Tobias and Liam were right at the bottom of the hill, hanging out with Laura, Gunner, and Karin. That afternoon, they had sent troops into the hill, totalling ten groups.The number of groups was based on the number of paths leading up the hill. There were eight paths and two main roads leading up the hill; the location of each route was different.Not only were the soldiers going up the hill, but Tobias could also see that there were ten soldiers close to Laura, sitting cross-legged with magic circles created under their bodies."These ten will serve as the recipients of the magic messages from their mapping," Laura replied."I've also stationed a soldier in the village hall to do the same, but the difference is that he will print the mapping on large sheets of paper," Laura explained, pointing towards the village hall.Tobias smiled. He understood how they worked. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the results of their hill mapping.

"AAAKH!"There was a scream of pain from the room below the stairs. Tobias guessed Gunnar had done something to them.He and the spy woman began to walk closer to the stairs, looking down and witnessing the fight Gunnar was inevitably in."How many people are in this place?" Tobias asked."About six people, including our group leader," replied the woman beside Tobias.The man quickly walked down the stairs. He walked right behind the spy woman, preventing her from escaping. The groans of agony were relentless, growing louder by the second.Just as Tobias arrived at the basement, his eyes saw something horrifying yet tragic. Gunnar's military shirt was stained with the blood of the slain criminals, while Karin and Laura were trying to heal the people who had been kidnapped by this group."What's going on here?" asked Tobias.Gunnar turned his head quickly to Tobias. Now, not only was his face red, but so were his eyes. Gunnar's

Tobias stepped out of the room inside the stone first. The air inside was stale and humid, unlike when he set foot outside the stone.From behind, Laura stepped out along with the soldier who came with her. Tobias looked back, checking on Enzy's condition."Burn the place down," Tobias said.Laura nodded. She turned around again, stretching her arms forward with a red magic circle appearing in the air. Ancient script adorned the magic runes that continued to spin clockwise.There was an intense burst of fire after Laura cast the fire magic spell. The inside began to burn quickly, as most furniture and items were wood.The fire burned quickly, spreading to every place until it created black smoke rising from inside. When it was enough, Laura stepped back as she deactivated her fire magic; the flames stopped.Enzy didn't react at all, considering Tobias had defeated her. She could only surrender her life to Tobias; whether he would let her die.The stone door was tightly closed. There w

Hearing Tobias say this made the hearts of Valcke's troops begin to tremble in fear, their pale faces clearly visible before Tobias. The huge difference in strength between Tobias and them made the gulf of fear even more obvious to Valcke's soldiers.Screams of pain could be heard from every corner of the building; Tobias' troops had managed to find the mages. Because of Tobias' anti-magic power, they couldn't avoid physical attacks.Some of the mages were thrown from the high-floored building, their bodies crashing to the ground until some of their bodies were scattered everywhere; the sight further discouraged Valcke's troops.Not only were the screams of suffering heard at Tobias' location, but he also heard hundreds of screams from the right and left of his body. Tobias smiled widely, pleased to find Edgar and Laura doing the same as Tobias."Looks like they've got this one under control," Tobias replied."Attack them!" Tobias ordered.The troops who had been protecting Tobias beg

Hooktown was completely in Archibald's hands; the troops spread out to several places according to their groups. Some infantry soldiers were also on standby at places prone to attack, such as the border gate and forest edge.Tobias stopped riding, dismounted, and stepped closer to a wooden house where Heimer had stayed for a while. Laura and Edgar followed where Tobias went."You've chosen a nice house, My Lord," Laura replied, liking the taste of the house's furniture."Someone I know lived in it before the invasion. I quite like this house," Tobias said."Since there are three rooms, how about you stay with me? It's quite lonely if I live alone," Tobias pleaded."I have no problem with that, Lord Tobias," Edgar explained.Tobias smiled widely. The young man's eyes began to dart towards Laura, as did Edgar, standing next to the woman.Laura gasped, then smiled, "If you don't mind, I'll stay here.""Alright. You'd better start putting your gear away in your respective rooms," Tobias r