Inside the castle, in a room where Dantalian and the five girls were gathered, there was a spacious hall adorned with opulence. The walls were decorated with intricate tapestries depicting scenes from elven history and mythology. Soft golden lighting illuminated the space, creating a warm and inviting glow.
In each corner of the room, lush plants grew, their vibrant leaves adding a touch of natural beauty to the space. The air was filled with a refreshing fragrance, a result of the natural aroma emitted by the plants.
At the center of the room, a large white table caught the attention. Its surface was elegantly adorned with intricate carvings, depicting elven symbols and patterns. A green cloth covered the table, which had now transformed into a different form, replicating an exact scale model of the entire elven kingdom. The miniature model captured even the smallest details of its architecture, landscapes, and majestic structures.
Prominently positioned side by side were Echidna and Anna, radiating authority and grace. Their presence demanded attention, with serene and focused expressions. Fiona and the other girls surrounded Dantalian, forming a protective and supportive circle around him.
"Actions speak louder than words..." Dantalian activated the divine power in his hand, and the three girls looked at each other, beginning to move away from him. Dantalian took a step back and emerged in the middle of Anna and Echidna, placing his hands on their shoulders.
"What? Lord Dantalian," Anna spoke in surprise at the sudden touch.
"Interesting, so this so-called energy mentioned in the letter truly exists," Echidna remarked as she felt the golden energy flowing from her shoulder and directly into her eyes.
"Your mother certainly spoke a lot, it seems. But... take a look around you, can you see it?"
'Was this here before?' Anna thought, looking out one of the windows where a purple-hued vapor-like substance seemed to rise into the sky.
"They were right under our noses all along, and we never saw it," Echidna spoke in astonishment. She turned her face towards Dantalian and said, "Can I still see it even when I'm far from you?"
Dantalian withdrew his hands from their shoulders and said, "That's the Krintoin energy I mentioned to you. Down below, the entire kingdom is covered by a mist containing this energy."
"Echidna, then what your mother said is true," Anna said.
"I knew it would be interesting, but not to this extent. He really does exaggerate in his letters," Echidna said.
"Dantalian, I think they didn't hear a word you said," Freytan said with a smile on her face.
Amanda's eyes took on a feline aspect as she looked forward, remaining still. "How dare they do this... Take a breath, Amanda. You must remain silent."
Dantalian pretended to cough. "Ladies, did you hear what I said?"
The two smiled and responded in unison, "Don't worry, we heard everything, and that's why we started talking about you."
"Now, if what you said is true, then what's outside is not vapor but mist," Anna said, pointing to the window.
"Well, I can't say exactly what it is because it's not visible to the naked eye," Dantalian replied.
Fiona raised her hand and said, "I have an idea of what it might be... On the way here, Dantalian and I talked about who might be in charge of this."
"Then who is responsible for all of this?" Anna asked, looking curiously at Fiona.
Meanwhile, Echidna approached the window, touching the glass and looking directly at the Krintoin energy. "This sensation is bizarre... Where have I felt this before?"
Fiona placed her hand on the table, directly touching the miniature city model without disrupting it. A cloth sphere began to emerge from the center of the table, forming a humanoid male figure in the air.
"I present to you what Dantalian and I believe to be the true culprit of all this, one of the servants of the Fifteen, the master of the virus, Áclis." Fiona said.
Freytan looked at the representation of Aclis. "He looks like a sick chicken, if you ask me. Fiona, is he really strong?"
"Freytan, did you see the state of this kingdom? Do I need to explain anything else to you? He must have evolved significantly by now," Dantalian spoke.
"What do you mean by that?" Anna asked.
"Dantalian, are you saying that this is the reason for this mist?" Freytan asked, looking out the window and noticing that Echidna seemed to be lost in thought.
"Isn't that already obvious? Somewhere in this kingdom, that damn Áclis is using the disease to absorb the power of the inhabitants. After all, where else can he easily obtain pure magical power?" Dantalian said.
"Master, why didn't he go to the Dragon Kingdom then?" Amanda asked spontaneously, forgetting the request for silence. But since everyone else had already broken it, no one minded. Plus, everyone ignored what Amanda said.
"Huh? Why didn't you answer me, master?"
Dantalian sighed. "Okay, to put it simply, the moment he steps foot in the Dragon Kingdom, he would have turned into barbecue. Got it?"
Upon hearing Amanda's words, she realized what she had said. "I'm sorry, master, I'll stay silent."
"That would help a lot, Amanda. You're not good with these things," Freytan said.
"It's not that, Freytan, but I understand why the master asked for silence. So please, continue," Amanda said, looking around and noticing that Echidna seemed distant. Unlike Freytan, she didn't ignore what was happening and went to see what was going on.I think you should take a look at
"Sorry about that, but what I'm saying, and I say it with certainty, is that the culprit behind all this, Áclis, is in a place where he can target the entire kingdom at once," Dantalian said, smiling.
Meanwhile, Fiona looked excited as she saw Anna's face turning pale, realizing the location of Áclis.
"It can't be possible. How did the Mother Tree let this happen? How?" Anna said in disbelief.
"She didn't let it happen; she was forced into it. Áclis used the Krintoin energy to deceive the Mother Tree, and that's how he entered it," Fiona said, holding the representation of Áclis and freezing it in her hand. 'I knew being with them would be boring.'
"But don't worry, his power is false. Dantalian and all of us will kick that bastard's ass," Fiona said, handing the representation of Áclis to Dantalian, saying, "Do the honors, my owner."
"Anna and Echidna, the mission will be accomplished successfully. The problem of the Elf Kingdom will be eradicated from its roots," Dantalian squeezed the representation of Áclis until it shattered.
At that very moment, Echidna was having a conversation with Amanda.
"Did you also feel that strange sensation?" Echidna asked.
"Yes, as the master mentioned, I had a worse version of the disease that is affecting the elves. In my case, I would say it felt more like a curse..."
Echidna placed her hand on Amanda's shoulders. "It's strange to hear you say that. It reminds me of some nightmares I had when I was younger."
"Nightmares?" Amanda looked Echidna up and down. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"It depends. I have some rules to follow, so if it's about my mother, it's better to forget it."
"No, it's not about you. I've heard a lot of rumors that your mother is a true demon, so it made me wonder, do you like her?"
"Amanda, you truly have no filter..." Echidna sighed. "No, I don't like her, but I don't want to talk about it. Now tell me, do you really like your master?"
"Yes, absolutely. Nothing has made me feel better than being by his side, which even made me feel a bit guilty. Hahaha," Amanda said, reminiscing about her grandfather.
"I don't think it's something you want to talk about either," Echidna said.
"But getting back to the main topic, what should we do?" Echidna asked.
"What do you mean?" Amanda replied.
"I don't feel capable of going outside knowing about this Krintoin energy. I feel like I might end up doing something wrong, and I've never done that before. So if I do it and mess everything up..." Echidna's eyes seemed to be spiraling.
"To be honest... I don't know what to do. What could I do?"
"Echidna, what's happening?" Amanda asked.
"I don't know, I don't know... I don't want to make mistakes... Mistakes are unforgivable... I don't want to hurt anyone."
The golden energy in her eyes began to shine, catching everyone's attention in the room.
"Hey, what's happening?" Fiona exclaimed.
"Damn it... It's already started," Dantalian said, rushing towards Echidna. covered he legs with the golden energy and appeared behind her, placing his hand on her neck, causing the glow to disappear. A small purple smoke emerged from her ears and nose, dissipating into the air.
"Hey, what was that? Sir Dantalian, what started?" Anna asked.
"What happened?" Echidna said, placing her hand on her head and looking at everyone around her. She asked, "What happened? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Fiona, we need to start as soon as possible. That bastard Áclis is strong enough to control the Krintoin energy exactly as he wants," Dantalian said.
Dantalian crouched down, touching his hand to the ground, spreading the golden energy throughout the room. A large amount of purple vapor became visible, only to be completely erased by the golden energy, cleaning the entire room.
"Sir Dantalian, what will happen to the sick people? If he's at this level, it means their condition has worsened, right?" Anna asked.
"Don't worry, Miss Anna. Dantalian is very competent, so don't worry about the residents. Just focus on how to clean up the remains of this Áclis afterwards," Freytan said.
"Once again stealing my line," Amanda said.
"Stop acting like that, Freytan. It scares me. It's as if you're being controlled again," Dantalian said, smiling.