In a dark basement in Vidona.
Blood-drawn magic circles covered the walls of the basement. A pungent smell of blood and a strange stench permeated the air, while a few candles flickered, casting dim light.
A group of demons lay prostrate on the ground, trembling. Their bat-like wings were folded tight against their backs, and their heads were pressed firmly against the floor. They feared even the slightest sound might disturb the man seated at the head of the room.
The man wore a long black robe. The dim candlelight only illuminated his chin, revealing a pair of pale hands that protruded from his sleeves. They appeared sinister and terrifying, yet also disturbingly sickly.
“Useless wretches! Not only can you not defeat those newly advanced Heroes, but you can’t even capture a single ordinary person? What good are you to me?!”
He slammed his hand onto the armrest of his stone chair, loudly berating the demons. In response, they pressed their bodies even lower, not daring to resist in the slightest.
Seeing this, the leading demon crawled forward a couple of steps on its knees. Its grotesque eyes darted wildly as it wailed in a strange, choked voice:
“My Lord, she is protected by those Third-Tier Heroes! We hear she’s even connected to the Silverbloom Sword Princess, and that new councilor in Vidona often interacts with her…”
“We truly couldn’t get close to her.”
“Couldn’t get close? She is—an ordinary person with no magic! Even a First-Tier demon could easily snatch her away! You worthless scum!!”
The man erupted in a furious rage. He stood up and strode to the leading demon, grabbing its bat wing and tearing it with a brutal yank. Blood instantly sprayed across him, and an ear-splitting shriek echoed through the small, dark basement.
The other demons trembled even more violently. The man, meanwhile, stomped his foot onto the demon leader’s head, licking the blood that had splattered on his face. A look of perverse satisfaction spread across his features.
He cast aside the torn wing, then took a deep breath, his voice now imbued with an insatiable greed.
“Once she is captured, those three Heroes will be easily taken. The magic within their bodies is incredibly pure, the perfect nourishment for Lord Sin…”
A long tongue uncontrollably snaked out from his mouth. He laughed wildly and wantonly, as if he had already captured the Heroes he spoke of, ready to devour them whole.
After a moment, he kicked away the demon beneath his foot and declared,
“To celebrate Vidona’s rebirth, a grand festival will be held the day after tomorrow. At that time, I will lure those Heroes away. You will seize the opportunity to capture that woman.
This is your last chance. Lord Sin is about to awaken, and if there is no food by then, I will feed all of you to him.”
“Yes, my Lord!”
With a flick of his black robe, the man did not even glance at the demons as he returned to his seat. Seeing them exchange bewildered looks, he let out a cold scoff.
“Is there anything else you wish to say?”
The demon, now missing a wing, was still their leader. It struggled to its feet, its fangs, yellowed and foul, glinting as it asked:
“My Lord, has that Eighth-Tier councilor… perceived anything?”
“Fool. She has long known everything we have been doing in the shadows. We merely concealed ourselves too well for her to find any traces.”
He tapped the armrest lightly with his five fingers, his lips curling into a wide, deep smile that revealed the terrifying fangs hidden beneath. At the same time, he let out a grating, grotesque laugh, like a sharp object scraping against glass.
“You need not worry. I will also draw her away then. When Lord Sin awakens, she will be nothing more than discarded fodder.”
****
Vidona’s Rebirth Celebration arrived as promised two days later.
Strings of small, colorful pennants connected the streetlights. The streets were filled with continuous celebratory cannon fire and music. Residents opened their doors, watching the honor guard pass by, their hearts swelling with joy for Vidona’s new beginning.
Having survived the beast tide, they felt a profound elation of escaping a catastrophe. In gratitude to the Silverbloom Sword Princess for her role in the beast tide, countless silver-white petals drifted down from the sky, as if a heavy snow had fallen.
Beyond the honor guard, Vidona’s central square now hosted numerous festival activities and stalls, creating a dazzling array that delighted the residents.
“This is so good!”
Isha grabbed two piping hot skewers from a barbecue stall. She bit into one, grimacing slightly from the heat, her eyes shining with delight as she praised its deliciousness.
She offered the untouched skewer to Lena.
“Lena-jie, you should try some too!”
Lena didn’t refuse. She bent down, brushing a strand of hair aside, and took a bite from the skewer. “Mmm,” she hummed, “the taste is indeed excellent.”
“Hehe!”
With Lena’s approval, Isha became even happier.
For this celebration, Lilia and her two companions had come with Lena. To match the festive atmosphere, they had all dressed up beautifully, drawing many admiring glances along the way.
Had Lilia and her friends not already made a name for themselves in Vidona, with many recognizing them as Third-Tier Heroes, they would have been approached countless times.
At the very center of the square stood a stage, already surrounded by a dense crowd. On the stage, carefully selected Vidona dancers performed, their figures graceful, their gazes seductive. Each dance seemed capable of captivating one’s very soul.
Lena initially couldn’t see due to the crowd, but Celia and her friends used magic to create a mirror, projecting the stage’s performance for her.
“They dance wonderfully.”
As the dance concluded, Lena clapped along with the crowd. Celia, seated beside her, gradually stilled her swinging legs.
Then, she abruptly asked, “Lena-jie, if we go to Rune Academy later, will we never get to see each other again?”
When Sharlene had suggested they go to Rune Academy, Celia had been so focused on senior Silverbloom that she had forgotten about Lena-jie.
Senior Silverbloom would accompany them to Rune Academy, but Lena-jie could not.
Hunterston, the city where Rune Academy was located, was independent of all empires. Its residents almost exclusively possessed magic, so Lena-jie would surely find it difficult to move around there, even if she did go.
The thought of not being able to see Lena-jie again made Celia incredibly sad.
“Not necessarily,” Lena said, curling a strand of hair by her ear. “I know some friends in Hunterston too. Perhaps I’ll come visit you all sometime.”
Unknown to them, if Silverbloom went to Hunterston, Lena would certainly follow. However, to avoid suspicion, Lena hadn’t directly stated that she would also go.
After all, she was merely their landlady. Even with their deep bond, it wouldn’t make sense for her to follow them on their journey outside.
Aurora looked a little surprised at this.
“Huh? Lena-jie has such wide connections? She even has friends in a faraway place like Hunterston?”
“When you’re in business, you always meet people from other cities.”