Evading the Search

In Gald Imperial City, the turmoil continued to escalate.

Most citizens still remembered the person who had once snatched Kiriri away from the execution grounds.

According to the Empire's latest announcement, that person was also the leader of the rebel army and a dark mage.

The uninformed citizens held an instinctive fear of dark magic, and for a time, the imperial city was filled with panic.

Under Elena's attentive care, Mel, who remained unconscious, was slowly recovering.

His injuries were too severe to be completely healed by potions alone, so he could only recover on his own.

During this time, Mel had no awareness whatsoever of the outside world.

Through constant spot checks, the military gradually narrowed down the search area, and the Royal Knights eventually arrived at the Darian family estate.

"Has the Saintess returned as well? We are truly sorry, but we suspect that Van Mel may be hiding at the Darian family estate. We ask for your understanding."

Drawn by the commotion, Fisia quickly came outside. The reason she had left the front lines was because she had noticed something abnormal about Kain's mental state.

Kain had been pushing himself in a nearly self-destructive manner. That method could bring about a tremendous increase in his strength, but it had also turned his mind into a tightly drawn string.

If that taut string suddenly snapped, she could not predict the consequences.

Under such circumstances, she could only apply to the royal family and the church for leave. The entire hero party was able to temporarily withdraw from the front lines, as the war there had once again fallen into a stalemate. Even if both sides continued to commit forces and slaughter one another, it would not have much impact on the situation in the short term.

"May I