Slow Walk, No Sending, Welcome Back

“A wise choice, Lord Hero.”

Lucia let out a sigh of relief, an undisguised slackening passing through the depths of her ice-blue eyes.

After all, for her, a Frost Banshee, to stand before the Radiant Blade, one of the strongest Heroes, was like being pricked by countless needles of light.

It wouldn’t have been the least bit strange if Garen had drawn his sword and cut her head off in the next second.

So when Garen agreed, Lucia couldn’t help but feel relieved, feeling she had saved her own skin.

“Please wait here. Miss Mira will be returned to you shortly.”

After receiving a definite reply from the Hero Garen, Lucia dared not delay for a moment.

She lifted the hem of her skirt, gave an elegant curtsy, and began to retract her power.

The bone-chilling air swirling around her receded like a tide, merging into her graceful body.

Then, under the wary eyes of the group, Lucia’s figure began to turn transparent and blurry, like a melting ice crystal, before finally disappearing completely into the depths of the dark forest, leaving behind only a slowly dissipating mist and a lingering, uncomfortable chill in the air.

After Lucia left, the scene fell into an eerie, dead silence.

The Gospel Holy Knights at the side remained silent, their expressions hidden behind hideous smiling masks, making it impossible to know their true thoughts.

Ren and Sela, however, were tense.

Garen sheathed his sword with a deadpan expression, but his tightly pressed lips betrayed the gravity in his heart.

Ren and Sela exchanged a look, seeing in each other’s eyes a sense of relief mixed with deep apprehension.

‘Mira is coming back, but is this war… really over just like that?’

‘Weren’t the Demon Lord’s terms a little too simple?’

“In a moment, when the Demon Lord appears and hands Mira over, you will take her and run.”

Just as Ren and Sela were feeling uneasy, Garen, standing at the very front, spoke faintly, without even turning his head to look at them.

“Lord Garen?”

Hearing Garen’s words, Captain Ren couldn’t help but be taken aback.

“When the time comes, I will draw my sword and fight the Demon Lord to the death.”

Garen’s tone remained incredibly flat.

“This is a golden opportunity. I will not let this chance to take the Demon Lord of Evernight’s head pass me by. But the battle between her and me is far beyond what you can intervene in right now.”

“So, the moment you get Mira back, you take her and run.”

“…We understand.”

Ren exchanged a look with the other three apprentice Heroes, then swallowed hard and nodded in response.

As apprentice Heroes, they had no right to question or refuse the orders and decisions of Garen, the Hero who had earned the title 【Radiant Blade】.

The Gospel Holy Knights at their side also continued to stand their ground, motionless and silent.

They waited on the spot, and after a short while, they felt a powerful source of mana suddenly appear not far in front of them.

The air seemed to freeze in an instant, the light twisted and devoured by an unseen force.

And in the darkness, a graceful figure slowly emerged.

It was the Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian!

And in her arms, she held the elven Hero, Mira—

The instant Vivian appeared, everyone placed a hand on their weapon, holding their breath, staring intently at the great enemy of humanity—the Demon Lord.

The Gospel Holy Knights had even drawn their ferocious-looking weapons in unison, their feet shifting slightly to instantly form a deadly charge formation.

The cold glint of metal and the dead silence beneath their masks were like a great beast’s blade, poised and waiting.

At Garen’s command, they would charge the Demon Lord at any cost!

“Mira!”

As her older sister, Sela couldn’t help but cry out upon seeing her younger sister reappear.

Vivian was holding the unconscious elven mage, Mira, in a gentle princess carry.

Mira’s head and arms hung limply, her golden hair messily covering half her face.

She was completely lifeless, like an exquisite doll.

“Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian…”

Garen gripped the hilt of his sword, looking as if he might draw it at any moment.

“I suggest you’d be better off getting rid of that idea.”

Vivian looked at the poised Garen, easily guessing that the boy was up to no good.

So, without further ado, a gentle, dark purple mana lifted the unconscious Mira and, as if tossing a trivial object, pushed her lightly in Garen’s direction.

In an instant, the delicate elven mage landed in Garen’s hands.

“!”

However, the moment Garen caught Mira, his expression changed drastically.

Because upon receiving Mira, Garen discovered that her body was scalding hot!

On Mira’s exposed neck and arms, strange markings crawled like living things, slowly writhing and emitting an ominous black and purple light!

These markings were deeply embedded in her flesh, and he could even feel the Demon Lord’s highly corrosive dark mana contained within them!

Her life force was weak, like a candle flickering in the wind!

“Demon Lord of Evernight, Vivian!”

Garen was instantly consumed by rage, wanting nothing more than to draw his sword and cut Vivian down that very second—but Vivian simply glanced at him and gave a cold sneer.

“I advise you to hold back, otherwise that pitiful little elf of yours won’t make it.”

“…What did you do?”

Faced with Vivian’s words, Garen’s face darkened as he demanded an answer.

He could feel that the dark markings were like an endless parasite, constantly devouring Mira’s life force.

Only by channeling his own power could he slow it down.

“It’s simple. I planted a little of my power inside her to ensure our mutual promise is kept.”

Vivian spoke with a smile, but in the Heroes’ eyes, her smile was anything but genuine.

“Without the continuous suppression and purification of a Holy Church Archpriest, this power will eat away at her life like a maggot clinging to the bone.

However, with your power, Garen, you should be able to escort her safely back to the rear until she can receive treatment from an Archpriest.”

Vivian spoke unhurriedly, her crimson eyes locked with Garen’s the entire time.

This was the insurance she had set.

She was certainly not naive enough to think they would just accept Mira and leave as promised.

After all, the moment of the exchange was a perfect opportunity, wasn’t it?

Besides, although she agreed to return Mira, she never said she couldn’t place a little restraint on her, did she?

Of course, if she weren’t trying to avoid a complete fallout, she would have certainly eliminated this Hero, Mira.

From the perspective of opposing factions, the fewer Heroes, the better.

But if Mira didn’t return alive, neither Garen nor the other Heroes would let the matter rest.

“…We’re leaving.”

After a long silence, Garen’s face was grim.

He began to back away slowly, holding the unconscious and feverish Mira.

“Safe travels. You’re welcome back anytime.”

And to Garen’s slowly retreating party, Vivian saw her guests off with a smile.