The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

The prison complex under Avalon was beyond anyone's reach. Even my Queens were normally unable to get here, and only under some exceptional circumstances could they open a portal connecting this place with the surface. Its existence wasn't a secret; on the contrary. The people whispered about this place and gave it an apt name: Tartarus. Its name was already used as a cautionary tale and reminder for everyone that I was not only rewarding those who adhere to Arcadia's rules but also punishing all who break them. There were other prisons in Arcadia, but none was as feared as Tartarus. The harshest prison in the Kingdom was a place where the worst criminals ended up; slavers, murderers, rapists, and the cultists of dark gods. All who end here could abandon any hope of seeing the sky over their heads or feel the wind ever again. There was only endless labour until the day they were going to die. No one would hear them scream, no god would heed their pleas, and they were not allowed to end themselves. All of them were bound by slave collars to ensure they couldn't escape from the punishment they deserved. All their mana was constantly drained, and every moment of their waking hours was spent in the vast mines and quarries.

In this prison, I kept the remaining Devilkins, who had surrendered along with Cahrona. Back then, I couldn't fathom the reason why they hadn't wanted to repent. But after Galahad's last expedition, I could guess some reasons behind their stubbornness. Contrary to Cahrona, the other Devilkins sincerely believed in their cause, but they rejected Hestia even though they were supposed to worship the moment they saw her. Their hearts were full of darkness and hatred so deep and lingering that it had poisoned their minds. I have tried to change their hearts and hoped they would change like Cahrona, but the more I tried, the more aggressive their reactions were. So, I gave up and deemed them irredeemable, and even then, it seemed that I grossly underestimated their shrewdness. I sat in the interrogation cell, studying the face of the highest-ranking Demonkin we had captured. I could sense his apprehension and deceit; I could tell how much he hated and despised me. However, I wasn't in the mood to play his petty games, and with a single look, I sent him a killing glance that made the hulking Demon shrink in fear.

"Did you know about the teleportation users among your ranks?" I asked him without any pleasantries.

"Of course," he barked begrudgingly. "Where is Cahrona? What have you done with her?!"

"It's not your concern. Contrary to the rest of you, a despicable lot, she redeemed herself." I noticed some strange emotion in his eyes. Hope?

"You let her go?" he asked cautiously, but he was strangely nervous.

"No. She devoted herself to Hestia, and as such, she will remain in her care indefinitely." I could sense his panic and despair, but why?

"So she betrayed us all!" He barked, and while he tried to be intimidating, I could clearly see the beads of sweat on his grey forehead.

"Why was Cahrona unaware of teleportation?" I used my skill to force him to talk.

"Hahaha! She is unaware of many things." The Demon chuckled repulsively, but it was evident he was trying to mask his previous behaviour.

"Why did you keep her in the dark? Why haven't you told her about the cruel nature of your sacrifices?" I imbued my voice with Royal Authority and saw his claws clenching at the table.

"She... Has... To... Remains... Pure..." the Demon answered, trying his best and failing against my power and the obedience demanded by the slave collar.

"What did you plan to do with Cahrona?" I asked a question that visibly shocked him.

He tried not to speak, but the collar forced him to reply to me. It took a few moments, but the collar finally forced him to answer.

"She was going to be the final sacrifice," he replied with hatred and fury of a hurt pride for tearing away his secret.

"I see..." That explained a lot of inconsistencies and his strange behaviour from a moment ago. "To think that she cared about you all... While no one answered before collapsing, and because we cared about your life last time, things have since changed. Now you will tell us everything, even if it costs you your lives... How big is your army?"

The Demon looked at me in fear and started clawing his throat. "I won't tell..."

"How big is your army?" I replied with a cold voice seeing his futile struggle and the blood that started dripping from his mouth and his eyes.

"Over two hundred thousand strong..." he uttered and dropped unconscious.

With a snap of my fingers, a Lamia healer teleported inside and started healing the Demon. "Make sure he lives. There are a lot of questions he has to answer before he can die. I am afraid that Galahad was right; we asked the wrong questions last time. We have to dig much deeper this time."

"As you wish, my Lord!" he said, grabbing and dragging the Demon from the interrogation room.

"Did you hear it?" I asked the air.

"Yes..." Cahrona replied with a hurt voice. "But I can't believe it... Hürnrrät is... H-he was a gentle and compassionate man. I..."

"You heard it for yourself. He planned to sacrifice you as well." I sighed and teleported us from the prison. "For your own safety, stay hidden in Avalon. It seems like you are an important sacrifice for their ritual."

She trembled in fear but refrained from disagreeing; instead, she nervously nodded. "I will stay in the temple."

"Very well," I said and snapped my fingers. She looked at me with surprise when two Praetorians stopped behind her. "If you are this precious to them, you must be protected more closely."

"Thank you, my Lord," she whispered, leaving my office.

"I sort of pity her..." Hestia's incorporeal voice softly echoed in my office once I was alone with Eva.

The Goddess-Queen of Avalon teleported inside and sat on the sofa near the fireplace. Her normally smiling face was clouded and sad. She removed her shoes and folded her legs, resting her cheek on her knees. She stared unseeingly into the distance, and I knew her thoughts consumed her. However, she wasn't grieving or overwhelmed by sadness; instead, she was very disappointed.

"The Devilkins were always a chaotic and proud race," she explained absently. "Their emotions drove them, and anyone was as likely to be hurt or unconditionally loved by them. They were often selfish, but some of them were selfless. They were not good or evil, but some simply viewed them as the forces of evil. During the reign of the Dark Empire, the Devilkins supported both sides, but like always, history remembers them for collaboration with the Dark Empire."

She fell silent for a moment, and I sat near her. Hestia leaned on my side with a sigh. After receiving an allowing nod, even Eva sat nearby on the opposite side of the coffee table, carefully listening to the Queen. Hestia nestled her head on my shoulder almost instinctively and returned to her monologue.

"Hera and Vali watched them for a moment, well... A moment, for us at least. For centuries, the Devilkins remained secluded, hunted, and hated by the surface dwellers. Eventually, even Hera and Vali lost the ability to watch them. Despite their many resentments and grudges, the Devilkins rejected the Gods of Vengeance. They supposedly chose me." She trembled and shook her head. "But they did not place their belief in me. Not in the true me, anyway. I don't know what Deity had tried to become the focus of their faith, but I'm sure the Devilkins have their version of Hestia, and she is evil..." She extended her hand and took the cup of watered-down wine that the constantly vigilant Slime Maids served. "It is a mystery why this goddess did not dare to claim full power. After all, I was so weakened that I wouldn't have been able to stand up to her. The People of the world stopped believing in the real me a long time ago and chose a lie. The faith of Devilkins and the surface dwellers were almost identical... But I'm afraid we will never understand the reasons. We have other problems now. The entire race has been corrupted and tainted, Theon."

"We don't know that for sure," I said but without conviction.

"Even if… What are the chances of saving those few untainted? Once your... Our..." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Once our Legions come knocking on their doors, conquering their land and destroying any refuge Devilkins had, even those who are pure will stand against us."

"We don't know that..." This time, I smiled. "If the situation with Cahrona is any indication of the Devilkins policy, they will retrieve those people and hide them from us. It looks like Cahrona was the only 'pure' one among the soldiers sent to seal the Dragon's Gate. She was the final sacrifice, after all. Once Stella returns home, she will review everything we know about the Devilkin's ritual magic. Cahrona is going to support her."

"What about that prisoner they took this time?" Hestia's gaze finally focused as she looked deeply into my eyes.

"The Imp with the supposedly teleportation skill? Hmmm... I will have to very carefully remove any magic or geasa binding him and use my own powers to ensure its cooperation." I fell silent for a moment, after which I shrugged. "Pursuing teleportation is an important goal, but we can't distract ourselves from much more pressing issues..."

The doors to my office opened without warning and slammed against the wall, proving my point of keeping that particular spot in the most durable state. Luna walked in, holding a pile of scrolls, maps, and a few large notebooks in her hands. She dropped everything on the table and began unfolding the maps.

"I think I have a clue, Theon!" she yelled, and I noticed she was happily wagging her tails.

"About what?" I asked as Hestia and I stood up, coming closer to the Kitsune.

"I have a theory about the Leyline cardinal spots," she briefly explained. "One that would be extremely easy to investigate."

"Okay..."

"The nodule where Galahad and Stella found the Devilkin's structures was close to the Dungeon. Theon, we never investigated what's hidden in the shadows under the Dungeons that are loyal to you!" My eyes went wide once I realised she was right.

"Oh God in heaven..." I felt cold sweat pour down my temples. "I’ve endangered so many people..."

"Don't be silly!" Luna's ears twitched in annoyance. "If it's anyone's fault, that would be mine and Aoi’s. We are responsible for Arcadia's security."

"All right..." I rubbed my eyelids. "Prepare teams to investigate. We also have to check every city and village. Order all the Dungeons to regularly patrol the Shadow Realm in the territories under their protection. How could we overlook such a vulnerability?"

"I don't know..." Luna admitted with a heavy heart. "No matter how much we try, there are too many dangers and openings."

"I don't think we should be that concerned with the Shadow Realm. While we shouldn't disregard the dangers it poses, in truth, only Arcadia used it to such an extent," Hestia said gently, putting her hands on Luna's and my shoulders, standing between us. "Patrolling would be sufficient to ensure safety, but you mustn't overreact, Theon. We can ill afford to spread our forces thin."

"If we used it that way, the other might follow suit," I objected, but I was ready to accept her sound argument.

"That's true. But I see more danger in panic than even leaving everything unchanged." Hestia sighed.

"I'm not panicking..."

"Then everything is fine, don't you think?" She smiled, and only then did I notice that it was Luna who needed to calm down.

"Indeed. Thank you, Luna, for bringing this to my attention as quickly as possible. I don't know what I would do without your help. Thank you, Hestia and Luna." I smiled warmly and looked at the map. "I hope our scouts find more Leylines cardinal points. That would help us significantly in the future."

Luna smiled back and took a deep breath. "Amber thinks the same, Theon. Also, Hestia, she wanted to talk with you about Cahrona."