Night fell over the Holy District, and the faint glow of holy runes filled the air, emanating from the sacred towers blessed by the Archbishop himself. Each rune radiated a warm and gentle light, flowing like a celestial river of stars.

Under this ethereal glow, merchants bustled about, while pilgrims streamed endlessly through the streets. On their foreheads, symbols of blessing were drawn with holy water by stationed priests, a mark of their devout faith in the Goddess of Light.

A young mage apprentice clasped his hands in prayer, murmuring an incantation. A dove, woven entirely from holy light, emerged in the air and fluttered gracefully toward the pinnacle of a sacred tower. Every detail of the scene seemed to tell a story of divine protection and the goddess's grace.

---

Led by the Knight Commander, Rowan Kai entered the interior of the Holy Watchtower.

Inside, a boy in his teens was chained to the floor, kneeling with his head bowed. His bloodshot eyes glared up at them, and his clawed hands—partially transformed into those of a werewolf—scraped against the stone floor with a grating screech.

“You don’t understand!” the boy growled, his voice raw with desperation. “We had no choice! It’s your Goddess of Light who has driven us to this point!”

Rowan’s gaze turned icy as he summoned a cage of holy light to enclose the boy. The sacred glow burned his skin, releasing plumes of white smoke, yet the boy continued to roar, “Better to fight than face annihilation! This isn’t my fault—it’s yours!”

The Knight Commander’s hand tightened around his sword hilt, veins bulging as if on the verge of an outburst. Rowan raised a hand, stopping him. “Don’t touch him. He’s a pawn. It’s what’s behind him that we’re really after.”

Just as Rowan moved closer, the boy suddenly leapt toward him with surprising agility.

Despite his speed, the chains wrapped around his body weren’t for show, their surface inscribed with holy runes. As he revealed his dark lineage’s power, the holy light surged, enveloping him in a searing glow. A pained cry escaped his lips as he crashed heavily to the ground, smoke curling from his body.

Rowan narrowed his eyes, studying the smoldering figure.

“To attempt an attack even within the watchtower… Your resistance to holy light is remarkable. Are you some kind of new breed, or have you undergone a special ritual?”

The werewolf boy smirked bitterly, turning his head away without a word.

“Answer the question!”

The Knight Commander raised his whip, ready to strike, but Rowan waved him off again.

“You think I can’t figure it out without you saying anything? Little brother, you underestimate me.”

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With that, Rowan brought his hands together, forming a sword-like gesture. Holy light gathered at his fingertips, and he framed a rhombus shape in the air.

The glowing shape expanded instantly, enveloping the boy. Beams of light scanned his body, moving back and forth as if dissecting every detail.

When the process was complete, Rowan’s expression darkened. He gestured to the Knight Commander, and without exchanging a word, the two left the tower.

---

In a secluded clearing within the camp, the Knight Commander studied Rowan nervously.

“Your Highness, is the situation dire?”

“They’re up to something. The werewolf boy himself is nothing special, but he’s equipped with a means of evading holy light detection.

According to my scan, unless they actively use dark powers or come into direct contact with a consecrated weapon, they’re nearly impossible to detect.”

The Knight Commander’s face twitched. With the Holy Advent Festival approaching, if dark beings could infiltrate the throngs of pilgrims unnoticed, the consequences would be catastrophic.

“How is this possible? Is it some kind of magic or alchemical technique?”

Rowan rubbed his fingers together, his gaze distant. “Are you familiar with the Age of Elves?”

“Of course. Before humans dominated the continent, the elves ruled as the supreme power, creators of magic and humanity’s teachers.

Your Highness, do you mean this is connected to the elves?”

“No,” Rowan replied, “I’m referring to the era before that—the Age of Trolls. A time ruled by totems and blood rituals.

The techniques used here bear striking similarities to those practiced by the barbarian clans of the Everfrost Glacier.”

Rowan turned to the tower gates. “If my analysis is correct, this boy has been subjected to a hybrid of blood magic and sacrificial curses.”

The Knight Commander shook his head vehemently. “Your Highness, that’s impossible. I don’t know much about this Age of Trolls and its blood rituals, but blood magic is the hallmark of vampires.

Werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies! There’s no way they’d…”

Rowan interrupted with a wave. “Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that we report this to the Church immediately.

We can’t undo what’s already inside the city, but we must rigorously screen anyone entering from now on to prevent the enemy’s schemes.”

“Yes, Your Highness! I’ll prepare the magic scroll for transmission right away.”

After sending the message to the Holy City, Rowan and the Knight Commander approached the camp’s entrance.

Looking out at the bustling crowds of pilgrims in the nearby town, the Knight Commander sighed, his frustration evident.

“Your Highness, how many assassins do you think are hiding among them?”

“Do you want to know?” Rowan glanced at him. “I could expose them now.

But then you’d have chaos, panic, and a massacre. Civilians would die in droves. Is that what you want?”

The Knight Commander, knowing Rowan’s temperament, shook his head firmly. The Black Knights might act without hesitation, but Rowan wasn’t one for recklessness.

Still, curiosity got the better of him. “Do you have a method?”

“Moonlight,” Rowan said simply. “Most dark beings are children of the moon. Expose them to full moonlight, and their power will surge uncontrollably, revealing their nature.”

“But tonight isn’t a full moon, nor will it be anytime soon,” the Knight Commander pointed out, chuckling bitterly.

“Moonlight is still light,” Rowan replied, leaning against the gatepost. “As long as it’s light, I can create it.”

“The real challenge,” he continued, “is minimizing civilian casualties.”

“Do you have a plan, Your Highness?”

“The ideal solution would blanket everyone while leaving ordinary people unharmed, but still effectively exposing the enemy…” Rowan clapped his hands as if struck by inspiration.

The Knight Commander immediately fell to his knees with a resounding clang.

“Your Highness! Absolutely not!”

“Why not?” Rowan asked, frowning.

“Under no circumstances can you preach here!”

Rowan scowled. “I’ve told you a hundred times—it’s called a motivational speech!”

“Call it what you will. You can’t do it!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Rowan shot back.