* * *

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was not the expected scenery. Instead of Lydon, it was Mamil’s face that greeted him, and as Cadel regained consciousness, his eyelids fluttered slightly.

“Master……?”

“It seems your body is finally warming up. What were you doing without even putting up a protective barrier? Collapsing in the middle of enemy territory—do you have ten lives or something?”

As Mamil clicked his tongue and stepped back, the scene beyond him came into view. This was a garden—one littered with the corpses of monsters and demons, the aftermath of a battlefield.

Knights had gathered the enemy’s bodies into a pile and were resting against the fragments of the labyrinth. The total annihilation of the enemies stationed in the garden had allowed them this respite. In the front, the more energetic knights patrolled, keeping watch for any approaching threats. In the back, the allied commanders had convened to discuss their next strategy.

“The Fairy King’s body has been burned.”

“……What?”

Cadel, who had been slowly rising, froze at Mamil’s words. Mamil glanced at Cadel’s stiff expression before wiping his dirtied hands with a handkerchief and continuing.

“We couldn’t just smuggle the body out immediately, and leave it unattended—who knows what those creatures would have done to it. But carrying it around during battle wasn’t an option either. I kept the bone ashes separately, so take them. Give them to your subordinate when he returns.”

Inside the glass bottle Mamil handed over was a heap of grayish bone dust. Cadel clutched it absentmindedly, his voice trembling as he asked,

“When he returns……? You don’t mean Lydon, do you?”

“Your subordinate said so himself. When he found you collapsed, the only bodies nearby were that of the Fairy King and the High Demon you had temporarily allied with. A few stayed behind to search, but they came back empty-handed. Judging by your reaction, it doesn’t seem like he was kidnapped. He must have left on his own for something.”

Mamil spoke matter-of-factly but kept a close eye on Cadel’s expression. As he listened, Cadel’s face changed by the second—first turning deathly pale with shock, then shifting into worry, fear, and even disbelief. Overwhelmed by confusion, his mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he suddenly scrambled to his feet.

“I need to meet with my subordinates. Where are they?”

Mamil, watching his terrified, pale face, gestured behind him with his chin.

“He’s right behind you.”

When Cadel turned around, Yozen was there, though he had no idea when he had arrived. The moment Cadel urgently grabbed his arm, Yozen covered the back of Cadel’s hand with his own and spoke.

“While tracking Lydon’s trail, I discovered a new path. It looks like a back route leading to the Demon King’s castle. I couldn’t go too far, so I came back, but if we hurry, we can follow the trail before it disappears. Let’s go to the castle, Cadel. Lydon is there.”

He had left to take down Sellev.

The moment Yozen spoke, Cadel realized the significance of Lydon’s disappearance.

If it was to avenge his parents, the decision was understandable. He didn’t even think it was wrong. But why had Lydon left so suddenly, without a word? If Lydon had wanted, Cadel would have dropped everything to fight Sellev by his side.

‘Why did you leave alone, Lydon?’

Cadel couldn’t shake off his worries—concerned that Lydon, having lost control of himself, might make a rash decision and fall into danger. He had already come close to the brink of madness. Even if he had somehow regained his composure, rushing into battle without stabilizing his energy would only push him to his limits.

He had to find him. Whether to fight Sellev together or to get him healed first, the important thing was to keep Lydon by his side. Fortunately, he now had the perfect excuse to do so.

“My subordinate confirmed that the back route to the castle is quite narrow. It’s only wide enough for about six people at most. Think of it as a forest path. It’s too tight for a group of knights to move together, so a small team should split off and strike from an unexpected angle.”

Cadel immediately joined the commanders and relayed the information Yozen had discovered. The existence of this secret route was good news for the human army. After all, the castle’s main gate wouldn’t be easily breached. The more ways in, the better.

The problem, however, was that the back route could only accommodate a small number of people. And once that small team infiltrated the castle, they would have limited options for dealing with the enemies they encountered.

Sneaking in through the back route would be much faster than storming the main gate. But that also meant they would be walking a tightrope in the heart of enemy territory until reinforcements arrived.

As the commanders debated how to best utilize the back route, Cadel finally spoke up, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“The Scarlet Scales Knight Order will go. We’ll infiltrate the castle and find a way to open the main gate from the inside. While we’re at it, we’ll also try to secure the Stone of Peace.”

“……That makes sense. The Scarlet Scales Knight Order is an elite force, and their skills can be trusted. Even if they encounter enemies inside the castle, their survival rate should be high. But this will be an extremely dangerous mission. Are you certain about this?”

Ector asked with concern. Cadel nodded firmly. His gaze was resolute—his mind already made up. Seeing this, Ector let out a quiet sigh before continuing.

“We’ve already lost too many lives just getting here. To ensure their sacrifices were not in vain, we must do everything in our power to reclaim the Stone of Peace.”

Cadel agreed. For the knights who had laid down their lives wielding their swords. For the countless beings of this world, forced to repeat wars that wouldn’t even be remembered.

“Yes. We will end this war—no matter what.”

* * *

Hyron’s death was a great shock to the remaining subordinates as well. He had been not only Lydon’s father but also the only Fairy King who had stepped forward for the sake of humans.

As they followed Yozen’s lead through the back route, silence loomed over the Knight Order. Even so, the knights discreetly observed Cadel, who was walking slowly at the rear. His expression was heavy with sorrow, his complexion dark, and his steps devoid of strength. The atmosphere had grown so tense that no one dared to speak to him.

In reality, Cadel was on high alert, his senses sharpened. Every unpredictable variable gnawed at his mind.

‘I have no way to contact Kunra. If this continues, our search for the Demon King’s bloodline will be compromised. There must be a way……’

The cracked pendant had lost its color. No trace of energy remained within it. Though the necklace was now nothing more than a useless trinket, Cadel habitually fiddled with it, unable to discard it.

He hadn’t been able to protect Hyron from the system, but Kunra—at the very least, Kunra—he wanted to believe had escaped safely from danger. If not…… then there truly was no hope left. A bleak thought that only weighed heavier on his heart.

‘How far has Lydon gone? If his trail leads to the back path of the Demon King’s castle, that must mean Sellev moved there first. Could he have already gone inside?’

In the Human Realm, he might have had a chance, but in a place teeming with demons, a fairy would be easily detected by scent alone. No matter how much he shrank his form, he would soon be discovered and targeted.

‘If Yozen can’t sense his presence, that means the distance between us has grown significantly…… This is bad.’

Regardless of why Lydon had left alone, Cadel had to find him before he put himself in danger. Finding Lydon and ensuring his safety—while waiting for Kunra to return—was the most hopeful scenario Cadel could picture at the moment.

Letting out an irritated sigh, Cadel quickened his pace, shaking off the sluggishness that had weighed down his steps. His lifted face betrayed the urgency he could no longer hide. Before long, he had caught up to Yozen at the front of the group and spoke.

“You still can’t sense Lydon’s presence?”

“No. But we haven’t lost his trail. I’m sure we’re heading in the right direction.”

“……And no sign of enemies nearby?”

“Unless they’re using stealth beyond the limits of my ability, there aren’t any enemies within ten meters of us.”

There was no way Yozen would fail to detect an enemy, so the back route seemed safer than expected. Perhaps even among High Demons, only a few knew of this path.

‘The narrow gap between the rocks was the only entrance. And even that was revealed only after the labyrinth collapsed. Was this a hidden emergency passage?’

If anything, they owed Lydon for finding it. Cadel scanned the surroundings—the withered brambles on either side, the cracked ground, and the thick, wavering demonic energy that hung like fog. The desolate and quiet path carried an eerie sense of unease.

“Look, Commander. There’s a statue in the brambles.”

“A statue……?”

Cadel turned his gaze to see Van peering intently through the brush. Frowning slightly, he stepped closer and looked inside as well.

“……You’re right. It’s a statue.”

Though partially hidden by the overgrown thorns, the figure appeared to be a carved representation of someone. Cadel’s mind immediately went on alert. Would it suddenly crack open, revealing a High Demon within? He couldn’t recall encountering such an enemy before, but this was Hell Mode—he had to stay wary of new threats.

Sensing Cadel’s rising tension, Garuel spoke up.

“There’s more than one statue. They seem to be arranged at regular intervals…… Look closely. Every single one of them is wearing a crown.”

Garuel’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he examined the statues lined up along the left side. Just as he said, there were multiple statues, but the dense foliage made it difficult to get a clear look.

Cadel hesitated briefly before igniting flames in his palm, setting fire to the brambles.

‘I don’t intend to waste time here, but something about this feels too important to ignore.’

The fire spread quickly, reducing the overgrowth to ash. Something told him that merely passing by these statues without understanding their purpose would be a mistake. Encouraged by that instinct, he burned away the brambles on the right side as well, clearing the narrow passageway.

And what lay revealed before them—

“……Hah.”

“……What in the world is this?”

On the left side, a row of statues stretched along the path in a straight line. Each one wore a crown, and the craftsmanship was remarkably detailed. Their faces, body types, genders, and clothing designs were all unique. The closer they got to the castle, the less weathered the statues appeared.

Cadel concluded that these must be statues of past Demon Kings. However, something else caught his attention even more—the inside of the right-side brambles, which he had burned away without much thought.

There, another set of statues stood. These also depicted humanoid figures, but unlike the ones on the left, they bore no crowns. They were generally smaller in stature and were haphazardly scattered like discarded trash. Many lay toppled over, broken and shattered beyond recognition. Finding one intact was nearly impossible.

“……I know this isn’t the best time to be examining statues, but……”

Lumen, who had been observing them as well, spoke hesitantly.

“These statues on the right…… They look like they were made to depict the Demon King’s siblings. What do you think, Commander?”

“Siblings?”

There could be traps. Though Cadel didn’t touch the statues directly, keeping a safe distance, he scrutinized them as closely as he could. As he stepped closer, Lumen glanced at him and continued.

“The clothing looks quite formal. Their expressions are solemn too. We won’t get much from just looking at their faces, but considering they’re positioned opposite the Demon Kings’ statues, they must have been of fairly high status.”

“Hm…… Then couldn’t they just be other High Demons? Maybe the Demon Kings’ most loyal retainers?”

“They all look too young for that. Though, with demons, judging age by appearance is about as pointless as doing so with fairies.”

If these really were statues of the Demon King’s siblings, then somewhere among them might be the one he and Kunra were searching for.

‘But even if that’s the case, they’re so damaged that finding anything useful will be difficult.’

Besides, in order to confirm anything, he needed to know what the current Demon King, Emilia, looked like.

‘Her statue should be the one closest to the castle. But going all the way there and then coming back here would take too much time…… Maybe I should just remember the location for now.’

So far, there were no real clues about where to find the Demon King’s lineage. Even these shattered statues might be worth noting.

“……But something doesn’t sit right.”

Cadel frowned slightly as he continued examining them. Unlike the Demon Kings’ statues, which were lined up neatly toward the castle, these were strewn across a wide, circular area, almost as if dumped there.

If they really were statues of the Demon King’s siblings, why were they discarded like garbage in one place?

Just as that suspicion crossed his mind, Cadel instinctively bent down, reaching out to touch one of the statues.

“Cadel.”

Yozen’s voice called to him.

“Lydon’s trail is fading. If we delay any longer, we might lose him.”

“Ah…… Right. Sorry, let’s hurry.”

“No need to apologize.”

They could always return to this place later if necessary. Pushing aside his curiosity, Cadel quickly straightened up and followed Yozen, resuming their march.