Muho, who returned to the practice field, had an unsatisfied expression. He felt disappointed upon hearing the news that his disciple had suddenly left while he was away, claiming to have gone to the bathroom but actually engaging in self-pleasure.

“Are you sure it’s okay to let her go alone?”

“Are you feeling well?”

Elion asked, handing the leftover chicken soup to Muho, which he had given to Rosé without any explanation. Muho, who received the cup in surprise, wrinkled his nose as if he could smell something unpleasant.

“What is this all of a sudden…?”

“You’ve been discharging consecutively for two days, so I thought you needed nutritional replenishment.”

Even though he hadn’t even tasted the soup, Muho coughed as if he had swallowed something bitter. Despite wanting to scold that shameless fellow, who was shameless enough to make a fuss, he couldn’t say anything wrong and felt a pang of conscience.

“I never expected it to turn out like this! That girl would grow up like that, damn it!”

“So, you kept hesitating?”

“Well, that’s… reflexively, without even realizing it!”

“From now on, look into your disciple’s eyes and teach her, just as you did to me.”

“Psh!”

Muho had no excuse and awkwardly scratched his throat. As a man, how could he not look at those magnificent br*asts? It’s scary just to look at her eyes and have a conversation…

Muho briefly cooled his flushed face with embarrassment and spoke up after a moment.

“By the way, that guy’s barrier has gotten a little weird, I think it’s since she got back from the island, any ideas?”

At first, it seemed like it was surrounded by opaque glass, but now it had a cross-like mark in that glass. What could it have to do with her sudden br*ast growth?

“She used a drug that contains magic power during the experiment. It could be a side effect.”

Unaware of the fact that Dain confused the red herb extract with the extract of a giant red rose, Elion simply believed that the drug had enlarged Rosé’s br*asts and caused the mark on the barrier.

Muho tried to find the cause even by closing his eyes tightly, but the barrier of another world was unfamiliar to him, making it impossible to form a hypothesis.

Damn it, I don’t know. What was happening right in front of him was more important.

“Is the information about the mutation certain?”

A mutation boundary. Unlike a normal boundary, it was a kind of mutation that allowed demons to appear unrelated to their measurement rank, making them difficult to control, and their rank would increase over time.

“The measurement is a class 3, but it will rise to class 1 by tomorrow.”

“You crazy bastard! I told you to throw me into class 3 or 2. When did I mention class 1!”

Muho jumped up, swinging his staff. If his frail body entered class 1 territory, he would be unable to retaliate and would die within 10 minutes.

“The Blue Knights will act.”

“Those punks?”

The Blue Knights. The so-called guardians of the empire, created by the previous emperor from the descendants of witches. But the thought of them spitting on his disciple’s funeral made Muho shudder.

“The Blue Knights will close the boundaries today. So, there will be no chance of it becoming class 1.”

“Yeah. If proper guys come, that is.”

Muho grumbled, placing the staff on his shoulder. Well, he had no choice but to watch. To break the barriers from another world, he had to go to the brink of death.

The sunset was gradually disappearing in the sky. Muho, who was silently looking at it, suddenly asked his disciple.

“Aren’t you uneasy?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You said the girl’s face was similar to that brat.”

Was it the appearance of possession? Elion responded with a smirk.

“The real one had black hair and black eyes.”

“But it still resembles her now… “

“Because it’s the husk that person made.”

Orange hair and dark brown eyes. I see where you’re going with this, but if it was meant to draw out his agitation, it failed. How could he be anything like her, with her face revealing all her deviousness?

“Do you still miss her?”

Elion unknowingly clenched his fist. The tower collapsed, and for a while, he resented her.

There were times when he regretted not taking her. But were there any moments when he didn’t long for her?

“It’s been over 20 years. I don’t remember.”

But Elion sealed his feelings for her in a few words.

Muho looked at his disciple’s side face and smiled wryly. The expression on his face wasn’t the indifference of a forgotten person, but the affection of a beloved one.

“There cannot be a father who doesn’t long for his daughter.”

Muho looked up at the darkening sky. A world that scorns a father who wishes for his daughter. What a cruel world.

•·················•·················•

Monchen Capital.

The cadets in training were stirred by the appearance of the Blue Knight Order in full regalia.

Leading the group were Raiden and Patrick, indicating that the knights from the First Division, who had closed the borders two days ago in Troden and returned, had arrived.

Even though the members of the White Knight Order were starting to withdraw, half of the Blue Knight Order, who were as determined as ever, suffered fatal injuries due to the Troden border incident, with half of them even losing their lives.

Commander Raiden and Deputy Commander Patrick were also in a dire situation. Raiden had lost one eye, while Patrick had lost an arm and suffered severe burns on half of his face.

If they hadn’t Awakened, these wounds would have been lifelong injuries. Nevertheless, without replenishing their ‘Hex’ abilities, the source of their powers, in the intensive care room, they remained in a dangerous state.

The remaining knights were in similar conditions, needing treatment ranging from minor fractures to magical detoxification.

Despite the concerns of the cadets, Raiden and Patrick led their knights into the headquarters.

The Imperial Knights’ headquarters, located in this place, which the enemy knights rarely visited due to protecting the ‘unclosed perimeters’ defense and frequent patrolling by the White Knight Order, mainly belonged to the Blue Knight Order’s knights.

It was a suitable place for gathering intelligence in Monchen Capital and, since it shared the officer academy and drill grounds, it was also useful for recruiting new members.

It was also an ideal location for devising strategies when mutant boundaries like today emerged.

Upon finding the commander’s office, Raiden sensed the seriousness of the situation when he saw the door open without knocking. The knights behind him also had a foreboding feeling, causing them to swallow dryly.

Raiden took the lead and pushed open the commander’s office door. Without having to wait, a dry voice could be heard.

“Come in.”

The silence in the commander’s office was an ominous sign, especially when Elinia was present.

She, the best in the Empire, with her predictive abilities, was moving the stones on an unfolded map. In front of her, Commander Emmett was rubbing his chin with a grave expression.

Raiden, who had not even screamed when he had his eye devoured by a cannibalistic monster, felt beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

“Ten days ago, it was clearly Grade 3 in the detection. It was a Grade 3 that was close to Grade 4 classification. Is the mutation real, Elinia?”

Without hiding her unease, Elinia pointed to the magic stone without saying a word.

108 years ago, this magic stone was discovered in a Grade 1 boundary that had driven an entire aristocratic family to death. It was also called ‘Curbstone’ as it appeared to emit smoke from within.

As the presence of strong magic approached, the smoke turned black, but the curbstone placed on the map was shining gray. It was at least Grade 2, or most likely Grade 1 magic.

Although rare, there were occasional instances where monsters with high-level magic appeared in boundaries below Grade 3.

“Commander, where are the remaining divisions?”

Patrick, who was surveying the commander’s office, asked with a trembling voice.

Except for the Fifth Division, which was in operation when the Troden boundary appeared, all other divisions had gathered in the commander’s office.

But the only division currently present in the commander’s office was the First Division, which was injured and barely able to stand.

“The members of the Third Division are performing their duties in Kenben. The rest of the divisions…?”

“Are you requesting dismissal?”

As Raiden’s boiling voice intervened, Emmett remained silent, his face expressionless.

Emmett couldn’t find any words of comfort for Raiden, who had been a long-time friend. When a division suffered significant casualties in a boundary, there was almost always an occurrence.

A collective request for dismissal.

The determination to protect the empire and its people crumbled too easily in the face of the fear of death.

Even the commanders who had closed numerous boundaries with great pride left the Blue Knight Order out of fear that they might be next.

There were times when they enforced imperial law to prevent troop losses, but eventually, as knights crossed the borders, the judges gave up and acknowledged their right to retire.

As history always dictated, the Blue Knight Order would be replenished with new members. They carried the passion for doing what is right, the determination to save the imperial citizens, and the pride of being chosen as Blue Knight.

Even now, the Imperial Academy is filled with cadets who are training hard for those three dreams.

Many of them would fail in the face of their comrades’ deaths, but in the end, the Blue Knights would have promising knights.

It was just that today was not the day.

“Where is it? Chief.”

Raiden asked. Although the guilt of not protecting his comrades and causing damage to the entire corps had pushed him into a corner, he couldn’t afford to let his emotions explode right now.

If only they had time to hire mercenaries, but unfortunately, the gate was already open and time was running out.

If the perimeter expanded over time, the entire town–or even the neighboring cities–would be in danger. For now, they had to get in. Emmett answered in a steady voice.

“It’s Bistiman.”

“If it’s Bistiman…….”

“That famous city with Blue Rock.”

Elinia said, scanning the map with her finger. The Blue Rock mansion in Bistiman, where Lian Mora, who conquered the Tower of Disorder, lived until the end.

It was a fact that everyone who had once admired him knew. Now, most of them have turned against Lian Mora.

The tower granted one wish to whoever reached its summit. At that time, everyone believed that hero Lian would pray for the peace of the empire without any doubt.

But when the tower disappeared and the boundary reappeared six months later, how frustrated those who believed in Lian were.

There were various opinions among the people about what Lian wished for, but one thing was certain. Lian did not wish for peace.

“What bad luck. Damn it.”

Patrick openly expressed his anger and gnawed on his lips.

Everyone in the commander’s office was on the same page as him, but they tried to hold back their words by biting their lips. Raiden, who was looking at the map quietly, said:

“The closest route is Shemdon. We’ll approach Bistiman by riding there.”

There were a total of seventeen unclosed perimeters in the empire, and Shemdon was one of them.

The passage describes a corridor known as ‘Tongro,’ which was ingeniously designed by the powerful witch, Feldin, for the Blue Knights’ use. It was an artificial creation that maintained the boundary where the demons vanished, using the Hex.

The passages were connected to each other, allowing for swift movement even over long distances. There was also a passage in Monchen, so it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to get there.

“It takes an hour from Shemdon to Bistiman. Give the order to mobilize immediately.”

Elinia glanced at Emmett, who was deep in thought. The lives of the members of the First Division now depended on his single command as their commander.

From top cadet at the Military Academy to a member of the First Division, then becoming a commander, and finally the Chief leader.

In the Green Knight Order, where the average term was about two years, Emmett survived eight years, facing numerous deaths. He was Monchen’s pillar and hope.

That’s why his words struck Raiden and the other members of the First Division with a profound shock.

“I’m going with you.”

“You can’t, Chief!”

“This is out of the question!”

Raiden and Patrick shouted in voices almost like screams on behalf of the members who had no speaking rights.

Even when everyone set out, the Imperial Army, especially the Chief of the Imperial Army, had to protect Monchen.

The royal family would never allow him to leave Monchen. It had been that way until now, and it would continue to be so in the future.

But the burden of guilt weighed not only on Raiden alone.

As the leader of the Blue Knights, Emmett should have been able to convince the members of the Order to dismiss him, and the despair of not being able to do so broke Emmett’s heart as he watched them die.

“I do not accept disagreements.”

As Emmett drew his sword, only the silent sound of breathing echoed inside the chamber.

The Sword of Lanis. It was a so-called copy of the Asker’s sword, the saber of the House of Moir and renowned for its resistance to magic.

It was crafted using the finest magical stones, and many comrades had sacrificed for its creation.

Emmett hadn’t wielded the Sword of Lanis in the past three years. But at this moment, he had no choice but to grasp the price paid by his comrades to protect the others once again.

“Elinia.”

Upon Emmett’s call, Elinia nodded with a determined expression. Then she began drawing the formula of Hex that leads to the Monchen passage.

By using the formula known only to a few witches Feldin organized, they could reach the hidden passage in the Monchen underground tunnel.

After a moment, Elinia confirmed that everyone was standing inside the circle and struck the center with her wand. Almost simultaneously, the twenty-six knights filling the chamber disappeared.