Hill stepped into the chamber without knocking.
She had grown accustomed to the strange atmosphere surrounding the City Lord, but even she paused at the sight before her. The two Dark Elf sisters stood near Karl's seat—flushed, breathless, clearly having endured some harsh "training."
Karl looked up calmly.
"Something to report?"
Hill forced her expression into neutrality. "The battle outside is proceeding according to your plan. The enemy forces are collapsing. The City Guards have secured the eastern quarter."
Karl nodded, waving dismissively as if nothing unusual were happening. His gaze lingered on Hill for a moment longer than necessary.
"You've done well," he said. "But I'll need you here a little longer."
Hill resisted the urge to sigh. In less than a week, the sisters she had personally assigned to assist Karl had changed. Whether it was fear, devotion, or something else entirely, they now obeyed him without hesitation.
"You should be overseeing the final phase of the battle," Hill said evenly.
"It's under control," Karl replied. "You've trained them well."
The elder sister lowered her head respectfully. The younger avoided eye contact entirely.
Hill studied Karl carefully. There was no sign of injury on him, no fatigue. Instead, there was that same composed confidence—almost unsettling in its certainty.
"Very well," Hill said at last. "But I won't remain long. The battlefield still requires command."
Karl gave a faint smile. "Of course."
---
Dawn Over the Battlefield
When the first pale light of dawn spread across the horizon, the nightmare finally receded.
The grotesque creatures that had plagued the night melted into shadow. What remained was silence—and ruin.
The smell of ash and iron lingered in the air.
Feliccia stood among the Knights Templar, her sword still in hand, scanning the chaos anxiously. Karl had ventured beyond the defensive lines during the night. He hadn't returned while the fighting raged.
A flicker of fear stirred in her chest.
Then she saw Hill emerging from the ranks of the City Guards. The Dark Elf adjutant looked pale and unsteady, though still composed as she issued orders for cleanup and casualty reports.
Feliccia hurried toward her.
"Miss Hill… is Lord Karl injured?"
Hill blinked, as if dragged from deep thought. She studied the young knight's worried expression—the sincerity written plainly across her face.
"Lord City Lord is unharmed," Hill replied calmly. "He has already returned to the manor."
The relief on Feliccia's face was immediate and unguarded.
"I—I was only asking," she said quickly, almost flustered, before retreating toward her unit.
Hill watched her go, thoughtful.
Karl had a talent for drawing people in—loyalty, admiration, devotion. Sometimes without even trying.
Or perhaps he always intended it.
---
Gina's Observations
Gina had withdrawn from the front lines earlier than expected.
The magical armor Karl had given her was extraordinary—light as silk, yet stronger than any forged steel she had worn before. It allowed her movements to flow effortlessly, amplifying her combat strength.
Still, something about it unsettled her. The design was unconventional, almost too precise in how it responded to her movements.
She dismissed the thought.
From a distance, she observed her niece speaking with Hill. Feliccia's concern had been obvious to anyone paying attention.
Gina wasn't surprised.
Karl was young, capable, fearless. He had ventured alone into danger and returned alive. He had saved Feliccia before.
It was only natural for admiration to bloom under such circumstances.
Gina folded her arms, watching the sunrise stretch across the ruined battlefield.
As long as Karl remained worthy of that admiration, she would not interfere.
But she would be watching.
---
Tension Among the Ranks
As the sun rose fully, adventurers and soldiers alike began clearing the battlefield.
Weapons were gathered. Fallen comrades were honored. The remains of the night's enemies were collected—valuable materials that would soon become coin.
Then a dispute broke out.
A group of adventurers argued heatedly with the City Guards over claims to spoils. Swords were still stained from battle, tempers running thin from exhaustion.
The fragile peace of dawn threatened to fracture.
From the balcony of the City Lord's Manor, Karl observed the commotion from afar.
His expression remained unreadable.
The battle had ended.
But the true test of control—over allies, over power, over loyalty—was only beginning.
This person heard a voice behind him, and his heart seemed to be clenched.
"Shua!"
The body rushed forward quickly, then turned around and looked back, but found that there was no one behind the position just now.
Immediately afterward, the voice just now sounded behind him again: "Are you looking for me?"
The man pointed his finger, and a crystal ball immediately hit behind him. At the same time, he quickly jumped forward and turned to look behind him.
He saw a handsome man appearing at the place where he was just now. Dressed in black, with long black hair and a handsome face, this man seemed to have a presence that couldn't be hidden even in the dark night. He was playing with the man's crystal ball in his hand.
But the moment the masked man saw Aiden, his pupils shrank: "'Sword Emperor' Aiden!!!"
"Huh? You know me?"
Ultear said with a dry smile: "Hehe, who doesn't know the name of 'Sword Emperor' Aiden?"
This masked man was none other than Ultear, the leader of the strongest dark guild, the Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory.
Another identity is the reviewer of the Magic Council.
With these dual identities, Ultear knows Aiden's information far more clearly than others.
If Erza is an S-rank mage, then Aiden is a super S-rank mage. The establishment of their Balam Alliance is thanks to this man.
In terms of the degree of danger of the Dark Guild, the 'Sword Emperor' Aiden is even more formidable than the Ten Wizard Saints.
Although she was very confident in her own strength, the speed at which this man appeared and disappeared just now made her feel a strong threat.
"I can't believe that there are two Fairy Tail S-rank mages here on a small island of demons." Cold sweat had already appeared on Ultear's forehead; this man was really too dangerous.
He was so close behind her that she didn't notice it at all. No, even if she didn't see the other party standing there with her naked eyes, she would feel that there was nothing there.
If he had attacked her just now, she might have been killed without any reaction at all.
"Hehe, yes, who would have thought that the head of the notorious Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory would appear here? No, not just the head of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, isn't it, Magic Council Judge Ultear?"
Ultear was really scared this time, her heart was beating fast.
He knows, how is it possible?! How could he know my identity?! And why would he know my identity?!
Her identity is hidden deeply; otherwise, it would be impossible to join the Magic Council and become one of the judges.
Even the Magic Council couldn't find out her identity, so why did the other party tell the truth, and now she doesn't appear in her own form, but the posture after transformation.
Ultear, Aiden also remembered that Ultear was involved when he recalled this plot.
For Ultear, Aiden can only use one sentence to describe it: a poor person must have something to hate.
Ultear was born with powerful magic, so she had to suffer a lot, lost her mother, was bewitched by Hades, and joined Grimoire Heart.
After joining Grimoire Heart, it can be said that she did all kinds of bad things. Later, she repented and sacrificed her life to set the world back for one minute, saving many lives.
"Hehe, Lord Sword Emperor was joking. My name is Zalut. I'm just a nobody. I'm not a member of the strongest dark guild Grimoire Heart or a magic judge."
"Do you not admit it? Since I can accurately call your name, I have already confirmed your identity."
"I really don't know what the Sword Emperor will say?" Ultear was going to pretend to be confused.
"Forget it! Humans are like this; as long as they don't suffer, they won't become honest." Aiden squeezed his hand hard.
"Crack!" The crystal ball shattered.
Ultear's complexion changed, and she immediately acted upon hearing this.
Several crystal balls appeared and shot towards Aiden quickly, while Ultear herself turned and fled quickly.
"Boom boom boom!"
The trees where Aiden was located were all crushed by the crystal ball.
"Damn! Why did the Sword Emperor appear here? It was obviously about to be completed, but there was an accident at this time."
Suddenly, Aiden's voice sounded again: "Hey! You haven't finished talking yet, why are you running away so soon?"
Ultear stopped quickly, and then saw Aiden appear in front of her at some point.
"When?!"
Although Ultear was surprised, she didn't stop. With a wave of her hand, a large number of crystal balls shot towards Aiden quickly.
Aiden waved the knife casually.
"Crack, click!"
All the crystal balls were shattered, but in the next second, the shattered crystal balls recovered and became denser, floating around Aiden's body.
"Your Excellency Sword Emperor, I don't know Ultear. I'm just an ordinary passerby, and I don't have any conflicts with Fairy Tail. How about we don't mess with each other?"
Aiden looked at the surrounding crystal balls and said lightly: "Is it the Arc of Time? It's really a magical magic, but it's a pity that this magic can't really control time. It's just used to manipulate some crystal balls. It's really a bit tasteless."
Aiden was very impressed with Ultear's magic when he first watched the animation. Unfortunately, the Arc of Time can only be applied to objects.
The strongest move can even turn back the time of the world, but the price is to pay with your own life.
Ultear's face was gloomy; she didn't expect the other party to understand her, and the tone of the other party's speech made her very angry. What did the other party mean? Did he look down on her own magic?
Does he know how much pain she has endured in order to learn this magic?
"Go!"
A large number of crystal balls shot towards Aiden from all directions.
"Crack!"
There was a flash of lightning under Aiden's feet, and his body disappeared instantly.
"Not good!"
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