With the death of the Fiery Bear, the situation at the border became considerably more stable.
The waves of Demonic Beasts continued to arrive every few hours, but they no longer posed the same threat as before. The Stone Guards stationed along the Great Wall had proven their worth. Combined with the experienced soldiers of Ismal, they were capable of holding back even the larger waves without suffering major casualties.
For the first time in months, the defenders could breathe.
The true problem now lay elsewhere.
Kar.
The assassin who had murdered King Dan.
The man who had somehow survived within the Demonic Region.
The man who had vanished after committing one of the greatest crimes in the kingdom's history.
The search for him became the kingdom's highest priority.
Five days after Henry's recovery, a special vanguard force was assembled.
The force was small but elite.
Princess Irwin personally took command.
Alongside her were Henry, five Shadow Guards, and ten members of Irwin's secret intelligence organization. Every one of them had undergone years of training for infiltration and reconnaissance.
This was not an army.
It was a hunting party.
And their prey was Kar.
When Irene learned of the mission, she immediately demanded to join.
"Absolutely not," Irwin said.
Irene frowned.
"Why?"
"Because somebody has to keep this fortress standing."
"I can do both."
"No, you can't."
The sisters glared at one another.
The room suddenly became cold.
The soldiers nearby wisely chose to remain silent.
Eventually Henry stepped in.
"Irene."
She immediately turned toward him.
"Stay."
The single word carried more weight than Irwin's arguments.
Irene's expression softened.
Though she hated being left behind, she understood the situation.
If another powerful beast appeared while both she and Henry were gone, Ismal would be vulnerable.
After a long silence, she finally nodded.
"Fine."
Then she pointed at Henry.
"But if you get yourself half-killed again, I'm dragging you back to Tecka myself."
Henry laughed.
"I'll keep that in mind."
The following morning, the vanguard force departed.
The great gates of Ismal slowly opened.
Beyond them stretched the endless savanna and the dark forests beyond.
The moment they crossed the walls, the atmosphere changed.
Inside the fortress there had been soldiers, fires, and people.
Outside there was only silence.
An unnatural silence.
The group advanced swiftly.
They avoided unnecessary battles and concealed their movements whenever possible. The scouts led them through routes previously discovered during Irwin's investigations.
The deeper they traveled, the denser the forest became.
The trees grew twisted.
Their bark was blackened by demonic corruption.
Occasionally glowing red eyes could be seen watching them from the darkness.
Yet none of the creatures attacked.
It was almost as if the forest itself was observing them.
After two days of travel, they reached the region known as the Great Gap.
The place was infamous.
It was where the demonic corruption first flowed past into the kingdom.
Many ancient ruins had been swallowed by the expanding forest.
And somewhere within this cursed land stood their destination.
An abandoned manor.
Irwin unfolded a map.
"Our scouts confirmed it."
She pointed toward a location ahead.
"Kar has been using this place as a base."
Henry stared at the mark.
Then his eyes widened.
"No..."
The others turned toward him.
"What's wrong?"
Henry pointed toward the location.
"That manor..."
A strange feeling surfaced within him.
"It belongs to the Eighth Elder."
The others immediately became serious.
"Manan's Manor."
Several members exchanged worried glances.
Even Irwin's expression changed slightly.
The Eight Elders were legendary figures.
Anything related to them was never simple.
Henry became increasingly concerned.
During his stay at the manor, he had repaired many of its defensive mechanisms.
Automatic traps.
Protective barriers.
Hidden guardians.
If Kar had truly occupied the place, then something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Several hours later they arrived.
The manor emerged from the forest like a ghost from history.
Vines covered the walls.
The windows were broken.
The once magnificent estate looked abandoned.
Yet something felt wrong.
Too wrong.
The front doors stood wide open.
No traps activated.
No defensive systems reacted.
No alarms sounded.
The silence itself was disturbing.
Henry cautiously stepped inside.
The others followed.
The corridors were dark and covered with dust.
Signs of recent activity were visible throughout the manor.
Footprints.
Dragged equipment.
Fresh torch marks.
Someone had been living here.
As they advanced deeper into the mansion, Henry suddenly froze.
A shape lay in one of the corridors.
He rushed forward.
The others followed.
There, half-buried beneath dirt and debris, lay a twisted mass of metal.
Henry's heart sank.
"Manan Junior..."
The mechanical guardian was barely recognizable.
Its metal frame had been crushed.
Several core components were missing.
One of its arms had been torn off completely.
The machine that once defended the manor had been utterly destroyed.
Henry knelt beside it.
The damage wasn't recent.
It had happened months ago.
Someone had deliberately dismantled it.
"Who could do this?" one of the Shadow Guards asked.
Henry remained silent.
Whoever destroyed Manan Junior possessed immense strength and knowledge.
This was no ordinary intruder.
The group continued onward.
Eventually they reached the deepest section of the manor.
There stood a massive metal door.
Unlike the rest of the manor, this area remained active.
Protective runes glowed across its surface.
Complex mechanisms rotated beneath the metal.
The defenses were still operational.
Henry stepped forward.
Immediately he noticed something.
"This isn't mine."
"What?"
"The security system."
Henry examined the glowing symbols.
"The defenses I repaired weren't designed like this."
The realization troubled him.
Someone had modified the system.
Someone with knowledge comparable to the Elders.
For several hours the group worked.
Henry studied the runes.
The agents searched for hidden triggers.
Irwin patiently guarded the entrance.
Eventually a soft click echoed through the chamber.
The mechanisms stopped moving.
The enormous door slowly opened.
Ancient gears groaned.
Dust filled the air.
The group cautiously entered.
Then everyone froze.
The chamber was enormous.
Large enough to house an entire fortress.
At its center stood a gigantic machine.
A cannon.
At least, that was the closest description anyone could think of.
Countless pipes extended from its body.
Ancient crystals glowed within its frame.
Runes covered every surface.
The machine stretched deep into the floor and disappeared into the darkness below.
It looked less like a weapon and more like something capable of changing the world itself.
Irwin's face paled.
For the first time since Henry had met her, genuine shock appeared on her face.
"So it was completed..."
Henry immediately turned toward her.
"You know what this is?"
Before she could answer—
A blade flashed through the darkness.
"Enemy!"
One of the Shadow Guards shouted.
The attack came from behind.
Several agents were instantly thrown aside.
The room erupted into chaos.
Henry spun around and drew his sword.
Standing near the entrance was a familiar figure.
A man covered in scars.
Demonic energy flowed around him like smoke.
His eyes carried neither hatred nor anger.
Only purpose.
Kar.
The assassin of King Dan.
The target of their mission.
The room fell silent.
Then another figure slowly stepped out from the shadows beside him.
An old man.
His back was hunched.
His expensive robes were stained with dust.
Yet Henry recognized him immediately.
Several members of the group gasped.
One of Irwin's agents even stepped back in disbelief.
Because the old man was not a criminal.
He was not an enemy general.
He was one of the kingdom's ministers.
A man who had served the royal court for decades.
A man trusted by nobles and commoners alike.
The minister slowly smiled.
The expression sent chills down everyone's spine.
Then Kar placed his hand upon the massive cannon.
"For opening the Door...."
The minister laughed softly.
"I must thank you."
Henry tightened his grip on his sword.
His instincts screamed at him.
Whatever stood before them was far greater than a simple assassination plot.
The attacks on Lucian.
The death of King Dan.
The mysterious machine before them.
For the first time, the scattered pieces of the kingdom's tragedies seemed connected.
And standing before them were two men who knew the truth.