With the full army deployed behind them, armor gleamed under the sunlight, the mages' cloaks fluttered in the wind, and banners covered the hill like a sea of colors. Emily inhaled deeply, letting calm settle into her for a brief moment amid the chaos that was about to unfold.
Lusian called Albert over, seeking the opinion of an experienced warrior to coordinate the operation without putting anyone at risk.
Albert frowned, his voice firm and dry:
—I do not agree, my lord. This matter does not concern us.
Lusian sighed, trying to persuade him:
—Well, that makes two of us against it, but I promised Emily I would help. I need your support.
Sarcasm slipped into Albert's reply, light yet cutting:
—I see… So when you get married, will she be the one ruling the duchy? Should I start earning Miss Emily's favor?
Lusian raised his voice, frustration evident in his tone:
—Are you going to help me, or just mock me?
Albert's expression changed. The sarcasm vanished, replaced by determination.
—Of course I will help you, my lord. And if this mission is so important to win your fiancée's heart… then it must succeed.
Lusian let out a sigh of relief.
—Just help me convince the other knights to support me.
Albert smiled, revealing genuine loyalty:
—There's no need to convince anyone. You give the order, and the knights will obey. It is our duty… and our greatest honor. Even if we march to our deaths, we would do so gladly for you.
Lusian held his ally's gaze, grateful yet firm:
—Thank you, Albert. But we are not marching to our deaths. Help me make sure no one gets hurt.
Albert nodded seriously:
—I will do my best. But we need to speak with the adventurers. Three Liches summoning undead are a serious threat, though manageable. When they arrived at the village, they retreated before facing us.
Lusian frowned, understanding the gravity of the situation:
—Someone is controlling them, right? The demonic cult.
Albert nodded, his voice grave:
—Yes. They usually kidnap people to summon demons. A high-ranking demon requires too many sacrifices; the number of people here is limited.
—So they'll try to summon a lesser demon.
—Exactly —Albert confirmed—. It won't be a threat to the kingdom, but for small villages or medium settlements, it will be hell.
Lusian reflected, recalling what he had studied:
—For demonic summoning, the victims must be alive. They're probably being held somewhere.
Albert warned firmly:
—They're not fools. They've likely set traps around their base to protect the captives.
—This will be very dangerous, won't it? —Lusian asked, concerned.
Albert's silence said it all. Lusian pondered the situation: Keitaro had lost his wife in this kingdom, and he could influence the course of events if he earned the heroes' trust. With Emily by his side, at least, his chances improved.
Meanwhile, Albert organized the knights and called the adventurers aside:
—My lord has decided to organize a rescue operation for the villagers. What do you intend to do?
Caín stepped forward, resolute:
—We'll help, sir. We want to avenge our fallen comrades.
Albert nodded, imposing authority:
—If you choose to join, you will follow orders to the letter. I don't want you caught in crossfire or injuring any knights. Understood?
The adventurers nodded, ready to coordinate under Lusian and Albert.
On the mountain, Jerges, a black mage of the demonic cult, issued orders to his followers:
—Activate the support spells and alert all cult members. If the kingdom's army attacks, we withdraw.
A subordinate asked nervously:
—Sir, what will we do with the sacrifices? They're not enough to summon a demon.
—If the soldiers arrive, we flee —Jerges replied coldly—. The prophecy is approaching; our lord, the Demon King, will descend upon Kuria and grant our wish. We must be patient.
As they climbed, Albert, Lusian, Emily, and Adela advanced at the center of the formation, with Umber and Aureus watching the surroundings. Lusian frowned:
—Are you sure about the direction, Albert? Maybe we should send Umber to scout.
Albert smiled confidently:
—Umber may not have the best sense of smell, but I can feel the rotten mana nearby. If I need help, my lord, I'll let you know.
Suddenly, Umber detected movement. Through his connection with Lusian, the group managed to hide among the trees. Ahead, twenty men in black cloaks held several people tied up—men, women, and children.
At Albert's signal, the knights attacked. Their numerical superiority and coordination were decisive: three knights lunged at each enemy from different directions, catching the cult off guard. Eight were killed, twelve captured.
Lusian ordered Charles:
—Take the captives to a secure area and extract as much information as possible.
—Yes, my lord.
Then he instructed the rest:
—Let's keep advancing to study the area and plan our next move.
Albert added:
—We must also escort the rescued back to the village. I'll assign ten knights to protect them.
As night fell, Lusian leaned toward Emily, concerned:
—Are you alright? We won't set up tents; we can't draw attention.
Emily smiled, confident:
—I'm fine, Lusian. I've also been trained to fight. Don't underestimate me.
A white feline approached and sat beside Lusian, accompanied by Adela, the black-haired, yellow-eyed girl.
—Adela, what are you doing? —Lusian asked.
—I brought your food, my lord, and Miss Emily's —she replied naturally.
Lusian raised an eyebrow:
—So the food was "invisible"?
Adela smiled and showed fruits and dried meat stored in her spatial bracelet:
—Knights always carry reserves for emergencies. It's a matter of survival.
—Thank you, Adela —Lusian said, smiling.
Emily stroked Aureus:
—Will Umber take long to return?
—You can rest beside him; I'll watch over your safety —Adela assured.
—Can I pet him?
—Of course, Miss Emily.
Emily smiled as she stroked the feline:
—He looks very strong.
—Class C–Epsilon —Adela explained—. The strongest magical beast trained by a beast tamer in the kingdom.
—Don't brag so much —Lusian sighed.
—I'm not bragging, my lord. Aureus and I will be your strongest servants.
Emily smiled, appreciating the girl's confidence.
Albert and Charles approached with serious expressions.
—My lord, bad news.
Lusian joked with dark humor:
—Let me guess: traps and undead.
—And many members of the demonic cult. They've set up a full base —Albert added.
—Were they planning something big? —Lusian asked.
—They only spoke about a prophecy and the time of the Demon King —Charles replied.
Lusian frowned, intrigued:
—They know… but how?
Emily asked:
—Know what?
—It doesn't matter —Lusian murmured—. What will we do, Albert?
—We'll distribute soldiers and mages to surround the mountain. There's more than one entrance. Charles, Leonidas, and I will lead separate groups. My lord, you will stay at the main entrance with Emily and Adela. The adventurers will cover a secondary exit.