[Eastern Zahryssar — Imperial Encampment — Later — Before the Hunt]

The imperial camp had already begun preparing for the rescue mission.

Knights sharpened blades beneath enchanted lanterns while desert mages reinforced protective seals around supply carriages. Horses hissed uneasily beneath the tense atmosphere, and somewhere deeper within the camp, commanders barked orders across the drifting sands.

Meanwhile, near the outer supply tents, Levin stood staring flatly at the two suspiciously familiar figures before him.

And both of them—very noticeably—were avoiding his eyes.

"...what exactly are you two doing here?" Levin asked.

Raviel immediately coughed awkwardly; beside him, Zyvera smiled with visible nervousness that somehow looked more suspicious than innocence itself.

Then Raviel bowed dramatically, far too dramatically. "I greet the glorious Malika of Zahryssar—moon of the empire, jewel among serpe—"

"Raviel," Levin interrupted flatly.

"...right." The man immediately straightened.

Meanwhile, Zyvera quickly bowed too. Unlike her brother, she at least possessed enough survival instinct to look slightly ashamed.

Levin crossed his arms slowly as his blue gaze narrowed slightly. "What are you two doing inside an imperial encampment? Do you understand following an imperial convoy can be interpreted as an assassination attempt?"

The siblings froze instantly and then both spoke at once. "Absolutely not."

"...that sounded guilty," Levin replied immediately.

Zyvera elbowed Raviel hard enough to make him hiss as she whispered furiously. "Say something convincing!"

"I am trying!" Raviel hissed back quietly.

Levin stared at both of them silently, and somehow the silence itself became judgmental. Finally, Raviel coughed again before speaking carefully.

"We came voluntarily."

Levin blinked slowly once. "...voluntarily?"

Now that sounded genuinely suspicious because these two did not breathe voluntarily without profit attached somewhere.

Even Lady Arinaya once described them as the following: "professional opportunists with survival instincts stronger than morality."

Levin narrowed his eyes further as his gaze slowly shifted between both siblings. "You expect me to believe you traveled across eastern Zahryssar...without wanting money?"

Silence.

Raviel looked away immediately. Zyvera suddenly became deeply fascinated by the sand.

Levin sighed heavily. "I knew it."

"No wait!" Zyvera immediately stepped forward. "This time we really came to help!"

"...I want to believe, but I cannot," Levin reminded her calmly.

Meanwhile, Raviel quickly stepped forward before his sister ruined everything permanently as his tone lowered slightly and became more serious now.

"Malika...we truly came because we found something important."

Levin’s expression shifted faintly afterward because, despite their ridiculous personalities, Raviel rarely sounded serious without reason.

"What kind of information?"

The siblings exchanged one quick glance, and then Raviel carefully reached beneath his cloak. Nearby imperial knights immediately tensed.

Several hands reached toward swords, but instead of a weapon, Raviel slowly revealed the pink diamond necklace.

The necklace once belonged to Malika Ninsara. Even beneath the desert sunlight, the diamond glowed unnaturally and almost alive.

Levin’s expression instantly sharpened as he saw a necklace that looked unnatural, but he did not know whose necklace that was. "...Where did you get that?"

Zyvera puffed proudly afterward. "I stole it."

Raviel looked exhausted immediately. "You are not supposed to say that part proudly."

"Malika asked."

"He did not ask proudly!"

Levin rubbed his forehead slowly because somehow these two remained impossible even during imperial crises.

Then Raviel’s expression darkened slightly again, and his fingers tightened faintly around the chain as he whispered to Levin. "We found records connected to this necklace, and those records mentioned something precious you would love to hear, Malika."

That immediately changed the atmosphere. Levin’s gaze sharpened fully now. "What records?"

Raviel lowered his voice carefully afterward. For once, even his usual playful confidence had faded slightly, and his fingers tightened around the glowing pink diamond.

"I was informed this necklace once belonged to Malika Ninsara...but the strange part is not the necklace itself. It is the fact that it was stolen and is found now away from the palace."

Levin froze faintly afterward because Raviel was right, painfully right. Malika Ninsara’s belongings should have remained secured within Silthara Palace, guarded, protected, and untouchable.

So how had this necklace ended up hidden underground, circulating through thieves, and somehow been stolen and found again?

Something about it felt deeply wrong; meanwhile, beside Raviel, Zyvera crossed her arms proudly, completely ruining the seriousness as she smiled brightly. "So technically...we are extremely valuable."

Raviel nodded with suspicious sincerity. "Very expensive levels of value."

"I’ve never seen thieves this proud," Levin muttered instantly.

The siblings looked personally offended as Zyvera protested dramatically. "We have not asked for money even once...yet."

Silence, and then Raviel coughed awkwardly. "...That was deeply hurtful, Malika."

"Do you think I do not know about you two? You once charged someone for information regarding their own stolen horse."

"It was premium information." Zyvera nodded seriously. "We believe in quality service."

Levin stared at both of them silently for several long seconds and then finally sighed, long and tired.

"Fine." Both siblings instantly brightened. "You may remain within the imperial encampment."

Levin’s tone hardened slightly afterward as his blue gaze narrowed. "But if either of you causes trouble...I will personally hand you to the Malik."

The siblings visibly paled as Zyvera muttered weakly. "That sounds horrifyingly final."

Then suddenly a familiar voice echoed behind them.

"Consort."

Every single spine present straightened instantly. Zeramet approached through the imperial camp slowly. Silver-black robes moved beneath the desert winds while knights immediately lowered their heads around him instinctively.

The emperor’s golden gaze shifted toward Levin first, softening only for a moment, and then his eyes moved toward the siblings and immediately became cold again.

The atmosphere around Raviel and Zyvera instantly turned suffocating. Zyvera leaned slightly toward Raviel and whispered nervously:

"...This is my first time seeing the Malik this close."

Raviel swallowed visibly. "...I suddenly feel guilty for crimes I have not even committed yet."

"And I feel like he will throw us directly into a dungeon."

"Or bury us under one."

Meanwhile, Levin immediately stepped forward before Zeramet’s suspicion fully awakened and asked, "Who are these serpents?"

"These attendants were sent by Lady Arinaya." Levin said as he did not want to reveal anything yet.

Zeramet furrowed slightly afterward, his gaze returning toward the siblings carefully, examining and calculating.

"An attendant from House Karzath?" Zeramet furrowed and then... "I would like to inspect House Karzath’s seal."

Both siblings froze instantly. Zyvera nearly stopped breathing. Raviel visibly reconsidered every life choice leading him to eastern Zahryssar.

Before either could accidentally confess to fifty unrelated crimes—Levin interrupted smoothly. "I already inspected them personally."

Zeramet’s gaze shifted toward him again, still suspicious. "And perhaps it is better this way."

Levin continued calmly. "...Iru is unavailable now. These attendants can remain near me temporarily."

The emperor stared at Levin several moments afterward. Long enough that the siblings nearly accepted death spiritually. Then finally—unexpectedly—Zeramet smiled faintly.

"As my consort wishes."

The tension instantly loosened slightly. Meanwhile, behind Levin, both siblings bowed so deeply they almost folded into the sand itself.

Levin quietly looked toward a nearby imperial knight afterward. "Show them the attendant quarters."

The knight bowed immediately. "This way."

And just like that, through lies, confidence, panic, and sheer survival instinct—the underground siblings successfully entered the imperial encampment of Zahryssar.

As they walked away, Zeramet’s golden gaze followed them silently, suspiciously, and dangerously. Then quietly the Malik muttered, "...why do they feel like professional con artists?"

Levin immediately looked elsewhere...very quickly. Meanwhile, somewhere ahead, Raviel sneezed violently for absolutely no reason.

Then suddenly Raevhan and Varesh approached the command area together before bowing deeply. "Everything is prepared, Malik."

Zeramet’s expression immediately returned to imperial coldness. "Good."

The emperor slowly unsheathed his silver blade afterward. The steel reflected pale desert sunlight sharply as his golden eyes darkened toward Sah’qir beyond the dunes.

"Then we divide according to the plan and begin the hunt."

Across the imperial encampment knights mounted their horses. Mages ignited protective seals. The banners of Zahryssar rose higher against the desert winds.

***

[Eastern Zahryssar — Near the Hidden Cave of Sah’qir — Later]

The desert winds had gone silent again, not naturally. As though even the sands feared making noise near the hidden cave.

Far beyond the cliffs hidden carefully between jagged stone formations, the cave entrance remained partially concealed beneath corruption-covered rocks.

And outside it the crimson orcs wandered slowly, watching, guarding and waiting. Their massive distorted bodies moved unnaturally across the sands while black corruption pulsed beneath crimson flesh like infected veins.

Several dragged sharpened bones behind them. Others twitched violently every few moments as though something inside their bodies fought constantly to escape.

Meanwhile, hidden behind the lower cliffs nearby, Raevhan crouched silently alongside six elite imperial knights.

All of them wore dark desert cloaks to conceal their scales beneath the sunlight with no banners, no armor shine, and no imperial markings because this was no longer a royal rescue. This was infiltration.

Raevhan slowly observed the cave again, counting movements carefully, and his voice remained barely audible.

"...three near the entrance, two farther above the cliffs and one beneath the eastern rocks."

One knight frowned immediately. "How did you notice the last one?"

Raevhan’s gaze remained fixed ahead. "It blinked."

The knight visibly regretted asking afterward. Nearby, another serpent quietly swallowed as his voice lowered nervously.

"Captain...those things do not feel like ordinary beasts."

"They are not," Raevhan answered instantly.

The captain’s eyes narrowed further toward the crimson orcs. "Ordinary beasts kill because of hunger. These creatures feel like they are waiting for orders."

The atmosphere immediately grew heavier afterward because everyone present understood what that implied. Then slowly Raevhan lowered himself further toward the sands.

"We follow the plan exactly." The knights immediately straightened, listening carefully. "We enter in serpent forms."

Raevhan pointed toward a narrow crack between the lower cave rocks. "That passage is too small for human bodies."

One knight frowned slightly. "And the villagers?"

"We locate them first." Raevhan’s voice sharpened slightly. "No panic, no sudden movement, and no attacks unless absolutely necessary."

Another knight hesitated afterward. "...and if the crimson orcs discover us?"

Silence, and then slowly Raevhan unsheathed part of his blade, his silver steel gleaming beneath the corrupted shadows, and his gaze darkened dangerously.

"Then...we make sure they never scream."

Every knight nodded immediately. Then one by one their bodies began changing. Scales spread across skin, bones shifted, and bodies lowered against the sands.

Within moments six imperial serpents slithered silently across the desert stones beside Raevhan’s silver serpent form. And together they began moving toward the hidden cave. Every movement remained careful, precise, and silent.

Above them one crimson orc slowly turned its hollow gaze toward the cliffs. The serpents immediately froze, not moving, not breathing, and the orc tilted its head strangely.

Listening.

Several long horrifying seconds passed. Then suddenly another crimson orc farther away screeched violently toward the opposite cliffs, distracted.

Raevhan immediately moved.

NOW.

The serpents slipped rapidly between the lower cave rocks. Vanishing through narrow cracks barely large enough for their scaled bodies.

Outside, the crimson orcs continued wandering unaware for now. Inside the cave passage darkness swallowed them immediately.

The tunnels smelled of blood, corruption, damp stone, and terrified serpent pheromones. The deeper they moved, the quieter the cave became.

Until finally they heard it, the soft crying of children.

Raevhan’s eyes narrowed sharply. "We found them."

And just beyond the final stone passage hundreds of frightened villagers remained hidden between the underground rocks. The moment the villagers noticed unfamiliar serpents entering, panic spread instantly.

Several mothers curled protectively around hatchlings. Older serpents hissed weakly and terrified. Because they feared the orcs, the corruption, and now perhaps even strangers. Then slowly Raevhan returned to human form.

The villagers froze instantly because standing before them wearing imperial silver beneath the darkness was Malika’s personal knight itself.

Raevhan immediately lowered his sword, showing peace, not threat, as his voice echoed calmly through the cave.

"We came under the order of the Malik and Malika. You are being evacuated."

A heavy, disbelieving silence. Then suddenly an elderly serpent stepped forward weakly. Tears visibly gathering within aged eyes.

"...the empire truly came for us?"

Raevhan’s expression softened faintly, only slightly.

"Yes."

And somewhere deeper within the cave, something ancient slowly opened its eyes wider, watching and waiting because the rescue had finally begun, but escaping the cave alive would be far more difficult.

And what Raevhan did not know yet was that somewhere beyond the collapsing sands and corrupted darkness...someone precious to his heart was already walking toward a life-and-death catastrophe.