Lervand Kingdom – Capital Biston
In the capital city of Biston, inside the royal palace of the Lervand Kingdom, a private meeting was being held—
not in a war room…
but in a grand dining hall.
A long table stretched across the room, decorated with fine silverware and untouched dishes. The soft golden light of chandeliers reflected across the polished surface.
Despite the setting meant for meals…
no one touched the food.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
At the head of the table sat King Veld, his calm yet commanding presence dominating the room.
To his left sat Yen Kaguraza, his sharp eyes quietly observing everything.
To his right sat Alice Musk, her blonde hair resting gently over her shoulders, her black eyes still and unreadable—her beauty unmatched.
Both of them were summoned heroes.
Beside Alice sat Army Commander Arnold, his posture rigid like a soldier ready for war.
Next to Yen sat Financial Minister Sam Riot, his expression thoughtful.
Beside him was Military Chief Kiora, and next to him sat Foreign Minister Falcon.
King Veld finally spoke—
"This meeting has been kept private… which is why most people have not been called."
Before he could continue—
the air suddenly distorted.
A ripple spread through the room, bending light for a brief moment.
From that distortion, two figures appeared.
Dressed in black, they immediately knelt.
One was a boy with a single horn emerging from his head.
The other—an elf girl, silent and still.
"Null. Ciel."
King Veld's voice remained steady.
"What news do you bring at this hour?"
Null lowered his head.
"Your Majesty… a corpse has been found in the Strom Jungle near the capital."
A brief pause.
"…After investigation, it appears to be the work of a demon."
Silence fell.
Even the faint flicker of light seemed louder.
King Veld closed his eyes for a moment.
"…Understood. You may leave."
As suddenly as they arrived—
they vanished.
Arnold leaned forward slightly.
"Your Majesty, if you permit me, I will personally track down that demon in the jungle. It won't be able to escape."
Sam spoke, concern visible in his voice—
"But what is the demon's true objective? There must be something that attracted it here…"
Kiora followed firmly—
"Whatever the reason, we must capture it quickly. If this news spreads, fear will grow among the people."
Sam added,
"We should consult the Temple and the demon hunters. We don't even know the demon's rank."
King Veld nodded slowly.
"…You are right."
Yen finally spoke—
"I will send a report to the guild and assign A-rank adventurers to this task… discreetly."
King Veld turned toward Falcon.
"Inform the neighboring kingdoms."
A pause—
"Tomorrow, we will visit the Temple."
His voice lowered slightly.
"This meeting is over."
Chairs shifted as everyone began to stand.
"…Sam."
The king's voice stopped him.
Sam turned immediately.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"The ritual we performed… for the welfare of the kingdom."
A moment of silence passed.
"Is it stable now?"
Sam hesitated slightly.
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
Then, more quietly—
"But… it is possible that the demon's target could be… that."
The air grew heavier.
King Veld stood and placed a firm hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Then it is your responsibility."
His voice carried weight.
"You must protect it."
Sam lowered his head deeply.
"You can trust me, Your Majesty."
From behind—
Yen spoke calmly.
"Your Majesty… why not use the new weapon?"
King Veld's expression showed slight concern.
"…Do you think those weapons will work against that demon?"
Yen replied without hesitation—
"If it has absorbed any lifeform… then those weapons will definitely affect it."
A brief silence.
Then—
"…Very well."
King Veld agreed.
"We will proceed as you suggest."
Outside the Palace
As Sam stepped out of the palace,
The world looked calm—
but his heart was not.
Near the gate, a figure stood waiting.
"…Null."
Without wasting time, Null spoke—
"Kondo has captured members of the Red Group."
Sam froze.
"…What?!"
His voice shook.
"My son… is he alright? He's not hurt, is he?!"
For a moment, his breath felt stuck.
Null looked at him calmly.
"He's completely fine."
A pause.
"But… it is possible that the Red Group will now target him."
"Be careful."
Relief washed over Sam—
but worry remained.
"…Thank you."
Before he could say more—
Null disappeared.
Moments later, Sam quickly boarded his carriage and left for home.
The wheels moved fast along the palace road.
He wanted to reach home as soon as possible.
From a palace window above—
two figures silently watched the departing carriage.
"…So his name is Kondo."
Yen muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Alice gave a faint smile…
and quietly walked away.
Yen's sharp gaze remained fixed on the carriage.
The wind outside began to grow stronger.
For a brief moment—
his reflection in the glass looked almost… distorted.
BAM!
His fist slammed into the wall.
Without another word—
he turned and left.
Far North – Heavenly Kingdom
Far to the north…
beyond the reach of ordinary lands—
a meeting was taking place within the
IN NORTH - Heavenly Kingdom.
The chamber was vast… yet strangely silent.
The air felt heavy—
unnaturally still.
Faint light drifted through the space, but no clear source could be seen.
Around a large table, the caretakers of the Seven Gods were gathered.
Among them, only two were physically present.
The remaining seats were occupied by floating spheres of light, hovering silently above their chairs.
From within those spheres—
voices echoed.
Distorted.
Heavy.
Almost inhuman.
Hidden behind a curtain, a figure silently took a seat—
listening.
One of the spheres spoke—
"The statue of the Healing God has begun to weep…"
"Unrest is spreading among the followers. This must be resolved quickly."
Another voice responded—
"We must act carefully. A wrong decision could destroy our reputation."
A calm voice cut through—
Lady Shuna, caretaker of the Light God.
Dressed in purple, her eyes covered with a blindfold—
"This is not the time for us to step forward."
"If anything happens… the Heavenly Knights will handle it."
Beside her, Ms. Kin, caretaker of the Dark God, spoke—
"I completely agree. We should not act hastily."
Another sphere spoke sharply—
"We cannot sit idle. We are becoming financially weak."
"We must draw people toward us."
"If needed… we will eliminate monsters in the name of the goddess."
A pause—
"And Ms. Kin… I do not want a repeat of last time."
The air grew tense.
Another voice intervened—
"We should not argue among ourselves."
"We must calmly eliminate the rumors spreading among the people."
"As for monsters… the guild has always been aligned with us."
Then—
Ms. Kin spoke again.
"…A demon has entered the Verland Kingdom."
For a moment—
complete silence.
"We can use it."
Lady Shuna stood.
"I will leave this matter to the Heavenly Knights."
"And I will speak with King Veld."
The next moment—
she disappeared.
"…Then this meeting is over."
Ms. Kin vanished as well.
One by one—
the floating spheres disappeared.
Even the hidden figure behind the curtain quietly stood up…
and left.
Heavenly Knights
Among the remaining—
Ms. Ishita stepped forward.
"Everyone has heard the discussion."
"For this mission… I, Geld, Arvind, and Pail will go."
She turned slightly.
"Gin. Fens. You will remain here and protect the Temple."
"And if the remaining seven commanders return from the Polard Kingdom…"
"Give them this report."
Fens hesitated.
"…Ms. Ishita, do you think four commanders will be enough?"
Gin immediately interrupted—
"Oi! Are you questioning her strength?"
"Do you even know how powerful she is? She fought a Demon Lord alone."
Geld spoke seriously—
"But we still don't know what kind of demon has entered the human lands."
"Is it from the Demon King… or from Demon Lord Roy of the underworld?"
Pail added—
"That's the problem. We don't even know its traits."
Arvind smirked confidently—
"Whatever it is… I'll handle it."
After hearing everyone—
Ishita spoke calmly.
"This demon is most likely connected to the Demon King."
"We have already spoken with Demon Lord Roy."
"He has no interest in such methods."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Which means this demon likely escaped from the Demon Realm."
A pause.
"That's enough discussion."
"As soon as Lady Shuna's message arrives—"
"We move."
All of them responded in unison—
"As you command."