Eventually, he turned toward General Iroh and said, "Call Petra."

General Iroh gave a bow before leaving the room.

King Carson looked back toward Ethan. "If we’re going ahead with this, then we need the girl downstairs."

Ethan nodded.

Without waiting for anyone to tell him, Eduardo turned and headed upstairs to bring them over.

Much later, the spell was finally complete.

The Imperial Caster lowered her hand as the last strands of magic settled over the fake replica of Ishtar standing before her, and beside the real Ishtar.

Every feature had been perfectly replicated, from the hair to the eyes, and even the subtle mannerisms the Caster had observed while casting the spell.

It was a basic illusion magic spell, so any seasoned Caster would have been able to tell the difference if they looked carefully, but not at an immediate glance or from a distance.

King Carson studied the disguise in silence before giving a nod of approval. "It’ll do."

Then he turned toward Ethan one final time as they both exchanged nods of acknowledgment.

With that, the King turned away. "Let’s go."

General Iroh went forward while the fake Ishtar and Petra fell into position behind the King.

The moment they crossed the doors of the manor, General Iroh gestured with a raised hand, and the Imperial Guards immediately began preparing to move back into the vehicles they had arrived in.

Norman, who was still hovering silently in the air, stared at Ethan, who had just stepped outside with his wife to watch them leave.

The Hero had heard every word spoken inside the mansion despite never entering it. It was hard to know what was going through his mind, but if one were to take a guess, then he really didn’t seem pleased.

However, he turned and followed the King through the skies.

Eventually, they all left, with Ethan watching them as a smile appeared on his face.

——

The appointed hour finally arrived.

As planned, the false Ishtar was standing alone within the vast open courtyard of the Palace.

She looked around as though expecting someone to emerge from any point.

To anyone watching openly, she appeared to be nothing more than a frightened young girl waiting to be claimed.

But the palace itself had become a trap.

Hidden beneath the deep shadows of towering stone arches, behind massive pillars, and within the narrow archways surrounding the courtyard, the King’s strongest forces lay in wait.

Even Norman was there alongside them.

Carson had already fused with Lancelot while holding the hilt of a newly acquired sword that suited his fighting style.

His last sword had been an object-type summon, but since it had been destroyed during the fight against Audrey, the King had gotten the finest craftsmen to forge him an Epic Grade sword as its replacement.

All that remained was for the Demon Lord to come.

Minutes passed without a single disturbance.

No spatial distortions nor surges of demonic mana.

There was no sign of Lord Krygon even after an entire hour had gone by.

Petra’s breathing gradually became labored as sweat rolled down the side of her face. As basic as it may have been, it was still a Tier 4 spell, and maintaining it for such an extended period was steadily exhausting.

"Tch." The King clicked his tongue in annoyance.

⸻

Within the Astral Sea...

Jillia was standing several paces behind her Lord in complete silence.

Lord Krygon remained in a meditative posture with his eyes closed as his awareness spread through parts of the sea of collective consciousness, sweeping across the countless minds that shimmered throughout the Astral Sea like distant stars.

Each consciousness possessed its own distinct imprint; a pattern no illusion could imitate nor conceal.

And Lord Krygon already knew what Ishtar’s felt like as he searched for only that one.

Thousands passed beneath his perception; Nobles, soldiers, merchants, children.

Until he found her.

His eyes slowly opened as he realized that Ishtar’s astral identity had never moved from its location and was still surrounded by the same set of people as always.

Instead of being around the King and those at the palace.

Jillia immediately spoke. "My Lord?"

"The girl never left," he said as he rose to his feet. "We’ll proceed as planned."

Jillia lowered her head. "As you command, my Lord."

Of course, Lord Krygon also knew that the demon souls had been destroyed, but that was the least of his concerns.

———

Within the Stark Residence.

The atmosphere had settled considerably, and Francesca moved between them with trays of food and tea, insisting that everyone eat something instead of exhausting themselves with worry.

Rayleigh eventually said, "I wonder how things are going at the palace."

But at that very moment, every single person suddenly froze as their eyes widened simultaneously.

Without saying a word, Ethan vanished in a streak of blue lightning, instantly appearing outside.

The others rushed after him almost immediately.

The sight awaiting them beyond the front entrance brought every one of them to an abrupt stop.

Lord Krygon and Jillia were standing calmly in the middle of the compound.

But they hadn’t been left unchallenged.

Every one of Ethan’s summons stationed outside had already surrounded them, weapons and skills ready to be unleashed at any moment.

Jillia had both hands raised in complete surrender.

Lord Krygon, meanwhile, was standing in silence, and hadn’t lost his composure.

His masked gaze calmly swept across the people before him as he watched their varying reactions.

Darkness immediately began gathering around Isabella’s fingertips.

Rayleigh had drawn his sword in one smooth motion, while Hayley’s eyes emitted an amber glow.

Several others instinctively prepared in their own ways, but not a single person spoke.

Then, Lord Krygon slowly lifted his hand to the mask covering his face and pulled it away.

The reaction that followed was even greater than when they had first seen him.

Eduardo couldn’t believe his eyes, and Francesca’s hands instinctively flew to her mouth.

Ethan himself felt the greatest shock of all.

The face beneath the mask...

It was one they knew.

One they had thought they would never see again.

Ethan’s lips parted slightly as his voice came out slowly.

"...Father?"