Of great and marvelous white clouds, we descend from this unmistakable sky to see... this world that once was another.

  "Ah! The lands of Lyran... A fascinating place full of life, many lives, in fact—countless species and races! Although many things have yet to be discovered... My name is Joap, in charge of the magical observatory, a pleasure to meet you! And I hope you enjoy my broadcast," mentioned a sharp, elderly voice, with a slightly trembling, wise, and emotional tone.

  "In this world, there are very strange creatures, some legendary, others dangerous, like ghosts, yorkens, and demons... 'sigh' demons... Very wicked and rare beings. In the Dark Age, a massive number of exorcists was needed to eliminate most of them. Although, among all those exorcists, there was one in particular who caught my attention, named Velo Jim. It is said he had a family and decided to become an exorcist to protect them, though he never allowed a single picture to be taken of his face... But well, that was 120 years ago. I hope I'm not boring you with everything I'm saying... Scientists like me love to talk... Regardless, I'm sorry... Now I'll tell you about the *paladins*! Incredible people with an extremely high level of magic and strength—they are very important! They capture criminals, prevent catastrophes, fight beings like the ones I told you about, who appear to destroy peace, and maintain order in the World Rift and the entrance to Sisifelia. Some paladins remain alone, others struggle to have a family, some cannot have one, and, of course, others lose them... Recently, I met a paladin from that low-tech kingdom; her name was Lin, the mother of the boy with lava magic. That woman has light magic! Incredible, right? I wonder what she is doing right now."

  After these last words, we passed through several clouds high in the sky, then descended at great speed until reaching the kingdom of Ystir.

  A woman with red eyes and yellow hair was arriving at the kingdom through the southern gate, in a carriage like those of Ystir, driven by a man in a black suit. "I wonder where you are, Louis..." she thought as she carefully analyzed the kingdom and the people in it.

  *PT Agency*

  "Come on, gentlemen! I want everything in complete order," Mei firmly expressed while carrying a box in her hands. In addition, Clara was floating on her right shoulder. The agency was bustling with activity, with all the scientists and other personnel preparing many things. Xitlari could also be seen carrying the capsule with the quiritanidas.

  Approaching Mei with excitement, Ann said, "We'll finally be paladins again!"

  Then, Clara moved in front of Ann's face, making her smile. Clara seemed very excited, spinning around.

  "I wish for that too... Let's hope this new priest isn't like the last one. Put it outside with the others, please," Mei commented, allowing Ann to carry the box with her yellow wind magic.

  "Yes, don't worry." Ann headed outside while Mei returned to her office.

  "Are you ready?" Mei asked as she entered the office. Mern and Mark were preparing themselves. Kassie was sitting on the couch, looking down; she wore a high-collared white shirt with buttons at the neck, a black vest over it, and also wore shoulder pads and silver gloves.

  "I'm always ready!" Mern responded, stopping his warm-up.

  "Me too!" Mark added, standing up from the floor and placing his right hand on his forehead.

  "Kassie? Is something wrong?" Mei asked upon seeing her a bit down and nervous.

  "Do you really think I'm good for this mission? Xitlari would be more helpful... or Louis," Kassie responded with concern, nervously moving her hands.

  "Louis is a witness, and Xitlari isn't good at fighting in closed spaces. You are perfect in case that place starts collapsing, thanks to your water and ice magic," Mei said, trying to convince her while sitting beside her.

  "But... I'm embarrassed for them to see me in my other form," Kassie whispered in Mei's ear.

  "Don't worry, just use ice magic," Mei replied with understanding, touching her head.

  "What if I mess up? I'm not a paladin like you all."

  "You won't, you'll see. Be more positive! You've exorcised many evil beings," Mei stood up from the couch and took her scimitar, which was on her desk. "This will be a piece of cake!" she added with a slight smile.

  Outside, in front of the agency, there were three cars (one silver and two black) with many stacked cardboard boxes, which seemed to contain only papers. Some of the researchers were perfectly arranging them. Xitlari could also be seen placing the capsule with the quiritanidas in the back seats of the black car. Then, a woman with glasses and black hair tied in a bun threw a cube onto the boxes, and within seconds, the cube covered all the boxes with a purple-colored material.

  "Perfect, thank you very much for your great work!" Mei mentioned, stepping out of the agency with Mern and Kassie behind her. Kassie still looked a bit insecure.

  "Now for this..." Mei threw a small vial filled with a light blue liquid that, upon breaking on top of the cube, shrank it significantly.

  "Here you go, Mei," the black-haired woman with a bun said, handing her a control device and the cube.

  "Thank you so much for everything your team has done, Nila," Mei expressed sweetly, taking the control and giving the woman a hug.

  "Thank you for choosing us, and I hope you choose us again," Nila replied, returning the hug.

  "Count on it. Friends! I deeply appreciate all your cooperation; let's hope all this effort is worth it. Now, in my car will be Louis, Xitlari, Mari, and me. In the second car will be Ririam and Ann, carrying the quiritanidas capsule with them. And in the last car will be Mern, Mark, Kassie, and Marti," Mei stated while everyone listened attentively and Louis stepped out of the agency, helping Mari down the entrance stairs.

  "Remember, don't get nervous. We have the truth... Let's go!" With her last word, everyone got into the cars, preparing to head to the palace. "Canbel... I'm counting on you," Mei mentioned before getting into her car.

  "Yes, boss!" Canbel responded with determination.

  Then, they all left in the cars, leaving the researchers, Nila, and Canbel watching their departure.

  At the west gate, a white carriage with golden edges and silver wheels was arriving, with a red crystal in the center of each. This carriage was the same one used by Priest Krief when he came looking for Louis.

  Inside the carriage were four leaders: Paladin Gladys Maxxui, Edgar, and the new priest... Yang Angel, who wore a long, wide white tunic. Over this garment, he also wore a black kimono-like cape with golden lines. His eyes were an intense blue, and his hair was long, white, and wavy, falling in loose strands at the sides of his face. He wore a golden infinity-shaped necklace and golden beads around his neck, as well as a silver ring on his middle finger. Additionally, he had a white stole with golden details on the sleeves and shoulders.

  "Do you think we'll be able to see that boy too? I'd like to meet him in person," Yang commented in a calm and moderate voice, with a carefree tone.

  "If you want, we can look for him after the meeting," responded the elderly leader, in a tranquil and sweet voice.

  "He's probably with Mei; she was the one who gave the recommendation, after all," added the leader with long yellow hair, with a confident voice that seemed to contain excitement.

  "I'll feel a bit uncomfortable if he's there," Edgar thought as Yang continued talking with the leaders.

  "I'm curious to meet him too. I hope he's the kind of person Rei described to me," said Gladys in her warm, deep, and resonant voice. "Besides... does Rei really know how to train? I want to see it for myself," she thought with a smile as she looked out the window at the people walking on the sidewalk.

  *Outside the King's Palace*

  The three cars had arrived at the palace. At the entrance, two knights opened the gate without hesitation upon seeing Mei in the car. The three cars entered and were parked in an area with several golden lines that had various technological objects drawn on them. The front of the palace had a large wooden door with more technological embellishments. To the left and right of the door, there were several long and small trees. The castle's color was lime green, with several cornices in a bluish-gray hue. There were both small and large windows. At the very top, in the middle of the palace, was a large circle covered with a metallic lid bearing a large letter "Y."

  Reck stood with his arms crossed, clad in his full armor, with a large sword at his side. The sword was black, with a pentagon-shaped emerald embedded near the hilt. He was waiting beside one of the trees near the entrance, and when he saw them arrive, he ran toward them, gripping his sword.

  "Is he still asleep?" Mei asked as she stepped out of the car while the others did the same.

  "Of course, we have to take advantage of the fact that Rays is sleeping too. He doesn’t seem to have been sleeping well lately—he has huge dark circles under his eyes. I have no idea what's wrong with him," Reck replied with a serious expression, resting his sword's edge on the ground.

  "Have you seen Susana?" Mei added, suspecting what had happened.

  "Who is Susana?" Reck frowned, utterly confused by the question.

  "Could it be..." she thought. "Never mind, we’ll talk to him later. Kassie... You can do this, don’t be afraid." Mei approached Kassie and placed both hands on her shoulders, smiling at her gently.

  "Yes, I’ll do my best," Kassie exclaimed, peeking out and managing to form a small smile.

  "Alright... Follow me, it's time to end this," Mei said, heading toward the palace door. Everyone followed her, except for Reck, Mern, Mark, and Kassie.

  "We need to find the gold before the meeting ends... And from what I see, the new priest has already arrived. Quickly, come on!" Reck said as he circled the palace after spotting the church's car, with Mern, Mark, and Kassie following behind him.

  *The King's Chamber*

  Jens was snoring in bed, a bit of drool dripping from his mouth. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door burst open and slammed against the wall. Rays appeared, panting, and as soon as he saw Jens in bed, he frowned, clenching his hands and teeth. He rushed to Jens, grabbed him by his shirt, and shook him violently to wake him up.

  "Wake up, you idiot! The new priest is here, it's urgent!"

  "Huh, what?! What do you mean he's here?! No one informed me! And stop shaking me!" Jens shouted, shocked and flustered by Rays’ words, as he was still being shaken back and forth.

  "Get ready! Mei might be involved in this!" Rays stopped shaking Jens, pointed a finger at him, and then stormed out of the room.

  "Damn it! Knights! Knights?..." Jens yelled, but no one came... He had to search for his clothes himself and dress for the meeting. As he headed to the meeting hall, he adjusted his shirt. "Bastards... I’ll strip them all of their ranks when this is over." Upon entering the meeting hall through double doors, everyone turned their gaze toward him. This made him freeze in place.

  The hall was very spacious, with two doors for entry and exit, as well as a large rectangular table with a holographic device in the center. The walls were red, with brown wooden paneling at the bottom. To the right of the table, there were six long windows with white frames, and the ceiling was brown.

  The table had seating for twelve people. Across from Jens sat Priest Yang, the leaders, and Gladys. At the other end, Mei was seated with Calara floating on her right shoulder. The others stood behind her, near the other double door of the hall. To Mei’s right, a young man sat down after seeing Count Jens enter the room. His hair was dark blue, messy, and had disheveled strands. Additionally, he had three braids at the back of his head, one of which rested over his chest. He wore a dark blue capelet with gold trim, adorned with a thick golden chain that crossed his torso, fastened to metallic brooches. The collar had two high lapels, also trimmed in gold. Underneath the capelet, he wore a light blue and navy shirt. The right sleeve was light blue, while the left was navy. Beneath this shirt, he had a black high-collared vest with a silver button at the neck. On his abdomen, the vest's buttons were aligned to the left, near his heart, instead of in the center. At his waist, on the right side, a flap extended from the vest. He also wore an ornate belt, and his pants were dark blue. Additionally, a chain extended from his belt and draped behind him. On his right hand, he wore a light blue bracelet with dark blue edges, and on his left hand, he wore a silver-blue technological glove.

  "Count Jens, please take a seat," the priest said, gesturing with his hand.

  "Uh... Yes... Of course, thank you," Jens took a seat at the large rectangular table, unable to look anyone directly in the eye.

  "Good afternoon, everyone," Rays expressed seriously as he entered the room, positioning himself beside Jens without glancing at anyone else.

  "How shameless..." Ririam whispered, furrowing her brow with a serious look.

  "Shh... We don’t know what happened to him," Ann replied, making a silencing gesture with her finger.

  "What could have happened? He’s a traitor," she murmured, covering her mouth.

  Louis entered the hall carrying a chair, which he placed nearby for Mari to sit on.

  "It's him!" the long-haired leader whispered excitedly, standing up, only to be immediately restrained by the elder leader, who grabbed his arm to make him sit back down. "Wait until this is over, then you can talk to him."

  "That must be him... Different-colored eyes, red hair, and a blue coat. Heh, this will be interesting," Gladys thought, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

  "I’ve been eager to meet you... After this, we will have a chat," Priest Yang thought, closing his eyes slightly as he observed Louis.

  Meanwhile, outside the palace, Reck, Mern, Mark, and Kassie had arrived at the location Reck had pointed out.

  Reck I take out his shoulder pads a purple rectangular object with a connected speaker. "Here it is, I'll activate the silint and your cave right there," he said, pointing with his finger at the spot.

  "Alright... Let's go, Mark." Mern touched Mark's back, and both of his arms turned into drills.

  Reck activated the object, and a blue layer surrounded part of the area where they were. Then, Mark began drilling into the ground until reaching a passage with several torches lighting the place, which appeared to measure 30 square meters.

  "Hmm... The place doesn't seem to have been here for long. Also, there are wooden frames and roots in the ceiling holding this place up. Surely Rays built it," Mark said, climbing down the hole.

  "That was expected... Be careful with the roots. I don’t quite understand what happened to him, he’s been acting very strange ever since Jens became king," Reck commented, descending into the hole and looking around.

  "It’s very odd, he’s not like this. Do you think they’re blackmailing him with something?" Mern added after descending.

  Reck pressed and activated the object again, covering much of the passage with the blue layer. "Doesn't matter, let's go this way." He started running ahead, followed by Kassie, Mern, and Mark.

  Back in the meeting room, all the leaders and the priest were paying attention to Mei’s words.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "I've called this meeting for the complete dismissal of Count Jens as king. This man seems to have done something in this kingdom, but all he has brought are problems, including: loss of assets, poor response to direct threats, no maintenance to various parts of the kingdom, which caused deaths, in addition to allowing criminals and traitors to infiltrate the kingdom."

  "That's not true! The kingdom is in good condition, I’ve done an impeccable job. What she’s saying is nonsense!" Jens shouted, standing up and slamming both hands on the table. "Priest, I don’t think you should believe this woman. It seems she’s gone crazy or something. I heard she says there’s a..."

  Count Jens started whispering to the priest, covering his mouth and leaning slightly from his chair.

  "Count Jens... Be quiet, I didn’t say it was your turn to speak. Now I’ll take that as your defense," Yang replied, rolling his eyes at Jens’ words.

  "I'm sorry..." he said, sitting back down.

  Suddenly, the door behind Mei opened, and a man in a white suit with a tray approached Mei.

  "Miss Mei... Here’s your coffee and water glass. I’ve left the sugar for you to add as you like. Are you sure you don’t want anything? I have some delicious pastries."

  "No, don’t worry. Please, start with the testimonies," Yang responded, waving his right hand to decline the offer.

  "Wait, I want..." Count Jens added.

  With a smile on his lips, the waiter said, "I wasn’t asking you," before leaving the room. Meanwhile, Mei took a sip of coffee, and Jens had a stunned expression at the waiter’s response.

  "Good... afternoon. A pleasure to meet you all! I mean... Ehmm..." Louis was the first to give his testimony, but, as you already read, nerves got the better of him.

  "Let someone else go while Paladin Louis calms down," the priest Yang said.

  Mei stood up from her chair and approached Louis.

  "No, he will be the first. Just give me a moment... You need to calm down, breathe deeply, and exhale. It’s your first time doing this, but... you can do it!" she said, slapping him on the last word, which surprised everyone. Ann and Martí covered their mouths to hold back laughter.

  Louis, the most surprised, frowned, opened his eyes wide, and placed his right hand on his cheek. Then, Mei sat back down and added sugar to her coffee.

  "Okay, once more... Hello. You might already know me... Well, I think you do, it’s impossible for you not to..." At Louis’ words, Ririam put his hand on his face in disappointment, and Martí looked the other way while scratching near his left eye with his left index finger. Ann seemed to feel pity, and Xitlari had no reaction, as she understood his nerves since she had them too.

  "Since I came here, ehm... No, not like that..."

  "What kind of witness is this? He’s not saying anything... Well, better for me," Jens thought, raising an eyebrow.

  "The reason I came... My master Rei told me that to be a good paladin, I had to see the world, I had to know what it was like to live... because being in my kingdom... wasn’t life. Here, I learned many things and met incredible people. I felt new emotions and managed to change and become stronger." Louis’ words were full of feelings, and his voice sounded warm and sincere. "During my first days, I fought against the Schulz brothers, a werewolf, men of the white mist, the very Yeynos and his daughter. Jeh, again against the Schulz brothers, after they escaped from prison. Oh! And I also helped catch several prisoners when... the explosion in the kingdom’s prison happened. Then I joined Miss Mei, although I had already met her before... We fought against Yeynos’ son... He had very strange magic, besides having creation magic, illusion magic, and white magic" At the end of his words, everyone reacted with surprise, especially Priest Yang.

  "Are you sure... about what you’re saying? Did he have white magic?" Priest Yang asked with a serious and attentive expression.

  "Yes, sir. I was also present at the attempted robbery in the kingdom’s bank and the capture of a creature in the water area in the city center. On my word, I assure you that Miss Mei is right here," Louis responded, taking on a completely serious attitude.

  The elderly leader "Yamile" began to say things only to Priest Yang.

  Jens looked at Rays, who was still standing to his left, and murmured, "Creature? What creature is he talking about?".

  "I have no idea. Maybe you should have paid more attention to what was happening in the kingdom," Rays said with no emotion on his face. Jens directed his gaze at Mei for a moment, and she gave him a slight smile.

  "Unfortunate..." Jens thought, trying not to let the mockery affect him.

  "This is no trivial matter. Priest Krief made very poor choices here. No matter how long it takes, we must know what they know. As much as he is a rookie paladin with many eyes on him and the other former paladins, his testimony counts fully," the leader Yamile whispered in Priest Yang’s ear.

  "Alright... Let the next one come!" Priest Yang said after processing the words of leader Yamile.

  After Louis stepped back, Ann took a step forward, and with a slight smile of gratitude, she began her testimony.

  "I greatly appreciate the attention... I fully confirm everything Paladin Louis said earlier. Yeynos’ son, who seems to be named Tai, has white magic. I know because I saved him and Kassie Matther, who helped him in the fight."

  "Kassie Matther... I’ve heard of her. She’s an exorcist with a good number... And tell me, where is she?" Priest Yang commented.

  "She... will present herself soon. Right now, she’s... on a mission," Ann responded, carefully considering her answer.

  "Alright... Continue".

  Meanwhile, in the passage beneath the castle, Reck, Mern, Mark, and Kassie had arrived at a larger area, about 40 square meters.

  "Be careful, there could be traps...", Reck mentioned, still holding the magical object with one of his hands.

  "Now that I think about it... Why did you bring that jacket here? Aren't you hot?" Kassie asked, a little confused, while continuing to walk.

  "This jacket is part of me! It's part of my soul!" Mern replied proudly, looking up at the ceiling.

  "Right..." Kassie was even more confused, raising an eyebrow.

  Suddenly, a purple rune appeared from the ground, and a two-meter tall being was created piece by piece. It wore ancient bronze armor, and the rune was embedded in its chest. Both hands held black swords, and it had bracers with a two-barreled weapon.

  "Jens... Take this, Mark... run without hesitation. I'll take care of him."

  After pressing the object once more, Reck handed it to Mark and got into position to begin the fight.

  "Understood, let's go, Kassie," Mern grabbed Kassie's arm, and they began running along with Mark toward the runic being. Immediately, it propelled itself to strike at Mern and Kassie.

  "Wait!" Kassie screamed in fear, closing her eyes... And a Sound of shockwave made her open them again... Seeing nothing around her, she looked back and saw how Reck clashed his sword with those of the runic being, creating powerful shocks that cracked the ground. "Will he be okay?"

  "Of course... He's stronger than I am!" Mern expressed with a smile on his lips as they continued running.

  "It's impossible for anything to happen to him, he's one of the strongest paladins there is," Mark added while pressing the magical object.

  As they ran, Kassie stepped on a small stem that had grown on the ground... And instantly... Rays felt it. "Excuse me, I have something important to do." Rays walked out through the door behind him, and Mei stayed watching him as he left.

  "What? Where are you going?" Jens said with concern.

  "He already found out...", he thought, narrowing his eyes while staring at him.

  Ann's turn had already passed, and now it was Ririam's testimony.

  "He took the opportunity to interrupt me too...", Ririam thought, watching Rays leave, then clearing his throat. "As I was saying... You can see this kingdom in good condition, but not thanks to Count Jens, but thanks to us! We have kept this kingdom going for the last months during which we lost our ranks. We have plenty of evidence to support this."

  Priest Yang briefly looked at Jens. Jens looked a bit nervous but tried to remain calm. "I see it coming... How did they let this man rule? I know it could also be false, but they even have Prince Lue on their side... Did they threaten him? Impossible, why would a group of paladins do that?" he thought, then turned his gaze toward the boy next to Mei.

  "Alright... Bring that evidence and let's end this."

  Saying this, Xitlari left the room.

  "Sir, do you really think I could do something like that? I’m a Mortenez, you should trust me. I've given a lot for this kingdom over the years," hearing this, Mei frowned, annoyed, and slightly pressed the edge of the table with her right hand.

  "We'll see, Count..." responded Priest Yang.

  Xitlari then returned with the quiritanid capsule and carefully placed it on the table.

  "Incredible..." said Leader Yamile, adjusting her glasses to see the creature better.

  "It's a quiritanidas..." added the leader with the white mask.

  "Magnificent," commented the leader with pink hair.

  "How is it that...?" Edgar began, but was immediately interrupted by Count Jens.

  "Impossible! How was that thing in the water zone?" he expressed, upset and angry.

  "If I hadn't fired everyone from maintenance, they would have captured it and also provided the answer," Mei responded, then took another sip of coffee.

  Jens muttered under his breath and looked away.

  "So, this is the creature..." said Priest Yang, leaning slightly in his chair to see the quiritanid better. "How did such a creature get into the kingdom's water zone?" he thought.

  "Also, we have these witnesses to what happened," Mei mentioned, and then Marti and Mari stepped forward.

  "Priest... My husband and I were victims of this man's incompetence. Because of him..." Mari tried to speak but stopped and began crying.

  Everyone on their side lowered their heads.

  "Calm down... Could your husband tell us what happened, please?" With this, Mari stopped crying.

  "Uh... It's not me, priest," said Marti, a sad expression on his face, looking to the side.

  "My husband was killed by a werewolf that entered our crop field... That’s the werewolf that Paladin Louis fought..." exclaimed Mari while wiping her tears and being helped to sit back down in the chair.

  "I led Paladin Louis to the eastern harvest. I saw an adult quiritanid in the kingdom's lake, giant eagles! And I was there when Paladin Louis fought the werewolf! His fur was completely black!" While speaking, Marti tried to explain what he was saying, making various hand gestures and moving from side to side.

  The Count shrugged at this and didn’t say a word.

  "Thank you for your testimony and... I'm sorry for your loss. The church will ensure that you have a good life with the child you are going to have," said Priest Yang, a bit affected by Mari's story.

  "For the next part, I have this..." Mei stood up with a glass of water and moved the cube away from the table. She poured all the water out and took her real form again.

  Everyone from the church was surprised. Then, Mei pressed the button on a remote control, and the cube became small, revealing several boxes full of documents inside.

  "What kind of technology is this?" asked Gladys, fascinated by what she had seen.

  "It belongs to billionaire Donquichua. From what I know, he’ll release it on the market soon," Mei responded, sitting down again.

  "This must be a joke... Yes, it must be. It's impossible for them to take the time to read all of that," Jens thought, looking at Priest Yang.

  "Leader Yamile..." said Priest Yang. Leader Yamile stood up and approached the pile of boxes. She extended her hand, and a gray aura came from it, surrounding all the boxes. Through her eyes, one could see a flurry of words and numbers passing rapidly up and down. "This might take a while, but we'll see everything they gathered without fail... (To give my final verdict)."

  Meanwhile, in the passage, Mern, Mark, and Kassie had arrived at a kind of door with a coffee-colored aura that blocked their way. The door had four insignias with an "M" on each one.

  "A runic door... Jeh, easy," he exclaimed confidently, stretching his arms and approaching the door, but many roots emerged in front of her, and from the roots, Rays appeared.

  "Rays, my friend! How have you been? You look a bit... Uh, did you sleep well?" Mern said excitedly, then noticing Rays' tired face.

  "Don't think I'll let you pass... I just want peace, and with this, I can have it," Rays replied, ignoring Mern's question.

  "Friend... you're stealing from the kingdom. What the hell are you talking about?!"

  "You wouldn't understand..." Rays extended his hand toward them, and several roots shot out of the ground. Instantly, Mern touched Mark, creating a sword on his right arm and two blades on his left arm that spun at high speed. Mark stopped all the roots, and then Mern extended his hand toward Rays; from his palm, a pillar of golden Gyverna shot out. Rays dodged it, but Mern was already in front of him and punched him in the face, making him crash into the wall.

  "Kassie, break the door!" Upon this, Kassie ran toward the door, but Mark stopped her.

  "I'll boost you!" Mark released the sword and threw Kassie so she could reach the door.

  Mern placed his hand on the ground and created a platform that, with a motion of his hand, rose to trap Rays on the ground. However, two large roots emerged to the right and left of Rays, preventing the platform from falling on him. Then, other roots pushed him into the earth wall, making him reappear on the ceiling.

  "I won't let you!" With his hand, he created a whip to grab Kassie, but Mark threw his sword, cutting the whip and leaving the sword embedded in the ceiling.

  Kassie managed to reach the door and created an ice shield to prevent any root attacks. Then she placed both hands on the door, causing the badges to start moving clockwise.

  "Damn!" Rays dropped to the ground, stomped hard, and several roots headed toward Kassie's shield.

  "Of course not!" Mern also stomped on the ground and raised a large wall of golden Gyverna from the subsoil.

  Rays ground his teeth, and Mark punched him in the back, knocking him to the floor. Before he could strike another blow, a root grabbed Mark from the back, slammed him against the wall, and trapped him with several roots. These raised his left arm upwards so he couldn't free himself with the blade.

  Rays got up and began spinning while throwing many vines toward Mern. He covered his entire body with golden Gyverna armor, with several blades protruding, and began cutting all the vines. Then, he threw several small blades, managing to cut them all until reaching Rays. Several of these blades pierced his left arm and back, stopping his spinning.

  "You... always with that... MAGIC!" he shouted, and the ceiling began to collapse.

  "Are you crazy!?" Mern covered the ceiling with Gyverna and placed several pillars to support it, but while doing this, Rays sent a large root that grabbed him and slammed him against the wall where Mark was. Then he trapped him with several roots that surrounded all his hands and fingers to prevent him from using his magic.

  "Haha, hey, we should celebrate, it's your first victory against me," Mern said with a friendly smile.

  "Shut up... Here, I have the advantage. You can't make Mark bigger or use your magic the way you do," he said before sending two large roots toward Kassie.

  "Kassie!" Mark shouted, and Rays immediately covered his mouth.

  Kassie turned around. She removed one hand from the door and, extending it backward, created several ice spikes on the shield. Then, Rays sent many more roots, destroying the ice with great blows from right to left.

  "Almost there..." The badges were about to complete a full turn, and the roots continued to destroy the ice shield.

  "Rays! What happened to you!? This isn't like you!"

  "I don't want to see anyone die anymore! This is the only way..." Rays kept sending more roots from the ground to destroy the shield faster.

  The badges made a full circle, the door vanished, and a bright golden light flooded Kassie's eyes.

  "I did it." Then, a root pierced the shield and took Kassie, placing her next to Mern and Mark, also holding their hands and fingers.

  "Who is this? I don't know her..." he asked while the roots kept destroying the shield.

  "She's a new apprentice of Mei... Friend, what happened?" Mern responded, concern on his face.

  For a moment, Rays couldn't answer and remained silent... until the entire ice shield shattered. "I don't want to be a paladin anymore... I've lost everything for this... friends, family, love..."

  "Where is Susana?" Mern had a look of pity and sorrow for his friend, while Kassie began puffing up her cheeks.

  Rays walked to where the gold was and said, "That day... she told me not to worry so much about her... And when they brought the Nerosma to the prison, she was on guard..." Rays looked at the gold, and tears fell from his eyes.

  "Friend... why didn't you say anything? Mei..." Mern said but was interrupted.

  "Mei wouldn't have done anything... She's not going to bring her back... To avoid suffering from the deaths of all of you, I want to leave here... I've had enough."

  After hearing this, Mern looked at Kassie, who had her cheeks puffed and glowing. Mern raised his chin, and a piece of golden Gyverna emerged from it, which connected to Mark. From his chest, a rune identical to the one on Mern's chest appeared.

  Kassie spat out water from her mouth with great force toward Rays, and when it touched him, his whole body, except his head, froze. Then, Mark destroyed the roots, causing an explosion in his chest, and freed Kassie and Mern with his left hand.

  "I WON'T LET YOU!" Rays shouted as the ice on his body cracked, and several roots headed toward the others.

  "Create a lot of water!" Mern said, creating a golden Gyverna cube. Then he touched Mark's shoulder, turning his arms into drills and putting a propeller on his back.

  "I can't do it!" Kassie replied fearfully while the roots attacked the cube.

  "Of course you can... You can do it!" Mern approached her, placed his right hand on her shoulder with a confident face and a slight smile.

  "With one condition..."

  Rays managed to destroy the ice and sent many more roots toward the Gyverna cube. "It's completely fair! I gave so much for this kingdom!"

  Suddenly, the cube opened, crushing the roots. Then, Mern, without his jacket, threw a chain with a hook from his hand, managing to hook Rays. With a pull, he attracted him to himself. Rays covered his arms with logs to hit Mern's face, but Kassie, wearing Mern's jacket, jumped on him, extended both hands, and a great amount of water poured out of them, filling the entire place.

  Meanwhile, in the meeting, the leader Yamile was finishing reading the documents with her magic.

  "Quite impressive... These documents have a lot of accounts. The most notable is the great record of the kingdom's market and how the kingdom's money has stagnated in one place and hasn't moved forward; rather, it has lost a great part... Also, there are several accounts of payments for repairs in the kingdom made by a jewelry shop that claims to be Mei's. There are several testimonies from other people confirming what was said earlier... There are... statements from knights who claim the king used them as employees... There are also several certificates from the people who did the analysis, supporting them, among many other things." Count Jens began to sweat a little and had a terrified look on his face after hearing Leader Yamile. "Hmm... There's an interesting testimony... Maxwell Marks?" Leader Yamile thought, then returned to her chair.

  "And that's not all." Mei placed a black rectangular object on the table. "Inside here are more data and evidence that, if you'd like, you can put on the holographic panel."

  "You... you're just jealous!" Jens shouted angrily, slamming his hand on the table.

  "How?" Mei furrowed her brows and glared at Count Jens with fury.

  "You're just jealous that I got the title of king. That's why you set up this charade!" he said angrily, pointing at Mei with his hand.

  "Don't be stupid! The evidence is completely clear!" she retorted, while Clara tried to approach Jens to hit him, but Prince Lue stopped her by grabbing her with both hands. "You’ve made the kingdom unsafe!" Mei stood up and slammed both hands on the table.

  "What are you talking about?! I put up the great shield!" Jens also stood up and placed both of his open-palmed hands on the table.

  "You did nothing! That was the last project the late King Shane left behind!" As the others behind slowly approached Mei, Count Jens made a furious noise while pressing his hand down. "So young... and you already look like an old cursed woman!"

  "IGH...!" Immediately, Mei grabbed her scimitar from beside her chair. "That's it. I'll kill him!" At once, Prince Lue stopped her, grabbing her right arm, and the others (except for Marti and Mari) ran to stop her.

  "Wait, Mei!" Ririam said, grabbing her right arm. "You need to control yourself!" added Ann, holding her around the abdomen.

  "Let me go, I'll cut off his tongue!" Mei screamed angrily, managing to unsheathe her scimitar.

  "Calm down! We're winning!" Xitlari said, struggling to stop her.

  "You're a lady, Mei, you're not married!" Louis said, also struggling. "That doesn't help, Louis!" Ririam replied.

  The leaders, the priest, Gladys, and Edgar were speechless and stunned at the fight between Count Jens and Mei.

  "Look at her! She's crazy, you can't trust her, priest." Suddenly, the ground began to shake as the count spoke. "I've taken great care of everyone! How could I steal from the kingdom?" Immediately, a large amount of water with many gold coins shot out like a geyser outside, in the palace courtyard. Some of the coins hit the windows of the room.

  All those from the church peeked through the windows, and after the water stopped, Mark flew out with his thruster. He was carrying Kassie and Mern in his arms, and Mern was holding Rays on his back (he was face down and unconscious).

  "Don’t let them look at me," said Kassie, covering herself with Mern’s jacket.

  "Calm down, they can’t see you, get the water off you," Mern said after Mark released them and placed Rays on the ground.

  Then, everyone from the church (except Priest Yang) turned to look at Count Jens.

  "Um... Wow, they discovered a gold mine! Hehehe... Oh, no" he said nervously, chuckling a bit.

  "If you'll excuse me..." Priest Yang placed one of his fingers (which had turned white) on the window through which he was looking outside, and it shattered. He flew through it towards the hole, with a faint white aura around him. As he descended, he noticed several coins embedded in the ground. Upon reaching the bottom, he saw a large amount of gold bars. "What a bastard."

  "Hello! You must be the new priest. Nice to meet you, Reck Mortz. Take this as proof too." Reck threw the purple rune, and the priest caught it, noticing the Mortenez insignia on it.

  Then, the priest helped Reck out of the hole and headed back to the room.

  "I think there's no doubt now that everything Paladin Mei said is true. And considering everything... I doubt he'll be leaving prison, he'll remain there for the rest of his life. Edgar, take him to the knights to send him to Jankstan," said the priest, placing the purple rune on the table while Mark helped Mern and Kassie enter through the window Priest Yang had broken.

  "But... how did they discover it?" thought Jens, then looked at Mei, now calm, about to take a sip of her coffee. She noticed Jens' gaze and looked at him for a moment, giving him a sweet smile, which to Jens, felt like mockery. "You damn...!" Instantly, his mouth was covered by a piece of golden Gyverna, making him fall to the ground.

  "Don’t you dare talk to her like that!" Mern said, furious, with his hand extended.

  "Come here" Edgar lifted him up and handcuffed him with stone cuffs. Then, he left the room with him.

  "Well, since the prince is still a minor, the next in line to the count should take charge," Priest Yang commented as Reck entered through the window as well.

  "Wait, priest," said Prince Lue. "I can maintain the kingdom. I’ve been learning everything necessary for it, and I feel ready." The prince’s face showed determination and great confidence.

  "You're still too young," he exclaimed, looking at Mei. "But with a counselor, it wouldn't be bad."

  "Me!?" Mei asked. "Her!?" Mern added.

  "Of course. Despite your recent outburst, you kept the kingdom safe during the months that guy was here. I believe you’re the best candidate for this, and you're not a new paladin, you already have much experience. Does anyone object?" The priest waited for a response, but all the leaders remained silent, accepting the decision.

  "Then, it’s decided." The priest stood up, placed his hands behind his back, and bowed his head. "My sincerest apologies for what has happened in the kingdom. Priest Krief made the worst decisions, but I will fix all his mistakes."

  "We thank you for listening to us," Mei said with her sweet voice, bowing her head. Then, all those not from the church left the room, jumping with joy. "We did it!"

  "Finally, we’re paladins again!" Ann shouted happily, hugging Ririam, who embraced her with a slight smile.

  Taking Mei by the arm, Mern said, "Congratulations, now you’re a counselor and paladin!" and gave her a hug after smiling proudly.

  "Thank you..." she said, returning the hug, then gently kissed him on the lips. "And thank you also for shutting him up."

  Mern blushed and placed his right hand behind his head, smiling while looking away. "It was nothing."

  "Now you're king!" Reck said, messing up Prince Lue’s hair.

  "Well, technically no, the coronation needs to be done," Mark added, raising his right hand with his index finger up.

  "We need to do it as soon as possible then," Reck said, with a smile full of pride.

  "Friends! It’s not time to relax, there’s something very important to do," Mei exclaimed, approaching the others along with Mern. "Go prepare the knights and evacuate the kingdom. We need to capture all the Zthur men around the kingdom. I’ll talk to the priest about this, go ahead."

  "Do you want to go home?" Kassie asked Mari.

  "Louis!" Lin shouted from down the hallway with a Ystir knight by her side. Instantly, she started running towards him.

  "Mom?" Lin pounced on Louis, giving him a hug. "What are you doing here?"

  "A quick visit. How have you been, my boy? Have you brushed your teeth? Are you eating well? Have you been polite to the paladins of this kingdom? You haven’t burned anything, right?" Lin asked many questions that only embarrassed and made Louis blush more. "Nice to meet you all! My name is Lin Keeper."

  "Nice to meet you..." everyone responded, laughing a bit and whispering things.

  "I'm fine, mom. I’m fine, please... You're embarrassing me," Louis responded, blushing, unable to look at the others.

  "Hey... I told you to do something!" Mei emphasized with a smile, and everyone left, except for Prince Lue, who reentered the room with Mei.

  "Did you see their eyes!? Both were red! And very bright," Ann could be heard saying while they continued walking.

  Then, the door to the room opened again. "Paladin Lin Keeper, what are you doing here? Weren't you on a mission?" Priest Yang asked with surprise and confusion.

  "You must be the new priest, nice to meet you. I finished the mission and, before returning to Alahead, I wanted to visit my son," Lin replied, bowing her head slightly, then pinching Louis' cheek lightly while smiling.

  "I see... I wanted to talk to your son as well, can you let him in? I want to discuss some things while Paladin Mei tells us something," the priest said respectfully.

  "Oh... Of course. I’ll be waiting for you, son," Lin exclaimed, and then Louis entered the room with the priest. "Our boy is growing... I wish you could see him".

  In the room, after the priest sat down and offered Louis a seat, Mei took an even more serious expression than ever before. She crossed her arms and said, "Gentlemen... What I’m about to tell you should not be taken lightly... The kingdom is in grave danger. Criminals like Yeynos are involved. On the day the king died, the kingdom was threatened... by a Nerosma, named Zthur." As she spoke, we could see various parts of the kingdom: the south area, with its smithies; the west area, with its food stalls and restaurants; the east area, with its magic shops, mechanical artifacts, and people like Lowin and his family; the north area, where people of greater wealth lived; the southwest area, with the orphanage and Lily taking care of the children; and lastly, the places where the criminals hid... And then, we see Tai on the roof of his large and beautiful house, with the sky filled with clouds and sunlight shining through them.

  End of Chapter.