In a magical world equipped with communication devices, news spreads instantly.

Some newspapers in the human territory reported how the imperial army had successfully thwarted a surprise attack by two enemy military units, which were easily repelled, inflicting heavy casualties on the army of the Presial Kingdom.

It was daytime at the Imperial military camp; the previous night, the Superior Commander had taken it upon himself to inform Minister of State Gerard Retriev of what had happened.

By that time, nearly 5,000 soldiers led by 10 Golden Paladins had already set out from the Imperial capital.

The Temple of the Endless Sky had also sent nearly 500 priests to provide whatever support was needed to the troops wounded in the previous battle.

...

"Your Majesty, we have already sent ten paladins to cover the retreat of those affected by that demon’s spell," Minister Gerard told the Emperor.

"For now, just cover their retreat. Let’s not be reckless; we must understand the nature of the power wielded by that demon," said Emperor Venrac, who was seated and reading some of the many reports on his elegant desk.

The minister of state remained silent, thinking about the empire’s recent defeats and how they were all linked to demons.

Emperor Venrac looked intently at the minister and said:

"Minister, ensure that the imperial balance does not fall into disorder; leave the war to the warriors."

"As you command, Your Majesty," the minister replied, and left the study after hearing the emperor’s words.

The emperor was well aware of the concerns of his most loyal subordinates; however, he also knew that it was partly other subordinates who had dragged the empire into war.

He proposed developing the empire and giving the hero the opportunity to grow.

But there was impatience, especially on the part of the Inquisiderian faction.

"It seems there will be a great war, and it will be inevitable," Venrac thought as he placed the reports on the table and recalled the demon who had tried to kidnap his daughter.

And beyond that, on that day, Richard Venrac also sensed some menacing presences in the demonic territory that seemed to be warning him that he was not welcome.

...

More than a week had passed.

The Empire was calm, but there was also a sense of fear; people cannot completely ignore the fact that the territories where they live are at war, no matter how favorable the situation may seem.

After all, war is one of the most horrific nightmares that humanoids fear.

On the borders between the Venrac Empire and the Presial Kingdom, the war had continued.

The first to attack, following the surprise assault by the lords of the Presial Kingdom, was the imperial army, and although everything seemed to be going their way in that pitched battle, the appearance of the assassin demons inflicted heavy casualties among the imperial soldiers with "medium power rank."

Superior Commander Rasgar Relvin was cautious at first; he did not send any commanders to the front because he was trying to calculate the enemy’s movements and Prince Absab’s patience.

In Rasgar Relvin’s view, the direct involvement of the enemy prince Absab could lead the empire to victory if they managed to kill him; however, he also believed that the outcome could be counterproductive despite the victory, since, caught up in a battle between humans with "high power ranks," tens of thousands of casualties in the imperial army would be inevitable.

...

As another week passed, the war reached a stalemate the moment Prince Absab appeared at the rear of his army on the battlefield.

At that moment, the imperial army’s attacks ceased.

For Rasgar Relvin, the enemy prince’s appearance was a clear warning that he was ready for battle.

...

In the tent of the Imperial Army’s Superior Commander, late at night.

"Esteemed Mr. Gemini, do you believe you can defeat the enemy prince? We have reduced the enemy army’s forces by nearly half. It seems they are unwilling to suffer any further losses. I believe we must be prepared for the enemy prince’s intervention in the coming days," said Rasgar Relvin in a firm yet respectful tone.

The commanders present seemed tense; some held differing opinions on how to confront Prince Absab, but given the power wielded by that enemy prince, most strategies were futile.

"I can defeat him, but I cannot defeat the one who put our soldiers and our allied soldiers to sleep. But the best course of action would be to let him enter the battlefield and not attack him on his own territory. Even so, everyone must know this: casualties will be inevitable, unless we evacuate most of our army, and that is something they will not overlook; it is very likely they will attack if they see that we are retreating."

In the end, at the meeting, it was agreed that the Imperial Army would begin to apply more active pressure by sending some of its commanders to the front lines, and Mr. Gemini assured everyone that the Apostles would take more active measures to kill any demons that launched surprise attacks on the Imperial commanders.

...

Under a cloudy sky, where flashes of lightning occasionally pierced the thick, dark clouds, stood the imposing Gothic castle, hidden among the mountains.

In the hall with gray walls and a black marble floor, two of the founders of Inquisiderian sat in four of the five black iron chairs facing a round stone table; in the other two chairs were holographic images projected using magical artifacts.

The holographic images belonged to two other founding members.

And in the fifth black iron seat that had once belonged to Samsart Detali, now sat the handsome but scheming director of Inquisiderian named Van Mither, who had been promoted to Grand Director because they could not grant him the title of founder.

Van Mither had secured that promotion on the recommendation of Samsart Detali, because although the two seemed to create a tense and dangerous atmosphere whenever they met, they were also master and disciple.

Yes, Van Mither was the disciple of the late Samsart Detali, who in turn had been a disciple of the Founding Leader of Inquisiderian.