The Spirit User all remained.
When asked why, they all gave the same answer.
“Peneli wishes to assist Master Cantavia.”
“Because of Lotso’s request…”
“Master Cantavia, I too am not undertaking this with inexperienced resolve. This lad burns, and so do I!”
A simple response that they would assist because ‘Spirit’ wished for it.
Spirit and their Spirit User exchange emotions. They don’t just flow in one direction; they influence each other bidirectionally. Perhaps that’s why Spirit User are rare; they don’t treat Spirit as subordinates or as their own power but rather as friends with whom they genuinely exchange emotions.
The Spirit Users joined the operation, and I became their leader.
“Are we just going to be treated as an auxiliary force?”
Kazuwea suggested.
“Even though a special unit under the Rainberg family’s banner has been formed, it’s better to have a designated name.”
She was right. I remembered what Ranista suggested. It had something to do with Dabi.
As I shrugged and waited for his suggestion, he suggested:
“The Hounds of Artemis.”
“Ugh, awful.”
Kazuwea grimaced.
An elderly man who had been quietly listening to the conversation suggested:
“It might be better to simply take Master’s name and call it the Star Brigade.”
“Ugh, sounds tedious.”
Once again, Kazuwea objected.
“What would you suggest then?”
“The Starfall Order.”
“Ugh, dreadful. Why an order when we’re not knights?”
“The power Master showed in Calbain! It suits us best, doesn’t it? Moreover, we might encounter demons disguised as anything. If we want to have some weight in front of nobles, we need to be organized like a knightly order. Don’t you think?”
I also asked the remaining Spirit Users, but all I got were nonsense suggestions like the “Passionate Knights” or the “World’s Strongest Spirit Knights.” After considering their opinions, I proposed it to my father, and Kazuwea’s suggestion was adopted, making the Starfall Order the official name.
* * *
The day before the national border day.
The imperial central powers gathering at Quilz Castle.
The atmosphere was already tense.
I went to see my mother. My father kept everything secret, worrying about my mother’s condition. My mother, confined to the recovery room, knew nothing of the outside situation. I had no intention of informing her. I went to pay my respects in case of unforeseen circumstances. But my mother already knew everything. The demons, impostors, national border day, and even what happened at the Kaklyang Monastery. She didn’t ask how I knew. It was certainly strange, but I wasn’t surprised, somehow understanding.
“It’s ‘beginning’ now, Cantavia.”
My mother handed me a key. It was a key I had never seen before.
“Remember, Cantavia. I…”
That day, I learned the secret my mother had hidden.
* * *
National border day returns every 15 years. A commemorative event was held at Quilz Castle, which was unusual. Thirty-nine nobles with titles of Count or higher and their heirs, as well as important dignitaries, attended the event.
The veins of the emperor and the imperial family also arrived late at Quilz Castle. All the movers and shakers of the empire were present. However, the event was simple and solemn.
There were no people drinking or eating the formally prepared alcohol and food. It was not a simple social event. Tension hung in the air like on a battlefield. The breath of the powerful men was rough. Already, a fierce war was being waged.
They eyed each other with uneasy expressions, especially the Rainbergs, who arranged this gathering. However, due to the peculiar power dynamics of the empire, a strange situation arose. The ones with the greatest power were not the emperor but the Solgars and Luchakuans, followed by their respective families. However, even in their alliance, a faint “suspicion” of each other was evident.
Because they still remember the fear of the impostors, they don’t even trust those on the same side until it becomes certain. The emperor, seated on the throne, simply looked on. Though his face seemed indifferent at first glance, it was actually a weak expression stained with powerlessness.
On the other hand, the atmosphere around the Rainbergs was quite different. Count Schvarzen, resolute, looked at the people with a fierce gaze. The biggest difference was that the Rainbergs could discern the “impostors.”
Perhaps this situation was what my sister desired after all.
The Count spotted me and nodded. He didn’t indicate that anyone else could discern the impostor. Only the Count and his father knew about the incident with his son. It had been wise to conceal the truth so far. If others had known, I would have been dragged into annoying and troublesome matters.
Even if you don’t want to see it, you end up knowing because it’s visible.
In truth, among those gathered here, trying to identify impostors isn’t very effective.
There aren’t nearly enough people to use as reliable indicators. Even if there might be an effect immediately, if impostors start acting or disguise themselves as servants and maids while waiting for an opportunity, it’s all over.
It’s impossible to weed them all out.
This national border day is merely a primary “purge.” It serves as a warning that impostors have appeared and as a “wish” that the Rainberg family can discern impostors. Wooshas sister saw this national border day as an opportunity.
“It’s fortunate that we’re on the same side.”
No, perhaps she didn’t know she was plotting something even more. Wooshas sister, on “Earth,” has led countless followers, disrupting and collapsing human society. For her, the Kynakhan Empire is an easy prey. The devil… might just be a splendid means.
The empire is moving according to her will. There’s no way the nobles who make politics out of the fact I’ve noticed wouldn’t know.
I glanced at Duke Solgar and his aides.
“It’s too quiet.”
Even logically, it’s impossible for the national border day event to proceed smoothly.
Now is the time for resistance, questioning, and tearing apart.
Why is it so quiet?
I can’t even guess which duke came and went.
It seems Wooshas is aiming to swallow the empire whole.
—
There was no need to seek cooperation.
I just needed to observe quietly from the corner where I stood.
There was no absentee among the invited nobles. They all gathered. I checked their appearances without missing anyone. And when I confirmed all the nobles listed on the roster, I felt disappointed.
“They’re not here.”
I went to Ranista and said.
“There are no impostors.”
Why? I naturally assumed they would be hiding among the central powers of the empire.
There are no absentees either. Even among those who attended, there are no impostors.
From the beginning, those bastards didn’t disguise themselves as the empire’s power players.
Hahaha!
That’s when it happened.
Ranista, who had been silent, suddenly burst into laughter.
Knowing he was insane, I didn’t hesitate and said.
“Why?”
Ranista only laughs like that in one situation.
When it’s time to fight.
“Because it’s funny to think we’ve set traps for each other.”
“Traps?”
“Indeed, you’ve taken the bait eagerly.”
It was a bewildering moment.
Boom!
Suddenly, an earthquake struck. The ground shook violently, causing ordinary people to collapse unable to withstand it. Glass windows shattered simultaneously, and chandeliers broke loose, crashing down in the banquet hall. As Ranista’s laughter intensified, so did the earthquake. Finally, the ‘something’ that caused the earthquake revealed itself.
Crack!
In the center of the banquet hall, the ground unnaturally collapsed, forming a wide hole with a diameter of 30 meters. This deep pit, unimaginable even with a thousand guesses, resembled a bottomless pit. It wasn’t just the ground collapsing due to the earthquake; the cleanly cut hole seemed eerily unnatural, as if it wasn’t dug by any earthly means but rather a phenomenon akin to magic.
The Imperial Guards rushed to protect the emperor, while those confident in their strength guarded the hole, and the weaker ones retreated in fear. Despite the chaos unfolding in an instant, the nobles of the empire remained calm and composed, observing the hole attentively. Everyone held their breath, cautious of the bizarre event occurring on a national holiday, but Ranista alone laughed uproariously as if nothing concerned her.
Only then did I understand what Ranista had said.
Trap, bait.
That hole isn’t just a mere pit.
It’s a passage to hell, a ‘pit.’
Shhh…
From the pit, came grotesque screams that no creature could produce.
Soon, the terrifying ‘hands’ of demons stretched out towards the outside. With their crimson skin, towering over 4 meters, faces contorted like goblins, adorned with dried blood and carrying filthy instruments of execution, the demons crawled out of the pit.
They weren’t just one.
Demons continued to emerge from the pit.
The crimson demons each wielded massive instruments of torture and execution like saw blades, guillotines, clubs, and whips, their appearances stimulating fear ingrained in primal instincts, beyond human comprehension.
“…Those are Demons as powerful as Daimonion.”
Called the Great Demons.
During the era when Kynakhan was still a kingdom, the Great demon Daimonion, who annihilated half of the territory, was known. I’ve seen that demon before. Even though sealed for hundreds of years and weakened in power, the malevolence emanating from it was still immense. The spacious banquet hall felt cramped for them.
Kwahh…
One of them swung a saw blade. The ‘knowing ones’ were all amazed. The saw blade swung at close range had gouged a wall dozens of meters away. Fortunately, those facing it head-on managed to evade narrowly, mostly the skilled swordsmen from martial arts families, but the shock was enough to crumble the banquet hall’s wall.
“They’re using Aura? Demons?”
“Hahaha! Do they seem like my apprentices, disciple? It’s merely what’s emitted from their instruments.”
“What the hell is that, damn it.”
The demon’s attack became a signal.
Under the orders of the strong, including fathers, people evacuated.
A rational decision. Fleeing with all their might since they couldn’t gauge the demons’ power.
But not everyone here was rational.
The most ‘irrational’ ones stepped forward.
“The duke’s children…!”
“Leave them be. They’re not the ones to be pitied. Focus on escaping!”
People called out.
“Duke Solgar! You must escape immediately…”
“Wait. It’s an opportunity to see the Moon’s children, whom I’ve only heard rumors about, with my own eyes, isn’t it?”
The Moon’s children.
I stood tall amidst the people fleeing.
“It’s familiar now.”
Ranista’s laughter didn’t cease.
While people fled, the demons stood still. To others, it might seem like they had stopped moving, but to me, it was clear. It was Melissa’s magic suppressing the demons.
Demons continued to emerge from the pit.
Amidst all this, I looked at Wooshas, who stood with her arms crossed, observing the situation.
She was smiling.
A very shit-like smile.
