The Day Before

Obediently following his commander's order, Riko walks past Mila's residence and went straight to the town square. There, he sees Magdalo near the fountain, waiting for the young knight to arrive just like what Agario told him.

"Magdalo!" Riko picks up the pace soon after getting the veteran knight's attention. "The commander told me to meet you here. What's going on?"

"Follow me."

"Huh?"

Saying that, the young knight curiously follows the veteran knight from behind. During that time, Riko asking himself what's going on. He noticed that Magdalo wouldn't tell him about it in the middle of a crowded area. That said, the young knight safely assumes that it's about something important.

The longer they walk, the more nervously curious he gets. A few moments of walking later, the veteran and the young knight reached an alleyway.

"See anyone following us?" Agario asked Riko in a low voice.

Riko steals a glance from their behind.

"No, it's clear."

Soon after that, the two knights push forward into the alleyway. A dark, quiet alleyway. And at the end of it is where Cardo, Marlo, and Roberto are waiting for their arrival.

"You guys really picked the shadiest area in the town to meet up, huh," Riko commented. "So, what's going on here?"

Magdalo, from behind, closes in on Riko. The young knight turns around, facing the veteran knight.

"They're real."

At that moment, Magdalo's revelation made the young knight's eyes and his jaws open wider and wider.

***

Several hours earlier, soldiers from all around Takkot were summoned in the town hall by the town's mayor—Alkalde Agno. The summoning was issued by the high commander who arrived shortly after Agno.

Soon after making his presence and his merciless fists known to Agario's squad and everyone else inside the town hall, the high commander goes back on track and begins to tell everyone the reason for their summoning.

"So, like what your stupid mayor said earlier, you're all here because of the girl who came from another world—Lyrica."

Everyone gave the high commander a stern gaze as he continues to speak.

"According to the information I received, the girl herself said that she came from another world after making a deal with someone, but she did not disclose the identity of the person she had a deal with, nor tell us what that deal is."

Uttered the high commander.

"Regardless, Agario's squad was fortunate enough to meet her in the Forest of No Return. Because of her, they managed to escape death. But that's not what matters here today, really."

Right then, the high commander revealed that the Malayas managed to get away during their encounter with the Guardian Snake.

His order to Agario and his squad was to kill every single one of the Malayas even if it means their own death. But then, they all failed miserably.

"When I said kill them or I will kill all of you and your families, I meant it." Said the high commander while looking at Agario and the others. "But rejoice! Agario's squad gets a one-time pass! You should thank the town of Kabba for that."

Going forward, the high commander teases the reason why he wanted the Malayas to be killed. He then looks down on Agario's squad once again.

"I'm sure you already know the reason, Agario."

That's right. Agario's entire squad knows it very well. It's the same reason why the soldiers were summoned inside the town hall. It's because of what they learned.

"The Reilaea kingdom knows about the four heroes."

The high commander's revelation brought confusion to the soldiers. Supposedly that talking about the four heroes is forbidden, it shouldn't be able to spread outside the kingdom. So how did Reilaea learn about the rumored four heroes?

Right then, Agario recalled what one of the Malayas told Riko and everyone else outside the north entrance of Takkot.

"The four heroes were summoned by the queen of Reilaea—Reyna Amaya."

The high commander's other revelation shocked everyone. With the words that came out of his mouth, it is confirmed that the four heroes truly exist.

"What happened yesterday was not in my plans."

The high commander wanted all the Malayas to be killed along with Agario and his squad. Either he kills Agario and his men after killing all the Malayas or they all get eaten up by the Guardian Snake. However, thanks to Lyrica who came to their rescue, the high commander's plans did not come to fruition, at least not entirely.

And with the Hari no longer allows killing unless they die by triggering IT, the high commander knew it was only a matter of time until they start questioning him about the rumor. With that being said, he decided to go ahead and reveal it to everyone.

"The Malayas are sent here by Reilaea looking for the heroes." Mouthed the high commander. "They want to take back the heroes they summoned."

"Wait, does that mean the four heroes are here in Kruule?"

One of the black-armored knight's question makes the others start wondering the same. The high commander proceeds to enlighten them, saying that the four heroes are indeed in Kruule. More precisely, in the capital.

"I sincerely advise that you don't get your hopes up, the heroes have no way of saving you all." He added. "The heroes are currently being held in the prison chamber in the royal castle along with the Reyna and the Prinsesa. There's no way for them to escape."

The words that came out of the high commander's mouth get Agario irked up. He sees the heroes as the ones who save and protect people from danger, similar to a knight or a soldier like him. They got the title of "Hero" for that reason.

The heroes should not be the ones who needed saving, not with the situation the kingdom of Kruule and its people are currently in. The commander thought the four heroes are a letdown. He felt so disappointed that he wished they should just remain as a rumor.

"Now back to the girl named Lyrica."

The high commander states that the Hari has learned about the girl. And it seems that the Hari is less than thrilled to know there's another person that came from another world, similar to the four heroes. However, at the same time, the Hari acknowledges Lyrica's strength and skill to escape from the Guardian Snake.

Letting the girl loose could spell trouble for the kingdom. That being said, the high commander states the Hari's order to capture Lyrica dead or alive. The soldiers are taken aback by the news, especially Agario and his squad.

"Whether she's a hero or not, or whatever reason she came here in Alteria doesn't matter." Said the high commander. "Either she gets captured and imprisoned along with the heroes in the prison chamber, or she gets killed here in this town with my own hands, that's what matters."

Agario strongly believed that the heroes should not be the ones who needed saving but instead the opposite.

"Fret not people, I called you all here just so you know the situation. Like I said earlier, the Hari acknowledged Lyrica's strength and skills, of course, he's gonna want someone like me to do the job, not by some peasants like you."

But after learning what's coming in Lyrica's way, the girl who heroically saved his men, Agario starts asking himself.

"Who's gonna save the heroes, when they are the ones who needed saving?"