That day, one after another, squads of soldiers in the city were continuously summoned to Count Alistair's mansion.
Because the messenger announced that it was an order issued directly by Count Alistair, complete with his seal, none of the soldiers questioned anything and simply obeyed.
No one knew that after leaving the mansion, each squad was no longer quite the same as before.
Zolie: "Why don't we just kill them all and use Erya's ability like last time, Lord Zerathis?"
Zerathis: "Turning them all into corpses would bring many inconveniences; it's not suitable for carrying out complex orders. That's why killing only a portion and controlling a group with my magic is more practical."
Zolie: "I see."
Erya: "What should we do next?"
Zerathis: "I've already used Alistair's name to seal off the city. Next, we must immediately seize control of the Mage Tower. Erya, you'll come with me to handle this."
Zolie: "And the two of us?"
She pointed to herself and Nyxar, the black-haired man wielding twin blades.
Zerathis: "There's another mission for you two. I've arranged a meeting with a special guest this afternoon. I believe just the two of you will be enough to deal with it. Here are some details I've noted down."
Glancing over the notes, Nyxar immediately replied:
"Alright then. No problem."
Zerathis nodded, then led Erya along with a squad of soldiers toward the Mage Tower.
* * * * * * * * * *
The vice guildmaster of Aldor's Adventurers' Guild was Calvin.
He had golden hair and a youthful appearance.
Because of his young age, handsome looks, and both talent and status, he was admired by many women.
However, being busy with work, he rarely had the chance to go out or date. In recent days, with work piling up, this was even more the case.
The matter of the Goblin King was so serious that Guildmaster John himself had to march out to deal with it.
The responsibilities left behind were entrusted entirely to Calvin.
His continued presence in the city and management was crucial. It allowed the guild to keep running smoothly and steadily despite the unstable situation and shortage of manpower.
Sighing after a morning filled with tasks, Calvin glanced at the letter lying on his desk.
It was an invitation from Count Alistair himself, requesting an important meeting that afternoon to address several urgent matters.
Knowing he could not refuse, Calvin quickly arranged his duties with his assistant.
As the appointed time drew near, Calvin arrived early at the Count's mansion.
He was led inside by a charming young woman with silver hair.
Calvin: "I've never seen you here before. May I ask who you are?"
Zolie: "I'm Zolie. I was hired by the Count not long ago to help manage certain things in this mansion."
Hearing this, Calvin nodded and asked further:
"Do you know why the Count requested this meeting with me? The invitation letter didn't specify."
Zolie: "I'm sorry, but I wasn't told the details either. You'll have to ask the Count directly."
This only made Calvin more curious about the true reason for the meeting.
Zolie: "Here we are, sir."
Calvin walked forward with curiosity. The meeting place, instead of the usual guest room, turned out to be a rather empty and spacious chamber.
After Calvin stepped inside, the silver-haired woman followed him and carefully closed the door.
The vice guildmaster looked around but did not see the Count, only a black-haired man standing and waiting.
Puzzled, he asked:
"Has the Count not arrived yet?"
Then suddenly, Calvin sensed strange changes in the room, as though some kind of magic had been activated. At the same moment, he felt danger coming from directly behind him.
By reflex, he sprang aside to dodge. A sharp pain struck his waist.
Looking down, Calvin saw his clothes torn and his flesh wounded, fresh blood flowing from the cut.
Quickly channeling spiritual energy to stem the bleeding, he raised his head toward the silver-haired woman, whose hand was stained with blood, and demanded:
"Do you care to explain yourself?"
Zolie: "To think you could dodge that strike in time… you're stronger than I expected."
She smiled brightly.
Calvin shivered at the sight of that smile.
Calvin: "Who are you guys? And where is the Count?"
He shouted, pulling from his spatial ring his weapon, a long spear with a sharp, gleaming blade.
The woman did not answer and lunged straight at him.
Seeing this, Calvin gripped the spear tightly with both hands, thrusting again and again with deadly precision, each strike aimed at vital points.
The woman, with lightning reflexes and a supple, agile body, swiftly dodged every thrust.
Realizing this, Calvin abruptly shifted his technique, sweeping the spear in a wide arc instead of continuing to thrust.
Immediately, Zolie reacted to the strike.
She twisted her waist and launched a lightning-fast, powerful kick, knocking the spear aside.
With just a few simple exchanges, Calvin instantly realized how formidable his opponent was. Worse still, there wasn't only one enemy.
A pair of twin blades suddenly slashed toward him from behind. Skillfully maneuvering his spear, Calvin spun and swung hard.
The weapon traced a beautiful arc through the air, deflecting the attack unleashed by the black-haired man.
Even so, Calvin could feel his hands trembling from the impact. On the other side, however, the attacker appeared calm and composed.
Both foes were far too strong. Calvin could clearly see that this meeting was nothing more than a deadly trap designed to kill him here.
Knowing his chances of victory were slim, Calvin immediately drove the butt of his spear into the floor, hoping to break it and create an escape route.
Unfortunately, the moment he did so, he felt a powerful rebound force from the ground. At the same time, both enemies lunged at him from opposite sides.
Struggling to fend them off, Calvin quickly realized what was happening.
The entire room had been prepared with magic to trap him inside. It was like being thrown into a sealed cage with two ferocious beasts.
Given enough time, Calvin could certainly destroy the magic barrier. But the beasts in the cage would never allow him that time. They would tear him apart the moment he showed even the slightest opening.
Understanding that he would surely lose if forced to fight both at once, Calvin knew he had to eliminate one opponent as quickly as possible.
Calvin: "You've underestimated me."
As he spoke, his figure seemed to vanish. The young vice guildmaster suddenly reappeared at the silver-haired woman's flank.
The spear in his hands thrust forward at terrifying speed. Its tip twisted violently, as though it had become a whirlwind, a drill capable of piercing through any target.