"The demons built a Demon Gate underground!"
At his words, the Naga beside him and Olmedo, who stood by the Portal, both looked over.
Grand Marshal Garkin leaned forward. "Did you see it yourself?"
"No, I didn't..." Annan shook his head. "But I rescued a daughter of Durakan from the demons' Dungeon. She told me herself."
"Where is she?"
"We got separated while escaping."
"No witness, nothing you saw with your own eyes, just something you heard secondhand... And you expect me to take that answer to the King and his ministers?"
Resolve shone in Annan's dark eyes. "Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens."
"You..."
Grand Marshal Garkin fell silent. He suddenly realized that the young man before him was the King of the North, the lord of Free City, and a good friend of the Tartun Empire.
Annan had the standing to shoulder that responsibility.
"Open the Portal in three minutes."
After a moment of silence, Grand Marshal Garkin rose from the sofa, which had been sagging beneath his weight. "And have your Foreign Races subordinates stand farther back. The King and his ministers may not like seeing them."
Annan refused. "They saved my life. They're also my witnesses."
"Hah..." Grand Marshal Garkin snorted. "Suit yourself..."
Grand Marshal Garkin led away the Heavy Destrier Olmedo had brought. Olmedo stayed behind and asked, "What can we do?"
"Illymoyas and the others are still in the Black Rift. We got separated..."
"Understood. We'll pick you up first, then head to the Black Rift."
Annan hesitated at the thought of sending Free City into battle.
"Don't worry. We're only putting a little pressure on the Red Dragon Sorcerer. It won't learn our true strength."
"All right. I'm at the Anna River, east of High Mountain City."
By Annan's reckoning,