Dreu lazily stretched in bed. He had forgotten how nice a bed was after sleeping in the wilderness. The combination of good food and a bed definitely improved his mood. As he debated on whether he should get up, Bayard communicated with him.

This isn’t the time nor place to sleep in, emperor.

With a sigh, Dreu sat up on the bed as he wondered how his footman could read minds. On the previous night, he was surprised to learn each of them were assigned a room, including Bayard and Rohese. No one objected to the two summons taking adjacent rooms to Dreu. Shortly after lying down on the bed, Dreu closed his eyes and woke up to see sunlight shining through the slot serving as a window in the wall. The room was well insulated so most of the noise outside didn’t reach him. It wasn’t until Dreu opened the door that he could hear people talking in the hallway. He met with Bayard and Rohese who informed him of the whereabouts of the others.

At the mess hall, the others were already digging into breakfast. Dreu helped himself to some freshly baked bread and a bowl of soup before joining the other adventurers. The food was more bland compared to what he had for supper but it was still a nice change to stale rationed bread and water. He was about to join in on the conversation when the cleric, Jon, asked to sit at their table. The adventurers were surprised to see the cleric asking but none of them were opposed to it. Since they arrived at the fortress, the fortress’ denizens generally stayed away from them. Jon could easily be the person who could help them adjust to the place.

Dreu’s first impression of the man was positive. The man led a group of clerics into the chamber shortly after his near death experience. The cleric offered to help and didn’t accuse them of anything. After asking about what happened, Jon listened to him and Jeane sincerely. The man generally had a smile on his face and told them to seek him out for help whenever it was necessary. This morning was no different as the man had a bright smile on his face. Unlike him, Jon took only a single slice of bread for breakfast.

“I hope everyone had a wonderful rest last night!” said Jon.

“After traveling on the road for so long,” answered Jeane, “the bed felt incredible!”

“Road? Where did you all come from?”

Jeane went on to describe their escape from Berkton and journey to York.

“That can’t be possible,” remarked Jon when Jeane mentioned the fall of York. “I expected that city to hold out longer than that.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Jeane then summarized their journey to the fortress and left out the details like fighting possessed knights and being abandoned by the Duchess. Jon listened intently the whole time and only interrupted twice for clarification. Once Jeane was done, Jon nodded his head.

“That was quite a journey to experience,” said Jon. “I bet you all would have preferred a different welcome when you first arrived. It seems like the demons are everywhere and not a single place has been spared.”

“What is the crystal used for?” asked Dreu during the cleric’s pause. “The demons must have a good reason to target it, right?”

“Anyone else here with an idea of what that crystal is for?” Jon looked at the adventurers only to be greeted by puzzled expressions. “I see. How should I begin?”

Jon took a moment to gather his thoughts. He then began with the plan envisioned by the king.

“The king wanted a way to protect all of his people. Therefore, he ordered his best wizards and sorcerers to come up with a contraption to achieve just that. In a few months, the Purificator design was born. The device is meant for defensive purposes only. It will create a protective barrier along the kingdom’s border and all those who come in contact with it would be vaporized instantly. Once the device is ready, the demons have no chance to reaching the civilians. The crystal the demons destroyed here was an Amplifier which is meant to extend the duration of the protective barrier. It seems like the demons are determined to wipe out all humans.”

While the other adventurers cursed the demons and lamented over the loss of the Amplifier, Dreu was deep in thought. He then asked Bayard and Rohese a question.

What do you think is the purpose of the device? A weapon to wipe out all non-humans or one to ensure the safety of all the humans?

Before he and Jeane appeared before the Council of Light, Dreu updated his two summons on what happened in the chamber. The two asked some questions for clarifications but neither of them commented on their thoughts. Now, Dreu had the accounts from other sides. One painted the crystal as an instrument of destruction while the other painted it as a way to protect all humans. Both seemed equally likely but all he wanted was the truth.

I’m surprised you aren’t siding with the cleric instantly, said Rohese.

I know what you mean. I lost close friends to the demon invasion. I saw the destruction from the war and deaths of far too many. I can never forgive the demons for any of that. At the same time, I saw the Duchess not hesitating to abandon our group at the first opportunity. It makes you wonder how many humans were left behind so those in power like her can escape with their lives. Then, there are also those large crates sent to the capital. They-

“Are you alright?” Jon asked Dreu with a concerned face. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Dreu shook his head.

“I was just thinking about the lives lost to this invasion. It really gets my blood boiling.”

“If you want revenge, then there is an opportunity for you. The Council of Light recently made an announcement recently and I’m sure you would be interested to hear of it. This announcement involves the defense of the capital.”