"Who… are you?"

  She turned her gaze toward me, and for a moment, it felt like I was being seen through.

  Her eyes, calm yet sharp, held the weight of absolute authority.

  But she didn’t answer.

  A soldier did.

  "Watch how you speak to a Grand Magus!" The man stepped forward, pointing his sword at me, his tone filled with pure offense.

  I raised my hands slightly, trying to defuse the situation. "I'm sorr—"

  Before I could even finish, she cut me off.

  "That's enough."

  Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried power. The soldier immediately froze, stepping back without hesitation.

  She exhaled, clearly irritated. Then, finally, she spoke.

  "I'm Ellianthriel Aurewyn."

  I blinked.

  Shit.

  Aurewyn? As in the Kingdom of Aurewyn?

  My mind raced as realization hit me. She wasn’t just some high-ranking knight, a powerful noble, or even just a saint.

  She was the kingdom itself.

  I had just talked casually—no, rudely—to someone who was practically royalty.

  I knew immediately.

  I messed up.

  As I tried to collect myself, still trying to process the fact that I was standing before someone this important—

  She suddenly bowed.

  The soldier beside her snickered, clearly entertained by my reaction.

  "Ahh! Why are you bowing?!" I blurted out, completely thrown off.

  Ellianthriel lifted her head, her expression unreadable. "Even though I don’t want to do this," she admitted, "you and your group saved a lot of lives by keeping that demon occupied."

  I stared at her, still not fully grasping the situation.

  A Grand Magus—no, the ruler of Aurewyn—was bowing to me?

  I glanced at my group.

  Ravyn looked way too amused. Lena had a hand over her mouth, definitely hiding a smirk. Mark remained silent, as always, and Gabriel looked like he wanted to carve this memory into stone just to hold it over my head later.

  Even Javier raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed.

  I turned back to Ellianthriel.

  "...I don’t even know how to respond to that."

  Ellianthriel straightened, dusting off the hem of her pristine robes as if bowing had physically irritated her.

  "You don’t need to respond," she said coolly. "I’m simply acknowledging your efforts. Take it however you like."

  I blinked, still thrown off. "Uh… sure. You’re welcome?"

  Ravyn coughed, barely holding back a laugh. "Holy shit, Eli. You got royalty bowing to you, and that's all you say?"

  Lena nudged me with her elbow. "Try not to embarrass us too much."

  Gabriel smirked. "Oh, I’ll be remembering this forever."

  Ignoring them, I focused back on Ellianthriel. "So… what now? You just showed up, burned half the demons alive, and introduced yourself. You planning to finish the job, or is there a reason you’re here?"

  The surrounding soldiers visibly tensed at my words. A few of them instinctively reached for their weapons, but Ellianthriel simply sighed, clearly unimpressed by their reaction.

  "I came because an Archdemon and his forces had breached the Great Divide," she said, her tone sharp. "You and your group may have stalled them, but they shouldn’t have been here in the first place. That is a failure on our part."

  Her gaze flickered over to the Archdemon, who was still on one knee, struggling to recover from the holy onslaught she had unleashed earlier. Even now, his body steamed as his regeneration fought against the damage.

  The One-Horned Demon, meanwhile, had collapsed entirely. His breathing was shallow, his skin burned and cracked. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t far from it either.

  Ellianthriel took a step forward, staring down at them. "Their presence alone is a crime against this land."

  She raised a single hand. Holy energy began gathering in her palm, bright and golden, like the wrath of the heavens themselves.

  I felt it immediately.

  She was about to erase them from existence.

  The air grew heavy.

  The golden energy swirling around Ellianthriel’s palm intensified, radiating a holy presence so suffocating that even I—who wasn’t a demon—felt the weight of it pressing down on my skin.

  The Archdemon, despite his wounds, grinned.

  "Heh… so this is how it ends?" His voice was hoarse, but the amusement never left. "Not by a warrior’s blade… but by the judgment of a saint."

  Ellianthriel didn’t flinch. "There is no redemption for your kind. You should have known that before stepping into my kingdom."

  The One-Horned Demon, who had been on the verge of passing out, suddenly coughed, barely managing to lift his head. His voice came out in a ragged whisper.

  "Wait—"

  Ellianthriel’s fingers twitched.

  The golden energy flared.

  The execution was about to happen.

  But then—

  "Stop."

  Varis.

  His voice cut through the battlefield, clear and unshaken.

  I turned to him, confused. "What?"

  Ellianthriel narrowed her eyes. "And why would I do that?"

  Varis didn’t move. He simply pointed at the Archdemon. "Because I want to eat him."

  The battlefield fell into absolute silence.

  Ellianthriel blinked. "...Excuse me?"

  The Archdemon raised an eyebrow. "Eat—?"

  "I eat, I grow," Varis said, tilting his head slightly. "That thing is strong. So, I will eat it."

  I ran a hand down my face. "Goddamn it, Varis."

  Ravyn howled with laughter. "I like this kid."

  Ellianthriel, however, did not look amused. She stared at Varis for a long moment before exhaling sharply, lowering her hand. The golden energy slowly faded.

  "Very well," she said, her voice clipped. "Do as you wish. I will not waste divine power on something that will die regardless."

  The Archdemon’s grin faltered. "Now, hold on—"

  Varis moved.

  In a flash, he was on top of the Archdemon, claws sinking deep into his shoulders.

  Then, he bit down.

  And tore out a chunk of flesh.

  The Archdemon screamed.

  The sight was gruesome—blackened blood sprayed as Varis ripped and swallowed, his body trembling with something close to ecstasy.

  I had seen a lot of things since coming to this world.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  But watching a kid in a white mask literally eat an Archdemon alive?

  This was… a first.

  The soldiers around us looked horrified. Even Ellianthriel, who had remained composed this entire time, frowned slightly as she watched.

  The One-Horned Demon, still barely conscious, wheezed in terror.

  "H-he’s not normal…!"

  Varis ignored everyone, continuing to feast.

  And then—his body changed.

  His aura spiked. The raw, oppressive **demonic energy that once belonged to the Archdemon was now leaking from him. His claws elongated, his limbs stretched slightly, and the air around him rippled with something unnatural.

  I staggered back.

  "Is he… evolving?"

  Javier, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke.

  "More than that." His voice was low, almost intrigued. "He’s stealing the Archdemon’s strength. And at this rate… he might become something even worse."

  Ellianthriel’s expression darkened. "I see. Then if he becomes a threat—"

  She raised her hand again.

  I immediately stepped forward. "Hey, hold on—"

  "Relax," Varis said, standing up from the half-eaten corpse of the Archdemon. His voice was slightly deeper now. "I’m full."

  The tension remained thick, but Ellianthriel slowly lowered her hand again.

  I exhaled, rubbing my temples. "That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen."

  Varis stretched, rolling his shoulders. "It was delicious."

  Lena muttered, "We need to have a serious talk about this kid later."

  Gabriel sighed. "I need a drink."

  Ellianthriel turned away, her patience clearly wearing thin. "I’ve had enough of this. The demons are gone, and my business here is finished. You and your group—" she paused, giving me a pointed look, "—should leave before you cause more problems."

  Without another word, she signaled to her soldiers and began walking away.

  As the tension slowly faded from the battlefield, I turned back to my group, still trying to wrap my head around everything that had just happened.

  Ravyn grinned. "So, uh… how do we top that?"

  I sighed. "We don’t. Let’s just get the hell out of here."

  I watched as Ellianthriel and Varis made their way toward K.

  His mask was gone.

  For the first time, I could see his face—pale from blood loss, his expression unreadable. His black hair was matted with sweat and dirt, his breathing slow but steady.

  Ellianthriel knelt beside him, her gaze softening in a way I hadn’t seen before.

  Varis tilted his head. "Boss, I ate him," he said casually. "You can stop pretending to be dead now."

  K didn’t respond.

  Ellianthriel ignored Varis completely. She slowly raised a hand, golden light forming at her fingertips. A warm glow spread over K’s body, sealing his wounds, stabilizing him. His missing arm didn’t regenerate, but the exhaustion, the pain—it was all fading from his face.

  I frowned.

  Something was… off.

  She didn’t know him. That much was clear.

  Yet, as she healed him, she watched him with something close to awe. Her usual stern demeanor was gone—her hands trembled slightly as she touched his chest, her eyes locked onto his face like he was the only thing in the world.

  I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

  Even her soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.

  Ellianthriel, the Grand Magus, the Saint of Aurewyn—was head over heels for a man she had never met.

  Finally, her healing magic faded. K’s breathing evened out, his body no longer in critical condition.

  But he still didn’t say a word.

  He just lay there, staring at the sky, as if none of this mattered.

  Then, his eyes slowly closed.

  He fell unconscious.

  Ellianthriel barely hesitated before turning to her soldiers.

  "Carry him."

  Her tone was sharp, almost urgent. The soldiers exchanged glances but didn’t question it. Two of them immediately moved forward, carefully lifting K’s unconscious body.

  She followed close behind, her gaze never leaving his face.

  Without another word, they turned and walked away.

  I just stood there, watching them go.

  Varis followed after them without looking back.

  The whole thing felt weird.

  But there was nothing I could do now.

  "Ahh man, why did they leave me?"

  An unfamiliar voice.

  Immediately, all of us snapped to attention, weapons drawn.

  In perfect sync, we pointed our blades, daggers, and magic toward the source of the voice.

  A man stood there, hands half-raised in confusion.

  "Uh… hello?" he said, his tone more awkward than threatening.

  I studied him carefully. White hair, red eyes, lean build—almost skinny—but tall. He didn’t look like a soldier, didn’t wear any recognizable armor, and yet…

  Something about him felt off.

  Lena narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

  The man blinked, looking between all of us, then scratched the back of his head. "Well, uh… I was kinda hoping you could tell me that."

  Ravyn snorted. "Oh great, we found another idiot."

  The man suddenly burst out laughing.

  "HAHA, I’m joking!" he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I’m with the Saint."

  None of us lowered our weapons.

  He sighed and patted down his clothes, searching for something. After a moment, he pulled out a letter, carefully unfolding it.

  "Here." He raised it up, then cleared his throat as he began reading.

  "Dear Elric Dela Cruz,

  Your efforts in defending the town from demonic forces have not gone unnoticed. While your methods may be… unconventional, the outcome was undeniable. You and your group played a pivotal role in preventing further casualties. For that, you have my thanks.

  However, raw strength and recklessness are not enough. If you truly seek to improve, then consider this an invitation.

  The Aurewyn Grand Academy of Magic and Combat is the finest institution in the kingdom. As Grand Magus, I am extending a personal invitation only to you. Whether you accept is your choice.

  But know this—true power is more than just swinging a sword.

  Ellianthriel Aurewyn."

  Silence.

  I blinked. "Wait… what?"

  The man lowered the letter and grinned. "Yeah, so basically, the Saint says ‘good job’ but also thinks you’re an untrained dumbass and wants you to get educated."

  Ravyn howled with laughter. "PFFT—oh my god, this is amazing!"

  Lena smirked. "I mean… she’s not wrong."

  I clenched my fists. "Oh, screw all of you!"

  "How did she even make that letter? She was just here," I asked, still trying to process everything.

  The man shrugged. "I don’t know."

  I squinted at him. "...Then how did you get it?"

  "I don’t know that either."

  I stared.

  He stared back.

  The silence stretched.

  "Are you messing with me?"

  "Probably." He grinned.

  I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Great. Fantastic. I just survived getting my ass handed to me by an Archdemon, almost died from my own skill, watched a goblin eat said Archdemon, and now I’m somehow getting recruited into a magic academy. This day just keeps getting better and better."

  The man gave me a thumbs-up. "Sounds like a personal problem, buddy."

  I scowled. "Oh, screw you—"

  "Well, I need to go now, so…"

  Before I could react, something changed.

  My body locked up.

  I couldn’t move.

  None of us could.

  I tried to fight it, to resist, but my arms—my legs—moved on their own.

  Every single one of us lowered our weapons.

  "What the hell?" Lena gritted her teeth, her hands trembling as she struggled against whatever force was controlling us.

  Ravyn growled. "Tch—some kind of magic?"

  Gabriel’s eyes darted around. "No incantation. No aura shift. It’s—something else."

  The man smirked, completely unfazed. "Next time you see me, please don’t point a weapon at me."

  And just like that—he disappeared.

  The moment he was gone, our bodies unlocked.

  I stumbled forward, immediately gripping my sword, my breath ragged.

  Ravyn flexed his fingers, muttering curses under his breath.

  Lena’s expression was unreadable, but her stance was still tense. "That wasn’t normal."

  "No shit," I muttered.

  Javier, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke. "That was an absolute command. No chant. No warning. Just raw intent."

  Gabriel wiped sweat from his brow. "That wasn’t just magic. That was something else entirely."

  I exhaled, shaking off the remaining stiffness. "Who the hell was that guy?"

  No one had an answer.

  But one thing was clear—whoever he was, he wasn’t someone we could mess with.

  ...

  Inside a tavern, a feast was already waiting for us.

  The scent of roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and ale filled the air. Plates were piled high, mugs foamed over, and the entire place buzzed with celebration.

  The weird part?

  We had no idea how we even got here.

  One moment, we were outside, trying to wrap our heads around what just happened. The next—we were already inside, seated at a long table, surrounded by food.

  An old man stepped forward, his hands clasped together. The tavernkeeper.

  "Thank you for helping us," he said, his voice warm with gratitude.

  I blinked, still slightly disoriented, but managed a simple, "You’re welcome."

  He smiled, gesturing toward the table. "Everything here is free for you and your friends. Consider this a token of our thanks."

  Ravyn immediately grabbed a mug. "Now that’s what I like to hear!"

  Lena sighed. "At least pretend to have manners."

  Gabriel was already pouring himself wine. "This is holy retribution for all the stress I’ve been put through."

  I sat down, still feeling like this was all too convenient… but my stomach growled.

  Maybe, for now, I should just eat.

  The feast continued, and for the first time in what felt like forever, we weren’t in the middle of fighting for our lives.

  Mark was just eating—no talking, no reacting, just methodically clearing plate after plate like a machine.

  Javier sat silently, his expression unreadable, sipping from a mug of what I assumed was tea instead of alcohol. Typical.

  Gabriel, meanwhile, was doing what he always did.

  "Lena, you’ve been by my side in battle for so long," Gabriel said, his voice dripping with drama. "Isn’t it time you finally—"

  "No," Lena cut him off, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth before he could finish.

  He choked slightly before chewing. "You wound me," he mumbled through the food. "But even rejection makes my love grow stronger."

  Lena pinched the bridge of her nose. "God, I should’ve just let the demons kill you."

  I sighed, shaking my head.

  Then there was Ravyn.

  Slumped over the table, half-drunk, half-crying.

  "I… I was supposed to fight the Archdemon," he mumbled, wiping at his eyes. "That was my moment! My legendary battle! And what happens instead? Some kid eats him!"

  Gabriel patted him on the back. "There, there. Maybe next time you’ll get to fight something big before it gets devoured."

  "It’s not the same!" Ravyn sobbed, slamming his forehead onto the table.

  I grabbed a drink and leaned back in my chair, finally speaking up.

  "Alright, all jokes aside," I said, my tone more serious now. "If we were all here… then who was with Elza?"

  The table went silent.

  Lena set her drink down, frowning. "That’s a good question."

  Gabriel’s usual smirk faded slightly. "She was with the church’s forces last we saw her, right?"

  Javier, who had been completely silent until now, finally spoke.

  "If they were competent enough to guard her, we wouldn’t have been summoned in the first place."

  That wasn’t reassuring.

  I tapped my fingers against the table. Something didn’t sit right with me.

  If every single one of us had been drawn into this battle… who was protecting Elza.

  Ravyn suddenly poked my face.

  "Why are you so worried?" he slurred, still half-drunk, half-crying.

  I swatted his hand away, scowling. "What the hell are you even saying?"

  He blinked slowly, then muttered, "I’m with her right now."

  I froze.

  "What?" I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

  Ravyn groggily lifted his head, rubbing at his temple. "I mean…" he exhaled, his usual playful smirk barely forming. "I can see her."

  Lena, Gabriel, and Mark all turned toward him.

  Javier’s fingers lightly tapped against his mug. "Explain."

  Ravyn tapped his head. "I left a little… piece of myself with her. Not literally, you perverts," he groaned as Gabriel opened his mouth. "It’s an ability I have. I can see through the eyes of my marks, and right now… I can see Elza."

  I sat up straighter. "And?"

  He frowned. "She’s… just sleeping in our base."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Just sleeping? Then why are you frowning?"

  Ravyn's hands shook, his face contorting as if he had just realized something horrifying.

  Then—he burst into tears.

  "I’m a stalker!" he wailed, slamming his forehead against the table.

  The entire tavern went silent.

  Gabriel immediately broke into laughter, clapping him on the back. "Oh my god, he’s just now realizing it!"

  Lena sighed, sipping her drink. "I mean, yeah. We all kinda knew."

  Mark, still chewing on a piece of roasted meat, gave a small nod.

  Javier, as always, remained silent, but I swore I saw him shake his head slightly.

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You’re an idiot."

  Ravyn sniffled. "I didn’t mean for it to be like this! I just thought it would be useful!"

  Gabriel smirked. "Right, right. Useful."

  Lena tilted her head. "So, what was she doing before she fell asleep?"

  Ravyn blinked, then froze.

  I frowned. "What?"

  He swallowed. "She was… talking to someone."

  I felt a chill crawl up my spine.

  "Who?"

  Ravyn hesitated, his usual carefree demeanor completely gone.

  "I don’t know," he muttered. "I couldn’t hear anything. Just… saw a shadow standing near her. And then… she went to sleep."

  The table fell into silence.

  Something was wrong.