The sun had barely reached its peak when the recon team returned to Clover Palace. Despite the heavy tension in the air, the group marched in with discipline, though one could see the exhaustion clinging to their bodies like dust from a long, dark road. One member was missing. The loss hung heavy over the group.
Sion stood silently by the side of the throne platform, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. Queen Katherine, Prime Minister Sara, and Sidom's Diplomat Rebecca awaited the team in the grand court chamber.
The scouts bowed low as they entered. Katherine offered a respectful nod.
"Thank you for your service," she began solemnly. "You've done the kingdom proud. Now… report. What did you find in the wildlands? And what happened to your missing teammate?"
The team leader stepped forward, face pale but resolute. "My Queen," he began, voice echoing across the silent court. "It was like we stepped into another world—a graveyard swallowed by darkness. There was no light, no sound, only voices... whispers… shadows."
He paused, trembling slightly.
"We saw a beast… something massive, prowling near us. But thanks to Duke Sion's magical tank, we were able to fight. It moved on its own, reacting to threats and firing powerful strike magic—it destroyed some of the entities surrounding us."
There was a murmur among the officials.
"But… during the chaos, we lost one of our own. He vanished. No cry, no trace. Just... gone. The tank scanned the area, and we deployed the surveillance drone, but it was as if he'd been swallowed by the land itself."
He bowed his head. "That place… it's not part of our world. It felt like a manifestation of hell itself."
Silence followed.
"You've done well," Katherine finally said, her voice soft. "You may rest now. Thank you."
As the team filed out, the room remained still. Sara clenched her fists, and Rebecca leaned slightly forward, brow furrowed. All three women wore expressions of deep unease.
Then, from the shadows near Sion, Rapheal appeared, her face cold and serious. "There's no doubt," she whispered to him. "This is beyond the cult. That place—it's connected to the Fallen Angels. I feel it."
Sion's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll go."
He stepped forward, clearing his throat. "I will go there alone , something ancient and dangerous in those lands, and I need to see it myself."
"No." Katherine stood, voice shaking. "You can't go, Sion. You don't know what's waiting. You heard the report—it's suicidal."
"She's right," Sara added, stepping in front of him. "Don't be reckless. You're our strength, but you're not immortal."
Sion smiled gently, then gave a mischievous shrug. "Have you all forgotten who I am?" he teased. "I'm not some glass doll. I'm the Devil Duke of leaf."
Despite the tension, his calm defiance made both women momentarily waver. Katherine exhaled in frustration. "Idiot," she whispered.
In the Streets of Clover
While the court deliberated, the capital streets buzzed with a different energy.
Massive, rune-covered magical tanks rolled through key defensive sectors. Floating magical drones zipped above, casting protective wards and projecting warning illusions. At the heart of it all were devices no one had ever seen before—complex, humming constructs capable of resizing and reshaping matter itself, a fusion of lost-world science and arcane power.
"He made all that?" one merchant whispered.
"I heard he's a reincarnated god," another said in awe.
"No, no," laughed a young noblewoman, "he's just Duke Sion Ragnar—our kingdom's genius and protector."
Others weren't so quick to praise.
"Do you really think this is normal? Giant machines walking our streets? What if they go rogue?"
"Hmph. I'd still rather follow someone who builds than nobles who scheme."
Back in the palace, as preparations were set in motion, Rebecca turned to Katherine and Sara.
"I will remain and help manage things here. For now, we need to keep Clover's front stable. The people trust Sion, but we must prove we're capable leaders too."
Katherine nodded. "Then we move forward—together."