Chapter 405: The Sword Saint
In the dimly lit stone corridor outside the war room, Seraphina walked with quick, purposeful strides. Behind her, her soldiers followed, their expressions ranging from anger to unease.
One of them a handsome knight with blonde hair and a sharp jaw clenched his fist. His voice was low, but carried barely restrained anger.
"They were incredibly rude. I didn’t expect the demons here to be so different from the ones we’ve encountered before."
Beside him, a small woman with a wizard’s hat and round spectacles nodded vigorously. Her voice was sharp, indignant.
"Exactly. This is outrageous. If we hadn’t been ordered directly by the king, we would never have allied with demons in the first place."
A third soldier, tall and calm with long, flowing hair, spoke up. His voice was measured, thoughtful.
"Wasn’t their original stance to avoid war? Now it seems they’re doing the exact opposite."
Another soldier shook his head grimly.
"That’s likely because the demons have grown frustrated and are striking back. But this means we’ll never be able to broker peace between the two races."
Seraphina stopped walking. She turned to face her soldiers, her pale blue eyes sharp and steady. Her voice was quiet, but carried the weight of command.
"I’ve been thinking the same thing. The commander here has her own ambitions. We need to be careful."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over each of them.
"Stay alert. Watch for any signs of betrayal or manipulation. We are not here to serve demon ambitions—we are here to ensure Kaelthar does not fall into the wrong hands. Remember that."
The soldiers nodded.
Seraphina turned and continued walking, her footsteps echoing in the cold corridor.
Myrta – Selena’s Headquarters – Morning
The morning light filtered through the windows of Selena’s room in Myrta, casting long golden streaks across the wooden table. The group had gathered around it, and Selena’s stash was now piled in the corner, retrieved and accounted for.
Isolde stood at the head of the table, her eyes blazing with barely contained fury.
"You what?!"
Adam leaned back in his chair, his hands raised in a half-hearted gesture of surrender. "I already told you—we didn’t mean to wipe out both armies. It just... happened."
Isolde’s eye twitched. Her voice rose, sharp and incredulous.
"Are you insane?! I specifically told you to be careful! To avoid drawing attention! And you three—" She jabbed a finger at Adam, Alice, and Azrynn. "—went and massacred an entire Solarian outpost AND a demon assault force! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!"
Alice crossed her arms, her dark violet eyes flashing with defiance.
"It’s not like we planned it! They attacked us first! We were just trying to retrieve the stash when the demons showed up and started fighting the Solarian soldiers. We got caught in the middle!"
Azrynn lowered her head, her yellow eyes fixed on the table. Her voice was quiet, apologetic.
"I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop them. I tried to keep things under control, but... it escalated too quickly."
Alice’s eyes narrowed, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
"Don’t play innocent, Az. You were right there with us, cutting down soldiers and firing arrows. You’re just as guilty as we are."
Lilith let out a soft laugh from her seat by the window, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "I knew you’d cause chaos the moment you left. It’s almost impressive how quickly you managed to turn a simple retrieval mission into a full-blown massacre."
Isolde let out a long, exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Hahh..."
Ignis, who had been quietly munching on a handful of dried berries, looked up with a cheerful, oblivious expression.
"Come on, Isolde, don’t be so angry! It’s still morning!"
Selena let out a low, measured sigh. Her amber eyes swept the room before she spoke.
"To be honest, I’m also concerned about what happened to both armies. But what’s done is done. There’s no point dwelling on it."
Adam gestured toward her, a note of vindication in his voice. "See? Selena gets it. Besides, we left no witnesses. No one saw our faces. As far as anyone knows, the Solarian and demon forces just wiped each other out."
Isolde’s eye twitched again. Her voice carried a note of cold disbelief.
"You think because there were no witnesses, you’re safe?"
Adam, Alice, and Azrynn nodded in unison.
Isolde’s voice rose, sharp and incredulous.
"Of course not! Do you have any idea how military investigations work?! When two armies annihilate each other without survivors, it doesn’t just get dismissed as a ’mutual slaughter’! Someone will investigate. They’ll find the bodies, analyze the wounds, and realize a third party was involved. The fact that there are no witnesses is exactly what will make them suspicious!"
Lilith’s voice drifted over, smooth and measured, her eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
"She’s right, you know. A battle between two forces with no survivors is highly unusual. The Solarian and demon commanders will both send scouts to investigate. And when they find signs of a third party, they’ll start asking questions."
She tilted her head, her smile sharpening.
"The only question is whether they’ll trace it back to us."
Adam’s earlier confidence faltered slightly. His brow furrowed as he processed Lilith’s words.
"...So we’re not safe?"
Isolde let out a slow breath.
"Not even close."
Alice’s ears laid back, her tail bristling with irritation.
"There’s no way the demons and humans can figure out what happened just by poking around a battlefield. They’ll probably blame each other and move on."
Isolde’s pale blue eyes narrowed. Her voice was cold, carrying a note of challenge.
"Do you want to bet on that?"
Adam stepped between them, raising his hands in a placating gesture. His voice was calm, but carried a note of weary authority.
"Alright, alright. I was wrong. Can we just move on? We got what we came for—the stash is secure, and we’re all unharmed. That’s a win."
Isolde was silent for a moment. Then she let out a long, slow breath, her shoulders sagging slightly. Her voice came out quieter, almost reluctant.
"...I should have come with you."
Selena, sensing that the tension had eased, let out a measured breath and rose from her seat.
"The goods are all here. Everything matches my records. So I’d say this was a success." She reached up and touched the ring on her finger—a simple silver band that pulsed with a faint, inner light. The crates and chests vanished, drawn into the ring’s hidden storage. Selena then retrieved a small wooden box from within the ring and set it on the table.
"Here the dagger."
She slid the box across the table toward Adam, then folded her hands in front of her.
"And regarding the information you requested—the individual who led the massacre that destroyed the vampire queen’s village." She paused, her amber eyes meeting Isolde’s steady gaze. "His name is Marquis Glemint Marvick. A trusted knight of Prince Cassian and he is a Sword Saint."
Isolde’s pale blue eyes narrowed, her voice carrying a cold, sharp edge.
"A Sword Saint... That’s not a title given lightly."
Selena nodded, her expression serious.
"Marvick is one of the most dangerous men in Solaria. He’s served the royal family for decades, and his loyalty to Cassian is absolute. He is now leading the battlefield with Prince Cassian."
Lilith’s crimson eyes gleamed with curiosity as she leaned forward, her fingers steepling beneath her chin. Her voice carried a smooth, thoughtful edge.
"I’m curious. What’s it like to fight a Sword Saint? I’ve heard they’re on a completely different level from ordinary knights."
Alice, who had been examining the dagger Selena had given her, let out a sharp, dissatisfied huff. She held it up, turning it over in her hand with obvious disdain.
"Ugh. This is ugly. What even is this?"
Adam’s brow furrowed, his voice carrying a note of defensive confusion.
"What do you mean, ugly? That’s a perfectly fine dagger."
Alice’s tail lashed, her voice rising with indignation.
"Look at it! It’s nothing like Lilith’s weapon. This dagger is like a cheap imitation—way weaker than her artifact. I don’t want to use this!"
Lilith’s lips curved into a thin, amused smile, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"You were given a gift, Alice. You should accept it graciously. Why are you complaining?"
Alice’s ears flattened, her voice sharp with frustration.
"Because the quality is completely different from yours! It’s not fair! I don’t want it because it’s inferior!"
Ignis, who had just finished her last handful of berries, looked up with a cheerful, oblivious grin.
"If you don’t want it, give it to me! I’ll take it!"
Alice shot her a flat, incredulous look.
"Can you even use a dagger, Ignis?"
Isolde’s voice cut through her eyes fixed on Alice.
"Weapons like Lilith’s are extremely rare. You won’t find another one easily. So stop being so picky."
Alice’s tail lashed, her voice carrying a stubborn, defiant edge.
"I’d rather not use anything than carry around a cheap dagger like this!"
Adam let out a long, weary sigh.
"Haaah..."
Selena, who had been watching the exchange with quiet amusement, stepped forward. Her amber eyes gleamed with a flicker of knowing mischief as she spoke.
"If you’re not satisfied with that dagger, why not visit a dungeon?"