The light had returned, but sorrow and regret still lingered in the capital of Aldinar.
Rows of soldiers stood in neat formation, raising their swords high as a final salute to Benneto De Baldarus, the war general who had devoted his life to the Kingdom of Orlandia until his final breath.
Prayers were chanted by the priests. Sprinkles of holy water touched the coffin, which was then slowly lowered into the ground.
Everyone seemed to be mourning deeply, including King Benjamin, who could only stand in silence, grieving for the great general and dear friend who had always been by his side—now gone before him.
The dead shall return to Him, while the living... must continue to struggle in this cruel world. Such is the wheel of fate that keeps turning.
Priest Anastasia made her way to the temple of the goddess Arasia in the city center after assisting with General Benneto's funeral. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, showing how hard she had fought since the darkness descended, and now all she wanted was to eat and rest her weary body.
Her body cried for rest. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping to find even a moment of peace. But before she could drift off, a priest came to wake her.
"Anastasia, wake up quickly."
She blinked. "Priest Rufus... it's still light out. I just wanted to rest a little longer, especially since I haven't slept since yesterday..."
"An envoy from the King has arrived. We are being summoned to the palace to assist Priest Fiona and the others who have been guarding the Princess since yesterday."
Anastasia took a deep breath, then rose from her bed. Though her body still felt heavy, the call to protect the royal family was an honor she could not ignore.
For the first time, Anastasia stepped into the grand palace complex at the heart of the city. The large gates opened. Towering pillars loomed above, crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, casting dancing lights across the marble floor. At the end of the red carpet, the royal throne stood—empty.
King Benjamin was not seated. He paced back and forth, restless, his eyes filled with distress.
Anastasia noticed a man sitting leisurely in the corner of the room, shirtless, eating meat while drinking wine straight from the bottle.
The royal advisor Horus, who was also present, immediately addressed the priests upon seeing them arrive.
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself. Look, the priests from the temple have arrived and they will help protect the Princess."
"How can I be calm," King Benjamin shouted, "when those witches have sent cursed creatures to take my daughter!"
He turned to the priests. But even their presence could not soothe the unrest of a father's heart.
Patra had warned them—they would surely return. And this time, perhaps not only the Wraiths, but the witches themselves.
No one knew for sure why the witches were targeting Princess Trea. The attack that occurred a day before her birthday celebration might be related, but this was not merely an act of revenge.
The Wraiths had attacked not only Aldinar but also remote villages and cities across Orlandia. It proved that, before this, they did not know who or where their true target was.
And now, it was clear—they had found her.
"Your Majesty," said Horus, "perhaps it is best to hide the Princess at the Grand Temple of the Goddess Arasia in Ortidar. In that sacred city, many priests can protect her."
"I also wish I could bring my daughter to a safer place," the king said. "But it will take two days to reach Ortidar."
Ortidar was in the eastern region of the kingdom, and the journey would not be as easy as usual. The Wraiths that roamed at night served as the witches' eyes and would soon detect her location.
Princess Trea entered from a side door, accompanied by priests. Priest Fiona immediately voiced her opinion to King Benjamin as they stepped into the throne room.
"Princess Trea must go. The witches will surely come with greater strength. We will not be enough to protect her here."
"No!" King Benjamin turned and shouted. "I cannot allow my daughter to leave the palace. That plan is too risky!"
"Father," Princess Trea said calmly, "please let me go. That way, perhaps the people in the capital will also be spared from danger..."
"My daughter, Trea, you're not thinking of making yourself bait to protect the people, are you? Because I cannot allow that."
"It doesn't matter whether I stay here or leave. Even the palace walls cannot withstand an attack from the witches. And you know that."
"But here, the priests can protect you... and Patra!" Benjamin looked toward the man in the corner. "Patra, surely you're willing to help us, for only you are capable of facing the witches and the cursed beings they send!"
Princess Trea glanced at Patra, who did not respond immediately. The hunter was still drinking from the wine bottle, seemingly indifferent. Of course, the princess knew how Patra had fought hard to protect her from the Wraiths the day before. The same man who had once been imprisoned for accusing her of being a witch.
Advisor Horus then spoke to Patra, who still ignored the King's words.
"Lord Patra. His Majesty has spoken to you, so please respond."
Patra slammed the bottle onto the table with force, then replied, "Why should I obey a man who imprisoned me? That foolish king hasn't even paid me for my last job."
"Watch your mouth in front of His Majesty!" barked a soldier, half-drawing his sword.
"If you really have the guts to attack me, go ahead," Patra continued. "That ungrateful king won't dare allow it. Besides, I'm the only one who knows how to deal with the witches hunting his only daughter."
Silence fell over the room. Not even anger could challenge the truth he spoke. And though Patra's words were bold, the hunter had indeed spent the entire night battling the Wraiths that had returned.
"I will pay you!" King Benjamin finally exclaimed. "Advisor Horus, give Patra the reward money!"
Advisor Horus placed a pouch of gold on the table. "Two hundred thousand Yinar. One hundred thousand for Mr. Patra's previous task. Another hundred thousand as a reward for protecting Princess Trea from the Wraith attack yesterday."
Patra smirked. Two hundred gold coins—he had earned them. "Now, what about the reward for my next job?" he said. "Because I'm not a fool who'll be tricked twice and thrown into prison again when I come to collect. This time, I want payment upfront."
"How much do you want, Mr. Patra?" Horus asked.
"These witches aren't ordinary mages. They're necromancers who can raise the dead. Judging by the danger and the scale, one million Yinar would be enough for me to consider it."
"One million Yinar? Are you joking, Mr. Patra? That amount could pay the wages of 500 soldiers for a month. Even the bounty for killing a witch isn't more than 10 gold coins."
"Then send those 500 soldiers to do this troublesome task."
"But that amount is still excessive, and the Kingdom is facing a crisis right now. So, please understand our situation, Mr. Patra."
"I'm not asking for it all in gold. Give me Krakal Hill in the south instead. A piece of land where I can build a home and live freely without soldiers demanding taxes from me."
Horus could only remain silent and leave the decision to King Benjamin, who had the authority to grant Patra's request.
Krakal Hill. A plot of land on the edge of the Arua Forest, where the ruins of the Fire God Eramus' temple had long been swallowed by time. It held no value to Orlandia.
"I agree. Krakal Hill will be yours," said King Benjamin. "But protect my daughter with your life."
"No, I cannot fight while babysitting Princess Trea because my offer is to hunt down the mastermind behind all this chaos. The priest is right—your daughter must be taken to the city of Ortidar for protection under the care of the temple."
"So you won't protect my daughter?"
"Hunting the witches who are hunting her—isn't that the same as protecting her? Only by eliminating them can your daughter live freely again."
Everyone understood Patra's reasoning. Indeed, the witches must be eliminated to ensure Princess Trea's safety and to restore peace to the Kingdom of Orlandia.
Priest Fiona spoke again, "Then will you accompany Princess Trea to Ortidar? Since you have the power to destroy any Wraith that might appear on the way?"
"I'll be busy investigating the site where the Wraiths first appeared. Besides, aren't some of you mages skilled in protective magic that can repel them?"
"I'm a priest blessed with holy magic from the goddess Arasia. Don't compare us to those witches."
"Is that what the temple teaches? Arasia is the goddess of wind. She granted wind magic to one of the first seven witches. Your magic is light, a blessing from the goddess Sordia, not from Arasia whom you worship."
"Your words could be considered heresy, Mr. Patra. And what could a commoner like you possibly know about the gods?"
"I'm not a priest. But I carry the blood of a mage blessed by the Fire God Eramus. King Benjamin also carries the blood of a mage, as does his daughter—who is now coming of age. I can feel her overwhelming power. Maybe that's what drew the witches to hunt her."
The priests fell silent. It was the first time they had heard such a great secret about mages.
"Mr. Patra... is it true... that I have mage's blood?" Princess Trea asked.
"Why else would the witches target you? One of your ancestors was a mage. But don't worry— not all mages are evil. Some priests simply misunderstood the miracle of the magic they possess."
"Then why doesn't my father have magic like the one you used against the Wraiths? And I thought all mages were women?"
"Magic blessings were originally intended for seven women, so your father, being a man, has less power. Besides, he never trained in magic like I did."
They began to consider Patra's words, which contradicted everything they believed about magic. But it was clear Patra was a mage—he could wield fire magic. Until now, no one had ever spoken of male mages, so no one had suspected him.
Patra turned again to King Benjamin.
"You'd better send the priests to escort Princess Trea to the Grand Temple of Arasia in Ortidar—before the witches catch wind of this plan."
"Very well..." The king nodded, though suspicion still lingered in his eyes. "But how do I know you won't run away from your task?"
Patra gave a thin smile. "Then send one of the priests with me. I think their light magic will be useful to assist me."
The decision had been made, even though worries lingered about potential witch attacks on the princess's convoy. Still, the royal guards and priests should be able to handle them.
Especially since sword-wielding Wraiths like the one from yesterday were unlikely to appear in large numbers.
Meanwhile, Priest Anastasia, still overlooked, stood silently in the corner of the throne room with the other priests. She had heard the entire conversation between the King and the man named Patra. And only now did she realize that the Wraith attack on the capital had been targeted at Princess Trea.
But Anastasia felt a bit relieved, knowing she wasn't chosen to accompany the group to Ortidar. Some priests had to remain to guard the palace and tend to the wounded.
However, that relief didn't last long. Priest Rufus approached her and spoke in a low voice after a discussion with His Majesty.
"Anastasia, you will accompany Patra to the village of Rutenir in the south."
"Eh...? But why me?" Anastasia turned in panic. "Aren't there more experienced priests who can cast holy protection spells?"
"Enough. The decision has been made," Rufus replied. "Just do it. The other priests will be busy here. Someone has to keep an eye on that hunter."
Anastasia wanted to object, but Rufus's eyes left no room for negotiation. No one cared. No one even looked her way. She knew... she had been chosen because they saw her as the weakest among them. And because she had already overheard everything.
She looked toward Patra from a distance—he was receiving the land deed from King Benjamin, the official document sealing the agreement for Krakal Hill.
The man turned and began walking toward the palace gates.
"What are you doing standing there?" he shouted. "Hurry up and follow me. We need to head south immediately."
Anastasia lowered her head, let out a long sigh, then gripped her magic staff and followed him.
Without a chance to say goodbye to anyone, she walked away... following a hunter who was now the Kingdom of Orlandia's last hope.