One dark night.

  In a dimly lit room.

  "I don’t recall inviting you in."

  A cold voice sounded from the center of the room.

  "No need to be nervous~. Aren’t we partners?"

  "You have three seconds. Three, two......"

  "Alright, alright! I’m here to tell you...... The time has come. We can act now."

  "......"

  "Finally——"

  "Is it that time already?"

  A figure in the middle of the room slowly stood up.

  "After waiting so many years, the moment for revenge has finally arrived!"

  "Leonagnus!!! This time! I will reclaim everything I lost——!"

  Roar——!

  A terrifying roar kicked up a storm in the room, scattering the furnishings in all directions.

  Flap, flap~!

  The clothes of the other people in the room flapped loudly in the wind.

  "I’m glad you’re so confident. But...... Sargas Redman, don’t forget our agreement."

  "Ah......"

  Sargas lowered his head, staring at the person opposite him. In the dim light, his eyes glowed with eerie red light.

  "Don’t worry, Great Demon. I won’t break the contract. But what about you—can you really do what you promised?"

  "We? Hehe...... Hehehe~! You can question our credibility, but you’d better not question our strength——"

  "Because......"

  The mysterious person opposite also raised their head. A black hood covered their head, casting their face entirely in shadow—no details were visible.

  "We are the ‘Great Demons’!"

  ......

  Crash——!

  A wine glass was slammed heavily onto the ground, making a loud noise.

  In an instant, all eyes in the tavern turned toward them.

  "What are you looking at! Looking for death?! "

  Rajas shouted at the surrounding crowd.

  Immediately, everyone in the tavern averted their gazes.

  "......Alright, Rajas, stop losing your temper."

  At the table sat James and Odo, their faces gloomy.

  "Hmph! Stop losing my temper? How can I not be angry! And you, James—why did you drag us away like that!"

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  Rajas turned his anger toward James.

  James looked up, staring at him indifferently.

  "Be quiet. Do you want everyone to know about our business?"

  "Hmph......"

  Rajas snorted, picked up his wine glass angrily, took a big gulp, then slammed it down hard.

  James looked away, lowering his voice: "I did some investigating yesterday......"

  This immediately caught Odo and Rajas’ attention—both turned to him.

  "That kid suddenly appeared in Hatoru a few days ago. Her origins are unknown—no one had seen her before. But as soon as she arrived in Hatoru, she went straight to the royal castle. And from the information I bought, she later met King Bars in the audience chamber."

  "You mean......"

  Odo seemed to understand, but Rajas still didn’t get James’ point.

  "What are you trying to say? All this back and forth—can’t you just be clear!"

  "I mean, that person is a master secretly recruited by King Bars. She took the initiative to confront us on Bars’ orders. That’s why I immediately took you two and left."

  "Why? She’s a master recruited by Bars—why did we have to leave?"

  Rajas was still confused.

  "Because Bars has probably become suspicious of us."

  Odo explained from the side.

  "That’s right!" James nodded. "In the square, she warned me personally that we’d done something we shouldn’t have...... Which means our motives have probably been exposed. That’s why I chose to leave immediately."

  "......"

  Odo and Rajas looked at each other.

  "T-This...... Exposed? That can’t be, right? They shouldn’t have any proof."

  "They probably don’t have concrete evidence—otherwise, they wouldn’t have let us leave. But...... Do you need proof for something like this?"

  James countered.

  "Sometimes, suspicion alone is enough. No......"

  James’ expression suddenly turned serious.

  "We can’t stay in this city any longer. We have to leave quickly—otherwise, something unexpected might happen!"

  Rajas looked reluctant, muttering:

  "Leave just like that? What about the reward those people promised us? If we leave now, we’ll have done all that for nothing!"

  "Choose—your life or the money."

  James said calmly, then stood up directly.

  "Let’s go. It’s not like we’ll necessarily get nothing. This isn’t just our problem. Let’s find those people—maybe there’s still a way."

  With that, he walked straight out of the tavern. Odo quickly stood up and followed.

  Rajas stared at their retreating backs, hesitating for a few seconds. Then he slammed his fist on the table.

  "Damn it...... Why do I have to get stuck in this mess!?"

  He picked up his wine glass, gulped down the remaining wine in one go, then smashed the empty glass on the ground. Standing up, he chased after James and Odo.

  ......

  Central region of the Indam Federation.

  There stood the largest city in the entire federation—its name was Helinks.

  This city was not only the capital of the Lion Beastmen, the strongest tribe in the federation, but also the headquarters of the Federal Council. Thus, it was also known as the Capital of the Council.

  Now, the city was immersed in a grand festive atmosphere. People from all over the world poured in continuously.

  And they all came for the same purpose:

  To participate in the quadrennial Royal Martial Arts Festival.

  Some came for the generous prizes, others for fame. But regardless of their motives, young powerful warriors from all walks of life gathered here, ready to compete for supremacy.

  "This is Helinks? Its prosperity is quite astonishing......"

  Arriving in Helinks with the White Cat Clan’s group, even though she had seen the prosperity of Langard, the scene before her seemed even more impressive.

  The streets and alleys were extremely crowded with people.

  "That’s because it’s a special time."

  Miko explained beside Hulim.

  "It’s not just those who want to participate in the tournament—many merchants and tourists have also come because of it. So the number of people in Helinks is far more than usual."

  "I see......"

  "This is a rare opportunity," Bars interjected. "Miko, take Hulim to explore the Capital of the Council properly."

  "Hulim, the customs here are quite different from Langard."

  "Is that okay? Shouldn’t we go to the mansion first?"

  Hulim asked.

  "Don’t worry—go enjoy yourselves. We’ll take care of settling in. Just come back when you’re tired."

  "Dad, I want to go play with Sister Miko too!"

  At that moment, a timid voice sounded behind Bars.

  Everyone turned around, shocked.

  It was Miko’s younger brother, Mirei Kedar—who had just turned six.

  "Mirei??? Why are you here!?! Where did you pop out from!?"

  "Dad, I want to play~."

  Mirei clearly hadn’t realized the seriousness of the situation.

  Looking at him—so small he might trip while walking a few steps—Bars immediately refused: "No!"

  "Why not?"

  Mirei stared at Bars with big, pleading eyes.

  Bars picked him up by the back of his collar with two fingers.

  "How old are you? You’ll only be in the way. And besides—why on earth are you here!?"

  "I-I’m sorry, King Bars. It seems Prince Mirei hid himself in a box and snuck in with us......"

  A maid said anxiously.

  Celebrating the milestone of 100th Unique Follower — I’ve added an extra chapter! Thank you all readers for your continuous support — this milestone is for you!!??