"…Are you truly letting them go like this, Your Holiness?" Hapiel asked.0

"I believe so, Sir Hapiel," Elijah replied, letting out a small sigh as he watched the silhouettes of the elves and Caron's group disappear into the distance.0

The filthy demonic monsters that had infested this fortress were mostly dealt with, yet the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom dared not confront the elves.0

"My apologies, Your Holiness. I didn't expect that wicked Caron Leston to strike so suddenly…" Hapiel murmured, biting his lip as he looked down at the bandages around his abdomen.1

Though Elijah had personally treated his wounds, the injury refused to heal fully. Saint Elijah was someone with divine power capable of reattaching a severed limb, so a cut from a sword would normally have been easy to heal. And yet, this wound remained stubborn.0

"Sir Hapiel," Elijah said, his voice quiet but commanding.0

Hapiel bowed his head in response and replied, "Yes, Your Holiness."0

"The fault lies in your lack of skill. I'll allow no more excuses. Rest and recover as soon as we return," Elijah said.2

Hapiel was considered a prodigy of the Holy Kingdom, a master in both swordsmanship and divine power. Elijah had been certain that Hapiel would one day serve on the front lines...0