"Tell me everything."

A deep voice echoed throughout the hall, which was illuminated by the bright sun peeking through the tidy windows.

The voice belonged to the most powerful man in the country, one of the Kings of the Four Great Bastions, King Ab-Adal of the Shahara Kingdom.

Seated on the throne carved with exquisite patterns, King Ab-Adal looked down at the man wearing a red robe, who knelt with one knee.

"Tell me about your expedition, Reo."

Reo, the red-robed priest also known as The King's Paladin, slowly lifted his head, his gaze fixed upon the king's face still hidden behind the veil.

This time, his eyes were not closed, and his hands were not clasped. With golden pupils complemented by his lush lashes, his eyes shimmered like golden rays from the sun.

He spoke with a gentle voice, recounting everything that had happened, from capturing the slaves to their journey through the harsh desert of Jahar.

King Ab-Adal frequently nodded as Reo recounted every detail he had encountered, leaving no part untouched, not even the smallest details.

After a few moments, Reo finally stopped talking. He patiently waited for the king's response but was met with silence. The king seemed lost in his own thoughts.

A tense and silent atmosphere enveloped the hall.

-Ba dump! Ba dump!

With each passing minute, Reo's heartbeat quickened. Nervousness gripped his heart as the silent atmosphere continued.

Y-your Majesty...Is there something wro-"

Just as he was to asked what's wrong, the king's hoarse laugh interrupted him.

"HAHAHAHA!"

-Rumble!-

The laughter caused a slight tremor in the floor, making the chandelier above sway.

Witnessing this, Reo couldn't help but swallow nervously. He looked down at the floor, sweat trickling down from his forehead.

"..I see."

The king finally calmed himself down, returning to his previous demeanor. He turned his gaze back to his trembling Paladin.

King Ab-Adal ignored Reo's trembling, as he was accustomed to this reaction from those who witnessed his power. To him, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

He tapped his armrest twice and spoke in his deep voice, tinged with amusement.

"So you're saying that you found a young demon tied to a burning cross?"

Confusion appeared on Reo's face when he heard the king's question.

'Is that the reason why His Majesty laughed?' he muttered under his breath. 'If so, why? It's normal for demons to sacrifice their own for a ritual.'

Reo knitted his brows. The more he thought about it, the more his confusion grew, but he knew better than to ask the king about it—doing so would be courting death.

During his years of serving the king, he had learned never to ask a question without permission. Thus, he could only restrain himself unless granted the chance.

"That's right, Your Majesty," he answered, anticipating what the king would say next.

But to his dismay, the king's reply was the last thing he wanted to hear. It froze his heart.

"Alright, you can go now," the king said, gesturing for Reo to leave. "I'll summon you if there's anything."

Without any hesitation, Reo stood up, his gaze still fixed on the floor. Clenching his fist tightly, he brought it to his chest and bowed.

"Your wish is my command."

With a heavy heart, he turned his back and walked towards the exit, his mind filled with thoughts.

'Seems like His Majesty doesn't trust me yet.'

His figure vanished, leaving the King alone in the throne hall.

Looking at the place where his Paladin had exited, King Ab-Adal couldn't help but touch his chin as he mumbled to himself,

"He's always the curious one, isn't he?" He shook his head and reclined on his throne. "But... it's not time yet."

He looked up and stared at the ceiling for a moment, where a painting depicted humans and demons locked in intense battle. The surreal artwork vividly portrayed the emotions and fierceness of the conflict.

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Suddenly, the king laughed again, but this time it was a normal laugh.

"Hahahahaha..."

He laughed for a few minutes before finally stopping.

"Another cursed demon, huh?" he murmured, wiping his eyes as if brushing away tears.

"It seems like the conclusion is near."

Resting his hands on the armrest, he tapped it twice and crossed his legs.

"Thousands of battles will finally come to an end. Our land will be reclaimed, and our former tranquility will be restored."

Leaning his head on his right hand, he spoke with certainty.

"Demons will perish, ceasing to exist."

-Crack!-

Half of the painting above shattered, leaving only the depiction of human remains.

"The mark of an end is here."

***

In the courtyard, the sun shone brightly, enhancing the beauty of the meticulously trimmed plants. Green leaves fluttered in the breeze, and the crystal-clear water from the fountain gently touched the ground like a sprinkle of rain.

Tap! Tap!

Reo walked with heavy steps, his beautiful eyes lost in deep thought. He withdrew his hands from his red robe and spoke with resolve and determination.

"I must work harder to please His Majesty and earn his trust."

Clasping his hands together, he closed his eyes and made his way towards the Chapel.

As he walked, he sensed someone approaching. He halted and asked,

"What do you need?"

A female servant wearing a loose sand-colored robe bowed her head and conveyed her message.

"Honorable High Priest... the knights wanted me to inform you that someone is asking for you outside."

"Asking for me?" Reo furrowed his brows upon hearing this.

Being the Paladin of the King, if someone sought him, they must be an important figure. It seemed unusual for such a person to wait outside.

"Did they mention who they are?"

"Yes, they referred to themselves as your Knives and Sword," the servant replied.

Reo's mouth twitched at the servant's response. He already had a suspicion of their identity when the knights referred to them as "they." The fact that they identified themselves as his Knives and Sword confirmed his suspicions—they were members of The Hunters.

The Hunters were an organization engaged in various activities, including assassination, slave trading, and providing demon-related materials to the market. They specialized in hunting demons and profited from selling their parts or enslaving them. To them, demons were nothing more than vermin, parasites, and were considered lower than animals. Hence, they were called The Hunters.

"So it's them," Reo muttered to himself. He paused for a moment, considering what to do when an idea struck him.

"I could use them to gain His Majesty's trust," he smirked, contemplating the possibilities.

With his eyes still closed, he turned his attention to the servant, who was patiently awaiting his response.

"Tell them I will meet them," he instructed.

Upon hearing his answer, the servant nodded, bowed to Reo, and excused herself. She made her way to the gate.

Sensing the servant's departure, Reo continued towards the Chapel, his mind filled with plans on how to use The Hunters to his advantage.

***

"Hey boss, how long do you think we'll have to wait? It's been hours since that servant told us he'd come."

"Be patient. He should be here any moment now."

Two voices echoed outside the palace gate, which stood adorned with pillars and statues depicting various desert monsters.

The voices belonged to a bulky figure and a lanky figure, both clad in leather tunics with metal plates reinforcing their chests, shoulders, and forearms.

The former was Lark, his arms crossed as he leaned against one of the statues. He appeared relaxed, unaffected by the intense heat.

The latter was Steve, restlessly moving from one place to another, his eyes gleaming as he inspected every inch of the statues. His tongue protruded slightly, giving him the appearance of a hungry dog.

Observing Steve's behavior, a frown creased Lark's forehead. His previous relaxed demeanor quickly transformed into irritation.

"What the hell were they thinking, partnering me with this idiot?" he muttered inwardly, massaging his forehead.

Three months ago, The Hunters received a platinum-ranked mission from an important figure in the Kingdom of Shahara. The mission required two individuals to accompany a person on a two-month expedition.

The missions were ranked based on their level of danger, importance to the organization, and the status of the person providing them.

Bronze-ranked missions were of minimal danger, often involving tasks like catching thieves, investigating adultery, or tracking and spying on someone. These missions were usually provided by lower to middle-class citizens.

Silver-ranked missions were given by middle-class or influential individuals, carrying an average level of danger.

Gold-ranked missions were provided by nobles, counts, marquises, or barons. Any mission given by them was automatically ranked as gold.

Platinum-ranked missions were considered top priority, often involving extreme danger. These missions were sometimes issued by dukes and members of the parliament.

Lastly, the diamond-ranked mission is given only to the three strongest hunters and executives of the organization. It has been issued only thrice since the organization was founded. The first one occurred during the Invasion of Demons, the second happened during the formation of the Alliance of All Races Against Demons, and the last one was a century ago during The Bloodiest War, issued by the Emperor himself.

Rewards for completing missions varied based on their difficulty and the satisfaction of the providers. In some cases, providers would offer a bonus or sign an exclusive contract with the hunters, guaranteeing that any future missions would be automatically assigned to them.

For this particular platinum-ranked mission, it was stated that two hunters were to accompany an important individual. It could be inferred that this person was either a mistress of a duke or the duke himself, as it was considered a top priority mission.

As a top hunter stationed in the West, Lark was chosen for the mission. Steve was selected as the other member, and they were informed that further details would be provided by the person they were accompanying.

Upon their arrival in Shahara, Lark was taken aback by the identity of the mission provider. He had mentally prepared himself for dukes or members of parliament, but this surpassed his expectations.

Who could have thought that such a powerful individual would hire hunters for a mere two-month expedition, alongside their guards and knights?

It was both ridiculous and terrifying!

Those were the only words that came to Lark's mind at that moment. Ridiculous because of the excessive number of helpers for a two-month expedition, and terrifying due to the potential dangers they would face.

He couldn't help but shiver as he contemplated the expedition and the person who had hired them. He was certain of who it was.

It was none other than one of the Paladins of the Four Kings, the right-hand man of King Ab-Adal, and the Holy Priest who possessed one of the most powerful eyes—The Significant Reo.

As if on cue, Lark turned his head toward the palace gate and spotted a red-robed priest emerging from it.

Reo also noticed their presence and spoke with a gentle yet serious tone, turning his head toward their direction.

"Let's have a talk inside."