"How do I look? Does this attire suit me well?" Glen spread his arms and inquired.
Tia regarded him for a moment, then nodded with bright eyes."Yes, it looks splendid!"
Even the elven lady and Ravel came over to join in the conversation.
"It truly does look quite appealing..." The elven lady commented, then her tone shifted."Yet it seems to be lacking something..."
Tia and Ravel took another careful look and indeed felt that something was amiss.
Upon hearing this, Glen pondered for a while. Then, as if suddenly enlightened, he conjured up a black cowboy hat, placed it on his head, and said,"How about now?"
The eyes of everyone present lit up.
"That's exactly it! You look extremely dashing, sir!" Tia was the first to offer praise.
Glen gently ruffled the little maid's hair and said,"Alright, I'm famished at the moment. Have you all eaten?"
"We've just had our meal, but it's no trouble. I'll go and prepare something right away." With that, Tia made her way towards the kitchen.
On the other side, on the battlefield.
The mopping-up operation was nearing its conclusion, yet that powerful werewolf had not made an appearance. While this allowed the exhausted warriors to feel a sense of relief, it also left them with a nagging sense of unease.
"It seems that it won't show up," Rez said, gazing down at the charred battlefield and addressing the magician beside him.
"Word has come from above that the demon lord's avatar has dissipated, and the losses incurred were not substantial."
The magician's voice carried a tinge of weariness.
"We still haven't managed to ascertain the demons' intentions behind this attack. Coupled with the appearance of that mysterious werewolf, I can't help but feel that our kingdom is on the decline?"
"Be cautious, Rez. Such words should not be uttered lightly."
"Apologies, I was merely attempting to alleviate my pent-up emotions."
Rez apologized tactfully and then changed the subject."How is Lady Fitt faring?"
The magician turned and walked away, saying,"She is merely exhausted and has sustained some minor injuries. There is no cause for serious concern."
Rez let out a sigh. After the magician had left, he murmured softly,"This is truly peculiar, isn't it?"
The conversation between the two in the sky was inaudible to those below. Now, the knights were making their way back to the camp.
All that remained was to wait for Vice Marshal Fitt to recover fully, destroy the demon lair, and repair the rift, after which they could return to the royal capital to report.
The logistics personnel, who had been standing by, immediately sprang into action. Some attended to the wounded, while others distributed water and food.
Windsor did not take a rest. She mounted her griffin and circled low over the camp, searching for something.
"Strange, where could that lad be?" She appeared somewhat worried and anxious.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Could he have been attacked by a demon that was overlooked? Surely not, as there had been no news of demons attacking the logistics personnel... Windsor mused to herself. Just then, another griffin knight approached her.
"Captain, what are you searching for?"
It was a young-looking female knight.
"The gentleman who is proficient in providing massages to relax. Have you seen him?"
"No." The griffin knight shook her head."Perhaps he was frightened and fled back?"
Windsor did not concur or dissent. She felt that that exceptional young man did not seem the type to be so timid.
"Does the captain wish to find him to assist you in relaxing?" The female knight inquired out of curiosity.
Windsor shook her head."I intend to take him with me and have him serve as my personal valet."
Upon hearing this, the female knight smiled."The captain indeed has an excellent eye. That gentleman is truly adept at taking care of others!"
"Spare me the flattery. You should also go and rest. I'll go and search the nearby town for a while longer."
Dismissing her subordinate, Windsor flew out of the camp.
The battlefield, strewn with demon corpses, experienced a brief period of tranquility.
The reappearance of the female knight clad in jet-black battle armor signaled the conclusion of it all.
Black lightning pierced straight into the demon lair, and a series of attacks unleashed by battle qi swiftly reduced the towering structures constructed by the demons to rubble.
The final blow landed in the rift. Terrifying lava surged up like water splashing, and a demon's ear-piercing scream reverberated for a long time.
The ground trembled slightly. The rift closed up bit by bit, as if being sewn together with a needle and thread, and finally returned to a state of calm.
All that remained was a long, raised ridge that resembled a scar on the earth.
...
"Is it all over?"
While having a meal, Glen informed the three at home about the situation outside. Gotaya said with a somewhat complicated tone.
"I'm still not clear about the entire sequence of events. I suspect that something else is bound to happen later." Glen said, speaking somewhat indistinctly as he stuffed food into his mouth.
"May the gods be with us. I hope this place won't be affected again," Tia said, clasping her hands together in a gesture of prayer.
"What about my parents? Are they safe?!" Ravel had been holding back for a long time and finally summoned the courage to ask.
"Rest assured." Glen wiped his mouth."I've already informed them to leave, and the battle did not reach their location."
Ravel let out a sigh of relief.
Glen asked Tia to clear the dining table, then stood up and said,"Alright, from today onwards, you and the elven lady will work here. You need not go to the town anymore."
Ravel was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, showing no particular reaction.
"I still need to go to Dudd's place to check on my shop and bring Luther and the others back by the way."
With that, Glen prepared to head out.
"Goodbye, Mr. Glen." Tia waved with a smile.
"Goodbye..."
Shortly after stepping outside, he saw the old man returning from outside the town, carrying a large bundle on his back.
The old man quickened his pace upon seeing Glen.
The two soon stood side by side.
"Old man, what's all this?" Glen pointed at the large bundle on the old man's back and asked.
"Some special materials and tools. A friend gave them to me." The old man replied casually, then countered with a question:
"So, it seems that the demons have been vanquished. Did you take part in the battle?"
I not only participated but also killed the demon leader... Glen carefully chose his words and then recounted the general course of events.
After hearing the story, the old man was left speechless, his expression blank.
Woof! Woof!
The barks of a small dog brought the old man's muddled mind back to some semblance of clarity. It was the little Rottweiler peeking out from the old man's backpack.
"How on earth did you manage to do it? I mean... well, just... just..."
The old man stammered for quite some time but simply could not find the right words to convey his thoughts.
"I understand that it's difficult for you to comprehend, but I want to let you know that I'm not entirely sure myself. It might have something to do with my constitution." Glen took over the conversation, sighing in resignation.
The old man remained silent for a long while and eventually had to abandon this topic that was destined to have no answer. The person before him harbored too many secrets.
"You mentioned that you obtained the Flame Fang? I've heard of it, but I never imagined that it would be a demonized dragon. And now it has become your spoils of war."
The old man placed the bundle on the ground and sat on it as if it were a stool.
He continued,"Currently, you are at a significant risk of being exposed. Fortunately, the demons set up interference in that area. Otherwise, you would have already been exposed. The chief instructor of the griffin knights will surely report to the other superiors and launch an investigation into you. I'm not certain whether you can manage to remain hidden, but you need not worry about Defa betraying you. She is not that kind of person."