Erin gazed quietly at Ferdin who was lying before her.

After receiving healing from Isis’s holy power, Ferdin’s condition had visibly improved. Lilia, who was standing behind Erin watching the scene, broke the silence.

“Ferdin will open his eyes soon.”

Hearing Lilia’s words, Erin rose from her seat. She had come to see Ferdin one last time before leaving.

Watching Erin, Lilia squeezed her eyes shut.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay until Ferdin wakes up?”

Erin nodded slightly at Lilia’s question.

According to the mysterious woman, the Emperor was prepared to massacre people using monsters at any moment.

She couldn’t simply stand by and watch this happen. Erin asked Lilia to use spatial teleportation magic to send her to the Duke’s residence.

The Marquis Liserth household commanded over a hundred private soldiers. To send them to the capital without the Emperor’s knowledge, she needed Lilia’s power.

While Lilia went to use large-scale spatial teleportation magic on the household troops, Erin planned to reveal the truth to the Duke and seek his help.

“Erin, I know Duke Asili has helped you several times before. But this time might be different,” Lilia cautioned.

“…”

“I believe you, but… others might not.”

“Trying is the only option we have.”

Lilia hesitated before continuing. “I discovered something while researching the medicine you brought from the west.”

“…”

“I found an herb component in that medicine that suppresses mana. I also uncovered evidence that someone has been buying this herb in large quantities for years.”

“That someone must be the Emperor.”

“At least that’s what I suspect. But I need more time to trace the buyer. If we can prove the Emperor purchased these herbs, Duke Asili would surely believe you…”

“Lady Lilia.”

Erin interrupted her and looked directly at her. “We don’t have time to wait. If Duke Asili doesn’t believe that monsters are hidden beneath the Imperial Palace… I’ll have to go alone.”

Thanks to what happened in the west, exposing Corelia’s crimes would be easy. But matters concerning the Emperor carried much more weight. As Lilia suggested, Duke Asili might not believe her.

‘But facing that many monsters would be impossible with just the Marquis’s troops alone.’

Without Duke Asili’s strength, they might fail to protect the innocent people in the palace. The knights and soldiers would struggle just to prevent monsters from reaching civilian areas.

Just then, a familiar voice reached Erin’s ears.

“There’s no need for such thoughts.”

Erin turned around in surprise. She had sensed someone using spatial teleportation magic to enter the mansion, but she never expected Duke Asili to appear.

Lilia also looked at the Duke with startled eyes.

In that moment, Erin’s eyes met Duke Asili’s.

“I meant you needn’t worry about me not believing you.”

“Duke?”

The Duke frowned and muttered, “I believe you. No, I have no choice but to believe you.”

He understood why his daughter had conveyed the truth to him. Without the Princess’s words, he would not have believed Erin’s claims without proper evidence.

But after his daughter spoke of prophecies about the Emperor, she had lost consciousness. So he had no choice but to believe that monsters were hidden in the palace.

“Now, what do you plan to do?”

* * *

The Imperial Palace spire.

Ditrion stood there looking down at the streets beyond the palace walls.

In the bustling streets, he saw a child helping his grandfather carry fruit.

The Emperor often complained that the Empire, which should be stronger than any other nation, had too many useless people. Ditrion agreed with the Emperor’s assessment. Such weak, useless humans were ruining the Empire.

He turned his gaze behind him. Corelia was watching him with a bandage wrapped around one arm.

“Are you alright? You seem badly injured.”

“It’s not a serious wound. I can still fight well enough.”

Ditrion nodded at Corelia’s response.

“So Marquis Liserth survived after all?”

“I apologize. I didn’t anticipate the First Knight Order would use spatial teleportation magic… They moved faster than expected, and things went awry.”

“It’s fine. Corelia Liserth’s identity no longer matters anyway.”

Ditrion said this with a sinister smile.

“Even if Erin and the Marquis discover the truth, there’s nothing they can do.”

Corelia nodded with a smile at Ditrion’s words.

As he said, even if her identity had been exposed, that was as far as it went. If Marquis Liserth questioned whether Corelia was truly a member of the imperial family, evidence had been fabricated long ago.

If questioned about her crimes or whereabouts, she could simply deny everything.

“They have no idea what’s about to happen. As long as Duke Asili doesn’t move immediately, we’ll be fine.”

“…”

“I’ll take the lead in our upcoming grand endeavor. It would be wise to send the Duke to the border as a precaution.”

Ditrion continued with a confident voice.

“After that day, even Duke Asili won’t be able to stand against us.”

* * *

Upon arriving at the Duke’s residence, Erin felt something was off.

The mansion, which had been lively when she left, was now wrapped in heavy silence.

‘The Princess is nowhere to be seen.’

The Princess should have been the first to run out and wait for her upon hearing news of her arrival.

Erin could sense the Princess’s presence inside the Duke’s residence, but that was all. She remained motionless, like someone in a deep sleep.

Erin felt a sense of foreboding. Until now, the Princess had continued making prophecies to protect her loved ones.

She turned to Duke Asili standing beside her and asked, “The Princess…?”

“The Princess is resting, seemingly exhausted. More importantly, explain to me what you saw.”

Erin described what she had witnessed through the necklace. The woman she met through the necklace, the underground area of the palace she was shown, and the monsters trapped in iron cages. Without evidence, it sounded like an absurd tale.

Duke Asili listened to her words and nodded quietly. He didn’t doubt her.

“It will take time for Lady Lilia to perform a large-scale spatial teleportation spell alone.”

“That’s fine. We plan to infiltrate at night anyway.”

Nothing could be more foolish than heading toward the palace with swords drawn in broad daylight.

“What do you intend to do?”

“As soon as all preparations are complete, we’ll eliminate all the monsters in the palace basement.”

“…”

“Before the Emperor releases them to harm people. Of course… the vanguard will be myself, you, and the First Knight Order. The Marquis’s knights and soldiers will only handle monsters we fail to eliminate.”

“…”

“We’re not trying to start a war. I’ll do my best to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.”

The Duke gazed steadily at Erin. Looking at her reminded him of his daughter.

Duke Asili didn’t know exactly how large the monster horde beneath the palace was. He could only guess their numbers were unimaginably vast, enough to fill the underground space.

Yet Erin, who had seen the monster horde firsthand, showed no fear on her face.

“The location is the Imperial Palace. We may end up facing humans, not just monsters.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

Duke Asili suddenly felt compelled to ask, “Aren’t you afraid?”

Erin looked directly into Duke Asili’s eyes at his question.

“You might die. You could simply pretend not to know about this situation and avoid entering the palace basement.”

“…”

“The people you’re trying to save have no connection to you. Why risk your life for them?”

Erin looked down at her hands in response to his question. For some reason, she felt the Duke’s question was directed at someone else, not her.

Erin’s face contorted.

‘Could it be… the Princess…?’

She instinctively clutched her necklace. For a moment, the necklace gleamed.

Erin answered the Duke’s question.

“I too… was once protected by others.”

“…”

“Thanks to them, I was able to continue living.”

Duke Asili looked at Erin with puzzlement.

Erin had become a Sword Master in her twenties. Reaching that level at such a young age meant she had never experienced weakness in her life.

Yet she spoke as if she had truly been weak once.

Duke Asili couldn’t understand her words.

But just as he did with the Princess when she made incomprehensible statements, he didn’t press further about Erin’s past.

Erin added casually, “In truth, I have no other choice. There’s someone I must meet at the palace.”

The Duke sensed a chilling anger from her.

“We’ll depart as soon as the Marquis’s troops arrive.”

* * *

The sun that had hung in the middle of the sky had already disappeared.

The streets of the capital were quiet as darkness descended. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky.

Erin looked up at the heavens.

“The weather couldn’t be worse…”

Raindrops began to fall one by one on her cheeks. The massive Imperial Palace exuded a more sinister atmosphere than ever before.

Behind Erin stood Duke Asili, his knight order, and the Marquis’s private soldiers.

Duke Asili turned around and addressed the Marquis’s knights and soldiers.

“I, the First Knight Order, and Lady Erin will enter the palace basement. The rest of you go to your designated positions and stand by.”

“…”

“K*ll any monsters and protect the people, ensuring they don’t escape beyond the palace walls.”

With those words, the Duke rushed toward the Imperial Palace. Erin and the First Knight Order followed behind him.