The Long Night Is Coming (Continued)

Evileye nodded to Ling in greeting. Whether it was an illusion or not, her movements seemed somewhat stiff.

"Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you." Ling extended his hand to Lakyus.

Lakyus hesitated slightly before shaking Ling's hand.

The white-haired female swordswoman also entered the room, but she did not step forward in a hurry. Instead, she leaned against the wall by the door and silently watched those inside.

"Then you must be..." Ling turned toward Momon.

"I'm Momon, leader of the adventurer team [Dark Hero]. This is the magic caster, Naberal." Momon stood and shook Ling's hand.

"I'm Ling, a magic archer. That over there is Lia, the swordswoman in my party. She doesn't like interacting with others very much, so please excuse her."

Lia leaned against the wall by the door, idly playing with the longsword in her hand—at a light lift of her thumb against the guard, the blade slid three centimeters from its sheath, cold light blooming across its surface. Then she lightly pressed the guard again, and the blade slipped back into the sheath.

"Many swordsmen have that kind of personality, because they temper themselves as though they were blades." As Lakyus spoke, she thought of that swordsman from the Re-Estize Kingdom—Brain Unglaus.

At that moment, Ivon, the host and Cardinal of Light, arrived at last.

"Gentlemen and ladies, adventurers, thank you very much for accepting our country's invitation and coming here. I am Ivon Jasna Draclaw, bishop and Cardinal of the Temple of Light in the Slane Theocracy."

"C-Cardinal?" Evileye cried out, while Lakyus wore an equally incredulous expression.

Ling already knew the other party's identity, so he was naturally not so surprised. Momon also remained fairly composed.

"Is a Cardinal... someone very important?" Momon asked quietly.

"The person with