Two hours later, the female mage awoke.
I decided to accompany the female mage on her journey to the capital. She seemed anxious about traveling alone and quickly agreed.
Her name was Mira.
My initial mission was now impossible to achieve. The fort I had targeted was not only devoid of the captured princess but also in a state of total destruction.
Perhaps the spy who provided the information had been compromised, or the situation had drastically changed…
I lacked sufficient information. I needed to go to the capital to gather more details.
Returning empty-handed was not an option. I wasn’t just an adventurer sent as a messenger; I was a high-ranking adventurer personally tasked by the imperial princess to resolve this issue.
Even if it involved rescuing the royalty of another country.
If the princess was already dead, I needed to confirm it personally. If she was alive, I had to assess the situation.
If she was truly captured, I had to rescue her.
I didn’t expect a simple solution through brute force, but I didn’t anticipate things to become this complicated either.
Fortunately, there were horses left at the fort.
It seemed the life-draining spell only affected humans.
Mira and I each took a horse. We released the remaining ones from the stable.
Normally, it would take two days to reach the capital from this fort even on horseback, but with Mira’s magical assistance, the horses were significantly enhanced, allowing us to cover a great distance.
It did cost me some magic recovery potions, but it was a necessary expense. I would have to charge the princess for it…
Thanks to the tirelessly running horses, we arrived at the capital by nightfall.
Regardless of my own status, Mira was a mage with a position in the Second Army. She should be able to negotiate with the gatekeepers to let us in.
As we discussed this and approached the capital, we found no guards at the gate. Though the gate was closed, the latch was undone, making it easy for us to enter.
Opening the gate alone was somewhat exhausting, but with Mira’s assistance, it wasn’t a problem. Having a mage as a companion was certainly advantageous. I wondered how kasugal was faring now.
As we entered the capital, I immediately felt a change in the atmosphere.
It was as if the air was thick and unpleasant. But it wasn’t just that.
“This… it’s draining our life force. It’s much weaker than what I experienced, but prolonged exposure is dangerous,” Mira said.
She cast a magical barrier around us. The barrier was thin, like a membrane, but it was enough to alleviate the discomfort. It felt like we were inside a living creature’s stomach.
People were collapsed throughout the capital.
Not only civilians but also soldiers. Upon inspection, they were alive but unresponsive, as if asleep. Soldiers from the First, Second, and Third Armies were all in the same state.
“This is a barrier… The entire capital is covered by it. Its effect is to drain life force. The reason it’s weaker than what I experienced is likely due to the larger area it covers.”
“Is such magic possible?”
“I can’t say it’s impossible… A top-tier mage could achieve it with years of preparation. The life force absorption spell itself is usable if one is versed in dark magic.”
Dark magic. The kind often used by those who worship demons.
These people absorb life force to offer it to demons, seeking to resurrect them.
Long ago, a member of the royal family was nearly sacrificed, leading to a nationwide extermination campaign against these cultists. However, traces of them still sometimes surfaced during adventures.
Finding their hideouts, seeing where they ritualistically butchered women to offer their blood and flesh, was sickening.
Books on dark magic were often found in such places.
Was this their remnants, or their final resistance?
“How long can these people last?” I asked.
“The life force absorption is slow, but they’ve been in this state for a while. They won’t last more than a day,” Mira replied.
“Can you break the barrier?”
“Not on my own! But seeing the capital like this…”
“Then take these potions and wake up the other mages.”
“Understood. What will you do?”
“I’ll check the palace. It’s probably in the same condition.”
“The center of the barrier is the palace. It’s dangerous. You should wait until the barrier is broken…”
“I’m an adventurer. I’m used to danger, and the royal family is likely in the same state. We need to save them quickly.”
Mira hesitated but understood the urgency of saving the royals.
After casting a support spell on me, Mira took the potions and headed to the mages’ barracks.
This barrier was formidable, but with the kingdom’s mages united, it should be breakable.
At worst, I could use the full power of my Heavenly Sword, but I didn’t have the energy for that right now.
A dreadful foreboding had been haunting me since earlier.
The source of this dread was the palace.
I recognized this feeling.
I had experienced it once before when facing an unbeatable foe.
An angel. Or something equivalent was in the palace.
Without a doubt.
My Heavenly Sword was stirring, sensing it despite not being activated. It confirmed my suspicion.
It wasn’t an angel. The situation differed from when an angel was summoned. In this state, summoning an angel was impossible.
But what about a demon? The life force being drained from the entire capital, the soldiers sacrificed at the fort—this pointed towards a demon.
If preparations for a demon summoning were complete, it could very well be happening.
As I ran, contemplating this, the sky above the palace tore open.
When the angel was summoned, a blue world threatened to engulf ours.
Now, a red world was beginning to encroach upon our own.
The worst calamity was manifesting once again in this world.
Truly, this was the worst day.
