Back at Altheron’s mansion, Yun Jin and Merlin stormed into Ardent’s office. The old man was already seated, as if he’d been waiting for them. A tea set rested neatly on the table, steam still rising from the cups.

  “Have a seat,” Ardent welcomed them calmly.

  Yun Jin paused, his eyes scanning the room in a single sharp glance. To his surprise, everyone present was human. No sign of shadow demons. Even Selene was nowhere to be seen.

  “What happened to you in the forest must have been rough,” Ardent said, noticing Yun Jin’s guarded expression. “So as not to touch on sensitive matters, I’ve sent all the demons under my care to scout the area. For them to go after my associates so boldly… it seems this cult plans to escalate their efforts.”

  Yun Jin’s gaze hardened. “Where’s Selene?”

  Ardent fell silent for a moment before answering. “There’s a trace of a greater demon near the outskirts of the town.”

  Merlin’s face paled. This was the second time today fear had seized his chest.

  “Really? Did you contact the Central Church?” Merlin’s voice cracked slightly, his grip tightening on his staff.

  “No,” Ardent shook his head. “The trace was faint, almost unnoticeable. Only a high-ranking demon like Selene could have sensed it. Whatever that greater demon was, it’s already left the area. Selene followed its trail to confirm. She should return by dusk.”

  Merlin’s panic deepened. “Isn’t it dangerous to send her alone? And—wait… Selene’s a demon?!”

  Ardent chuckled faintly. “As are ninety percent of the staff working in this mansion. But don’t worry—the doctor who treated you was human.” His calm reassurance only unsettled Merlin further. For the first time, he wasn’t sure who—or what—Ardent Altheron really was.

  Yun Jin remained silent, but Merlin knew the weight of this better than anyone.

  The demon race stood among the apex of all beings. A true greater demon had the power to level a city in a single night if it wished.

  Most had been wiped out in the Holy War over a thousand years ago. Those who survived had been hunted relentlessly by the Central Church ever since. For one to appear here was unthinkable.

  “If it’s already gone, then it’s no longer our concern,” Yun Jin cut through the rising tension. His eyes stayed on Ardent. “Unless it’s tied to the current demonic activity in this town. That’s the real question. Is it?”

  Ardent shook his head slowly. “No. The traces don’t match. While the cult operates with corruption, this greater demon carries the essence of destruction. If they were truly connected… this town would already be gone.”

  Yun Jin stood silent for a moment, his mind turning over every possibility before he finally sat down. Merlin followed hesitantly. The tea on the table was still steaming, its rich aroma filling the air, but neither of them reached for it. The weight of the situation left no room for small comforts.

  “Did you know about Seraphine?” Yun Jin asked directly, skipping over how he learned the truth. He knew a shadow demon had been following him and saw no point in hiding anything from Ardent now. What concerned him more was the looming question—could he still trust this man?

  “Yes.” Ardent didn’t hesitate. His calm answer struck like a hammer. “But it only happened after she returned from the party with you.”

  The chair beneath Yun Jin groaned under his tightening grip. The wood cracked, splintering beneath his palm as rage boiled to the surface.

  “Then why did you let them?” Yun Jin growled through clenched teeth, the anger plain on his face.

  “I chose to sacrifice one… instead of a thousand,” Ardent answered quietly, his words landing with brutal clarity.

  Yun Jin froze, the anger in his chest momentarily overtaken by confusion.

  “If I openly fought the cult,” Ardent continued, voice steady, “they would retaliate. Thousands would die, and the conflict would leave me vulnerable to attack… from others, not limited to Veyra. I hope you haven’t forgotten her.”

  Yun Jin fell silent. He was smart enough to know Ardent was right, at least from his perspective.

  If the cult truly had the power to turn people into demons, any open confrontation would send casualties soaring. Even if they won, their resources would be depleted, their defenses weakened. And that weakness would invite predators—rival factions eager to seize any opportunity.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Yun Jin had seen firsthand what kind of enemies those factions were.

  But even so...

  “What if I go alone?” Yun Jin asked, his voice low but resolute. It was the only path he could see—to end the cult himself.

  “It’s too dangerous!” Merlin burst out immediately, panic in his voice. “That’s suicide! You almost died against their low-level members. What happens when you face their leaders? Or worse, if they swarm you?”

  Ardent nodded in agreement. “The boy’s right. I’ve seen what you’re capable of, and it’s impressive. But your chances of success… ten percent at best.” His eyes darkened. “And that’s without knowing their current strength. Tracking them is nearly impossible. They can sense my shadow demons.”

  The cult had proven to be the most elusive threat in the town. And the fact that they’d openly attacked Yun Jin and Merlin—a direct challenge to Ardent—meant they were becoming bold.

  Gathering information had always been difficult. The cult operated in secrecy, and Ardent’s main spies were shadow demons. But demons could always sense other demons. While some high-level demons could suppress their presence even from humans, they couldn’t hide as easily from their own kind.

  Every time Ardent sent his informants after them, they either lost the trail—or ended up dead.

  And he had already lost more than he wanted to admit.

  “Veyra is also out of the question...” Yun Jin said flatly. He immediately understood that forming a joint force between the two strongest factions was impossible.

  Veyra thrived on public panic and unrest. The more chaos the cult stirred, the more resentment would be directed toward Ardent’s position of power. For her, letting the cult run wild only served her political agenda.

  Simple politics like this were easy for Yun Jin to unravel. But one question remained.

  “What about the Central Church? Why didn’t you call them?” Yun Jin asked. He wasn’t familiar with their full reach, but since Merlin had spoken about them as the force responsible for handling greater demons, surely they could also deal with something like this cult.

  “Or is it because you’re using demons yourself?” His voice grew sharper. This was more than a question—it was a judgment. Was this old man preserving his own forces, even if it meant prolonging the suffering of innocent people?

  Ardent’s expression stiffened for the first time. His usual calm and wise demeanor cracked slightly, his voice harder than before.

  “No. I may control demons, but I grew up with this town. If it were as simple as sacrificing every one of them to save this place, I would gladly do it.”

  He took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down. When he spoke again, his voice was measured.

  “I did ask them for help. But they declined. Said there wasn’t enough evidence.”

  “What!?” Merlin stood up, disbelief written all over his face. “The Church’s entire purpose is to fight demons! You’re the town governor—how could they refuse you? Even if they found nothing, why wouldn’t they at least investigate?!”

  Ardent leaned back, his expression darkening. For the first time, real worry showed in his eyes. His next words came slowly, heavily.

  “To be honest… this is the dangerous part. I shouldn’t even be telling you this. Are you sure you’re ready to bet your life on knowing the truth?”

  Yun Jin didn’t hesitate. “Just tell me.”

  Ardent exhaled through his nose. “The main gathering point of the cult is the Church itself. If they investigate, it will ruin their own public image.”

  The room fell into stunned silence.

  “And that’s not all,” Ardent continued. “They want to set the stage for failure… and then let paladins swoop in as heroes. They’ll ‘cleanse’ this town publicly, parade their victory, and secure their political funding for years to come. There isn’t enough real demonic activity left these days to justify their power.”

  “Of course, this is just the speculation of an old man,” Ardent said with a tired sigh. “But the truth remains—they’re not coming. And we’re on our own in this mess.”

  He leaned back, the weight of years showing on his face.

  “But thanks to the unrest you stirred during the tournament, Veyra is busy running around trying to restore confidence from her investors. That gave me enough room to form a task force and establish a clear perimeter to keep her forces out of my territory. I even managed to redirect some of the cult’s activity toward her side of town. Sooner or later, she’ll be forced to act.”

  The tea on the table had gone cold.

  Ardent’s eyes turned serious again. “The cult is a problem we’ll handle in time. But your task is to deal with Veyra’s operations first. Once that’s settled, I’ll clean up the rest of this mess myself. Until then… expect some casualties. But I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to keep them as few as possible.”

  He stood, his gaze meeting Yun Jin’s directly. “Was that enough to satisfy you, Yun Jin?”

  Yun Jin nodded once. “Yes.”

  The answers were enough to clear his mind for now. He could trust Ardent—but even so, there were still gaps in his judgment. Gaps that couldn’t be filled with promises or speculation. He would have to decide for himself when the time came.

  Ardent rose from his seat. “Rest for now. There will be a group meeting tonight. If you wish to attend—and perhaps teach our troops—you’re welcome at the eastern hall. I have preparations to make.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Ardent turned and walked out, leaving Merlin and Yun Jin alone with the butler.

  Merlin sat quietly, sneaking glances at Yun Jin. For the first time, he saw something new—urgency written plainly across Yun Jin’s face. Until now, he had always thought of Yun Jin as untouchable, a man above the world’s concerns, someone who moved through life with calm detachment like a higher being.

  But in this moment, he could see it clearly.

  Whatever thoughts plagued Yun Jin’s mind now… proved he was human after all.