Inside the Main Hall of the Vermilion Palace, ministers whispered among themselves, gathered in full for the first time in days.
Every seat was filled. High-ranking generals, advisors, and even ministers were present, their expressions ranging from curiosity to irritation.
At the head of the chamber sat the Princess—this time clad in formal robes of crimson and gold, her expression carved in porcelain calm.
But her hands were clenched in her lap, tight and pale beneath the sleeves.
The reason they were all gathered—the scout they had sent out had finally returned.
The twin doors opened with a heavy creak, and a soldier stepped forward. Dirt-streaked armor.
Blood on his sleeve. Eyes sunken from exhaustion—but alive.
It seemed he hadn’t even had time to clean up after returning—whether due to urgency or eagerness to report.
"Reporting as ordered!"
He barked, then knelt on one knee.
(Hmph! Judging by his condition, the news is just as we expected.)
Minister Duan and Minister Ren thought.
"Rise," the Princess said immediately, her voice steady. "What did you find in the Middle City?"
A heavy silence fell as all eyes turned toward the scout.
"The Middle City... still stands."
Gasps and mutters exploded through the chamber like a thunderclap.
The Princess, who had braced herself to hear the worst, widened her eyes in surprise—and hope.
Minister Duan’s face stiffened. He quickly stepped forward.
"What do you mean it still stands? Our last reports—"
"We were mistaken," the scout cut in.
"We assumed the city had fallen because the barriers crumbled and no reinforcements arrived. But a large group of survivors has gathered in the inner ring of the Middle City. They’ve formed a defensive line."
The Princess leaned forward, her eyes sharp.
"Defensive line? You mean to say they are fighting back against the Demonic Beasts?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. They’re still under attack, but they are holding their ground. Many civilians and soldiers are leading the defense."
Another ripple of disbelief swept through the hall.
"How can untrained civilians stand against Demonic Beasts? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
Minister Duan asked with a deep frown.
What shocked them wasn’t just the survival—but that civilians were fighting.
"Minister Duan, that’s the amazing part!"
The scout replied, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"They had weapons—some kind of long sticks—that could kill the Demonic Beasts instantly. One pull of the trigger, and the beasts dropped dead on the spot!"
"They had about twenty of them. One person could take out three Demonic Beasts before they even got close. It was incredible!"
Minister Ren slammed the table angrily.
"Don’t you dare feed us such nonsense!"
"W-What I said is true!"
The scout stammered. "You can ask the other scouts as well!"
"This is ridiculous! A weapon that can instantly kill a Demonic Beast—wielded by civilians? That’s just a fairy tale! Princess, we must interrogate him—make him tell the truth instead of spinning stories."
He didn’t believe a word the scout said—or perhaps, he simply didn’t want to believe it.
Others nodded in agreement. It was too unbelievable.
The Princess raised her hand.
Unlike the ministers, she saw a flicker of hope. Even if it was a lie, she wanted to believe it.
"Can you tell me more?"
The scout nodded and began recounting what he had seen.
He and his team of ten had been dispatched to investigate the fate of the Middle City.
At first, they thought it was a death zone—completely overrun by Demonic Beasts. No one could possibly survive.
As expected, on the first day of their investigation, there was nothing except rubble and Demonic Beast.
They thought it would be the same for the second day of the investigation.
On the second day, they spotted a group of survivors.
What surprised them most wasn’t that they were alive—it was that they looked well-fed and in good health.
Judging by their clothing and equipment, it was a mixed group of guards and civilians.
When the scouts saw them, they were facing off against three Demonic Beasts.
At that moment, the scouts believed they were as good as dead.
Even a squad of elite guards would struggle against three Demonic Beasts.
But then—it happened.
Two of the people pulled out strange long sticks. The scouts had no idea what they were—at first, they thought it was suicidal last stand.
But in an instant, with a thunderous crack, two of the Demonic Beasts fell.
The third, startled and enraged, was swiftly dispatched by another man.
The scouts could hardly believe their eyes. They rubbed them, wondering if it was a dream.
But turns out everyone of them had seen the same thing.
They secretly followed the group to their shelter—a fortified area packed with hundreds of survivors, talking and laughing as if they weren’t in a disaster at all.
And many of them were carrying those same long sticks.
With weapons like those, it made sense—they could actually defend themselves.
The Princess listened quietly.
It was difficult to believe. Hundreds of survivors? Weapons that could kill a Demonic Beast in one shot?
Moreover, there were more than 20?
It all sounded more absurd than the wildest cultivator legends.
"You said they formed a shelter... Did you find out who their leader is?" the Princess asked.
"It seems he’s one of the captains of the Middle City guard. I didn’t recognize him—he’s young—but the people there seem to trust him deeply."
A long silence followed.
Minister Duan and Ren looked furious. They didn’t believe a single word. They wanted the scout jailed—or fed to the Demonic Beasts themselves.
But the Princess was deep in thought.
After a pause, she spoke.
"Can you bring this leader here? I want to speak with him personally. And bring one of those weapons too."
"If what you say is true... he might know how to make more of them."
"Perhaps... there is a way that we can still save the city!"