After the unidentified attackers fled, Imperial Vice-Captain Paulo, who was commanding the troops at Kerman Fortress, was furious and summoned his soldiers.
“Cease combat immediately! I need to have a word with the Carat Dutchy’s vice-captain!”
As Paulo ordered his troops to withdraw, the battle came to a halt.
He then stepped forward and shouted toward the border wall of the Carat Dutchy.
“Vice-Captain of the Carat Dutchy! I am Paulo, First Vice-Captain of the Imperial Border Guard! Were you truly in league with those people just now!?”
The Carat Dutchy’s Border Guard Vice-Captain, Harper, and the reinforcements led by Baren exchanged glances.
Half of it was true, and half of it wasn’t.
Fortunately, the Imperial soldiers didn’t realize that the Bunny Tribe woman who had fled with the attackers was actually their princess, Ravi.
Thanks to the tip Ravi had given them, the two captains didn’t bother arguing at length and responded in unison.
“Are you accusing us of collaborating with the Black Shadow Mercenaries? Watch your insults! We have repeatedly told you that we never killed your soldiers, but you refused to listen!”
“That’s…!”
“Or are you now trying to pin this on us just because one of them was a Bunny Tribe member!? If that’s the case, then since there were also two humans among them, should we accuse the Empire of staging the whole incident!? Those people have nothing to do with us! It’s obvious that they were scheming to provoke conflict between our nations!”
As they spoke to shift the Empire’s suspicions toward Alvis, just as Ravi had advised, they couldn’t help but lower their heads in guilt.
‘Forgive us, Your Highness! And Alvis, young man… we’re truly sorry!’
They hated that they had to frame their own princess as part of a murderous group and deny the very human who had helped them immensely.
But since this was Ravi’s will, they complied.
“Fortunately, we suffered no casualties. If the Empire ceases hostilities and withdraws, we will not pursue further responsibility! Do not cause unnecessary casualties—withdraw immediately!”
With the Carat Dutchy firmly denying any involvement and clear evidence that the Black Shadow Mercenaries had carried their own insignia, as well as the fact that they had fled deeper into Imperial territory, Paulo saw no reason to continue a meaningless skirmish.
He issued his orders.
“All troops, withdraw, leaving only the regular border guards behind! Lift the magic interference on crystal communication and inform all border outposts! The Black Shadow Mercenaries orchestrated this incident to provoke conflict with the Carat Dutchy! Cease combat immediately, withdraw from all outposts except for essential personnel, and report this to central command at once!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Imperial army swiftly relayed Paulo’s orders, and soon, every outpost along the border was informed of the situation.
Meanwhile, scattered members of the Black Shadow Mercenaries, who were still lingering in certain areas, were thrown into confusion and attempted to communicate among themselves.
“Hey, the Imperial army is withdrawing from the border?”
“They must have figured out that our mercenaries infiltrated. But how? Our unit had no issues at all…”
“Which idiots exposed their identities so blatantly!? Do they not understand the concept of a covert operation!?”
“If the Imperial army fully retreats, it’ll be difficult for us to act alone here. Now that our scheme has been exposed, using the same tactic again won’t work…”
“What should we do? Has there been any word from Lady Sophia or Sir O’Brien?”
“Nothing. If this were an unexpected development, they would have given orders by now…”
“If they’re staying silent, that means they want us to quietly withdraw. Something must have changed. Let’s regroup at the hideout and reassess.”
Completely unaware that Sophia and O’Brien were dead, the Black Shadow Mercenaries assumed their cover had been blown and began retreating, disguised as Imperial soldiers.
Somewhere in a dark, gloomy underground…
“What? The Imperial army is retreating from the Carat Dutchy’s border? What are you talking about!?”
“I ordered you to escalate the conflict and expand the frontlines! So why the hell is the Imperial army suddenly pulling out? Hey, Darius! How the hell have you been managing your subordinates!?”
At those words, the leader of the Black Shadow Mercenaries, Darius, responded in a panicked voice.
“T-That’s impossible! I specifically instructed Sophia and O’Brien to assassinate Imperial soldiers in a way that made it seem like the Carat Dutchy was responsible, at least until a full-scale war broke out between the two nations! Everything was proceeding smoothly without any issues… How did this suddenly—”
Darius had been abruptly summoned to this place, only to be reprimanded without understanding the situation.
“I-I’ll check immediately! Using the communication crystal you provided…”
But then, a member of the Underground Worms, the distortion sorcerer Bastol, shook his head.
“No, that won’t be necessary. There’s a way for us to check indirectly, right here. Dantalion.”
At Bastol’s words, a towering, beast-like figure—twice the size of an average man—waved his hand in the air, conjuring something.
A dark red sigil, emitting an ominous aura, appeared.
Though it resembled a magic circle, it was fundamentally different from magic.
Soon, the sigil flared up in an even more intense crimson blaze.
However, nothing happened.
The burning red light quickly flickered out.
The massive figure, called Dantalion, let out a low, guttural growl, baring his teeth.
“No response.”
“You mean the power we implanted?”
“Not even a trace. The power we embedded in them has been completely erased. The only thing capable of that… is the power of a goddess.”
At those words, Robert—the man infiltrating the Goddess’s Blade unit as a vice-captain—spoke up.
“Then… does that mean they’re dead?”
“They wouldn’t have let our power be taken so easily. We have to assume they’re dead. And once again, it’s that damn Apostle of the Goddess.”
Dantalion clenched his fists in rage, his body trembling. Then, with a furious stomp, he slammed both fists into the ground.
The unshackled chains hanging from his arms and legs clanged heavily against the floor.
“Again, again, AGAIN, IT’S HIM! That bastard destroyed the dungeon I was using as an experimental site! He ruined my plans in Arboness—where I was supposed to obtain flesh and blood, but only got scraps! The creature I had created with my sorcery was obliterated because of him! And now, he’s interfered AGAIN!!!”
“The one who wiped out the Gargoyle Cave in Mount Presia was him as well.”
“Vector also fell to him. Even if we’re not yet at full power, that was beyond what we had anticipated.”
Bastol and Robert chimed in, and the gathered figures in the underground chamber let out discontented murmurs.
“If we leave him alone, this will never end. If we keep allowing him to act freely, sooner or later—”
『Everything could be ruined… Is that what you’re trying to say?』
A deep, heavy voice echoed from within an even darker abyss.
At the sound of that voice, even Darius, Bastol, and Robert—let alone the monstrous Dantalion—flinched.
Sweat forming on his brow, Bastol desperately tried to calm the one speaking from the darkness.
“T-That will never happen, O Exalted One.”
『How can you guarantee that? Plans have already been thwarted multiple times. The only reason you and your group are still alive is because you were the most competent and cunning among them.
I have tolerated you for many years, expecting you to use that cunning to succeed. But now, are you about to hand over everything to some mere street rat, just when success is within reach? Do you even realize who will bear the brunt of my wrath if that happens?』
“O-Of course not. How could I ever forget?”
『The very fact that I am forced to crawl around at your level is due to your own greed. The only reason I haven’t burned your souls to ashes on the spot is because I still need you to accomplish my goals.
But if your incompetence continues to delay me…』
RUMBLE!
The underground cavern shook violently.
Everyone present immediately prostrated themselves before the voice in the darkness.
“W-We will succeed! There will be no more failures! Please, grant us your patience!”
“P-Please grant us your patience!”
An invisible pressure crushed down on them, nearly bursting their bodies apart.
All of them instinctively dropped to their hands and knees, unable to move.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the suffocating force vanished.
They gasped for air, drenched in cold sweat.
『You have six months.』
The voice in the darkness spoke calmly.
『Within that time, complete everything. Silence the goddess’s final resistance, eliminate her apostle, and reclaim the power. Then, conduct the ritual so that I may regain my full form. Considering how much time you’ve already been given, I doubt you would dare to call six months too short.』
“O-Of course not, O Exalted One.”
『The fact that I still cannot personally act and take care of everything myself is driving me mad with frustration. Do not test my patience any further. My tolerance is starting to wear…』
The voice suddenly cut off as if sensing something.
『A guest has arrived. I will go and greet them. Do not take my warnings lightly.』
As the presence in the darkness vanished, the remaining figures—Darius and the underground dwellers—let out a breath of relief, wiping away their cold sweat.
“Bastol, among the Imperial soldiers, there must be some who have seen the goddess’s apostle with their own eyes. Gather all possible information on him and have the emperor issue a bounty. Once we confirm his identity, I will also manipulate that empty-shell crusader into issuing an execution order, claiming that the apostle is an imposter.”
“Once we obtain the information, we’ll reconvene. Dantalion, if necessary, you may have to forcefully unleash your power and fight him directly.”
“That’s music to my ears.”
After issuing commands, Bastol turned to Darius.
“Darius, once rumors of the crusader spread, gather all your mercenaries and prepare to eliminate him.”
“I shall heed our client’s request.”
A portal opened in a grand temple, radiating with brilliant sunlight.
It was nighttime in the outside world, but in this sacred place, neither night nor moonlight could penetrate.
Only the radiant sun illuminated everything.
Returning to his domain, the owner of the voice opened a door with a warm, benevolent smile.
A beautiful woman with flowing blue hair rushed inside in a panic.
“How long has it been? Feels like thousands of years, Linialas. Is this the first time since that day?”
“Solaris! It’s terrible! Lunarine… Lunarine was killed by the underground dwellers! The last of our kind has been murdered—”
Mid-sentence, Linian’s eyes widened, and she abruptly stopped in her tracks.
She tensed, assuming a battle stance, her voice shaking with disbelief.
“Solaris… What are you? What the hell are you? Why… why do you have the same aura as those underground vermin?”
The man, a strikingly handsome figure with black hair streaked with white strands—the “Only Son of the Sun,” Solaris—gazed at the blue-haired woman, “Daughter of the Three Shining Stars,” Linian, and smiled softly.
“For a reunion after all these years, your greeting seems rather hostile, Linialas.”