This fairy truly wanted to see his human suffer in shame. In the illusion unfolding like a B-grade movie trailer, Cadel couldn’t bring himself to lift his head.

“As expected of Sir Cadel! He wiped out the enemy in one blow!”

“It’s all thanks to Sir Cadel’s incredible magic, combined with the power of the Scarlet Dragon!”

“We can finally feel the worth of our struggle to hold off the enemies!”

Victory belongs to us humans!

Awkward shouts, like those from a poorly organized campaign, echoed from all around. Meanwhile, in the illusion, Cadel effortlessly slaughtered the enemies while riding the Scarlet Dragon. The dragon’s breath, mixed with fiery magic, scorched the earth and protected the allies.

It was a one-sided battle. The allies, who had been pushed back, regained the upper hand by relying entirely on Cadel and the Scarlet Dragon’s power. It was like a smooth march to victory—something that could never happen in a real war. The victory was too easy, almost absurd.

In the midst of this blissful scene, everyone in the conference room could hardly contain their shock. What were they even witnessing? Their prior worries about an enemy ambush seemed utterly meaningless, as the scene before them clearly had a singular purpose.

In the Demon Realm, where all the enemies had been slain, Cadel descended with the Scarlet Dragon and, receiving countless envious stares, solemnly declared.

“Thank you all for believing in me and following my lead. This victory is all thanks to your faith!”

The illusion slowly faded away, and with it, the humiliating shout that made Cadel wish he could tear his ears off. Beyond the fading background, the original interior of the castle became visible once again.

A heavy silence fell upon the conference room, replacing the earlier clamor that had been as chaotic as a marketplace. Everyone seemed lost in thought, reflecting on the absurd events they had just witnessed.

The situation was quickly understood. The perceptive leaders soon realized who was responsible for the bizarre incident, and one by one, all eyes turned to Cadel.

‘……I want to die.’

Angry curses rose to the tip of Cadel’s tongue, but he swallowed them down. Even Lumen, standing beside him, was at a loss for words. The two men, now the focus of everyone’s gaze, tried their best to suppress the deep flush creeping up their faces.

“Uh…… well, this is, uh…… how should I explain……”

If he had known things would only get more embarrassing from here, he would have confessed the moment the illusion started. But now, with deep regret and a flush of guilt, Cadel forced a smile, doing his best to lift the corners of his mouth.

“Since we’re at this point, how about hearing my strategy first?”

* * *

In the end, Cadel managed to voice his opinions by presenting a few conditions. It was thanks to the efforts of Ector, Moritol, and Modeleine, who managed to offset the countless criticisms that had flooded the room the moment Cadel opened his mouth.

However, that didn’t change the fact that Cadel had brought subordinates other than his vice commander. As a result, by the middle of the meeting, the Scarlet Scales Knight Order had to leave the island, essentially being kicked out. The consequences for violating the terms of the meeting would be dealt with later.

Aboard the ship returning to the Empire.

“Why do you keep hitting me, darling?! My back hurts! If my wings fall off, you’re going to be responsible, right?”

“Does it look like I’m going to stop hitting you? You’re really……!”

“Don’t get mad! I helped you out, didn’t I?”

“Helped? What are you talking about, helped?!”

Cadel recalled the confident expression on Lydon’s face when he appeared outside the meeting room, and angrily slapped his broad back several times. No matter how many times Cadel hit him, the frustration just wouldn’t go away. Even now, just thinking about it made the heat rise in his face.

Meanwhile, the fairy, who naturally believed Cadel had achieved his goal because of him, was just as aggrieved by the situation. Lydon felt wronged by Cadel’s anger, Lumen’s coldness, and the constant barrage of slaps.

“I was worried that the humans wouldn’t listen to you! That’s why I showed them a more convincing illusion than words. So why are you mad? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been able to say a word!”

“That embarrassing illusion didn’t help! Huh? You should’ve at least given me a heads-up. I told you to stay quiet, but you just had to cause trouble!”

“Aaaah! Don’t hit me! This is too much, Cadel! You’re so mean!”

Even though tears welled up in Lydon’s eyes from the injustice, Cadel’s anger still hadn’t subsided. After a while of venting his frustration and berating Lydon, he finally calmed down when Lumen came to visit him in his cabin.

“Here, take this, Leader. Sir Sorin sent it.”

“Sir Sorin?”

Cadel hadn’t had a proper conversation with Sorin since they arrived on the island. However, the disdainful glare he received right after the illusion ended was still vivid in his mind. As Cadel took the note from Lumen, he sighed and began reading the contents.

“……Looks like the meeting is still ongoing. He’s written down the general strategies. He says he’ll send updates on the progress until the meeting ends.”

“Well, that’s a bit of good luck.”

This was likely Ector’s consideration. While he had brushed off the terrible disaster Cadel experienced with a hearty laugh, he seemed to be offering as much help as he could, unlike Moritol, who had openly despised him.

Cadel carefully read through the strategies written in the note, piecing together a rough framework. The key point emphasized by the commanders who had listened to his strategies was making full use of his subordinates while gathering the power of the Scarlet Dragon. He had to figure out how to put his troops in the best possible position to fight.

‘At least I’ve crossed the first big hurdle.’

He had made the bare minimum preparations. Now, it was time to use every resource at his disposal to break the system. Before carrying out that grand task, though, he had to do a final check with Kunra.

* * *

The Mountain of Silence.

In the dark cavern, the oppressive heat filled the air, and the overflowing energy shook the very ground beneath. The flickering flames sporadically illuminated the darkness inside.

At the center, on the verge of collapse, Kunra sat precariously in a meditative posture. His face was as pale as a sheet, and cold sweat continually trickled down his face. His trembling lips murmured an unintelligible language.

Kunra, unable to control his own energy, stared into the deep abyss before him, unable to distinguish whether it was a memory or an illusion.

[Do you want to protect it?]

A vast sea of blood. A crimson sky and a rift through space. He found himself kneeling in the midst of a landscape that had become hideous.

His mouth was dripping with blood, his battered body was ragged, and his tousled hair was a mess. Slowly, he raised his head, revealing a pair of brilliant green eyes peeking through his long hair.

He stared across the distance.

[You have been defeated. Do you want to protect it?]

There, standing before him, was a human figure that looked exactly like himself. The figure was unscathed, with no expression, as if it felt nothing.

Kunra instinctively felt that this was not the main body of the entity. It had no ‘main body’ to speak of. It merely changed its shape to whatever it wished to appear as.

[Answer me, weak god of the small world. Do you still wish for your world to exist?]

The figure that looked like him continued to ask, its voice cold and distant. To Kunra, who did not understand the circumstances of the situation, it was a deeply irritating presence. Yet, whether it was an illusion or a past memory, the Kunra within that vision spoke in response.

“I would give everything I have to protect it.”

At those words, the figure let out a loud, mocking laugh. Its laughter echoed through the blood-soaked space, low and cruel. The sky was unnervingly red, and the desolate land was barren, not a single weed growing in the forsaken soil, all drenched in blood from an unknown source.

The overwhelming air of despair that filled the surroundings seemed to feed the figure’s amusement, undeterred by the bleakness of the scene. After a long stretch of laughter, the figure finally spoke.

[Then, offer me the soul of this world. I will indulge in the soul of your world, and my minions will savor the suffering of this world.]

“…….”

[So you will abandon all memories and help me, and my minions will revel in your world’s suffering. If you do this, I will turn a blind eye to your defeat.]

Hearing these words, Kunra’s expression twisted in disgust. His clenched jaw trembled, blood trickling from his lips. ‘It’ stared at him in silence as he knelt, and then slowly approached, looking down at him with contempt, its voice a soft question.

[Do you truly wish to protect it?]

This was the final question. Kunra felt with certainty that there would be no further offers or chances. Slowly, the light faded from his intense eyes, and the rigidity in his neck loosened.

With a voice heavy with resignation and defeat, he answered.

“……Yes. I want to protect it.”

The words barely left his mouth before ‘it’ reached out for him. But Kunra didn’t know what it intended to do. The world around him flickered like a broken film reel, and then, suddenly, darkness overtook him.

When Kunra opened his eyes again, he gasped for air, his chest heaving. Sweat streamed down his face as his vision blinked in and out, and a cold shiver ran through his body. A sharp headache pulsed in his skull like a ringing bell, and his limbs trembled from exhaustion.

For a moment, he remained frozen, before slowly rising to his feet. But then.

“What I was trying to protect……”

He muttered something under his breath as if in a daze. His body gave out, and he collapsed to the ground in an empty heap.

* * *

‘Why is there no response?’

After arriving at the Empire, Cadel had moved directly to a separate building to summon Kunra. Ignoring the Emperor’s summons regarding their expulsion from the island, his priority had been to speak with Kunra.

However, Kunra did not respond to Cadel’s call. Afterward, Cadel had no choice but to meet with the Emperor, receiving a string of complaints, and after a short talk with the remaining subordinates, he returned to his quarters.

It was late at night. By this hour, even the busiest of people might have a moment of respite. Thinking so, Cadel called again, but once more, there was no reply.

“Is something wrong again?”

When Kunra first disappeared without a response, Cadel had experienced an intense headache. After that, Kunra had come back, claiming that forgotten memories had resurfaced. Cadel wondered if something similar was happening now.

‘Of course, I know worrying about that damn dragon head is the most pointless thing in the world……’

Even the Scarlet Dragon couldn’t guarantee safety from all threats. The day Kunra had left, fleeing as if from something, Cadel had learned that the hard way.

‘Is he going to suffer alone again, and then show up once everything is over?’

If that wasn’t the case, then why wasn’t Kunra answering? Their encounters hadn’t been restricted by the system so far. In fact, the system had largely ignored their meetings. It was strange to think that now, suddenly, Kunra might be distancing himself out of concern for some system limitations.

“……This won’t do.”

Cadel wasn’t in a position to wait for Kunra to show up on his own. He had too much to do. Determined, Cadel brushed off his seat and rose. He had been told by the Emperor not to leave the castle until the meeting was over as a form of self-reflection, but he had no intention of being tied down by such trivial things.

‘Still, it’s probably best to move without drawing attention.’

Cadel stood up, shaking off the thought, and drew a magic circle on the floor. After summoning Kunra once more, he infused mana into the circle, waiting through the ensuing silence.

‘Honestly, he’s such a pain to deal with.’

With a flash of light, Cadel clicked his tongue as he closed his eyes, bracing himself for whatever came next.