Silence filled the room after Alexis finished speaking. Ferdin stared at Alexis with a hardened expression.

“Please use spatial teleportation magic to take us to the imperial palace.”

“…”

“I’ll join Duke Asili’s knights to subjugate the monsters right away.”

“Does this mean you’re requesting the Magic Tower’s assistance?”

Alexis tilted his head. He narrowed his eyes as he met Ferdin’s gaze.

“Tell me, Your Highness. Are you truly prepared for this?”

Alexis smiled at Ferdin, his expression somewhat provocative.

“Only the Emperor can command me…”

He was right. Only the Emperor of the Empire could command Alexis. Ferdin knew this fact very well.

This was precisely why Erin and Duke Asili couldn’t enlist the Magic Tower’s help during their monster subjugation at the palace.

Ferdin nodded.

“That’s exactly why I’m asking.”

“…”

“We have no time. Let’s move as quickly as possible.”

Alexis smiled with satisfaction at Ferdin’s response. With an exaggerated bow, he replied.

“I shall obey your command.”

* * *

Erin looked down at Ditrion. She hadn’t killed him. She couldn’t become a monster consumed by hatred who would destroy herself.

‘I can’t kill Ditrion in this situation.’

This life was a gift from Ferdin. She couldn’t throw away the opportunity he had given her out of anger.

‘But I can’t just leave him be either.’

If Ditrion managed to control the monsters, the situation would become even more troublesome.

However, driving the sword into his shoulder was partly motivated by personal feelings. There were many other ways to subdue him.

‘This was only possible because Ditrion was off guard…’

Excruciating pain enveloped her entire body.

She had heard that ancient magic was more powerful than modern magic, and its effects were indeed formidable.

Erin could no longer use one of her arms. She tore her outer garment to firmly secure her bloodied arm.

When Erin looked ahead, she saw monsters swarming in front of the iron bars.

She had hidden herself inside the open cell immediately after knocking Ditrion unconscious.

His claim about controlling the monsters was true.

The moment Ditrion lost consciousness, the monsters began rushing to kill her.

‘He said he didn’t want me to get hurt.’

She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly as she recalled his words. If Ditrion had been sincere, he would have ordered the monsters not to attack her.

But the monsters were charging at her with murderous intent.

‘Perhaps he ordered them to kill anyone who attacked him.’

Whatever the truth was, it didn’t matter to her. She hadn’t expected anything from Ditrion anyway.

At that moment, Erin spotted a monster trying to tear through the exit.

Grrrr—

Grr—

She could hear the monsters’ howls. She couldn’t stand by and listen to their blood-thirsty cries any longer.

Erin opened the cell door. Instantly, the monsters began rushing toward her.

“I won’t die.”

Erin muttered without realizing it. With her creaking body, she charged forward.

Slash, slash, and slash again.

She cut down countless monsters. The arm of a frantically charging monster went flying.

Multiple monsters were sliced apart in an instant by the mana infused in her sword.

Not once did her sword move without purpose.

Sword Master—the state all knights aspired to reach. Erin unleashed her skills and talents without restraint.

This was different from the west. Back then, she had put her heart into every swing of her sword for the nameless knights in the journal.

‘I don’t know who these people were. But I hope they can find peace more quickly…’

Erin didn’t spare her body. A long gash appeared on her shoulder.

The monsters charged at her with gaping mouths.

On her arms, legs, neck.

Wounds began to multiply.

The monsters started falling more slowly. Simultaneously, deep wounds increased across her body.

She had no sense of how much time had passed.

Judging by the pile of monster corpses at her feet, considerable time had elapsed since the battle began.

Through her necklace, she confirmed that monsters were scattered throughout the underground. Unfortunately, the room she was in contained an abnormal number of monsters.

Erin felt her vision growing blurry.

‘My body feels heavier.’

A monster that had climbed to the ceiling suddenly pounced on her from above. Though she quickly severed its neck, she sustained a major wound.

As the strong scent of blood filled the air, the monsters before her grew more frenzied.

Still, Erin didn’t back down.

She stood in front of the underground entrance.

Not a single monster could be allowed to escape from here.

‘I’ve taken down almost all of them…’

The arm holding her sword was trembling.

She could feel it instinctively. She had reached her limit.

An irresistible drowsiness washed over her. Her body was signaling her to close her eyes right there. But if she closed her eyes now, she would become monster food.

‘No, I’m alone. If I close my eyes here, the monsters will…’

There was no one who could help her. Then—

A surprisingly familiar voice reached Erin’s ears.

“Lady Erin.”

Simultaneously, someone’s strong arms supported her. A warm body embraced her.

She wondered if she had unconsciously lost consciousness.

‘A dream? Or am I seeing an illusion? Why am I hearing Lord Ferdin’s voice…?’

Erin slowly raised her head. Ferdin was looking at her, sword in hand.

He swung his sword at a monster approaching Erin.

“My god, did you take down all these monsters alone?”

Erin turned her head to the side. Ferdin wasn’t alone.

Behind him, she saw an unfamiliar man approaching. The man, Alexis, exclaimed in admiration as he looked at Erin.

“Duke Asili mentioned a few months ago… that he had seen an exceptional knight. Is that you? No, this goes beyond merely exceptional.”

“Tower Master, Lady Erin is a Sword Master, so naturally… Erin!”

Lilia’s scream rang out.

Erin murmured in a voice devoid of reality.

“The monsters… I need to protect people… They’re too strong for ordinary knights to face. You must flee quickly…”

Ferdin firmly supported her waist with one arm, holding her close.

“Lady Erin, don’t worry.”

“…”

“I understand what concerns you. You can rest now.”

The moment he finished speaking, Erin felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

She lost consciousness right there.

Alexis clicked his tongue as he looked at Erin. It was a miracle she had maintained consciousness with such injuries.

“She has monstrous skill and mental fortitude comparable to Duke Asili’s.”

He began using magic to deal with the remaining monsters.

With the mages from the Magic Tower also helping, they could clear out the remaining monsters faster than expected.

It wasn’t difficult since Erin had already eliminated most of the monsters.

‘These monsters are too powerful for one person to handle alone. Medium-grade, no—most are nearly high-grade.’

Alexis looked at Ferdin.

Having laid Erin down near the exit while dealing with monsters, Ferdin showed no intention of leaving her side once the situation was under control.

“Your Highness, all monsters have been eliminated.”

At his words, Ferdin carefully lifted Erin into his arms.

Looking at her, Alexis furrowed his brow. He had noticed that the injury to her arm wasn’t caused by monsters.

“So this is why you said we needed to go where ancient magic was used.”

Just as he finished speaking, Lilia’s voice rang out.

“Prince Ditrion is here!”

* * *

Corelia was rapidly fleeing into the forest. She surveyed the knights beside her.

She had lost all the monsters in the palace. All she had left were a few knights.

Ditrion’s fate remained unknown. Corelia couldn’t believe the current situation.

She muttered in a daze.

“How on earth…”

Corelia couldn’t understand.

When did everything start to go wrong?

Ditrion had planned to use monsters to attack civilians in a few days.

‘Why would Duke Asili…’

Corelia thought she had Duke Asili figured out. He wasn’t someone who would betray the imperial family without certainty.

Yet contrary to her expectations, Duke Asili had stormed the palace.

‘What prompted Duke Asili to act?’

That wasn’t all. Duke Asili and Erin, who had boldly entered the palace, somehow knew exactly where to go—straight to the underground where they slaughtered the monsters.

As soon as she heard the commotion, Corelia began to flee. It was an instinctive action.

She was certain that staying in the palace would lead to a terrible death.

‘Strange, this is too strange.’

Corelia trembled.

It seemed almost like someone knew their plans and was deliberately interfering.

Few people knew about the monsters in the palace.

Only the Emperor, Ditrion, and the knights by her side knew.

There couldn’t be a traitor among the knights who would die without receiving the antidote.

‘I need to find His Majesty. Without him, we can’t face Duke Asili and Erin.’

Corelia thought this as she looked back at the imperial knights. Just then, one knight asked her.

“Lady Corelia, where should we go?”

Corelia wore an anxious expression at the knight’s question. She wasn’t sure if her current choice was the right one.

It was unlike the typically confident Corelia.

“For now… we head to Liserth Territory.”