Inside the Royal Palace in Digo, the Imperial Capital of Dierjia, Mulan and several other professors from Black Castle had come for an audience with the Queen.
Nisheriel frowned as she leafed through the reports, remaining silent for a long time.
Mulan and the others stood in a row. His expression remained calm throughout, while Haisen beside him looked somewhat uneasy, afraid that Her Majesty would blame them for acting without permission.
But Nisheriel's first words were not a reprimand. Instead, she sighed softly.
"I never imagined Gaormos had hidden so much. He truly deserves the title of Shadow Demon now."
Glando spoke with concern.
"Your Majesty, should we investigate the guard regiment? After all, Gaormos used to serve in it..."
Nisheriel smiled.
"There's no need. Even when Gaormos served in the guard regiment, I believe he was utterly loyal to me. Thinking back on it now, strictly speaking, it was more a case of me letting him down."
Mulan spoke gravely then.
"Your Majesty cannot be at fault. This was simply Gaormos's own fate. If he is still alive, we will have to face him again sooner or later."
Nisheriel looked at Mulan.
"Are you certain he's still alive? You tore him to pieces."
Mulan did not answer immediately. He thought it over carefully before explaining.
"In truth, I also thought I had killed him completely at the time. But Silias told me it sensed strange changes in the shadows. A power linked to some existence in the Otherworld like this does not seem easy to destroy outright."
"Silias's unique perception is extraordinary. I choose to trust it, so I won't be overly optimistic. Of course, even if the Shadow Demon isn't dead, he has undoubtedly suffered devastating injuries."
"Hmm."
Nisheriel murmured an acknowledgment and looked at the map