The grand gates of the Royal Capital swung shut behind them, sealing off the pitch-black wilderness. Seraphina hopped down from the carriage, pulling a timid-looking Emilia along with her.
"Don't hesitate, Emilia! This is your home now," Seraphina chirped.
"Okay," Emilia whispered, clutching her small bag tightly.
Eidolon barely heard them. His mind was still replaying the image of those glowing red eyes outside the village barrier. He rested a hand on his chest, feeling the cold void of his mana pool still slowly refilling. He was far from full strength.
"Well, I'm off to my home," Sir Leon said, pulling his travel cloak tight. He smiled warmly. "I need to go see my wife and daughters. Eidolon, please escort the ladies safely into the castle."
"Roger that, sir. Get some rest."
Leon waved and disappeared down a side street.
"So, we are going straight to the castle now?" Emilia asked, her pink eyes scanning the towering stone walls with a strange intensity.
"Yes! I can't wait to show you around," Seraphina beamed.
"And finally, some rest," Eidolon groaned, stretching his sore shoulders. "I plan on sleeping all day tomorrow."
"Not so fast, Eidolon."
Eidolon blinked as a familiar figure stepped out from the torchlight of the main walkway. It was Sir Kenta, his silver armor gleaming.
"Glad to see you are alright," Kenta said, clapping a heavy hand on Eidolon's shoulder. "So, the report says you saw Gluttony?"
"Yes," Eidolon replied. "He was about to tear me apart, but the other General—Lust—stopped him."
Kenta's brow furrowed. "Lust? That shouldn't be possible. I personally killed the Demon General Lust years ago."
Eidolon froze. "Really? But I saw her. She was a woman with pink hair and—"
"I suspect," Kenta interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, serious octave, "that the original Lust was a parasite. When I killed the host, the demon's core must have escaped and possessed another girl's body. That makes her incredibly dangerous."
Seraphina looked visibly worried, while Emilia stood perfectly still, her face a mask of neutral curiosity.
"You killed a Demon General," Eidolon said, whistling softly. "You really are a monster, Kenta."
"Hahah! If they are the monsters, then I am the big monster who hunts them," Kenta laughed heartily.
"Is my father doing alright, Kenta?" Seraphina asked.
"The Emperor is fine. But recently, he hired a foreign woman to suggest new military strategies for the kingdom. He has been spending all his time with her."
Eidolon's instincts flared. "Interesting. Let me guess, she's suspicious?"
"Extremely," Kenta sighed. "I advise both of you to stay away from her for now. Her motives are entirely unknown."
"How dare Father hire someone like that without consulting me!" Seraphina huffed.
"Relax, Princess. Btw... who is this girl standing with you?" Kenta asked, his gaze shifting to Emilia.
Seraphina smiled brightly. "My new best friend!"
Kenta looked at Emilia. At first, it was a casual glance, but suddenly, his eyes widened almost imperceptibly. A sharp, predator-like intensity locked onto her. The air between them grew thick for a split second before Kenta forced a polite, courtly smile.
"Ah. An honor to meet a friend of the Princess," Kenta said, his tone suddenly dripping with formal, guarded politeness.
Why is he acting so weird all of a sudden? Seraphina wondered, eyeing Kenta with suspicion.
"Let's just get inside the castle," Eidolon grumbled. "I'm exhausted."
"Sure. Lead the way."
The Witch in the Throne Room
Kenta left them at the inner sanctum, as his current orders forbade him from entering the private royal quarters. Eidolon led the two girls down the long, winding corridors.
I feel a heavy, dark energy in this castle, Emilia thought to herself, her eyes darting to the flickering shadows on the walls.
"The castle looks darker than usual today," Seraphina noted with a light laugh, though she shivered slightly.
They pushed open the massive double doors to the King's Court. The Emperor sat on his throne, but he wasn't alone.
"Welcome back, Eidolon, and my precious doll," the Emperor smiled warmly, before looking past them. "And who is this other young lady?"
"This is my best friend, Emilia! She will be living in the castle with me," Seraphina announced.
"Oh, interesting! Well, it seems both of us have made new friends recently."
"Huh?" Seraphina tilted her head.
The Emperor gestured to the heavy curtains draped beside the throne. "Mia, you may come out."
A woman stepped out from the shadows. She wore revealing, dark robes that seemed to drink the torchlight. She was breathtakingly beautiful, but her eyes held a cold, calculating malice.
"Oh my, my... so the little Princess has finally returned," Mia purred. Her gaze slid over to Eidolon, and her lips curled into a sneer. "And I was told knights were not allowed in the inner sanctum."
"He can be here. He is my personal knight," Seraphina countered defensively.
"Tch." Mia clicked her tongue, clearly unimpressed. But then, her gaze shifted to Emilia. A slow, knowing smile spread across Mia's face, her eyes locking onto Emilia's pink ones.
"Who is this lady, Father?" Seraphina asked, stepping closer to Eidolon.
"This is Lady Mia," the Emperor stated, his eyes appearing slightly glazed over. "She is my new Chief Advisor. She has been... most helpful in showing me how to better run my empire."
Eidolon narrowed his eyes at Mia, studying her body language. She's controlling him, he realized with a jolt of alarm. That glazed look in the Emperor's eyes... she's using some kind of mental magic.
Beside him, Emilia looked genuinely unnerved by Mia's piercing gaze, stepping slightly behind Eidolon's shoulder for protection.