The Twilight Knight Order only sent one-third of its forces into battle, with the remaining two-thirds standing by at the portal to the Human Realm to provide first aid and cover for the wounded. ―This was the tactic of the Twilight Knight Order.

As paladins, they were able to fulfill the roles of both warrior and healer. However, as versatile as they were, they couldn’t stick to just one role.

Focusing on the healer role would be a great addition to their power, but it would also make them a target for demons. If you became a priority target for the enemy, it was unlikely that the other Knights would be able to afford to protect you. In the worst-case scenario, the Twilight Knight Order could be the first to be decimated.

For this reason, Modeleine reserved a third of their power for emergencies in combat, with the rest staying behind to heal the mortally wounded knights. They would then provide cover to ensure that they made it out of the portal safely.

The battle would be long and fierce. The paladins’ role was crucial, as they could not allow healers with no combat capabilities into the Demon Realm, and Modeleine’s opinion was that the odds were stacked in their favor if they could assist in the fight from the safest place possible.

“Fair enough, Sir Modeleine, but I suspect your argument will divide opinion. If Leader supports it, it might give the impression that we’re playing favorites.”

Cadel returned from his conversation with Modeleine. Cadel let out a low sigh as he stood beside Lumen, who looked distressed.

“It could sound like we’re only going to heal wounded knights from the safety of the rear, which is certainly…… similar to our insistence on conserving power early on to reserve strength.”

Cadel’s words made Modeleine pause, wondering if he could afford to support him. But since they both needed each other’s help, they decided to support each other’s ideas.

How to solve this unexpected challenge. As they pondered, they arrived at their next destination. It was a dining hall in the castle.

Here, the commanders of the Rose Knight Order, the Platinum Knight Order, and the Owl Knight Order were having a late lunch and chatting. Cadel had already finished his meal on the ship, but he entered the dining hall to speak with them. But.

“Is it simply your youth, or have you been blinded by your early successes?”

“……Pardon?”

They had not welcomed Cadel and Lumen’s arrival.

“The protagonist of this battle is not you, Sir Cadel. Do you think that because you’ve achieved a few lucky victories, you now control the entirety of this war?”

In his impatience, Cadel had rushed to bring up the matter too hastily. The three commanders immediately showed displeasure. Even if he tried again, explaining that it wasn’t what he meant, it was of no use.

“If the Scarlet Dragon were to personally take the battlefield, that would be a different story. But while you are gathering only a fraction of its strength, you expect us to fight tooth and nail so that you can shine? You may be able to slay many demons with your power, but that power won’t save more of our allies than if you were not to join the battle yourself.”

The commanders were greatly disappointed that Cadel, a magician and the disciple of the archmage Mamil, had said he would completely withdraw from protecting his allies. They were also unsure if Cadel’s skills could truly turn the tide of the war.

In the end, Cadel had to leave without even finishing half of the meal set before him, weighed down by harsh criticism. Lumen, who had been with him, tried to accompany Cadel to find the other commanders, but soon gave up when it became clear he couldn’t locate them.

“I expected as much, but it’s still not easy.”

“Right. If it’s like this now, imagine how much resistance we’ll face when the real meetings begin.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

Outside Cadel’s room, Lumen apologized as Cadel was about to enter. When Cadel looked at him in confusion, Lumen, with a more serious expression than usual, spoke in a low voice.

“I should’ve known the commanders better. I should’ve filtered out those who wouldn’t be persuaded from the start, so Leader wouldn’t have to hear such things…… I’m unfit to be the vice commander.”

It seemed that Lumen was still bothered by the fact that Cadel had faced such harsh words from the commanders. But, in truth, it was largely Cadel’s stubbornness that had caused the situation. If anything, Lumen had helped minimize the consequences. Cadel, uncharacteristically subdued, gently touched Lumen’s cheek.

“What are you talking about? If this is what the vice commander’s role is like, then I’d prefer you stay as vice commander from now on. You make me feel secure.”

“……You don’t need to try to comfort me.”

“I’m serious, Lumen. Just your presence alone calms me down.”

Whether with others or in different situations, it was reassuring to know that there was someone who wouldn’t unknowingly upset others. Lumen’s reliability and trustworthiness were clear. When Cadel spoke these words sincerely, Lumen’s tense expression softened, and his usual seriousness eased into a more relaxed demeanor.

“If you say that… then I’ll do my best until the end.”

「Knight ‘Lumen Dominic’ ’s favorability has increased by 1.」

「Current favorability: 93/100」

Could it be that such simple praise was enough to ease someone’s heart? Cadel thought, somewhat surprised by how easily Lumen seemed to be affected and entered the room. Inside, there was likely the fairy, who had been neglected all day, sulking in frustration. How was he supposed to handle the outpouring of complaints? As he contemplated, his gaze shifted.

“……What are you doing?”

Lydon didn’t rush toward Cadel or voice any complaints. Instead, he sat quietly on the bed in a meditative posture, eyes closed. Around him, small shards of ice gently floated.

“What are you doing, Lydon?”

“……Shh.”

At Lydon’s request for silence, Cadel was taken aback. He had never heard Lydon speak like that before, and stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Was something wrong? He hesitated and took a step closer, concerned.

“Are you hurt? Did something happen while I was gone?”

“Shh, Cadel. I can’t concentrate.”

What in the world was he concentrating on? Cadel was puzzled and wanted to ask more, but seeing Lydon do something unusual made him wonder if there was a reason for it, so he kept his mouth shut.

After staring at the unfamiliar sight of Lydon for a moment, Cadel sat down in front of the desk, his expression thoughtful. He was trying to organize his thoughts before the final meeting tomorrow.

‘If I brought Kunra along, like the summit meeting, things would be easier, but that won’t work this time.’

Even if he didn’t know all the details of the story, Cadel could tell that the tactics he was planning weren’t something the real Cadel Lytos would think of. A true hero wouldn’t suggest staying in the rear to gather strength while everyone else fought.

So, if someone like Kunra acted to support such an absurd tactic, the system might impose restrictions. If the system placed limits on Kunra, it would affect Cadel as well, since he drew on his power. To avoid that risk, he had decided to persuade them directly.

‘If persuasion doesn’t work, I’ll have to resort to threats.’

He would rather boldly declare that everything was for the world and demand cooperation without any more nonsense. Cadel managed to suppress his impulse and sighed, scattering his breath onto the empty page.

* * *

The day of the strategy meeting.

As the rest of the Knight Order began to arrive one by one, Tyrone Island was filled with energy from the morning. The meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m., after they had filled their stomachs and settled in.

Normally, Cadel would have spent every moment before the meeting trying to convince even one more person about his strategy. However, today, he and Lumen had dedicated all their time searching for the missing fairy.

“Found him, Lumen?”

“No. He’s nowhere to be found. What about you, Leader?”

“Same here. This is maddening……”

If Lydon were to be spotted by the commanders now, all their hard work would be for nothing, and the reputation of the Knight Order would be ruined.

‘Is it really that hard to just stay out of sight? Where on earth is he?’

The island was crawling with knights. Since the commanders were all elite knights, their senses were far more developed than those of regular people. There was no hope of expecting that they wouldn’t notice even the faintest flutter of Lydon’s wings.

Cadel and Lumen searched the island with all their energy, trying to keep up appearances as they were occasionally questioned by knights, explaining that they were just exercising.

But despite their exhausting efforts, they couldn’t find Lydon before the meeting began.

‘Should I be relieved that even the commanders haven’t found him……?’

Thanks to the complexity of the situation, his mind was a jumbled mess. Cadel, already feeling drained as if he had been through a long meeting, made his way to the top of the castle.

Strategy meeting. A meeting to bring together the best minds to devise a plan for the impending war against the Demon Realm.

—Or at least that was the original intent.

“Of course, the Dark Iron Knight Order should lead the charge! Our armor is specially designed to withstand countless attacks even without a magician’s shield. And……”

“No, let the Shadow Knight Order take the front. Since we’re entering enemy territory, it’s better to start with a surprise attack. If we initiate with stealth, the waiting reserves can come in after……”

“If we send in only a small group at the start, there’s the risk of being surrounded. If the surprise attack fails, we’ll lose the initiative. So, the Guardian Knight Order should be at the front. If we send in a large force, it’ll have a psychological impact on the enemy……”

None of the commanders’ opinions seemed to be able to come together. Even when they tried to reach a compromise, someone would throw in a new suggestion, and the meeting quickly devolved into a disorganized debate.

‘It’s like a marketplace in here.’

Not a single moment of calm. The voices of the commanders shouting their opinions were overwhelming, and occasionally, the vice commanders would whisper notes to their respective commanders. It was a mess. Cadel had to wonder if, in such a chaotic environment, the only way to get noticed would be to fire off a fireball.

‘Wasn’t there some kind of rule against using force during meetings?’

Unfortunately, no matter how much Cadel wanted to show off with a display of power, it was forbidden. A special magic artifact had been distributed to suppress the wearer’s power during the meeting, and they couldn’t remove it for the next 6 hours.

“It’s tough to find the right moment to intervene.”

Lumen, who was sitting next to Cadel, didn’t seem any more comfortable in the meeting. The atmosphere was too chaotic for him to adjust too easily.

“Should we just shout and see if that works?”

“It wouldn’t help. Even if we screamed, no one would listen.”

They were at the bottom of the list to speak. Since the other Knight Orders had much more seniority, Cadel’s turn to present his argument was still far off. It was a mistake to have waited quietly for so long.

‘Fine. I’ll listen to the arguments from the Blue Blood Knight Order, then I’m jumping in. I’ll at least slam the table to get their attention!’

At this rate, if the meeting ended without any progress, it would be a complete disaster. Cadel clenched his fists, ready to make a move. He wasn’t sure how loud he could get, but he’d make sure the table would shake if he had to.

Just then, a voice came from behind him, familiar and unmistakable.

“I’ll help you, don’t worry.”

Cadel turned instinctively, recognizing the voice of Lydon. But when he looked, Lydon wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Not behind him, not under the table, not even in the corners of the room.

“Leader? What’s wrong?”

“You didn’t hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Lydon’s voice! He just spoke from behind me……”

Cadel’s strange behavior caused a ripple of confusion in the room. Even Lumen, who had been at his side, gave him a puzzled look. The other commanders and vice commanders, who were deep in discussion, suddenly grew quiet.

“What is this……?”

“Is this demonic energy?”

The purple energy that had suddenly filled the room swirled and spread, gently undulating through the air. All those gathered here were the commanders of the renowned Knight Orders. Unfortunately, however, they were currently in a state where they couldn’t use their full abilities for at least 6 hours. This precaution was taken to prevent them from removing their magic-suppressing artifacts in case the meeting became too heated, with a special spell inscribed on them to ensure they couldn’t remove the artifacts during this time.

“Let’s stay together for now. If we go down, people could get hurt.”

The fortunate thing was, these commanders had been through countless battles, so they didn’t easily lose their composure in an emergency. They huddled together near the central table, keenly observing the shifting air currents. Before long, someone from the meeting room spoke up.

“This isn’t demonic energy. It looks like mana…… that imitates demonic energy.”

Mana that imitated demonic energy. The moment Cadel heard those words, a terrible premonition arose in his mind.

‘No way.’

Cold sweat trickled down his back as his throat went dry. Reflexively, he grabbed onto the edge of Lumen’s cloak, and opened his mouth to convey his tragic thoughts, but……

“My vision……!”

“What is this……? Is it magic?”

The purple energy that had been filling the room began to swell, and then, with a sudden burst, it exploded, causing the walls around them to collapse. What lay beyond those walls wasn’t the sky they had expected, but something far worse.

An endless wasteland, scorched by fire, with cracks in the ground spewing molten demonic energy. The sky above was shrouded in dark violet, and the air was filled with the screams of monsters and the mocking laughter of demons.

The Tyrone Island meeting hall had vanished entirely, replaced by the very heart of the Demon Realm. Cadel and the others were now standing in the middle of it.

“……Leader.”

Lumen, now pulling Cadel to his side, was watching the transformed environment with a solemn expression. Despite the tension in the air, Lumen wasn’t frightened. But there was no mistaking the dark mood on his face.

“Is this……?”

“Yeah. Looks like Lydon is the one who caused this.”

The voice of Lydon just moments ago, the sudden shift in the environment, and the demonic energy imitating magic — everything pointed to Lydon’s involvement. But why had Lydon done this?

‘Why? What is he up to?’

Was this all just to get back at the commanders for ignoring him? As mischievous as Lydon could be, Cadel couldn’t believe he would intentionally cause harm. So there had to be some reason behind this, some form of help Lydon thought he was offering.

‘You have to tell them it was Lydon.’

He had to tell the panicked commanders the truth. But the words didn’t come easily. At times like this, he resented his position as a commander, having to deal with accidents caused by his own troops.

At that moment, when Cadel hesitated to reveal the truth, someone shouted.

“Attacks aren’t working! Everyone, this is an illusion!”

“Is this the work of a magician? Who would perform such a trick here?”

“It could be the work of a black magician who snuck onto the island, or perhaps a Demon Realm’s magician. Everyone, don’t let your guard down!”

The commanders, who quickly realized that everything before them was an illusion, began frantically searching for the source of the magic. They tore through the space recklessly, and soon discovered the walls of the meeting room. To those who had recognized it as an illusion, the demonic landscape before them held no fear.

It was a crude illusion. While it looked extravagant and felt real, the timing and setting were all wrong. What could you do with such an illusion?

“If we keep pretending not to notice, things are going to get worse, Leader. It’s better to reveal it now.”

“……I think you’re right. I really feel like fainting right now.”

Cadel muttered, wiping his face as if he were being dragged to the slaughterhouse. If only he’d had a strong drink, maybe he could have gathered the courage more easily. He thought about it and opened his mouth just then.

“Woaaaah!”

Cadel’s eyes snapped to the far side of the room. With a deafening roar, knights began to pour out from the opposite side. They passed through the commanders standing at the center, moving forward without hindrance and launching their attacks.

It was a bizarre, sudden brawl, but it felt remarkably real. The attacks were vicious, and blood and flesh flew as knights fought with all their might. The scene was brutal enough to make anyone watching wince in discomfort. Not only that.

“That…… looks like me……”

Starting with Moritol’s incredulous voice, one by one, those who noticed their own figures among the knights began to speak up. The commanders and vice commanders planted within the illusion fought valiantly against the demons, but there was something strangely awkward about their movements. Despite fighting desperately, there was a strong sense that they weren’t achieving much.

And soon, the reason for this became clear.

“That’s…… the Scarlet Dragon! The Scarlet Dragon has appeared!”

“Finally, Sir Cadel……!”

Following the artificial shouts of the knights within the illusion, the Scarlet Dragon revealed itself in the sky, casting a massive shadow over the land below. And atop it, sitting proudly, was Cadel, looking every bit the majestic figure he was.