* * *

Quite a bit of time was spent on Lumen’s recovery. Normally, no matter how far the distance was, he would have honestly traveled by carriage, but since it was an expedition to manage the seal, he had no choice but to manage his time tightly.

Therefore, Cadel, along with magic wielders Lydon and Garuel, decided to use traveling magic to the ‘Lemyn Kingdom’ adjacent to the Yingmar Swamp. As the number of people increased, the number of casters of traveling magic also increased, so there was no significant burden.

In the Lemyn Kingdom, where they arrived, Cadel and his party received an unexpected invitation.

“They’re a bit sloppy due to the haste with which we prepared them after receiving the Emperor’s telegram, but I hope they help.”

“No, Your Majesty. I am overwhelmed by your overflowing generosity.”

The King of the Lemyn Kingdom invited the Knight Order to the castle through his subjects as soon as they arrived. They identified the location of the moving magic circle in the country in advance and sent someone there. It seems that the Emperor, who had received a telegram announcing Cadel’s intention to depart for the Yingmar Swamp, had informed King Lemyn of the Knight Order’s arrival in advance.

Cadel was humbled as he looked at the precious potions and magical tools that could be helpful in exploring the swamp area bestowed by the King.

“The Yingmar Swamp has long been a problem for the kingdom, as it has always been infested with monsters. The danger has only increased with the seal’s problem. If the seal is broken, our country will not be able to handle the demons and monsters that will come. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality. I was wondering when the Knight Order would come to check on the Yingmar Swamp, and I’m glad you’re here.”

“We’re glad to hear we’ve put your mind at ease.”

“Of course, of course. Isn’t this the newly emerging Knight Order? I never thought there would come a day in my life when I would see a fairy.”

Though Lydon had fled the castle, muttering to the King’s face that it was a boring place, the presence of the fairy had apparently made up for the rude first meeting. The King looked at Cadel, who smiled awkwardly, and continued.

“Despite what was reported, there was one more member.”

“Yes, I have a new subordinate. Actually, I have not one, but two more, but the other one doesn’t want to be seen because of his status…….”

“Status? Is he a sinner?”

“He was an assassin operating in the underworld, until our paths crossed.”

“……An assassin, you say.”

The King seemed slightly taken aback by the sudden appearance of an assassin. But Cadel had the audacity to pretend not to notice his embarrassment.

With Yozen’s recruitment, the Order was complete, and it was time to make Garuel and Yozen’s presence known to the world. They might be a small and weak country, but a king was still a king. If Cadel told him about the new members, word would spread quickly.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. As long as he’s a member of the Knight Order, I won’t allow anyone to be harmed.”

“……Of course I know. Well then, how about resting at the castle today, replenishing your mana, and leaving tomorrow? I’ll hire someone who is familiar with the geography of the swamp area to go with you.”

“I am pleased to do so.”

It was unexpected, but Cadel accepted the King’s hospitality without question. They would stay here overnight to replenish their strength, and then proceed to the main quest in perfect condition. It was a smooth start in a long time.

* * *

Jeff was the scout leader of the Lemyn Kingdom, and was assigned as a key figure in managing the Yingmar Swamp in recognition of his outstanding search ability, agile movements, and error-free work performance.

Although his combat ability was not outstanding, his survival skills were remarkable, and he had never been seriously wounded in his life, even though he was regularly sent out into the swamps. As such, Jeff was confident that he could safely and securely guide the Imperial Knight Order who had come to maintain the seal.

But the more he moved forward with this Knight Order, the more he kept thinking about this.

‘Do they really need me?’

Even though he thought he had second-to-none expertise, at least in the Yingmar Swamp, it seemed that they didn’t really need experts.

“Ahaha! Monsters are pouring from the sky!”

“Hmm, should I be grateful for this or should I just say do it in moderation…….?”

The Yingmar Swamp was home to countless monsters. There were many different types, and the deeper you went into the center, the more powerful they became. But this was the beginning of the swamp. If you were careful, you could travel through it without encountering any monsters. ……Or so Jeff thought.

Currently, Jeff was witnessing a strange phenomenon in which a total of 23 monster corpses fell from the sky. To him who was shocked, Cadel, the commander of the Knight Order, said, ‘It’s my subordinate’s consideration, Sir Jeff’. He then made an absurd statement, ‘Don’t be too surprised.’

Although Jeff was embarrassed by the unprecedented consideration, he somehow got used to it. If he hadn’t heard from His Majesty the King’s mission to ‘find out the identity of the Knight Order’s assassin if possible’, he would have been in a panic the whole time.

‘He must be an exceptional assassin. It’s one thing to capture monsters I haven’t even noticed, but to kill them before they can even react? How in the world does this order of knights consist of so many great people?’

The newly emerged star power of the Empire that graced the front pages of newspapers for several days had a truly unrivaled aura. The physical characteristics described in the article were literally just a simple description of appearance. Jeff felt that even if he were to gather a hundred people with the same physical characteristics as them, he would still not be able to tell who was ‘real’.

‘The same goes for the knight that wasn’t mentioned in the article. Even though he’s wearing a strange mask, he’s still very much a force to be reckoned with.’

They weren’t called the Empire’s elite for nothing, it seemed. Eager to prove his worth to them, Jeff pushed through the swamp with determination.

And after following Jeff for a while, Cadel was feeling the effects of the physical training he had done with Van.

‘Yes, this is it. This is human stamina!’

Even though he wore boots that helped him avoid falling into the swamp and drank energy potions along the way, being able to keep up the pace in this environment was a huge improvement.

Cadel looked around the swamp, feeling refreshed. The Yingmar Swamp had a much more murky, sunken atmosphere than most swamps. Not only was there far more swamp than bare ground, but the color of the aquatic vegetation was murky. It was also difficult to stay on the same path, with trees of mysterious origin blocking the way.

‘There are no leaves on the trees.’

Whereas the swamp had been lush with greenery at the beginning, now there were nothing but dry, twisted branches that looked like they belonged in the Demon Realm. Cadel wondered if there was a monster in the center of the swamp that scattered poisonous spores.

As Cadel narrowed his brows, feeling suspicious, Jeff, who was quick-witted, spoke up.

“It’s been like this for a few days now. Originally, the closer you got to the center of the swamp, the worse the weather became, but since it was a place with some life, it didn’t completely dry out.”

“Didn’t you find the cause?”

“Unfortunately. His Majesty has sent scouts to search a few times, but they’ve found nothing of note. We can only speculate, perhaps the seal has been weakened.”

A crack in the seal had allowed the demonic energy to escape, and the plants had lost their vitality. It was a possible story, but Cadel decided it was unlikely.

‘No ordinary demonic energy can drain vitality, and if the seal was cracked, we should have seen more monsters than we do now. The closer we get to the center, the more secluded it feels……. There shouldn’t be any problems with the sealing yet. So what are the remaining possibilities?’

An assumption flashed through Cadel’s mind. He paused in thought, then turned to his subordinates and Jeff, who were looking back at him.

“I guess we were a step late. Inside, a demon has already appeared.”