Answers

I still have quite a few things on my mind, but now I must put that aside and focus. So far, we have not been able to defeat Dante. But now, on our last day with him as our mentor, I really want to put everything into it. Not only me but my friends have also improved a lot, and it is time to show it.

Dante was in the center holding his ostentatious greatsword, but unlike usual, he didn't have his typical smile. He had a neutral expression, which showed us how serious he was.

"Let us begin." Dante said, starting the fight.

Leona started the attack head-on using [Blind Thrust] and [Iron Will]. Meanwhile, Ryul started giving off a slight red aura after entering [Earth’s stance], indicating that he is in his offensive stance. He attacked the right flank after also using[Mantra] and [Forbidden Chakra] for more speed and strength.

Holding my sword and my staff, I attacked the left flank while Shalia searched for any opportunity to attack using her water magic. Unfortunately, Dante has a way of keeping our team members between him and her, so it's hard for her.

While we are fighting like this, I am waiting for the opportunity to use my water spear. But I also don’t want to accidentally hit Leona or Ryul, hence I have to wait. At the moment I can only use it three times so I can't waste it. The most important thing will be to give an opening to Ryul since he is the one who can cause the most damage.

Thanks to this type of training, our teamwork has improved a lot, but even so, the slightest distraction could be the cause of our defeat.

After a long time of battling, the fight has been quite even. I already used two of the three water spears, which unfortunately failed. Even so, I think this is our best chance.

Leona used [Battle Cry] - This skill stuns/confuses the opponents and reinvigorate the allies.

It's a scream that Leona uses that sounds more like a roar between her voice and that of a beast. Ryul took advantage of the energy bonus and the fact that Dante was stunned to attack using his combination of attacks. [Deadly Rush], [Rising Sun Kick] to end with [Stunning Strike].

Dante couldn't protect himself from all of Ryul's attacks and jumped back, trying to put distance, which gave Shalia and me the opportunity to attack. So far, my water spears failed since Dante manages to dodge them, but this time Shalia and Leona made sure that he had no chance to do that. Shalia used the spell [Mud Trap], creating an area on the ground with mud that sank Dante's feet, while Leona used [Divine chains]. The chains of light coming out of Leona's body that bound Dante preventing him from escaping.

Dante has no escape. By this time, I already had my water spear summoned. I threw my spear against Dante with all my might and using all the mana I had left. Dante sees himself without escape using a skill called [Iron Skin], his skin took on a gray color, and when he was hit with my spear, the damage was not so severe.

Dante managed to free himself from the mud trap, but Leona's chains still bound him and without wasting the opportunity, Ryul attacked once more, both hitting the face of each other; however, Dante also gave a kick that sent Ryul flying.

Still affected by Ryul's attack and being at a disadvantage, Dante used two skills [Overpower], which increased his strength a lot for a short time, and [Heavy Swing], a vertical attack full of power. That combination of these skills makes it an attack that is almost impossible to stop, but Leona, instead of dodging it as she should, put her shield in front of her and used [Endure] and [Iron Will] once more. Not only that, Shalia also used [Sunlight Shield] on her, increasing Leona's defenses even more.

The blow of the sword on Leona's shield caused an energy wave that shook everything around. Leona fell to the ground, breaking the chains, but in the same way, Dante's sword bounced, pushing Dante back, making him lose his balance but still without releasing his greatsword.

Dante fell to the ground after rolling a couple of times on the ground. This is my opportunity. Dante looks hurt and still can't recover from the blow. I ran against him, feeling a strange increase in speed and strength. Shalia reacted quickly and used [Sunlight Charge] on me.

Close to Dante, I used [Double Slash]. I thought this would give us victory, but incredibly Dante managed to react in time. He dodged the first attack, and he stopped the second.

For a moment, I felt everything in slow motion. I can see a gap in his defense. I need one more attack... I need one more. ...My sword went to Dante's right shoulder. Somehow my [Double Slash] gave a third slash.

Dante fell to the ground once more, face down. At last, he dropped his sword and in this position, I could attack once more without him being able to defend himself. We all fell silent when we saw that Dante didn't get up. What's going on? Did we win?

"HAHAHA!" Dante started laughing, turning lying on his back. "I give up."

"We won!?" Ryul said, still incredulous.

"Yes, well done." Dante replied.

"Yeyy!! Shalia yelled.

We all cheered.

We were all hurt but nothing serious. The cut I caused to Dante was not severe either since he wears protection under the coat that he usually wears. Dante stood up, and the four of us lined up in front of him.

“Alright, first off, congratulations on defeating me,” Dante says. "Your progress this week was more than satisfactory. I’ve got a little reward for your success.”

"A reward!?" Ryul said.

"You already know the situation of my guild, but even if we were a prominent guild with little space, I would invite you in the same way since all of you are excellent adventurers. I officially want to invite all of you to Midnight Dawn."

"WE DID IT!" Shalia yelled with joy while Ryul also jumped happily.

Even if Leona wants to hide it, she also seems happy. I can't help but smile. During all this time, Dante only showed three skills, which makes me think that he still has a lot to offer, but I still feel that it was a deserved victory.

Midnight Dawn seems like a good option. Even so, I still need to train with one more mentor before I make a decision. And it's nothing more than Dark Dragons, the guild my parents belonged to. Before I left, my mother also told me that she would recommend that I join them if I had the opportunity.

"Before you go, there is something else I want to tell you," Dante said, turning to see me. "Darx, can you show me your card."

"My card!? Sure..."

When I took out my card, I noticed that my skill [Double Slash] is now [Triple Slash].

Dante took my card, and after seeing it, said. "This took me by surprise in the fight."

My teammates also got closer to see my card.

"[Double Slash] is not a rare skill, in fact, it is quite common. Still, not many adventurers achieve to upgrade the skill, and those who do, they make it after a long time of training. The fact that you did it in such a short time is unheard of. You really are someone special."

Skill upgrade? I remember making a third slash that I hadn't managed to do before, but I didn't know it was because of an upgrade in the skill.

Dante giving me my card back said. "Darx, before you leave, could you stay a little longer? There is something we need to talk about."

"Sure."

After saying goodbye to my friends, Dante asked me to follow him. I wonder what he wants to talk about.

"Where we going?" I asked.

"I'll take you to a nice place."

Dante led me up some stairs, leading to the top of the wall that surrounds the castle. While standing on top, I look out over the city. First time I see Riledo from a high point like this. I can’t believe how many houses there are. The city is immense. Just how many people live here? While gazing at the city during near dusk, I see a large building up ahead.

“What’s that over there?” I asked.

Dante turned to see and replied, "It’s a hospital. Don’t you see the Knight’s Hospitaler flag above it?”

Now that he mentions it, I do see a white flag with a red cross on top. I guess that’s where the Knights Hospitaler have their guildhall. I also see several buildings scattered throughout the city with flags of different colors. I wonder if those are guilds.

Dante stopped and, seeing the panorama said," What do you think about Riledo? It's a great place, isn't it."

"It is! It's amazing." I reply.

"It's really sad to think that this could all go away soon." Dante said with a sad expression.

I know what he means. War with demons can bring destruction to everything.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"You guys won, remember. I promised I would tell you what happened at the meeting if you could get me to give up. Also, I think it's important for you to know."

"Why just me? Shalia and the others wanted to know too."

"I have the impression that even though you are the weakest of the four, they see you as a kind of leader. I want you to decide whether you tell them or not after what you hear."

"It's really that serious?" I asked.

"Harold told me that you've been interested in Darren's ****, and I think you should know what you're getting into."

So Darren's **** and the reunion from a few days ago are linked after all.

"I guess I'll start by telling you the reason for the meeting," Dante said, leaning against the fence. "Representatives of each race attended the meeting to discuss the imminent war against the demons. The queen intended to create an alliance as the one formed hundreds of years ago to combat the demons' threat, but unfortunately, things didn't work out."

"Why? Isn't it the best for everyone?" I asked, confused.

"Times have changed, and now each race has its own ambitions and needs. Also, with the passage of time, relationships have been broken. In the past, the Beast-Kind were one of the closest allies of humans, however after so many conflicts now they are only willing to help if they are in command, and they also want to receive an unprecedented reward from the kingdom for helping protect the human territory when in reality if the human kingdom falls, they will be the next."

I have learned about the constant conflicts and differences between humans and the Beast-Kind after the war, but isn't this a time to put that aside for the good of everyone!?

"And what about the other races?" I asked.

"With the dwarves, there is a similar problem. You see, I suppose you have heard of the Princess of Calamity. She was the last princess of the kingdom of [Zrephia]. It is believed that everything started because of her. It is known that humans and demons used to have a good relationship until one day, the princess went crazy and killed the demon king after inviting him to her castle. Logically the demons fought back and in her madness, the princess used a forbidden magic which destroyed [Zrephia]. At least that's what is believed."

The princess of calamity... is all that true? The place of myths and legends, [Zrephia], was destroyed by a single person. And it was also she who started the war? It's hard to understand that kind of thing.

"I didn't know all that, but I don't understand what that has to do with the dwarves." I asked.

"It is complicated. Between the human and demon territories was a small country in which Harpies lived. At the beginning of the war, since they were in the middle of all, they suffered a large part of the consequences. When the demons took over part of the human region, they also took over the Harpies' territory. Having nowhere to go, the Harpies wandered to many places for a long time until they finally found a home in the Dwarven domain. But not before having suffered all kinds of pains. The Harpies blame humans for their misfortunes, and since they are now residents of the Dwarven territory, they refuse to help humans. This puts the Dwarves in a predicament, and therefore their participation was not confirmed either."

"So humans will be alone in the war?"

Dante showed a small smile and replied, "Not quite. Since immemorial times elves have been our allies. They are willing to fight with us, so we are not completely alone."

"I see... We are really in a bad situation." I said.

"We are...! From what we know, even if all the races unite, we would still be at a numerical disadvantage, and that without counting that each demon is much stronger than the average person. At this moment, we are in a pretty bad situation, and that is why what was said at the meeting is better kept a secret. If rumors spread about the precarious situation we are in, it will only generate more panic than there already is."

It makes sense. The truth of hearing how things are, even I'm concerned. Can we really win? I see that answer more and more depressing.

I turned to see Dante and asked, "Knowing the history of the dark elves, I imagine that they also refused to help us, but I still don't understand what Darren and Syvis have to do with all this and how what you told me is linked to what is happening in the castle."

Dante stopped looking at the scene and turned to look at me, and said, "I have noticed that you care a lot for Syvis. Have you perhaps fallen for your teacher?"

"I-I... well..."

I got nervous and didn't know how to respond.

"HAHAHA! I don't blame you. Syvis has a beautiful face and an erotic body."

Dante noticing the annoyance on my face for what he said, replied, "Ups, sorry. I don't think I should have said that. But let me give you some advice. It would be best if you look for someone else. You're an attractive guy, so it won't be hard for you to find a cute girlfriend."

"Why is that? It's not like one can choose who to fall for." I replied, turning to see the panorama once again.

After a short pause, Dante also turned to see the city and, in a low tone, replied, "I know... I know that better than anyone."

The way he said it makes me think that he also has an unrequited love. Now that I think about it, he is always surrounded by girls, but it doesn't seem like he has a girlfriend or anything like that. I wonder who he thought of.

Dante turned to see me one more time and said, "If you are really sure that Syvis is the one, let me tell you what you should be prepared for. I'll explain to you why she is so involved in what is happening and how important her role will be in everything."

Dante seemed quite serious about what he was about to tell me. How can Syvis be involved in all this?

"Days before the meeting, the kingdom received a letter from the king of the dark elves. The letter's content had to do with the condition to provide his support in the coming war. Receiving this letter was quite strange since Dark Elves characteristically don't tend to intrude or help anyone, but we realized the reason after knowing the content."

"What was the condition?" I asked, intrigued.

"In the recent ritual, a Dark Elf S-Rank appeared. As with any other S-Rank, it was a commotion everywhere. The help of someone like him would be of great relief, so Harold, on the queen's orders, contacted the King of the Dark Elves, inviting them to the meeting."

"I see, but I still don't understand what that has to do with Syvis."

"There is something I must explain to you first so you can understand. The country of the Dark Elves is a small land, and they live primarily in the forest. They don't have a guild system as we do, and their customs are quite different as they have a different goddess. Adventurers work directly for the king, and those of high rank often hold high positions or are included in the royal family through marriage. The other S-Rank is married to the King for that reason. One of their customs is that they can have multiple sexual partners but only one wife. The king has three daughters, of which two are already married, so in order to include the new S-Rank in the royal family, he has to marry the last daughter."

The new S-Rank has to marry the king's daughter in order to be added to the royal family, but that does not explain what the content of the letter is or why Syvis is involved in all this. Why is Dante telling me this? What is the problem with that marriage? ...Wait. I raised my exalted face, staring at Dante.

"Y-You mean Syvis is...?"

"That's right. Syvis is the third daughter of the King of the Dark Elves."

"...I-It can't be."

Dante continues, "The condition for the dark elves to aid in the war is to send Syvis back to his territory to get married. Now you understand why I told you that it would be better for you if you found someone else."

Is Syvis really a princess? But she told me that she left the country her long time ago. On second thought, she never mentioned anything to me about her family. She told me about her guild, but she never talked about her life before that. She would not return and less to marry, right!?

"W-What did Syvis answer?" I asked, worried.

"She refused." Dante replied.

"I-I knew it, I know she wouldn't accept something like that."

Dante crossed his arms and continued explaining, "The situation is not as simple as you think. If Syvis accepts, it would not only provide us with the help of the Dark Elves and their two S-Ranks, but it could also help convince the Dwarves of how precarious the situation is if even the Dark Elves are willing to help. If all goes well this way, it will be easier to convince the Beast-Kind to also unite under the rest of the races' pressure. Or at least this is how Harold and the Queen see it."

"There is no other way? Besides, it's not sure that everything will turn out as the queen think. Maybe even if Syvis accepted, the other races would still refuse to help." I said.

"It's just assuming the best possible case as I don't think it's that simple neither, but now maybe that's our best possibility. Additionally, there are many obstacles. You see, a large part of the nobles don't agree to send Syvis as they don't believe in the Dark Elf King's promise, and they refuse to help a country that has never helped us. Besides that, discrimination against Dark Elfs is not a secret, especially among the high aristocracies."

"How does that explain Darren's ****?" I asked.

"Darren's dislike for the Dark Elfs is no secret, but he was aware of the situation we are in and put his pride aside. He tried to **** Syvis to accept, which many nobles didn't like. Darren's voice had weight in the kingdom, and his **** was possibly linked to his support for the alliance with the Dark Elves."

"Did Syvis say something? What is she planning to do?"

Dante reply, "Her position so far has not changed. She doesn't intend to accept, and the queen doesn't plan to **** her but wants to negotiate with her. Even so, at this moment, Syvis must be very careful. If they went so far as to kill a noble, Syvis, who is at the center of everything, is in great danger."

"If she's really in danger, why has she been avoiding me?" I asked, "Shouldn't this be a moment when she should be surrounded by more people for protection!?"

"Has she done that? Hum... Maybe Syvis knows the danger that people close to her can be in, and that is why she prefers to stay away to protect you."

If Syvis is really in that much danger, I must do something now that I understand the reason for everything, but I still don't know how I should act. I need to talk to her. I must try one more time. Maybe she's in the library right now.

"Thanks for telling me everything, Dante. I have to go."

"Be careful! If you really are serious about Syvis, it is possible that you can also become a target of whoever is behind all this, and although you have improved a lot, you are still not at the level where you can deal with this kind of danger."

"I know, but I still can't sit idly by." I reply.

I ran to the library, hoping Syvis was there. I have no idea what I should say or how I can help her, but the most important thing for me now is being able to talk to her.

When I reached the third floor of the library, there was no one. It is already night, and it is not strange that this place is alone, but it is the time that Syvis is usually here. I walked the corridors full of books, still hoping that she was here, but she is nowhere to be found. Maybe if I go to the greenhouse this time, she will open the door for me.

As I was going down the stairs, I heard a book fall. I was sure I didn't see anyone. I stopped for a moment, looking around, but there is no one. I tried to focus on my ear and managed to hear footsteps. Who is hiding? Will it be Syvis? No, I don't think so. So who is it? Could it be the killer?

I draw my sword and walk slowly, trying to find whoever is here. Walking through the corridors, I got closer to the steps which were trying to get away from me. When I was close enough, I ran, and I heard the steps also accelerate. I saw the person who was here trying to run, and when I turned around in one of the corridors that the bookshelves made, I managed to hold the arm.

"Wait!" I yelled.

I heard the terrified cry of a woman. Holding her arm, I saw the elegant pink dress she was wearing, and as she turned back, I saw who it was.

"P-Princess Kathleen..."