Western Continent — El Dorado
Golden spires pierced the sky like spears of light.
Leon Cromwell's castle stood in pristine elegance. White stone walls veined with gold, vast stained-glass windows reflecting the sunset in radiant hues. The magic density alone made the air feel refined, polished.
And into that refined air—
Dropped six calamities.
The moment Guy Crimson, Loki, Velzard, Dino, Misery and Rain materialized before the gates, the atmosphere shifted violently.
Claude and Alrose, who had been standing guard, felt it instantly.
A suffocating pressure.
Their instincts screamed.
Run.
Claude's fingers trembled slightly despite her composure. Alrose's throat went dry.
Rain and Misery had arrived shortly after Dino to the same destruction of their beloved castle. Once they had heard that Loki and Leon had destroyed it, they had complained loudly. Rain almost in tears, Misery furious beyond words.
But neither had dared attack.
They knew it was pointless.
Both Leon and Loki would have swiftly crushed them.
And so, after everything was explained, and the plan to relocate to El Dorado for the month was decided—
Here they were.
Claude forced herself to step forward first.
"Leon-sama… you didn't mention bringing any guests over."
Her tone was respectful, but strained.
Leon's expression was dark.
"That's because I didn't agree to bringing anyone here. This was just thrown on me by force."
Before he could elaborate—
Guy casually pushed forward with a dazzling smile.
He placed a hand gently on Claude's shoulder.
"You must be Claude, right? I'm Guy Crimson. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Alrose's eyes widened to their limits.
"The leader of the Demon Lords!—"
He instantly cupped his mouth, horrified at his own outburst.
Guy's smile widened.
"Oh my. It seems I'm quite popular."
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Guy. How do you know Claude anyway? I've never introduced you to her."
Guy tilted his head slightly, amused.
"Well that's because I do my best to make sure I know everyone who is around you."
At the back, Dino and Loki both had the exact same thought.
'That's creepy.'
Velzard gently folded her arms.
"That's nice and all, but are we going to get invited in?"
Loki didn't wait for an answer.
He casually walked forward, brushing past Claude and Alrose as if they were decorative statues.
Neither moved.
Because their instincts told them—
If they tried to stop him, they would die.
The castle doors opened.
Moments later, Loki's voice echoed from inside.
"Leon! You have some pretty valuable stuff in here. You never told me you were this rich."
Leon's head snapped toward the entrance.
"Loki, don't touch anything in there—"
A sharp sound rang through the halls.
Glass shattering.
Silence followed.
Then—
"Oh. I didn't expect it would break so easily."
A vein popped visibly on Leon's forehead.
Velzard chuckled softly.
"Well, Loki has already invited himself in. I might do that as well."
She stepped forward gracefully.
Then paused, turning her head slightly toward Leon.
"Leon, I might make some renovations here and there to suit my style of living. Is that okay with you?"
Leon swallowed.
"What's that supposed to mean."
Velzard smiled.
"Nothing."
And walked inside.
Misery sighed in distress.
"Velzard-sama, don't follow in the crude footsteps of Loki please."
She was ignored.
Claude hurried closer to Leon.
"Leon-sama. Should we do something to stop them?"
Leon stared at the open doors of his castle, where laughter and distant crashing noises could already be heard.
He exhaled slowly.
"Claude… there is absolutely nothing at all you can do to stop them."
His shoulders dropped slightly.
"Just focus on making sure they don't destroy my castle. That's our job for the month."
He turned toward Alrose.
"Alrose. Please show everyone in and give them separate rooms."
Alrose straightened instantly.
"Yes, Leon-sama."
Guy casually leaned toward him, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Show me to Leon's room. We will be sharing."
Alrose swallowed.
His fear didn't allow him to say a word.
Rain spun slowly in place, eyes sparkling as she admired the luxurious interior.
"I'm getting so much inspiration. I can paint for days here."
Misery pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Try not to cause any trouble, Rain."
Rain nodded enthusiastically.
"I know."
From somewhere deeper inside the castle came another crash.
Dino, with his usual laziness spoke up as well.
"You don't need to do much for me."
"As long as I have a bed."
---
Holy Empire of Lubelius
The halls of the Ten Great Saints headquarters were unusually tense.
Footsteps echoed sharply against polished stone floors.
Saare walked ahead at a brisk pace, his cloak fluttering behind him. His expression was tight, focused.
Behind him, Garde hurried to keep up.
"Saare. Are you planning on heading somewhere?"
"Yes," Saare replied without slowing down. "I'm heading to the Kingdom of Coleus to train."
Garde blinked.
"To train? Why all of a sudden?"
Saare's jaw tightened slightly.
"You heard what Hinata had to say, right? We will now be facing the biggest threat we have ever faced."
His voice lowered.
"The Primordial."
The word itself felt heavy.
Garde fell silent for a moment.
Then—
"Then let me join you."
Saare glanced back briefly.
"…Sure. Suit yourself."
The two stepped out into the open courtyard, the cool air brushing against their faces. The knights guarding the horse stables immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing them.
Saare and Garde mounted their horses without hesitation.
With a sharp pull of the reins—
They rode off toward the horizon.
Toward Coleus.
---
Back at El Dorado
The grand dining hall glittered under crystal chandeliers.
An extravagant feast had just concluded, silver platters, rich sauces, perfectly cooked meats, delicate desserts.
Leon's chefs had spared no effort.
Loki leaned back in his chair, then rose with a satisfied sigh.
"Thank you for the meal. That was good."
Leon allowed himself a small, proud chuckle.
"Of course it was good. It was made by my world-class chefs."
Guy Crimson elegantly dabbed his lips with a napkin.
"It is indeed good. Perhaps your chefs could share the recipe with Misery."
Misery immediately stood.
"I'll get it right away, Guy-sama."
She bowed slightly and hurried off toward the kitchens.
Loki stretched casually.
"Well, I'm going to head out now."
Guy's red eyes shifted toward him.
"Where are you going?"
Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Why should I tell you?"
"Because you are unpredictable," Guy replied calmly. "I cannot let you out of my sight. I have to know where you are at all times."
Loki clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I'm going to the Kingdom of Coleus."
He turned away.
"And don't ask me why I'm going there, because I won't answer you."
Guy waved his hand dismissively.
"I couldn't care less. As long as I know where you are."
Without another word—
A magic circle flared beneath Loki's feet.
Blue light pulsed once.
And he vanished.
The hall fell quiet.
Guy turned his gaze toward Rain.
"Follow him. And make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."
Rain jolted upright.
"W-Why do I have to, Guy-sama? Can't Misery go this time?"
Guy's expression remained gentle.
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
"If you think the job is too hard for you, there is no need for you to go."
Rain froze.
The underlying meaning was clear.
Her eyes watered slightly.
"F-Fine… I'll go."
A magic circle formed beneath her feet as well.
With a flash of light—
She disappeared.
The dining hall grew still once more.
Leon leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
"…Why Coleus?"
Guy's faint smile remained.
"Who knows."
Far away, two of the Ten Great Saints rode toward Coleus to train.
And at that same moment—
A Primordial was already on his way there.
________________________________________
Support me on Patreon for 6 early chapters [Patreon.com/tenten100?]
Chapter 33 Available to read for free on my Patreon right now.