Miri and Eric didn’t have much problem with the undead problem in their hand and before they knew it, they had finished cleaning up the towns which were affiliated with the western nobles under Ocean’s command within the time span of 3 hours in total.

The horses and the knights were exhausted so, Miri had commanded them to take turns in checking the last place for any survivors.

"We have checked everywhere, Your Majesty. All the survivors were found and sent to Oasis." A knight reported.

Miri nodded and then turned her gaze on Eric who was staring off in the direction where the signal was fired from around half an hour ago.

His expression was unreadable. Miri walked over to him and placed a hand over his shoulder.

"We have cleaned up here. We can go lend a hand to them now if you’d like." She spoke in a softer voice.

Eric’s eyebrows furrowed and he lowered his eyes as he spoke, "I don’t even know what to think of it... Master told me that Carlos is possessed...but we just talked earlier and he...even admitted that he had fallen in love with someone and I congratulated him... He...appeared to be changed for good after being away from the shadow of that woman, Miri..."

Miri squeezed his shoulder a little before leaning close to his side, "I understand, let’s go over this and talk to him after this all is over."

Eric’s expression darkened even further, "What if after finally trying to improve himself... Carlos ends up losing control to that spirit?"

Miri fell silent as he said that, Eric seemed to be spiralling and Miri could understand why.

Just a while ago, Carlos had spoken to them and even though she had never personally known the Second Prince she could sense that the one speaking wasn’t exactly the spoiled Prince of Sestia but someone who had seen battlefields and had taken lives. So, Eric’s worries were justified but, she couldn’t let him lose himself in his thoughts anymore, not at this time when they needed him clear headed.

She held Eric’s face in her hands, fixing her eyes on his.

"Listen to me," she spoke firmly making Eric’s eyes adjust to her.

"I understand your worry and everything that’s going on is very overwhelming but...we need you here. You are going to be the ruler of this land so, be with us here, hm?"

Eric pursed his lips and Miri gently bumped her forehead against his as he held her hands, closing his eyes.

The knights hadn’t had the time to notice it before since the Queen of Mordino was busy commanding the troops and the First Prince was busy fighting but now that they had been on a break, they could see it clearly.

The romantic air around the couple was surprising but not completely unexpected, the knights turned their eyes trying to give the couple some privacy but were also glancing at each other wondering when it started and what happens in the future considering one of the parties involved was the Queen of Mordino and the other was their Prince, soon to be the King, if these two were to be involved in a romantic relationship wouldn’t it just make sure that the two kingdoms would merge and Eric would be ruling an even bigger kingdom than their former Kings.

The Fairisles family knights had fought under the command of Prince Eric before so they were used to seeing him displaying his skills and valor gracefully but to be accompanied by someone who could stand by his side and showcase similar courage, they knew they had found their future Queen.

The knights were aware of the tension between their own side and the Queen Katherine’s side but watching these two they were sure that the days of the present Sestian monarchy were numbered.

The knights were starting to gossip among themselves when they suddenly felt the murderous intent which made them draw their swords at once and look all around.

Even Eric and Miri felt it, they carefully glanced around their vicinity carefully before Eric spotted something flying towards them and he swung his arm, his blade slicing through the flying arrow easily.

"What’s going on?"

Just as Eric was looking around trying to discern where the arrow came from, he felt Miri’s light tap on his shoulder. Eric turned his gaze and noticed two figures approaching them, both of them were clad in black from head to toe. One of them wielded a scythe as large as their full height with the curvy, black blade being half their height, his companion carried no weapon but they clearly didn’t seem weak.

Another arrow whistled towards them and Miri summoned a wall to intercept it instantly, Eric took into account the presence of these people and could only come to one conclusion.

"Dark mages."

Miri frowned not moving her eyes from the enemy while the knights had their swords drawn pointing at the enemies. They did hear what Eric had said but they found it hard to believe.

Dark mages in the present time and age?

Eric and Miri were aware that the undead might not be the only ordeal they would be facing but when these mages did arrive they could only think of one thing, this was probably the first battle of the long war that was about to start.

In farther to the west, Ruel had his hands full because of the undead which he was cutting down with as much strength as he could summon from Carlos’s body but it was limited. He was grateful that he had a Dragon- Eric’s trusted guard, Drac fighting by his side so, he had at least the certainty that Carlos would get out of this alive. But on the other hand, he was also regretting coming to the battlefield in the first place, he could have stayed back and waited for the Dragon’s forces to finish their work but Carlos had taken the charge in that moment and insisted that he would fight alongside, only to panic now.

"Ruel! Why do these monsters keep coming only at us?!" Ruel heard Carlos shouting in his head.

"Probably because we are here,"

"What does that mean?!"

"I told you that your mother acquired my spirit from somewhere, didn’t I?" Ruel thought, "Well, she did it from these people."

Ruel’s crimson blade sliced through another undead as he continued, "And considering they were the ones who summoned me in the first place so, my loyalty should lie to them. But-"

Ruel kicked an undead child who was grabbing at his foot and pierced his sword through his chest making the undead shriek.

"I chose our survival and sided with their enemy, they must have realised that so, they are getting rid of the traitor."

Ruel stopped for a moment to catch his breath watching as the young Dragon in human form was easily able to take the chunks out of the undead, he could only sigh and nod in agreement with his own decision.

"And I know I made the right choice, in the fight between a Dragon and Demon, always side with Dragons."

"Dragon? Demon?" Carlos questioned.

"Oh right, you don’t know." Ruel muttered and leaned back just in time to see the chained sickle fly right past his face stabbing another undead.

He watched the wielder who didn’t even seem to care that she almost impaled the second prince of the kingdom.

Ruel couldn’t help but shout at that, "Hey, I’m on your side, why don’t you look where you’re throwing that blade?!"

The olive haired woman didn’t seem to care as she spun the chain making Carlos grunt.

"All of Marquis Ocean’s people are murderous." Ruel heard him mutter and he sighed.

"They are loyal only to him that’s why they are like this, son."

"They belong to Sestia, shouldn’t their loyalty lie to the crown?" Carlos grimaced and Ruel almost laughed at him.

"I don’t know if this is my place to say this or not son, but you and your father or any being on this earth for that matter cannot change the loyalties of the ones who have already laid their lives for their sole Master." Ruel said, "And besides, you humans aren’t a match for the authority of a Dragon."

Carlos went silent for a couple of seconds and Ruel pulled his horse to step back a couple of feet to let Drac and Sir Hopkins deal with the undead for a few minutes till he caught his breath.

"Wait... Dragon, who?" Carlos asked.

Suddenly Drac whipped his head around and Ruel quickly ducked his head, almost burying his face into the horse’s mane before the fireball shot by Drac flew above him and he heard the sound of a grunt and then turned his head to see a black clothed figure land a few feet away, clutching their burned hand.

Ruel scowled watching as another one appeared beside that person and he couldn’t help but grunt, "Damn, dark mages."

Carlos felt as though the battlefield had suddenly become too large for him to comprehend. Ruel released a short puff of breath before he looked at Drac who cast even stronger flames turning every undead around into smoldering embers before he turned his horse and approached him.

"There’s not one Dragon here, boy." Ruel thought, "There’s this one beside you here, and then there’s the one who controls the kingdom."