the exit of Wilsden, Lucy and Feylord came.

The silver-haired short Demon approached Arthur and solemnly said,

“I’m coming with you.”

“...”

“I must go with you. If there’s any danger on the road, I’ll help.”

Although her arrival and objectives were unknown, Arthur saw no reason to refuse her. His connection with Isabella and Lucy was still an unsolvable mystery, however, with all three of them sticking together, some answers might naturally reveal themselves.

Furthermore, neither Lucy nor Arthur bore a grudge against each other.

“Welcome to the team, Lucy! By the way, can I say how beautiful you are?”

Chris was all smiles as he extended his hand towards her, looking very excited.

“...”

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m Christopher. Call me Chris. Let’s have fun together, okay?”

Much to her surprise, he grabbed her small hand and firmly shook it.

Lucy gave him a chilling glare but Chris didn’t seem fazed. As for Charles, he merely stayed at the back, feeling awkward and unsettled to have a Demon join them.

“Alright. However, we decide everything through a Team Meeting. You cannot act on your own.”

“Understood.”

With that said, Lucy stood to the side while Julie, accompanied by her Knight, approached Arthur.

“I’m saddened that you’re leaving so soon. Still, I wish you the best of luck… and please be safe, all of you.”

She lifted the tip of her dress and elegantly bowed.

“Likewise. I’m sure you’ll face many challenges in the coming days. Stand tall and strong, Julie.”

Arthur reciprocated with a similarly polite bow before walking away with the rest of the ‘team’.

Even after they disappeared into the woods, however, Julie didn’t leave. She turned her attention to the haggard-looking Feylord.

“You’re back.” She flatly stated, not sounding that pleased.

“There has been… a complication. He told me to leave.”

“He didn’t tell you to come back here, did he?”

“You’re really going to kick your brother out, Julie? I can help.”

Even though many people were watching, Julie remained cold and distant.

Then again, her bad relationship with her brother was known by all residents of Wilsden. Furthermore, no one actually liked Feylord or wanted him to stay.

He had not done heinous or obscene acts like the nobles that were killed by Arthur during the Blood Purge, nevertheless, he had always been an arrogant aristocrat who looked down on commoners.

Feylord stepped closer to Julie and whispered,

“I can use the Phoenix’ power. I’ll help you if the Armans attack.”

Instead of responding, Julie snorted, turned around and walked away.

Even though the knights and guards kept looking at him, Feylord shamelessly followed her.

He didn’t know where Arthur and the rest had gone, nor did he care. He wanted to stay close to where the Nameless Knight was, hoping that he might be called upon during a crisis. Moreover, he had a nagging feeling that, very soon, things were about to get much worse.

The appearance of Arman city in the Hollow Creek was just the beginning, and from Feylord’s perspective, staying close to a god-like entity like Leiu would ensure his safety.

The two siblings had barely taken ten steps before stopping. From the dirt road leading out of the Southern Exit of Wilsden, someone shouted Julie’s name.

When she turned around, she saw a golden-haired handsome youth wave his hand while smiling.

“Rein!”

…

Inside the manor, Rein Goldstar was treated as an important guest and personally escorted by the Baron herself.

Her mood, which had been down due to Arthur’s departure, livened up again upon seeing Rein return. This young Holy Knight had accompanied her a while ago, and were it not for his support and encouragement, she wouldn’t have been able to quickly solidify her position as a Baron and satisfy the previously terrified townspeople.

“You’re doing much better.”

“You are as well!”

Akin to a blossoming flower, Julie’s eyes seemed to be shining as she stared back at Rein.

In contrast, Feylord had his brows deeply furrowed. Besides the pure Light energy flowing inside the Holy Knight, he could feel an unsettling presence.

This made him feel extremely wary and wanting to warn his sister. Unfortunately, with how she was currently behaving, and considering their current relationship, he would be making things worse for himself worse if he were to badmouth Rein.

“E-ehm… Julie.”

Rein, looking a bit troubled, forced a smile while glancing at Elyna.

“I know you’ve officially joined the Masked Queen’s Family, but…. Why is there a Demon in here?”

“She’s not dangerous.”

“That’s absurd. Demons are dangerous and insidious, Julie. They are completely different from Vampires.”

“There’s really nothing to worry about. Please, Rein.”

Despite her reassurance, Rein kept glancing at Elyna. Hints of Holy Magic sometimes emanated from his glistening silver and white armor.

Elyna didn’t give any response, she stood near the door, motionless and quiet like a statue. Only when Feylord subtly signaled her did she snap out of it and give a barely noticeable nod.

She, as well, sensed the peculiar aura coming from the Holy Knight. Unlike Feylord, she was able to keenly sense the source. It wasn’t something inside Rein but an Artifact.

…

Once outside of Wilsden and in the woods, Arthur possessed a large Scorpion. Although he found being used as ‘mount’ distasteful, he had to do it as it was more efficient in carrying the unconscious Isabella.

At first, he had thought of leaving her in Julie’s care but he quickly changed his mind. Wilsden was currently too dangerous of a place, hence why he opted to leave so hastily.

Chris and Charles showed signs of wanting to rest a bit more, especially due to what happened in Blackcrest, however, they did voice out any objection. They weren’t stupid: They knew that, sooner rather than later, there was going to be unprecedented chaos and destruction and Wilsden would be at the heart of it.

The group of five, one of whom was comatose, travelled until midnight, gaining some distance from Wilsden.

“The Tempest Sea?”

As they stopped to rest, Lucy was briefed about their destination and their objective.

“I’m not sure myself. We’re following Charles’ lead.”

The young apothecary, being stared by Chris and Lucy, stutteringly explained,

“A long time ago, I-I heard rumors that the Epastes Grod grows in the Wyrm Fog Forest of the Lost Isle.”

“Lost Isle? Isn’t that where the Lost Forge Keep Isle is? That’s Imperial Territory… and close to Redfall Valley.”

Lucy wanted to escape from the Holy Church, so it didn’t sit well with her that they were heading North, dangerously close to the base of her pursuers.

“As long as we steer out of trouble, we’ll be fine. Now, all of you should get some rest. We’ll be traveling non-stop tomorrow.”

None of them objected, but with Isabella unconscious and Evelyn gone, the atmosphere was more than awkward.

Thanks to special tents provided by Julie, none of them had to sleep on the dirt anymore. Chris set up everything, and soon enough, all but Arthur were sound asleep.

Arthur sat near the campfire, his eyes reflecting the burning firewood. Every now and again, a sigh would escape his lips.

After an inordinate amount of time, he heard two distinct yet familiar voices.

“Overworking will decrease your efficiency… Sir.”

“You tend to overthink things a lot, Master. That’s not good for your mental health.”

They rang in his mind, awakening him from his daze and making him subconsciously look around.

He recognized both voices. One was Evelyn’s and the other was his secretary back on Earth.

‘Hallucinations? It’s probably due to Evelyn’s death. I need to stop thinking about it.’

“I’m fine.” He muttered to himself while taking a deep breath.

As he stood up, Arthur heard another voice.

‘Why aren’t you answering me? Why aren’t you denying it? Did you really… sleep with that bitch?’

“I didn’t.”

His wife’s screams of fury rang ever clearer, akin to deafening bells. Then, in the next moment, Arthur’s surroundings changed. He stood in his old home, back on Earth.

Claudia, his wife, was glaring at him while hyperventilating.

“Why did you marry me if you were going to act like this? Always uncaring and dull!”

The strangeness of current events notwithstanding, Arthur still kept his wits about him.

‘Is this a dream? No, I haven’t fallen asleep yet. A recollection, maybe? Everything looks so… vivid.’

“I’ve just… had enough.”

Arthur’s mouth moved on its own. He was merely a spectator, watching the event of the past unfold without being able to affect it.

Slowly, the argument escalated until Claudia angrily stormed out of the villa.

Arthur, neither angry nor sad, walked to the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His expression was totally indifferent and his eyes barely had any spark of life.

‘I almost forgot that I looked like this. In retrospect, my behavior back then wasn’t normal. What happened to me? Why was I-’

“Arthur!”

Arthur snapped back to reality and saw Chris hold his shoulder and call his name.

“Yeah?”

Chris gave him a look of worry before shaking his head.

“You look like shit. Go sleep for a bit.”

Chris didn’t say that he heard Arthur talking to himself, or that his expression matched that of the past.

“Before that, I need to tell you something. I just recalled… or better say I experienced something that happened in the past. It wasn't anything major, just a fight between me and Claudia.”

“This must be because of Evelyn’s death. It must’ve made you remember unsavoury things. Such things are normal.”

“It wasn't normal. I think something is at pla-”

“Just go rest, Arthur. Listen to me this time, okay?”

Seeing Chris insist like that, Arthur relented and went inside the tent.

After that, Chris sat on the dirt and mumbled something to himself. Later on, bored, he started practising his spells and trying to increase his efficiency in sensing Mana.

“Fuck! My leg keeps getting itchy!” He looked at the mosquitos flying around before returning to his tent.