Zion had spoken to two of the guards who survived, and both of them recounted the same story from their perspectives. While the information they gave wasn’t helpful, it did help Zion understand what kind of powers he could be working with if he came across that demon or whoever it was.
"It was dark, cold, and silent. I couldn’t see anything, could barely even feel anything." The fourth guard said, shivering under his covers with bandages around his body.
"You took an attack that put you in critical condition. Can you tell me how it felt? Did the energy feel like mana or something else?" Zion asked
"I-I don’t really recall that moment. All I remember is being in pain and my vision went blurry, well, at least I think it did, it was hard to tell with how dark everything was. There is one thing I recall: the fear I felt once she was standing over me. I thought I was about to die, I was scared, and I was in so much pain. Then the last thing I saw before passing out was Lord Thurinrod stepping in to fight."
Zion stared at the guard for a few seconds, then nodded. "I see, just as the others said. Thank you for your time."
After leaving the infirmary bay, Zion and Melina were led to a gathering area by Thurinrod, where they were served tea.
"I apologize that we can’t give you any more information to go on." He sighed deeply.
"Raise your head, Thurinrod, you did your job the best you could. Never would we have expected something to happen. All we can do now is prepare and hope we can be ready once they strike again."
Zion looked at the two of them, not understanding if they were serious or not. He thought they caught on to what he said in the infirmary, but maybe they didn’t. Either they were too focused on what had happened, or just weren’t good at catching subtle things.
"Sooo, are you both stupid or something?" He asked, genuinely confused
"Excuse me?" Melina raised her voice slightly, not pleased by his words. Even though she respected him, she wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect.
"Apostle Zion, I do appreciate what you are doing for our people, but please refrain from insulting us for no apparent reason," Thorinrod growled
"Oh, okay. So you ARE stupid." He reaffirmed. "Did you not hear what the last guard said? He said, and I quote, ’There is one thing I recall: the fear I felt once she was standing over me. I thought I was about to die, I was scared, and I was in so much pain.’ Did that not ring a bell in your head? He literally said ’She’ when everyone else, even you, Lord Thorinrod, said you weren’t able to see what the perpetrator looked like. So how the fuck was he able to?"
Thorinrod face-palmed, embarrassed that he wasn’t able to catch on to the guard’s words. He looked at Melina with a weary smile and laughed. "Maybe we are stupid, my queen."
She turned her head, not wanting to see Zion’s face. "Ahem, I’ll allow it just this once."
"Thank you for pointing that out, Alostle Zion. I’ll apprehend him right away." Thorinrod stood up.
"Wait. Don’t do that."
Thorinrod furrowed his brow. "May I ask why?"
"Whoever wants your sapling failed to get it, however, they did succeed in weakening your defences, and know that your traps don’t work against them. If they truly want or need your sapling, then they’ll try again. Maybe tonight, tomorrow night, or whenever. But I don’t doubt that they will target your home, especially since everyone else will strengthen their security even more. So I say let the guard call whoever they are working with. That way, you knock out two birds with one stone."
"While that may be a solid plan, it’s also a dangerous one," Melina stated. "They could know that we are expecting them and pull a 180 on us."
"True. But the odds of that aren’t likely since they’ve already made it this far. Just keep an eye on that guard and make sure he doesn’t leave the place. All we have to do is wait and see what happens."
Late in the night, when everyone would be deep into their slumber, the fourth guard woke up, just body jolting into an upright position. Holding out his hand, a reddish-black magic circle burned onto his skin, his flesh sizzling from the heat.
"Were you found out?" A feminine voice asked
"I was not. I was able to keep my cover. There is one problem, though." The guard gulped
"Do you know of a person named Zion Zagan?" The guard asked
The magic circle flared with searing heat, singing the dark elf’s skin and forcing a pained gasp from his lips as he clutched his wrist, teeth clenched against the agony.
"What does he have to do with this?" The woman asked, her voice now laced with so much rage that the elf could feel it in his body.
"H-He came here, questioned me about what happened. He’s an apostle, so I was scared that he would detect my energy. However, it didn’t seem like he did. But since he was able to stop our plans in the Astir Kingdom, I just wanted to give you a heads up."
The woman sighed, quelling her anger. "He’s a divine apostle and can only use holy power. He won’t be able to sense infernal energy unless he comes in direct contact with it, so you don’t have to worry. How long until you recover?"
"About three days." He confirmed
"Good. Then in three days, we’ll strike once more."
"N-Not to overstep my boundaries or anything, but shouldn’t we wait a bit longer? Everyone in this house is on high alert, and we could fail again."
"Don’t worry about that, everything is being taken care of. If no unseen variables come into play, then that sapling will be ours. Once we plant all six into the demon world and in the Nexus Pool in the beastman kingdom, our worlds will be permanently connected, and the mana in the middle world will transform into demonic energy! This is a crucial mission, so we cannot afford to mess things up. Lord Xalvorn is already upset that he has more pressure on him since Lord Dravorn failed in his conquest."
The elf gulped. "I understand. We will not fail."