The puppet raised its staff.
It didn't move otherwise—no shift in stance, no visible tension—yet the air around it thickened with dark mana.
Then, one by one, figures began to emerge behind it.
Shadows condensed into form.
Armor took shape.
Weapons gleamed faintly in the dim light.
Ten of them.
Lily's eyes widened slightly.
That spell…
She had seen it before.
"Dark Knights…" she murmured under her breath. "A weaker version than what Darius used."
Each knight stood still, lifeless yet ready, their hollow visors facing forward. One by one, the puppet raised its hand again, and weapons formed—swords and shields materializing from dark mana.
Then, as if remembering itself, the puppet turned its staff inward.
Armor wrapped around its body.
A long, dark cape flowed down its back, dragging slightly across the ground.
Still, it did not move.
It just… stood there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Benson narrowed his eyes.
"Formation. Offensive," he said calmly.
The group shifted instantly—Kane and John spreading out, Lily staying slightly behind with Christina protected between them.
Then—
Benson dashed forward.
His boots slammed against the stone floor as he leapt, both swords cutting down in a precise arc aimed directly at the puppet's core.
The puppet jerked.
Not like a warrior reacting.
Like something startled.
Panicked.
Before the blades could reach it—
Clang!
One of the dark knights intercepted, shield raised just in time.
Benson landed and slid back slightly, eyes flicking between the puppet and its guards.
The puppet flailed its arms slightly—
Then raised both hands.
Slowly.
Almost awkwardly.
Like… surrender.
Lily blinked.
"…Benson," she said cautiously, "I think it's surrendering."
Benson didn't lower his guard immediately.
He studied it.
The puppet wasn't attacking.
The knights had frozen as well.
Everything had stopped.
After a moment, Benson exhaled and lowered one sword slightly.
…It really does look like it's giving up.
He straightened and slowly lowered both blades, then gestured with his hand—copying the motion.
"Drop it."
To his surprise—
The puppet obeyed.
Its staff lowered.
The knights dissolved back into shadows.
Silence filled the room.
Benson frowned slightly.
"…You understand me?"
The puppet nodded.
That alone sent a ripple of unease through the group.
Benson continued, testing it.
"Yes or no questions. Nod for yes."
Another nod.
The questioning went on for a while.
Can you speak? — No.
Are you hostile? — Hesitation… then no.
Are you trapped here? — Yes.
Do you want to leave? — …Pause… Yes.
But beyond that, nothing useful came out.
It couldn't explain anything.
Or wouldn't.
Eventually, Benson stepped back toward the group.
They huddled together briefly, voices low.
"It could be a trap," Kane muttered.
"It had ten summons," John added. "That's not weak."
"But it stopped," Lily said. "And it responded. That's not normal for constructs."
Christina stayed quiet, gripping her staff.
After a moment, Benson nodded.
"We rest. Stay alert."
They didn't fully trust it.
But they didn't attack either.
Benson glanced back at the puppet.
"…You can come with us if you want."
No response.
The puppet stood still—
Then suddenly began moving its hands rapidly, almost erratically.
Like it was drawing something in the air.
Or… thinking.
"…What is it doing?" Kane whispered.
"No idea," John replied.
They watched.
Minutes passed.
Then—
A voice echoed in their minds.
Clear.
Old.
Excited.
"Yes! I figured it out!"
Everyone froze.
They spun around instinctively, searching the room—
But there was no one.
Only the puppet.
Still waving its arms.
Then again—
"It's me, the puppet! I'm surprised you didn't—ah, well! This is my new spell. I shall call it… 'telepathy!'"
Silence.
Pure shock.
"…It can talk?" Kane muttered.
"No," Lily said slowly, staring at it. "It's… not talking."
The voice came again, proud and smug.
"I connected our minds with mana. Efficient, isn't it?"
Lily stepped forward slightly, eyes shining.
"How did you do that?!"
"Oh, it's nothing impressive," the voice said casually. "Even at my age, something like this is trivial."
At his age…?
Benson's eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward, cutting in.
"…Who are you?"
The puppet stilled.
For the first time, it felt… heavy.
Serious.
"…You likely wouldn't know me."
A pause.
Then—
"I am Margrave Lotus."
Another pause.
"Michael Lotus."
The group exchanged glances.
Blank.
Kane frowned slightly. "Lotus… I've heard of the house. But…"
Nothing remarkable came to mind.
Except—
"…Michael Lotus?" Lily whispered.
Her eyes widened.
No way…
Memories surfaced—old papers, dense theory, discussions of dark mana manipulation.
A name that appeared again and again.
Respected.
Debated.
Admired.
"…You're that Michael Lotus?" she asked, almost disbelieving.
The voice carried a hint of pride.
"Ah. At least someone here has proper knowledge."
Lily straightened slightly, unable to hide her excitement.
"I've read your work—your research on dark constructs and mana layering—"
"Of course you have," he interrupted, pleased.
Benson crossed his arms.
"…Then explain something," he said bluntly. "How did someone like you end up like… this?"
The mood shifted.
The puppet lowered its arms slightly.
The voice returned—quieter this time.
"…My disciple."
A pause.
"I was training him. And the moment he surpassed a certain threshold…"
The tone darkened.
"…he attacked me."
The group stiffened.
"It was a close battle," Michael continued quickly, almost defensively. "Very close. I nearly won."
Lily narrowed her eyes slightly.
Nearly…
"But in the end, I lost."
Silence.
"He drained my mana… most of it. Used it to create puppets."
The voice sharpened with anger.
"Puppets. Can you imagine? My magic—reduced to toys."
His frustration spilled through the connection.
"And then those cursed dark elves appeared. With what little power I had left, I could only hide."
The puppet's hands clenched.
"Slowly… I rebuilt. I reclaimed this floor. I survived."
Then, pride returned.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
No one answered immediately.
Lily thought quietly.
…You might've deserved at least part of that.
But she didn't say it out loud.
Instead, she asked,
"…You mentioned a monster upstairs?"
The response came quickly.
"Not originally. Only dark elves."
A pause.
"But one… was different."
The tone grew serious.
"It was drawn here. By the concentration of dark mana my disciple created."
Even Benson's expression hardened.
"Its control… its mastery…"
A slight pause.
"…is nearly on par with mine."
That made everyone go still.
Kane let out a low breath. "That's not good."
John tightened his grip on his weapon.
Christina looked visibly nervous.
Lily's excitement faded into focus.
Someone that strong…
After a long silence, Benson spoke.
"…Then we move carefully."
He glanced at the puppet.
"…You're coming with us."
A pause.
Then—
"…Very well."
The puppet stepped forward.
This time—
Not as an enemy.
But not quite an ally either.
Together, they turned toward the stairs leading upward.
And slowly—
They advanced.