Even after the king thanked Erend openly the tension across the battlements did not disappear. The knights, archers, and mages around them still kept staring at him with complicated expressions that mixed gratitude, confusion, and lingering apprehension together. Some lowered their weapons slightly while others still held them firmly without realizing it.

After all, everything about Erend felt strange to them.

He had appeared from the sky exactly when Leonora stood on the verge of being overwhelmed. He had known where to come and somehow understood the nature of the disaster faster than any of them.

He had spoken and acted with the calm certainty of someone who understood far more than everyone else on the battlefield combined. And above all that, his power was overwhelming beyond anything they had ever witnessed before.

To them, he felt less like an ordinary warrior and more like some unknown force that had suddenly stepped into their world.

Naturally, that made people uneasy.

Quiet murmurs slowly spread among the defenders.

"Who is he?"

"Did you see those flames?"

"How could someone control Magic like that?"

"He destroyed the entire horde alone…"

The king noticed the unease immediately. His eyes swept across his men before returning toward Erend.

Then he spoke firmly enough for the nearby soldiers to hear clearly.

"This man is our ally," the king declared. "He is the one who warned us about this disaster before it reached Leonora."

The murmuring weakened almost instantly after that.

"If we were able to prepare our defenses early enough to survive today," the king continued, "it was because of him."

That changed the atmosphere more than anything else.

The knights and mages still looked shocked, but now there was understanding mixed into their expressions as well. At least now they knew this mysterious figure had not appeared randomly. He had been helping them long before the battle even began.

More whispers spread afterward but it was no longer as fearful as before.

"So he's the one who sent the warning."

"His Magic felt monstrous."

Erend gave a small nod while keeping the same calm smile on his face.

"That's right," he said simply. Then his expression gradually turned more serious. "But I'll be honest with all of you. This disaster is only the beginning."

The effect of those words was immediate.

The defenders around him visibly stiffened. Several knights exchanged tense glances while the mages looked even more unsettled than before. Fear crept back into their faces because if this catastrophe was only the beginning then they could not imagine how terrible the future would become.

The battlefield outside Leonora had already looked like the end of the world to them.

So what would come next?

Erend saw the tension spreading through them and released a quiet sigh.

"But that's exactly why we're here," he said afterward. "Me and the others will make sure all of you are able to stand against what's coming."

His voice remained calm and steady. Not boastful or arrogant. And the certainty within it strangely helped stabilize the fear spreading through the battlements.

The king studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"Archmage Velrion is currently inside the tower," he said. "I believe he has been waiting for someone like you."

Erend nodded immediately.

"I know."

Without wasting any more time, he stepped backward toward the edge of the battlements. His Dragon wings spread once more behind him as wind swept across the wall.

Several soldiers instinctively stepped back from the pressure.

Then Erend launched himself into the air.

He rose quickly above the battlements before angling toward the highest tower overlooking Leonora, leaving behind countless defenders who continued staring after him with awe, confusion, and cautious hope lingering in their eyes.

—

The wind swept briefly through the highest tower of Leonora as Erend reached the tall window overlooking the battlefield. Instead of entering through the door, he simply crossed through the opening before folding his Dragon wings behind him.

Inside the chamber, the atmosphere felt completely different from the chaos outside.

Ancient books were stacked across nearly every surface of the room. Loose papers covered entire sections of the floor while glowing Magic arrays rotated slowly above several tables filled with strange artifacts and crystal instruments.

Maps filled with markings, notes, and calculations had been pinned across the walls in dense layers; they nearly hid the stone beneath them.

At the center of it all, Archmage Velrion remained seated behind his desk.

Even after sensing Erend arrive, he barely reacted. His hand continued moving across the pages of a thick book while lines of glowing script appeared beneath his pen one after another.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Erend said calmly.

"It's fine," Velrion answered curtly without looking up from his work.

His attention remained completely focused on whatever calculations and theories he was currently recording. The exhaustion in his face was visible now that Erend stood this close. Dark circles rested beneath the Archmage's eyes.

Erend quietly observed the room for a moment and saw the scattered papers, ancient tomes, maps filled with strange symbols, and artifacts pulsing faintly with restrained energy.

It was obvious Velrion had been pushing himself relentlessly ever since the corruption began spreading through this world.

"How is the progress?" Erend finally asked.

Velrion's pen paused briefly before continuing again.

"It's going well… I think," he answered after a moment. "I just need to finish it faster."

This time, his voice carried more weight behind it.

"In the meantime," Velrion continued while still writing, "I'll have to ask you and the others to hold back the disasters that are coming if we haven't completed everything in time."

Erend nodded without hesitation.

"Don't worry about that," he assured him calmly.

Velrion finally stopped writing completely. Silence filled the study for a few seconds before the Archmage slowly lifted his gaze toward him.

There was exhaustion in his eyes and uncertainty beneath it.

"This thing we're doing…" Velrion said quietly. "This really is the best path for this world, isn't it?"

Unlike before, the question no longer sounded like simple academic discussion. It sounded personal.

As though after spending countless days researching things no human should ever need to understand, Velrion needed reassurance that all of this suffering and preparation would truly lead somewhere better.

Erend met his gaze steadily. Then he gave a slow nod.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

—