Elianna, Kael, and the others had no idea about the [Radiant Church] collaborating with the Emperor and the Kingdom of Halveron to try and conquer the [Cursed Forest].

It was a move made behind closed doors, a political play that used their names as the main attraction without even giving them a heads-up.

And most of all—they weren’t even told that they will be a part of that. They’re just learning about it just now as well!

The shock was evident on their faces for a brief moment before their years of training allowed them to fix their expressions. They were standing in the middle of a spotlight they didn’t ask for.

Though, even if they feel disrespected about this—

"..."

All they can do is just stand there and say nothing. After all, it’s not like they can decline now. Doing that in front of all these nobles and the King himself will just damage their image beyond repair.

If the Saintess refused a holy mission in public, the people would lose faith, and the cardinals would probably held them accountable for that in the worst way possible.

"Tsk... Those old bastards."

Kael muttered under his breath as all eyes in the ball were on them. He kept a stiff smile on his face for the crowd, but his teeth were clenched so hard his jaw ached.

"..."

Elianna didn’t say anything, her face remained calm and the same. She stood tall, her white dress shimmering under the chandeliers. But deep inside; she was pretty annoyed as well.

*****

After Erui, The King, announced their plan to expand the kingdom’s territory by conquering [The Cursed Forest]—the ball continued.

The music started playing again, but the atmosphere had changed. The bored socializing was replaced by a frantic energy.

This time, the nobles and people in power started talking about the upcoming plan by their leader. They were excited and expectant. They didn’t see a dangerous forest; they saw maps with new lines drawn on them.

Naturally, they all started talking about profit and businesses. They talked about the rare wood that could be harvested, the potential mana stones buried in the soil, and the glory of being the generation that finally "tamed" the wild.

To them, with the Emperor’s and Radiant Church’s help; they already succeeded. The presence of the Saintess made the mission seem like a guaranteed victory blessed by the gods themselves.

"There’s just no way this expedition will fail."

One of the older nobleman said, swirling his expensive wine in a crystal glass. He leaned against a pillar, looking quite satisfied.

"Haha, that’s right."

Then another one agreed with him, letting out a small chuckle.

"With the royal knights, the subduction squad, and the Saintess? The monsters don’t stand a chance. It will be a walk in the park."

"Unless a Demon King was secretly living there."

The first noble added that too with a joking tone, raising his eyebrows.

The nobles around them started laughing, thinking that it was an absurd idea. The very thought was hilarious to them. They know that there are only thirteen Demon Kings, and because of the threat they have in the world, all the Arcanis are focused on them.

The balance of the world was well-documented. They all know the locations of each Demon Kings, from the frozen wastes to the scorched deserts.

And so far, they’ve been all silent in their own territories for the past half-century. There was no reason to think a fourteenth one had just popped up in a forest so close to human civilization.

... ... ...

Anyway, as soon as the announcement was done; Elianna and the others left the party. They didn’t wait for the King to come down and talk to them. They didn’t wait for the nobles to swarm them with fake praises.

They just came for that in the first place, and none of them want to stay in the party for any longer. The air in the castle felt suffocating.

They walked through the quiet gardens outside the ballroom, their footsteps echoing on the stone path.

"..."

Nobody said anything, but they all were looking at Elianna, their leader.

And then, after a while—

"The expedition will start next week. Let’s prepare."

She broke the silence and said that. Her voice was cold and steady. She wasn’t going to give the cardinals the satisfaction of seeing her break. If they wanted a mission, she would give them one, but she would do it on her own terms.

Kael smiled. He reached out and adjusted the collar of his white suit.

"We got it."

Then he responded with that. They had survived countless battles before. If the King wanted the forest, they would go see what was actually inside it.

*****

It’s been over a week since Verc came back to the base.

And during all this time, Pwyll, Bernia, and everyone else that he brought back with him had settled properly in his territory.

The transition was surprisingly smooth. Verc actually thought problems would arise because a lot of different races are mixed together in one place—which was definitely possible to happen. Orcs, gnolls, dwarves, elves, and even humans.

They usually didn’t get along in the outside world. Their histories were full of war and hatred.

But it didn’t; just because of a single person—him.

Verc’s strength was known by everyone. They know that if they anger him—he will use that strength against them. He didn’t need to give long speeches about unity. He just needed to exist.

That’s why they all made sure to settle down and act properly. Nobody wanted to be the reason for the Lord’s "bad mood." And also, they’re actually enjoying being under Verc now.

Before, they were just living and letting each day pass, trying to survive. The orcs were always fighting, they have no proper settlement so they can’t rest. They were always on the move, looking for the next meal or the next battle. The gnolls were lacking in power, so they were often targeted by the stronger monsters in the forest. They lived in fear of being wiped out by a passing predator.

But with them working together now under Verc; life had been much easier for all of them! There were walls to protect them, a castle to house them, and a leader who could kill anything that threatened them.

And now, with the new members in the territory—their life improved even more. The "mess" of different races had become a functioning machine!

The eight dwarfs joined the crafting team of the gnolls in the second floor on their own accord.

They were natural workaholics, and seeing the gnolls trying to build things with basic knowledge fired up their professional pride. Verc made four rooms for each couple on that floor for them so they could stay close to their workshops.

The dwarfs taught and lead the group of gnolls; and instead of just simple stone and wooden tools—they’re now able to handle much more advance crafting.

That’s also thanks to the book and blueprints Verc bought back in the city. Right now, they were making better armor for the guards and better tools for the workers.

Meanwhile, the five dark elves and the three beastwomen grouped together, and the eight of them—they started cultivating lands and growing crops.

They stayed mostly near the edges of the clearing where the sun hit the ground. They know a lot about plants and farming, so Verc assigned them to agriculture development.

They had a "green thumb" that seemed almost magical. They knew exactly which soil was good and how much water each plant needed.

He bought a lot of seeds and necessities for farming as well back in the city. Now, rows of green sprouts were starting to peek out of the dark earth.

They were growing vegetables, grains, and even some medicinal herbs. The dark elves used their affinity with nature to make sure the plants thrived even in the strange environment of the Cursed Forest.

Then, the two kobolds joined the hunting group that goes out in the forest every morning and comes back at night. Before, the orcs would just run out and smash whatever they saw. It was effective, but messy.

Now, with the kobolds, the hunting was much more efficient. They have good searching abilities, stealth, and perception. They could track a monster for miles without being noticed and set up traps to make the kill easier.

Onto the three humans; Bernia started teaching everyone that wants to learn how to read and write. She was nervous at first, wondering if an orc would eat her if she corrected their spelling, but she soon found that they were surprisingly diligent students.

She hold classes every after lunch for a couple of hours everyday. She used the new library Verc created on the first floor. And so far, everybody is doing good. Even the gnolls were trying their best to hold pencils with their claws, slowly scratching out the alphabet on parchment.

Pwyll, he was a gladiator and a prince of a huge barbarian tribe. His fighting prowess was nothing to snort at; in fact, even though all the orcs are stronger than him physically—he was able to defeat them all in a duel with nothing but techniques!

The orcs were stunned. They couldn’t understand how a "weak" human could keep tossing them onto the dirt.

"Strength is a tool, not the whole house."

"If you swing like a wild animal, a hunter will always find your throat."

Pwyll would always say, standing over a huffing orc.

Though, he can’t win against Groo, Mamon, and the other family heads. After all, the difference in their strength and speed are just like heaven and earth, so his techniques were rendered useless. They were too fast for him to read and too strong for him to parry.

But still, his skill was real, and so—Verc assigned him as an instructor and a guard.

Pwyll was responsible for training the others how to fight not just using their strength. He taught the gnolls how to use spears and the orcs how to use shields properly. And he’s also guarding the walls, making sure no monsters attack their home. He walked the perimeter with a sharp eye, his presence giving the non-combatants a sense of peace.

Lastly, Nara—the five years old little girl.

Well, she can’t do anything heavy, but she wants to help. She didn’t want to be the only one not doing anything for the "Family."

And so—Verc assigned the little girl to his newly made library at the first floor. It was a quiet place, perfect for a child. He also leaves Onyx to her when he trains and meditates.

Nara is watching the library to make sure nobody breaks anything nor steals them. She took her job very seriously, sitting behind a small desk with Onyx curled up at her feet.

"You have to be quiet, Onyx. People are studying."

She would whisper, wagging a finger at the puppy. Onyx would just wag his tail and lick her hand.

Not like anyone is stupid enough to try that—stealing or breaking things—especially in Verc’s castle. The mere thought of Verc’s face if he found out was enough to keep everyone on their best behavior.

Anyway, slowly but surely—a community was forming in the heart of the [Cursed Forest]. It was a strange sight. A barbarian prince training orcs, a human knight teaching gnolls to read, and dark elves farming alongside beastwomen, all under the shadow of a stone castle.

It was a place that shouldn’t exist. According to the maps in the Halveron Kingdom, this was a place of death and madness.

But here, there was the sound of laughter, the smell of cooking food, and the steady rhythm of a village growing stronger every day.

"..."

Verc stood on the balcony of his room on the fifth floor, looking down at his territory. He could see the smoke from the forge, the green of the new fields, and the tiny figure of Pwyll moving among the guards on the wall.

’It’s becoming quite lively.’

Verc thought to himself.

As he looked at the diverse groups working together below, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

He had built this from nothing.

"Hmm, I wonder what I should do next..."