As Aurelius and the young man reached the corner of the construction site on the right, they found two brown horses waiting, flanked by two armored knights. Aurelius suddenly remembered something; he turned around and shouted, "Leo! Make sure you come to the throne room soon. I have something important to discuss."

  Leo raised his left hand in a thumbs-up before heading back to his friends.

  Aurelius and the young man, Will, mounted their horses while the knights began walking alongside them. As they left the construction site and entered the forest, the air felt fresh. The orange sunlight of the fading day cast long shadows through the half-cut trees and bushes.

  Aurelius kept his gaze fixed ahead. "Tell me, Will. You said you finally obtained information on both Arvaris and Agrest."

  "Huh? Oh, King Aurelius, I thought you wanted to discuss them once we reached the castle," Will replied, surprised by the sudden question.

  "You can tell me the full details at the castle where it's safe," Aurelius said. "But for now, can you at least tell me where they are?"

  Will looked down at the ground from atop his horse. "I'm sorry, but..."

  Aurelius realized this was information Will didn't want to risk mishandling. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, alright. You can tell me when we get back."

  Will looked up with a relieved smile. "Thank you, King Aurelius."

  Time passed. The moon rose, and night fell over the empire. The streets of Rustalia were alive with light and the usual bustle of people.

  Aurelius stood on his balcony, watching the city. The curtains were drawn back and tied. Will entered the room and approached the King on the balcony. Without turning around, Aurelius asked, "So... tell me now. Where is Arvaris?"

  Will looked up at the sky. "Umm, King... I—I’m sorry, but... I wasn't able to find him."

  A silence followed, but Aurelius didn't snap. He continued to watch the horizon. "I knew it. Arvaris is too sharp; he doesn't want to be found."

  Will looked at the floor in disappointment. As an advisor, he felt he had failed in his duty to his king.

  "And..." Aurelius continued, "anything about the Holy King's interference?"

  Will looked up, hiding his disappointment. "The Holy Empire's interference has been confirmed. I used my contacts and discovered that the group of assassins who attacked you were assigned by a Holy Priest—and all Holy Priests report to King Agrest."

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  Aurelius sighed. "By itself, that isn't enough to openly accuse him of the attack. There is a high likelihood he ordered it, but we lack the evidence."

  Will remained silent, unsure of what else to say.

  "Anyway, do you know where Agrest is right now?" Aurelius finally turned to face his advisor. He stared at him—not with anger or affection, but with the steady, undefined bond of a king and his closest confidant.

  Will met his gaze. "Yes, for the most part. He left his kingdom by ship and headed west."

  Aurelius narrowed his eyes. "West? But there is only the open sea there. That area is dangerous because of the islands, and even if he crosses it, the continent on the other side has no relationship with him. They don't even know who he is. So... why?"

  "King Aurelius, I did some research," Will said. "There are strange rumors regarding those islands."

  Aurelius crossed his arms over his chest. "What kind of rumors?"

  "According to the stories, there are humans living on those islands," Will said, looking back at the ground. "Technically, that's impossible. Those islands are completely poisonous; everything there is toxic."

  "What are you implying?" Aurelius asked.

  Will looked up. "It’s unlikely, but is it possible Agrest went there because of the rumors instead of the other continent? We haven't received any word of him stepping foot on the mainland across the sea."

  Aurelius turned back to the balcony. "What are you planning, Agrest?" he whispered.

  Meanwhile, far from Rustalia and King Aurelius, a violent storm raged. It was night, and the sea waves were crashing wildly against the shore of a remote island.

  The beach was a scene of a horrific massacre. A large ship—the one Agrest had arrived on—lay shattered in pieces, most of it swallowed by the tide. Severed heads and limbs littered the sand. Agrest’s knights and many priests lay dead, their white cloaks stained deep red with blood. The very sea seemed to turn crimson under the moonlight.

  In the center of the carnage stood a man with his back turned. His clothes were shredded, and a glowing golden mark shone on his back. The mark consisted of three angular slashes that intersected without touching, widening from blunt, scar-like origins into razor points—as if the symbol had forced its way into existence from inside his body.

  Opposite him, another man was barely clinging to life. He was a Dragonoid, massive in stature like Zama, with long brown hair and a blood-stained beard. His bare torso was covered in deep slashes, and his trousers were ripped. He coughed up blood, his breath heavy and labored, but his determined yellow eyes refused to give up.

  "I—I won't let you touch them... You—" He coughed violently again, unable to finish his sentence.

  The man standing over the fallen Dragonoids—the one who had slain them all—looked back over his right shoulder with an evil smirk. His brown eyes glowed. "You know what? I really pity you all..."His face was revealed it was none other than Agrest but this time his power was on complete different level then before.

  The smirk widened, becoming more sinister as his power surged, matching the darkening sky. "May the Goddess give you peace."

  Elsewhere, on a different island, Arvaris lay alone on the sand, staring at the dusk sky. He stood up in frustration, aimed his index finger at the ocean, and shouted, "When the fuck are you coming out?!"

  Silence was his only answer. Arvaris screamed at the sky, "OH, COME ON, MAN!"