In a huge castle, a finely groomed middle-aged man sat on the throne with a crown adorned with various rare jewels. The throne room was rge, with rows of knights standing on each side, wearing silver and gold armor. Nobles stood in front of him in silence. The door opened as a man wearing fine garments, accompanied by a rough-looking soldier, entered. The soldier instantly fell to his knees; the man continued to walk, then stood next to the emperor.

  “You may speak to the great Emperor Landon Maximus, repeat word for word.”

  “Of course, your excellency. I was stationed deep in the forest. I was in a small squad of just fifty soldiers and one knight. One day, we received an urgent summons from Head Knight Munzo for the subjugation of the nearby mountain.”

  The soldier quietly swallowed his own saliva as he slowly raised his head to look at the emperor. The emperor’s sharp blue eyes were on him.

  “Continue what happened next.”

  “Head Knight Munzo had gathered over four hundred soldiers from the entire forest. I heard rumors that he had lost contact with the mining crew and the soldiers stationed there. He deemed the threat strong enough to warrant such a reaction.”

  One of the nobles slowly stepped forward and bowed.

  “Your majesty, I did not receive any word from Munzo. I was not aware that he had gathered such an army.”

  “Count Sanders, do not interrupt. The emperor will listen when it’s your turn.”

  “My apologies.”

  The soldier cleared his throat.

  “When we finally arrived at the area, we were greeted by a demon and a human in armor. I believe the man was Oliver, the former commander.”

  Murmurs started to spread around the grand hall as one of the knights lightly hit the ground with his staff, silencing the whispers.

  “They exchanged words with the demon, then soon everything turned to chaos. A huge hydra appeared at the rear, blocking everyone and spreading its venom. Then Oliver stepped forward and started to sughter everyone.”

  Landon slightly frowned as he leaned forward to listen closely.

  “He was above a superhuman; we could not do anything, but things got worse. A red fog descended on the battlefield, so I ran and hid. After some time passed, the fog lifted, revealing everyone was drained of their blood, with Munzo’s dead body at the demon’s feet.”

  Murmurs started again, with even the knights turning to face each other. To think over four hundred soldiers were simply wiped out with only one survivor. The man next to the emperor lightly cpped his hands as the commotion settled.

  “She said, ‘This forest is no longer yours! All who intrude in my territory will meet the cruel hand of the goddess of life and nature.’ I made sure to remember it word for word.”

  Landon’s frown deepened, with the nobles now in full force discussing among each other. He aggressively hit the handle of the chair, releasing his golden mana!

  “If any of you speak in my presence once more!”

  His mind raced as the hall fell silent. He recollected his thoughts once more. That was when another man entered the hall, wearing a thick cape made of a wolf pelt. He had jet-bck hair with no beard; he looked quite handsome.

  “Forgive me for being te; I received the message.”

  “What do you think?”

  “There are no traces of demons; they are all either dead or in hiding. We made sure of that in the great demon subjugation. This might have been a demon who was hiding in the forest.”

  “How did our scouts miss that! You told me every inch was scoured!”

  Landon roared, with his veins now bulging in anger. The man still remained cool, with his eyes unwavering. Landon sank into his chair once more while still staring at the man.

  “Do you think this is a noble demon?”

  “Noble demons are ancient, so it is unlikely, but from what I read, it seems to be no more than a higher demon.”

  “What about what I am hearing about your brother-in-w aligning with a demon?”

  “Demons have a strong charm; it must have maniputed him to do its bidding.”

  “Wasn’t he a swords master?”

  “Yes, he was. Perhaps he has gone insane or weak over the years.”

  “I lost four hundred soldiers in less than a week, and none of you in this room is remotely aware of how this came to pass. Can any one of you answer me why hydras are still alive in my empire?”

  Silence engulfed the hall as the nobles averted their eyes from the emperor.

  “I want every single one of you to contribute to the royal family and start a rge scale recruitment and training in your territories to replenish my lost army! Everyone leave before I loose my mind.”

  The room was emptied, but the man next to him remained, as did the man wearing the thick coat. Landon stared at the man with anger.

  “You have anything constructive to add?”

  “Someone matching Melora’s description was seen in the port city of Joma.”

  Landon was frozen in his seat as he stared at the man. He had gone to great lengths to make sure that woman died. Everything hinged on that, and now, after losing most of his army in the forest, she too emerged.

  “Prepare an envoy to the north right this instant. We must protect the alliance at all costs.”

  “Yes, your majesty.”

  The man next to him bowed, then left the hall, leaving him with the man in front of him.

  “You got any more bad news?”

  “No, your majesty, but I have concerns.”

  “Speak.”

  “We are still fighting with the trolls up north, and we are in a complete standstill; they simply can’t be killed easily. If that demon makes her way to the north, the odds might tilt unfavorably.”

  “So you want more reinforcements?”

  “I need just one extra swords master.”

  The emperor stared at the man before him with an angered look.

  “I just lost four hundred soldiers and seven elite knights; now you’re asking me for a swords master. What if they too die in the north? What’s next?”

  “The Duke will take responsibility.”

  “Take the butcher with you. That should be enough.”

  The man’s face slightly contorted, but he bowed and left the hall. He silently walked down the heavily decorated hall with a stern look. To think the man he looked up to had defected to the demon side, but who could bme him? He believed that his brother-in-w could never kill his family in such fashion. He wanted to arrange a meeting with him, but the hearing had passed while he was still at the north. Deep down, he hoped he would make his way to the north so he could ask if he truly killed his sister. His thought was disrupted by a man in a dark corner juggling his knife.

  “Jack, you will be going with me to the north.”

  “Is that how you greet, Rispin?”

  Rispin ignored the man as he continued to walk, with the man now behind him.

  “I hope I get to see the traitor; I will enjoy cutting him down to small pieces.”

  “You seem to forget how strong he is.”

  “But I have grown far stronger.”

  He released an evil cackling ugh, which would be enough to make someone’s skin crawl, but Rispin ignored him. He silently cursed why it had to be this psycho of all people; he needed to be the one to face his once brother-in-w.