Chapter 1.5: A Foe of Unfathomable Proportions

***The Holy Palatial Gardens, a week later…***

Lady Coreen, the paladin captain that led the squad attempting to capture the Lord Kuro at the Chersea-Cherflammen border kneeled in front of the Beastman Saint, and the Lady Braunhauer, along with her entire command. The entire courtyard of the Saint's Palace was quiet; no one among the paladins tried to defend the failure of their expedition.

Ruro's face was filled with anger; likewise, the Lady Braunhauer was shaking her head as they received the news that the Lord Kuro had crossed into the other side of the crossing.

"Your Holiness," Lady Coreen continued on her explanation, "we tried to run after him, but the demon soldiers prevented us from doing so. They say that there's no official request from any of the human kingdoms to prevent the Lord Kuro's entry into their lands, nor they are inclined to hand him over to us, since the Lady Usarved guaranteed his safety."

"Yes, I understand that part, milady," Ruro reassured her. "You did the right thing, Lady Coreen. We don't want a diplomatic incident during these dark days…"

"This feels like Cherwind all over again…" the young maidservant uttered.

The Wolf Saint—as she was the perpetrator of the incident on Cherwind before—preferred to change the topic, "While we praise your prudence regarding the matter, Lady Coreen, I can't help but to ask, who commanded you and the knights from the other kingdoms to launch a search and pursuit party for the Lord Kuro. Surely, Her Holiness the Human Saint is unconscious the whole time, so she can't give the order."

"Hmm…you're right, Your Holiness," Eris backed her. "We have no standing orders for a search party for the Lord Kuro."

"Miladies…" there was a significant pause from Lady Coreen, as she was confused, "…you say there's no standing order, but it was the Lady von Leese, under the authorization of our captain, the Lady Henristone, who gave us the command. Perhaps you overlooked the matter?"

"Huh?" Eris and Ruro exchanged bewildered looks. It was the young maidservant who broke it to the paladin, "Lady Coreen, what are you saying? The Lady von Leese and Lady Henristone were beside the Human Saint all the time, standing vigil!"

"Perhaps they sent a messenger to the paladin, Lady Eris?" the Wolf Saint raised that possibility.

"N-No!" Lady Coreen countered, "It is the Lady von Leese who talked to me personally, handing over the letter written by Lady Henristone…"

Ruro stared at the paladin for quite some time, and concluded, "Yes, I saw it in her memories…it was indeed the Nerfes princess who gave the command."

"But that's impossible," Eris insisted. "Lady von Leese and Lady Henristone strictly told us to keep the door shut. Your Holiness, you're with me during that time; you're the one who put a barrier on them so that they won't be affected by that dark miasma!"

"Miladies," the Lady Coreen called their attention again, "speaking of the Lord Kuro, he was also aided by a fox-girl in his escape."

The Wolf Saint's ear perked up, "A fox-girl?"

The other paladins brought Kashca Telis—bound in chains and unconscious—before the Beastman Saint and Lady Eris. Ruro quickly took her from them.

"What is this girl doing there?" she asked.

"She helped the Lord Kuro escaped to Cherflammen, Your Holiness, on horseback," Lady Coreen explained. "She sought to delay us long enough for him to cross the border, and the demon soldiers to block our pursuit."

Ruro glanced at Eris, who subtly nodded. Then she told the paladins, "Alright, please head back to your barracks. From now on, you won't take orders from other people aside from me, or the Lady Braunhauer."

"Your Holiness?" the paladin was surprised by that announcement.

"Lady von Leese and Lady Henristone are also sick as of this moment," the Wolf Saint explained. "As a Saint, I'm taking charge of this place while Her Holiness the Human Saint is unconscious. Lady Braunhauer will help me in this emergency."

"Y-Yes, Your Holiness, we understand…" Lady Coreen and her paladins bowed before Ruro and Eris, before going their way.

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When Kashca Telis woke up, she was surprised to find herself in a strange, white place.

"…"

She tried her best to find out where she was. A big, clean and soft gilded bed. White silk curtains. Pearly white walls, lavishly decorated with golden trims and figures near the edges. A velvety carpet. No doubt, she was in the Holy Palatial Gardens…

"…"

But why?

Then she heard a soft knock at the door. It was opened before she could say it was, and Ruro came into the room, along with a young maidservant of the Human Saint.

"How're you feeling, Telis?" the Wolf Saint asked.

"Your Holiness…"

"I know what happened. Why did you go against my order once again?" Ruro sat beside her bed. "I thought you understood my command to bring back my master. Why did you help him cross Cherflammen?"

"Your Holiness, I thought it was a dream!" Telis insisted. "See, there was this time when I stopped by to rest, and then, the next thing that I know, everything that happened felt like I was in a dream. I even rode a horse—you know I can't ride one!"

"But the paladins say you skillfully delayed them on a horseback," Eris pointed out. "How did that happen?"

"Milady, I'm a beastman. Our legs can carry us further than riding a horse," the fox-girl countered. "So it's impossible for me to use one."

"Damn…Lady Eris, what she's saying is true; I peered unto her memories," Ruro had an even more confused look on her face. "What's going on? A command that was not officially sanctioned, and a dream-like event…"

"I'll tell you what's happening, dog!"

"!!!" Eris, Ruro and Telis' eyes went for the new person in the room, Seirna, who teleported there and sat by the window, with none of them noticing.

"That's the work of the 'Seductress'."

"What?"

The Saint of the Flame nodded, "See, she's not called the 'Seductress' for nothing. That entity—as her name implies—can always play around with someone's mind, making her victim follow her every whim."

"So you're saying that the 'Lady von Leese and Lady Henristone' that the Lady Coreen saw was—"

"—an apparition, yes."

"But what about Telis'—"

"Hers is a perfect example of possession," Seirna smirked. "Basically, that creature possessed the fox-girl, and made her like a puppet. Look, she can't even ride a horse, but when she was possessed, the paladins were outmaneuvered easily."

"Damn…"

"Yes, that's how dangerous the 'Seductress' is, Lady Ruro…" the Saint of the Flame chuckled. "Imagine, Lady Rubinforth let in a dangerous creature such as that just by being alive…"

"Your Holiness?" it was Eris, "I'm kind of confused. Why would the 'Seductress' help the Lord Kuro escape?"

"Did she really help him?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if she really did help him. After all, throwing him far from the Lady Rubinforth and helping him escape may seem to be different, but the results are almost the same."

"…" The room fell silent upon that realization.

However, Seirna continued her words, "See, when the 'Seductress' entered into this realm, it's already a given that everyone—including us, the Saints—can fall under her influence and power. That's why I brought along thousands of talismans to ward off her miasma. However, you and I know that the black-haired otherworlder is very much like Cassandra David; the 'Seductress' can't exert her powers over them, as they came from another world. And those she can't control are dangerous for her plans. No wonder why she'd work out an elaborate scheme to send off your master away from here; the Lord Kuro is her enemy of unfathomable proportions."