The heavy iron door gave a dull groan and slowly shut with an old, grating scrape.
The harsh sound was like a blade thrust straight into their eardrums, making the surrounding guards shudder despite themselves.
Startled, they all looked toward the source of the sound.
When they finally saw the woman who had pushed the door open and entered, panic and astonishment appeared on every face, as if they had seen a ghost.
They quickly withdrew their gazes, not daring to look again, then pretended to be calm as they stared straight ahead and buried themselves in their work.
A cold, lonely air filled the ancient castle.
Blue and red banners hung high along the walls in alternating rows. They swayed gently in the breeze, yet could not add even the slightest hint of life to the gloomy atmosphere.
Moonrithyll paid no attention to their strange looks. With somewhat hurried steps, she went straight toward a room deep within the castle.
After passing through a long, dim corridor, Moonrithyll arrived at the door of the next room.
The knight with twin swords at her waist was waiting. Not because the cold light made the place feel lonely, but because she cared about what news this female knight in Carian Knight Armor had brought.
Moonrithyll stopped, breathing slightly hard, and reached up to remove the ornate yet somewhat dulled helmet from her head.
A few strands of light brown hair fell loose, brushing against her fair cheeks.
She took a deep breath, bowed respectfully to the knight before her, then said in a low voice, "The scouts sent to investigate Tower Settlement have returned."
After a brief pause, she raised her head, worry flashing through her eyes as she continued, "According to their report, Tower Settlement... appears to have been attacked."
Beneath the mask of the knight with twin swords at her waist, the face that had been as calm as lake water now showed a slight frown.
She stood there in silence, saying nothing, and merely gave a small nod, indicating that she was willing to hear the rest.
Moonrithyll suddenly stepped a little closer then, as if afraid someone nearby might overhear, and deliberately lowered her voice.
"They say they saw a great fire burning on the Impenetrable Thorns from far away. The seal on the Sacred Tower may have been lifted."
"What did you say? A great fire? The Impenetrable Thorns were burned by flames... Was it His Highness Messmer?"
The twin-sword knight's heart tightened sharply, as if the sudden news had made even her heart contract.
If this place had not been so far from the city where His Highness resided, she might already have been unable to restrain the impulse in her heart and rushed out at once to find that Demigod.
"The outpost has received no word of Messmer leaving, and the scouts could only observe from the outskirts of Tower Settlement. They couldn't see what actually happened inside."
Moonrithyll looked expressionlessly at the one she served.
"We all know the price of burning the trees. Otherwise, we wouldn't have let those Hornsent cling to life until now. But other than His Highness Messmer, who else could do such a thing?"
The twin-sword knight was also a person of noble status, yet the mention of that prince of the Golden Order Dynasty left her unsettled. If no outsiders had been present, perhaps she would have shown even more agitation.
"It doesn't matter. In any case, the ones suffering are the Hornsent. That's a good thing for us, isn't it? But seeing you like this suddenly makes me want to return to Caria."
Moonrithyll spoke with a calm expression.
"The battle against the Golden Invasion cost Caria dearly. Her Majesty the Queen must surely need my help now."
"How could my sister lack people at her side? She has Masters Lusat and Azur assisting her, as well as many other knights working together to support her. That is more than enough to govern that kingdom."
The twin-sword knight did not take Moonrithyll's slightly awkward tone to heart.
Though the two were lord and vassal, their relationship was actually quite close. Besides, there were no outsiders present here, and both of them were far from home with nowhere to go. The twin-sword knight tacitly allowed this woman to be a little more unrestrained in front of her.
"Love really does make people lose their reason," Moonrithyll sighed softly.
"Silence. You must not speak recklessly of your lord." The twin-sword knight's expression darkened, and she rebuked her sternly.
Moonrithyll, however, did not seem frightened by the scolding. Instead, she continued, "But if you don't take the initiative, His Highness may never know for the rest of his life..."
Before Moonrithyll could finish, the twin-sword knight grew anxious. "I said, silence!"
"All right." Faced with such an intense reaction from the twin-sword knight, Moonrithyll merely sighed helplessly, without showing the slightest anger.
Clearly, she had long since grown used to scenes like this and to the other woman's attitude.
Of course, as vassals, they truly had no right to be angry with their lord, let alone comment on their lord's romantic affairs.
But still, after being trapped in this wretched place for who knew how many years, the fact that their relationship had not progressed at all was truly frustrating.
Who knew whether it was because that Demigod was too dense, or because this knight princess was too reserved?
Moonrithyll could not help shaking her head. In her heart, she had not the slightest respect for the so-called "lord" spoken of by the twin-sword knight.
The lord above my lord is not my lord. The vassal beneath my vassal is not my vassal. This was how lord and vassal ties worked in the Lands Between. Your lord's lord was not necessarily your lord.
She was a knight who served the Carian Royal Family, a knight who served the "Princess" before her. That child of the goddess had nothing to do with her.
Thinking of the lord who had locked herself away in a small room, the twin-sword knight could not help feeling helpless as well.
The person she followed had witnessed the tragic fate of her own people, then suffered blow after blow, being abandoned by her mother and betrayed by her subordinates. Now she refused to come out at all.
If she were not so despondent and withdrawn, they would have led their forces onto the battlefield in person. With a single sweep of the war spear in her hand, she could have strung up and slaughtered every one of those damned Hornsent.
"Put the rest aside for now. The shadow barrier has been set aflame. This is no small matter. I must go to Shadow Keep personally."
The twin-sword knight's expression turned solemn. She slowly straightened and turned to look at the Carian beside her.
"Take people with you at once and investigate clearly. You must find out what happened in Enir-Ilim and Belurat. For the time being, the forces of Castle Ensis will also be under your command."
Not far away, Moonrithyll gave a noncommittal nod.
Whether it was fighting bloody battles for the Golden Order Dynasty or charging into battle for that Demigod in Shadow Keep, she had no interest in either.
But since her lord had spoken, she could only obey.
The sky was still covered by thick dark clouds, and the light was especially dim and oppressive.
The rapid sound of hooves rang through the surroundings as dozens of heavily armored knights rode fine horses away in two directions, south and north.