Leo stood speechless, staring at the bizarre sight unfolding before him. He asked quietly, "...Saintess Seria, what in the world is going on here?" The plaza looked as if it had been hit by a bomb. And standing in neat rows across its ravaged surface were unmistakable figures—Death Knights. Yet there was Caron, calmly walking among them, checking each one with care and nodding in approval. This was Caron, who normally recoiled at the very sight of undead. And now, here he was, methodically inspecting them. But that wasn't even the strangest part. "...To be honest, I don't think calling them 'undead' is accurate anymore," Leo said. "And why is that?" Seria asked. "Because there's no trace of dark mana left in them. If anything... They're more like spirits. The dead. That seems like a better fit," Leo answered. "What in the world did that lunatic Caron do this time..." Seria murmured. Just as Leo explained, the beings that had once reeked of dark mana now radiated mana so pure it was almost blinding. It was a very familiar sort—Azure Mana, without a doubt. "I go off to behead the Mercenary King, and I come back to this?" Caron muttered. These once-malicious Death Knights, now cleansed of their dark mana, stood silently under the midday sun. Some were even moving around diligently, helping villagers to safety. "Caro—no, Xenon!" Leo called out, raising a hand. Caron turned back at the sound of his name and approached with a smile. He said, "Oh, good work. I assume you dealt with those mercenary bastards?" "I took care of the strongest one myself," Leo answered proudly. "Well done," Caron said, nodding. "...Now, explain. What are those supposed to be?" Leo demanded, pointing at the Death Knights. Caron gave a nonchalant shrug and replied, "First off, calling them Death Knights is wrong. They're not Death Knights anymore. You can call them Avengers—or spirits of vengeance, if you prefer." "How the hell did you manage this?" Leo asked. "It was Guillotine. After I chopped off those dark mages' heads, Guillotine absorbed one of their abilities. Specifically, the power to command the undead," Caron explained. "At this point, it's practically a demonic sword," Leo said. Find the newest release on novel{f}ire.net Such a weapon, bearing the power to control the undead, could only be described as cursed. But strangely, Seria's expression didn't match the weight of Leo's words. "Remarkably... I sense the Light within them," Seria murmured, her face clouded with emotion. "The Light wishes for their souls to be at peace. And if the dead choose to aid the Warrior, then they too shall be redeemed." "You don't find them... revolting, Saintess Seria?" Leo asked cautiously. Seria shook her head slowly, then replied, "Oddly enough, I don't. They've already been freed from the grip of dark mana. And if they act in service of good, then more lives will be saved because of them." Perhaps... This too might be the will of the Light, she thought, keeping the rest to herself. These beings no longer belonged to the category of undead. And she remembered clearly what Caron had said—he hadn't forced them into servitude. Caron had offered them a choice: Peace, or vengeance. These beings—Avengers—had simply chosen the latter. This is going against the natural order, but still... Seria thought. She wondered: If doing so meant more lives could be protected, could it truly be called the wrong choice? If their existence was truly wicked, the Light would never have taken root within them. Ever since she started traveling with Caron, Seria had found herself tangled in more and more troubling thoughts. While the three continued to sort through the situation, the pirates, having looted the mercenaries in a flash, swaggered into the plaza full of confidence. "Boss! We cleaned them out real good!" "Every single one of those bastards was wearing top-grade armor. Hehe!" "I finally get what you meant about robbing the rich, Boss!" But the moment they caught sight of the Death Knights, their bravado froze like ice. "No way... Those are actual Death Knights?" Even a bunch of half-educated pirates knew what Death Knights were. They were known as the worst kind of undead, forged from the corpses of fallen knights. Murderous war machines that slew countless lives using the swordsmanship they had in life, now empowered by dark mana. And there wasn't just one of them. There were several. The pirates couldn't help but panic. But just moments later, they erupted into cheers at what they saw. "They're following our Boss!" "Even Death Knights bow before the cruelty of our Boss!" "As expected! Our Boss is destined to become the Pirate King!" At Caron's simple gesture, the Death Knights obediently stepped back. To the simple-minded pirates, this was nothing short of a divine miracle. "Boss!" Ryan called out. Having now become Caron's most loyal subordinate, the pirate officer came running and bowed low. He said proudly, "As ordered, we didn't lay a finger on the villagers' belongings!" "Well done," Caron said with a nod. "And to think you've even brought Death Knights under your command! Truly amazing. Even the Queen would never dream of controlling Death Knights!" Ryan added. "I suppose you could say I looted them too," Caron said with a smirk. "Ooh! Another lesson learned!" Ryan said. "Now this is true plunder," Caron said. "Any casualties?" "One dead, three seriously wounded," Ryan stated. "Not bad. They were up against elite mercenaries, after all," Caron said. Ryan then praised Leo in return, saying, "It's thanks to the Vice-Captain. He held the line. And most of us served directly under the Queen before—there's not many who can outmatch us in real combat." It was an undeniable victory. They had taken down a heavily fortified base, one capable of producing Death Knights, with minimal losses. Caron nodded, clearly satisfied. It seemed the Queen had truly handpicked the best of the best for this mission. "We'll use this place as a base for now. The villagers are scared stiff, so make sure to calm them down. And tell anyone who looks too threatening to stay away from the villagers," Caron instructed. "...Boss, that's kinda hard when everyone looks threatening," Ryan said quietly. "Then have them wear masks or something. Just don't cause panic," Caron explained. "Aye, Boss! We'll share some food too and ask for their cooperation," Ryan replied. He was from the academy, after all—he caught on quickly. Caron gave Ryan a few solid pats on the back, then turned to the Avengers. He muttered, "They really do stand out." Traveling with them would draw too much attention. But that wasn't a problem. He already had the perfect place to keep them hidden. "It'll be a bit cold... but hey, you've all died once already, right? Cold shouldn't bother you anymore. For now, get in here," Caron said. Caron opened his pouch of dimensional space, and the Avengers obediently followed his command. Caron hadn't planned for this, but back when he met the Guardian Dragon, he had expanded the pouch's capacity. And thanks to that, he could now use it in all sorts of creative ways. He sealed the pouch shut, nodded in satisfaction, and muttered, "Eye for an eye... Undead for undead." If things turned out well, he could have just secured the most unexpected reinforcements. With a light tap on the pouch, Caron turned and walked toward the dark mages. His voice came out soft, almost gentle. "Well then, shall we begin?" There were two surviving dark mages. Their hands and feet had been severed—they couldn't run, and couldn't fight back. Caron drove Guillotine into the thigh of the one in front. He said, "Whoever gives me the best information gets to die quickly. So you'd better speak fast—only one of you gets that mercy." Someone's nightmare had just ended. And someone else's nightmare was only beginning. While Caron was swiftly executing his plans in the Neon Kingdom, a new guest arrived at Azureocean Castle. And with that guest's arrival, the heavy atmosphere that had lingered over the castle seemed to gently melt away. "Welcome, Aqua," Halo said warmly. They were in the head of the house's office at Azureocean Castle, and Halo's expression was brighter than it had been in a long while. He opened his arms to greet Aqua, the dragon hatchling, who smiled sweetly and leaped into his embrace. "Great-grandfather!" Aqua chirped. "You've become even cuter since I last saw you," Halo said, stroking her hair. "So, what do you think of Azureocean Castle?" "I'm really happy! Everyone here gave me such a warm welcome!" Aqua answered. "Haha, I'm glad to hear that," Halo said. Aqua had arrived with a branch of the World Tree in her arms—meant to be planted at Azureocean Castle. Before sending her, Caron had left a message... "The Guardian Dragon drops by now and then. I want Aqua to learn a few things from them." Aqua had never met another dragon before in her life. She lacked the basic knowledge she was supposed to learn as a dragon, so Caron had chosen to move her here, thinking only of her well-being. Halo, pleased, gently patted her head a few more times, then turned his gaze toward the man standing silently behind her. He remarked, "It's been a while since you last visited, hasn't it? You only came here a few times during your prime, when you were following Cain." "It doesn't matter when I come. This place always puts me in a bad mood, Duke," the man replied flatly. "Oh, is it?" Halo asked. "If you think about it, this was enemy territory," the man said with a faint smile. He was Kerra, once part of the Imperial Guards. His mission now was to protect Aqua, and naturally, he had accompanied her here. Halo let out a quiet laugh at Kerra's playful tone. Even after all these years, the man's personality seemed unchanged. "Fayle," Halo called. "Yes, my lord," Fayle answered, stepping forward from his place at the back of the room. "Wouldn't it be best to introduce Aqua to your wife?" Halo asked. "It's only your second time seeing your granddaughter. You'll need time to bond. I have things to discuss with Sir Kerra." It was a polite way of asking Fayle to excuse himself. Fayle gave a small nod, then turned to Aqua and extended a careful hand. He said, "You have no idea how much your grandmother's been wanting to see you. Would you come with me?" Aqua nodded brightly and answered, "Yes, Grandpa!" "Let's hurry, then. She's prepared some delicious treats for you," Fayle said with a smile. And with that, he took Aqua's hand and led her out of the office. Halo watched her go, then said softly, "A child's presence makes a place feel alive, doesn't it?" "I agree," Kerra said. "Time must be softening you, Duke." Halo chuckled and handed him a bottle of fine liquor with an elegant label. He said, "Let's talk over a drink. What I'm about to say is more... personal." "Never thought I'd see the day I'd be drinking your liquor," Kerra said, popping the cork and taking a bold swig. Halo sipped from his own glass, then said in a quiet voice, "I've received word that Caron landed in the Neon Kingdom with the Queen." "Doesn't that worry you?" Kerra asked. "He's already surpassed what I was capable of at his age. The ones we should be worrying about are his enemies," Halo said. "He could probably walk into hell and come back alive," Kerra said. "You think so too?" Halo asked with a smile. "Yes, I do. He's already reached 8-Star. That's an absurd achievement. I'm sure he'll reach 9-Star one day," Kerra answered. There was absolute conviction in his voice. It had always been there—an unshakable belief in Caron. And Halo knew that kind of faith didn't grow overnight. The surviving members of the old Imperial Guards—Kerra, Ugo, Beatrice... All of them had changed after meeting Caron. Men and women who had hidden from the world for decades now stepped back into it, willingly, at Caron's side. Halo wondered if that could really be a coincidence. He thought, When too many coincidences stack up... it becomes fate. He took another sip as he recalled the man Caron had become, thinking, ...I have my suspicions. Caron was special. Not just in talent, but in the very nature of his existence. His open hatred toward the Malevolent Emperor, his connection with the Imperial Guards, it all pointed toward one undeniable conclusion. But Halo wasn't in a rush. He would wait until Caron chose to speak of it himself. For now, though, he asked the question directly. "Tell me. Are you following Caron... or Cain?" Kerra gave a bitter smile, then asked, "How much do you know?" "I only suspect that Caron inherited Cain's will," Halo answered calmly. "Still as sharp as ever, I see, Duke," Kerra said. He now fully understood why this conversation was happening. That was why he replied plainly, "I know nothing." He had chosen loyalty to his Commander, not the Duke. "If you're that curious, why not ask him yourself?" Kerra asked. Halo exhaled and gave a grim nod, then replied, "I plan to, once he returns." "Then why did you ask me in the first place...?" Kerra asked. Halo placed his glass on the table with a soft clink, then said quietly, "Because there's something I need you and your comrades to do." What followed made Kerra's expression twist.