A hundred-strong Imperial army marched across the plains, led by a young woman clad in light armor. Their mission was to assist a reconnaissance team exploring the subterranean caverns, following an urgent message from the Empire.
This force was not originally a reconnaissance unit; they were a knight order, coincidentally training outside. Due to their loyalty to the Empire, their attire was indistinguishable from Imperial soldiers, yet their strength far surpassed that of ordinary Imperial forces.
“Princess Scheffiel.”
Just then, a scout knight, who had been ranging ahead, rode his horse back to the young woman.
“What has transpired ahead?”
Scheffiel possessed magnificent golden hair and eyes like emeralds, her gaze filled with unwavering resolve, evoking the image of a battle goddess on the field. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her features were so exquisitely beautiful that she needed no embellishment.
“We have discovered a suspicious individual, and they have been apprehended.”
“Lead the way. I shall see for myself.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Following Scheffiel’s command, the procession advanced. Upon reaching the location where the suspicious person was held, Scheffiel finally laid eyes on the individual in question.
“Look, can we just talk without all this grabbing? Otherwise, I might have to retaliate. I’m warning you, I’m quite formidable.”
Not long after departing the Fangli Forest, Yue Wu had become utterly lost on the vast plains, unable to discern any cardinal direction. Fortunately, he spotted several knights on horseback ahead and approached them to inquire about the way east, even asking how far it was to the subterranean caverns.
It was that very question—’How far to the subterranean caverns?’—that caused Yue Wu to be immediately surrounded, swords pointed directly at him. During the encounter, they attempted to pull back his hood, but Yue Wu steadfastly refused to let them touch him. Their attempts ceased only when a full contingent arrived.
“Are you a mage?”
Scheffiel observed the young man before her, his face obscured by a long robe, and noticed the staff clutched in his hand. She thus concluded he was a mage.
“If you say so.”
Yue Wu merely shrugged, spreading his hands with an air of indifference.
“Do not be disrespectful to Her Highness!”
Due to Yue Wu’s demeanor and tone, he once again found himself with swords pointed at him.
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“Might I inquire where you are headed?”
Scheffiel motioned for her subordinates to sheath their swords, then dismounted her horse and approached Yue Wu.
“The subterranean caverns.”
Seeing that she did not speak to him with hostility, unlike the others, Yue Wu answered her directly.
“And what do you intend to do there?”
“Do you wish to know?”
“Would you be willing to enlighten me, esteemed sir?”
“Certainly.”
“I am most grateful.”
“I, for one, plan to go there in search of an encounter.”
“An encounter?”
“Precisely. I’m simply too bored, so I’m seeking an encounter.”
“Within the subterranean caverns?”
“Exactly, exactly! Can you tell me which way is east?”
Although Scheffiel could not discern his features, in their brief exchange, she sensed no falsehood in his words. Moreover, when he smiled, her heart unexpectedly stirred, unable to remain calm in that moment.
“Hey? Do you even know where the subterranean caverns are?”
Noticing the young woman’s persistent gaze, Yue Wu quickly raised a hand and waved it a few times before her face.
“Ah, never mind. I’ll just continue by instinct. Farewell.”
Yue Wu concluded that she wouldn’t tell him the way east. Therefore, he resolved to use Angelic Wings for his journey. However, after activating it, he wasn’t certain it would take him directly to the subterranean caverns; it might even carry him further away. With no one to guide him on the direction or distance, he was left to wander aimlessly.
The instant Yue Wu vanished, Scheffiel suddenly snapped back to reality. Yet, by the time she did, the person was already gone from sight.
‘An encounter, you say?’
Scheffiel suddenly recalled something that had happened not long ago: she had been told that soon she would journey to the subterranean caverns and meet the most important person in her entire life.
“Princess Scheffiel, are you alright?”
“I am fine. Let us press on, striving to reach our destination before nightfall! Sage, imbue all horses with magic. The rest of you, maintain heightened vigilance for any movement around us!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The contingent continued its advance, their speed several times greater than before.
****
Time flowed swiftly, and soon night descended. Scheffiel’s knight order drew ever closer to their destination. Yet, aside from their encounter with Yue Wu, their journey had been remarkably smooth and tranquil—perhaps too tranquil, prompting a rising sense of vigilance among them.
When they arrived within a short distance of the subterranean caverns, they found no trace of the Imperial reconnaissance team. There were no signs of an encampment, nor even any indications of human activity.
“Halt the advance. Squads One and Two, maintain vigilance on all sides. Retreat a hundred meters and prepare for engagement.”
“Squad Three is to protect the Sage and Mages. The rest of you, ready your weapons. The moment the enemy appears, annihilate them!”
Scheffiel drew the longsword from her waist. It was a single-edged blade, entirely silver-white, with a gleaming emerald set into the tip of its hilt.
Mere seconds after Scheffiel issued her command, hundreds of cracks suddenly appeared in the ground directly ahead. From these fissures, rotten arms clawed their way out, followed by ghastly ghouls, clad in Imperial military uniforms, emerging from beneath the earth.
“The battle begins! May the God of Victory be with us!”
Scheffiel charged to the forefront, channeling her magic into her single-edged sword. With a swift swing, a golden cross-slash shot forth, tearing through the ghouls directly in its path. Those struck by the cross-slash were cleaved into several pieces, falling to the ground and emitting a putrid stench.
“May the God of Victory be with us! Follow Princess Scheffiel and eradicate these monstrous fiends!”
The knights followed closely behind Scheffiel. The Sage, at the very moment Scheffiel initiated her attack, had already bestowed blessing magic upon everyone. Meanwhile, the mages’ fireballs, ice shards, wind blades, and other low-level spells rained down upon the ghouls at the rear.
Elsewhere, after several uses of Angelic Wings, Yue Wu now found himself standing in a mountain forest, caught between two bears. Both creatures bared their fangs at him, their gazes unmistakably hostile.
“My apologies for disturbing you both!”
Realizing the precarious situation, Yue Wu immediately fled. The two bears, despite their efforts, simply couldn’t catch him.
“Where in the world am I now?!”
****
Within the central residential district of Saxon City, Jeanne D’Arc spent the entire day meditating in the living room. Driven by a desire to keep pace with her brother and to avoid disappointing him, Jeanne D’Arc diligently worked to enhance her magical power, hoping to surprise him upon his return.
‘Tomorrow, I’ll take on a mission to gain experience.’
After her meditation, Jeanne D’Arc felt her magical power had reached a sufficient level, hitting a bottleneck. She recognized the need for practical experience to truly solidify her strength.
‘I wonder where Brother is now. Is he eating on time?’
In the kitchen, Jeanne D’Arc was preparing her own dinner when her thoughts drifted to Yue Wu, who was still out there. She worried about how he was faring and whether he was eating properly.
In this world, people typically ate only two meals a day—breakfast and dinner. If one’s finances allowed, a midday tea might be enjoyed. Jeanne D’Arc, however, wasn’t particularly fond of afternoon tea, though she would develop a liking for it if Yue Wu did.
****
“Princess Scheffiel, all ghouls have been eliminated. We suffered one fatality and three severely wounded, who are currently receiving treatment.”
Near the subterranean caverns, Scheffiel sat on a clean stone, gently wiping her sword blade, as a knight approached her to deliver the post-battle summary.
“Did you know the fallen?”
Scheffiel paused her movements. After a sigh, she looked up at the knight beside her and asked.
“Yes, Your Highness, I did.”
The knight answered truthfully.
“Very well. His affairs will be handled by you. Ensure he is buried in the mausoleum upon our return, and send compensation to his family.”
“I will go assess the condition of the wounded.”
Having given her instructions, Scheffiel rose, sheathed her sword, and returned to the camp.
On the other side of Scheffiel’s encampment, Yue Wu, after countless magical displacements, had fortunately arrived at the subterranean caverns this time. However, due to the repeated use of Angelic Wings, upon reaching his destination, Yue Wu was unable to suppress his nausea and immediately collapsed to the ground, vomiting profusely.
“This is even worse than a rollercoaster.”
Too exhausted to stand after his retching, Yue Wu simply lay down on the ground. Before long, he drifted into sleep.
“Princess Scheffiel.”
Within Scheffiel’s camp, a knight and a mage simultaneously entered her tent. Seeing Scheffiel engrossed in studying a map, they both knelt before her.
“What is it?”
Scheffiel set aside the map, sat on a chair, picked up a cup from the table, gazed at the water’s surface within, then gently placed the cup back down.
“A magical aura was just detected nearby.”
The mage, responsible for distant reconnaissance, reported to Scheffiel.
“There seem to be slight disturbances near the subterranean caverns. We’ve dispatched personnel to investigate and expect answers soon.”
After the mage finished his report, the knight, in charge of the camp’s immediate security, also presented his findings to Scheffiel.
“If the wielder of that magic bears no ill will, strive to avoid incurring their displeasure.”
“Our paramount concern right now is the subterranean caverns. Once the scouts dispatched there return, notify me immediately.”
“If there is nothing further, you may withdraw. Remain vigilant for any movement in the vicinity; if my suspicions are correct, the demon race may have already broken the seal and are lurking nearby.”
Scheffiel quickly provided her replies to both, maintaining an utterly calm demeanor. The day’s events had not, it seemed, hindered her clear thought process.
“Yes, Your Highness! Your subordinates obey!”
Upon learning that the seal on the subterranean caverns might have been broken, the knight and mage instantly became hyper-alert, fully aware of the potential for a surprise attack from the demon race.