"E-Ermmm, Lady Eris? Where are you going?"
After dispersing the final memory of the two phantoms, Eris didn't think to return to camp or report to Leon; instead, she walked ahead and into the darkness of the desert night. Stunned by her action, Fenric hurriedly chased after her, with Gale and Adelia following closely behind.
"What does it look like I'm going? I'm going to find the Clay Emperor's resting place."
Fenric accidentally raised his voice before immediately slapping it shut not to wake the sleeping residents.
"I don't have a real lead, but I found some mana imbalances. If I follow the trace, perhaps I can find a clue about why these apparitions are appearing again."
Olavaguel has existed for thousands of years, long before the Hyades Republic formed. And in its long history, there hadn't been any sightings of ghosts, let alone those phantoms that perished in an ancient apocalypse. Time was cruel, and the world often forgets what tragedies the innocent would have suffered, so it was odd that those ghosts reappeared, particularly during this time.
"I have a feeling… the Demon Cult must be behind this phenomenon. But I need to investigate further to get concrete proof."
Eris had plenty of experience dealing with the Demon Cult, especially regarding the undead—and a bad feeling was creeping up her spine.
"If that's the case, shouldn't we report to Sir Leon first?"
"Leon… No, there's no need for that. It won't take long."
Thinking about the young twenty-year-old given the commander post simply because he was Amon's favourite put a bitter taste in the necromancer's mouth. Although Amon was younger than her, Eris recognised his authority as he had proven his worth to her time and time again. On the other hand, Leon was still wet behind the ears, and Eris could hardly place her faith in the Knight.
Eris was rather disgruntled that she had to report to a man who dared call himself a Hero and never once came to save her or her family.
Fenric looked back to the other two, who could only sigh heavily. Although they were all experienced members of Eldorin, Eris was by far the most decorated master among them. Who were they to stop her if she wished to hunt the Demon Cult alone? But, of course, they wouldn't let her go alone.
"Please wait, Lady Eris," Adelia interjected. "We'll send a message to headquarters about your findings and follow you shortly after. At the very least, we must report our position so they can send reinforcements if we ever find ourselves in peril."
As stubborn as the necromancer was, Eris knew that additional reinforcements were always welcome, particularly since they were up against the Demon Cult, who had almost infinite resources.
As Fenric and Gale watched Adelia pull out a messenger to inform Leon of their findings, the pair lightly shrugged and mentally prepared themselves for a long night.
Leon was busy consolidating the logistics and planning for Eldorin's stay in the desert at the hotel resort. The chamber was quiet, save for the scratching of pen on paper and the occasional creak of wood as he shifted in his chair. His expression was grim but focused, but that was not to last.
"Hmmm? A message from Adelia?"
His concentration was broken, and Leon focused on the new message just seconds ago. His blue eyes sped through the first few sentences with a breeze, and once he finished reading the message, the man lightly sighed.
"Eris Umbrelune… A necromancer that even Amon can't fully control… Can I even handle her?"
Among all of the talents that Amon had enlisted over the years, Eris Umbrelune was an elite mage who did as she pleased. Due to her unique constitution, she hardly partnered up with anyone, and since she was a necromancer anyway, she hardly needed backup.
That's why Amon gave her free reign to do as she pleased, as long as she followed his direction. And well, given that Eris was the member of Eldorin that produced the most results, there was nothing that Amon could do to berate her.
"I'll just trust in her this time… Let's just hope Gale and Adelia can keep her in check."
Just as one matter was settled, another issue came flying in Leon's direction.
"Youngster, I'm here with a report."
The door creaked open—not with urgency, but with deliberate, measured ease. Bane, the spymaster of Eldorin and the intelligence head of Echelon, stepped into the chamber like a shadow sliding across stone. His cloak, a patchwork of drab greys and muted greens, hung like smoke off his narrow frame. Beneath the hood, a sharp pair of eyes gleamed with predatory calm, scanning the room with casual disinterest.
"Bane? You're back quick."
"Oh? Is the commander questioning my abilities?"
"... no, of course not."
Leon had to put on his poker face as he addressed the antagonistic spymaster. Naturally, he didn't take any offence to Bane's apparent lack of propriety and welcomed the man back with open arms.
"Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable."
Bane didn't bother with the courtesy and gladly sat before Leon. The duo stared right at each other, each withholding their desire to blink for some odd reason. In the end, it was Leon who caved first.
"I'm glad you returned safely from the Eternal Storm. It must have been quite the journey."
"It's nothing," Bane smiled and crossed his legs. "The journey took less than a day, and we didn't enter the Eternal Storm, so there wasn't any risk."
"Still, I'm glad you made it back without injury."
The dainty, middle-aged man snorted at Leon's words before gently shaking his head disapprovingly. However, Leon ignored that and continued: "So, what did you find?"
"As expected, there are signs of Demonic Cult activity."
The spymaster reached into his coat and took out several recording crystals. Then, with a few gentle taps, he quickly played the recordings. Most of the videos showed secret bases with cultists rotating their shifts.
Leon frowned as the evidence confirming the Demonic Cult's presence in Olavaguel was laid before him. His thoughts drifted to Governor Vaedros—the man who had assured him, with unwavering confidence, that no trace of the cult existed.
After the incident in Alverton, Leon had grown to have a healthy distrust of governors, particularly those in out-of-reach towns. They were the easiest to corrupt and ally with the Demonic Cult, and if history had proved him right, Governor Vaedros might be compromised.
Fortunately, Bane's following words would rid his suspicions.
"They hid themselves marvellously, deep in the sand and far away from any sign of civilisation. I'm not sure how they maintain their supplies, but since it's the Demonic Cult, they must have some portal or something."
"Impressive, and you could find them even without a supply chain?"
"Well, no matter how secure their facility is, as long as they hire humans, there are bound to be leaks."
Bane lived and breathed intelligence and espionage. Finding the Demonic Cult's hidden lair was as simple as ABC for him. Fortunately, the man was on the side of humans, else… Leon couldn't only beg the Goddess that Bane doesn't fall to the Demonic Cult.
"What are they doing here?"
"Unclear yet, but it seems like they are pumping Demonic mana through these monoliths." Newest update provıded by novel(ꜰ)ire.net
The head of intelligence pointed to a black structure carved with malevolent runes and imbued with a sinister energy. The monolith stood like a scar upon the land—tall, obsidian-black, and unnaturally smooth as if carved from the absence of light itself. Its surface shimmered faintly with veins of crimson energy, pulsing in a slow, rhythmic throb.
Leon felt nauseated, even just by watching a recording crystal of the monolith.
"They are using the monoliths like conduits, and empowering them are the Magatamas inserted at the base."
The young Hero growled under his breath as he heard the familiar term. Over the past three years, Leon had encountered the Demonic Cult's facilities multiple times and had become exceptionally well-versed in their dastardly techniques.
One of those abilities was the conversion of human sacrifices into Demonic mana. They would capture as many innocent souls as they could and torture them to their deaths. The negative emotions and overwhelming suffering would be the catalyst to create a surplus of Demonic mana. In the past, cultists and Greater Demons would absorb the Demonic mana for themselves, empowering their abilities and allowing them to surpass their potential and reach heights unobtainable for them before.
And while this practice was ongoing, the Demonic Cult found an even better way to utilise the surplus of mana.
Demonic mana was unnatural to Hyades, and it would dissipate into the planet's atmosphere without a suitable host. Most of the time, the Demonic Cult would empower their cultists or create portals to connect the Demon Realm to this world. But in recent years, they had produced a breakthrough discovery.
An inanimate object that could store vast amounts of Demonic mana without risking an ounce of leakage. With the Magatamas, the Demonic Cult could channel mana like never before. Summoning gates to the other realm, empowering Demons, and even increasing the scale of their nefarious plots. The breakthrough advanced the Demonic Cult's plans by decades and fueled its relentless expansion.
And the one who was responsible for this discovery… the Foolish Lich.
The foe that Leon had let slip past at Alverton.
"Yes, those Magatamas."
Naturally, Bane knew of Leon's history with the Magatama and the Foolish Lich, but he didn't bother to press the matter. After all, it wasn't just Leon who failed that day.
"Youngster, if you don't mind me giving my hypothesis… I think they're trying to revive the Clay Emperor."
"... I think so too."
If the recording crystals were accurate, the amount of mana pumped into the Eternal Storm far exceeded anything Leon had ever encountered. Given that the Eternal Storm was the theoretical resting spot of the Clay Emperor, it wasn't difficult to connect the dots. But…
"Why? Why would they want to revive that ancient being?"
Bane rubbed the temples of his forehead as he contemplated whether he should finish his sentence. However, for the safety of his men and, more importantly, himself, Bane ultimately said:
"Don't you think we should call Sir Amon over? The scale of this mission exceeds what was briefed to us."
Bane was out of line, questioning the authority that Amon had bestowed upon Leon, but that was to be expected. After all, who wouldn't want an experienced driver at the wheel? Especially since this may be the most dangerous road Eldorin has faced yet.
However, Leon didn't get offended. Rather, he seriously considered summoning Amon right this instant. Alas, Leon shook his head as he recalled the man's words to him.
"No. Amon told me he won't participate in this mission. The matter with the Sword Saint is far more critical. I know you can't trust me as much as you would Amon, but… let's try to make this work."
Bane glanced straight into Leon's clear blue eyes and realised he wouldn't budge. In truth, the spymaster had half a mind to abandon the mission right now and head back to Solfea. But he trusted Amon's vision even if he didn't believe in Leon's capabilities. Besides…
"Okay," Bane sighed as he lit a smoke. "But I will move on my own. Your orders will just be suggestions for me. I will decide whether I should follow them or not. If I'm risking my life, I want to do it on my terms. Sounds fair?"
Leon had no choice but to let Bane's disrespect slide. After all, he was far too valuable of an asset to lose at this juncture. Now that he had gotten what he wanted, Bane smirked and stood. Unable to erase his smile, the spymaster couldn't help but remark:
"Pleasure working with you… 'Commander. '"
As the smug Bane exited the room, Leon threw his head back on his headrest and let out the heaviest sigh yet this evening:
"Amon… seriously, how do you do it?"