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Hagley\'s gaze darkened as well. "...It wasn\'t a monster from outside. It\'s an unusual surge of Mana... a rune."

"A rune? When did they have the time to set that up here?"

Both struggled to comprehend the situation. Runes, as they knew, were drawn on the ground. This particular circle encompassed Manggot, meaning the caster had somehow inscribed it within the fortress itself.

‘But when?’

‘And if that was possible, why attack from outside?’

"They\'re trying to lure me out," Belphegor concluded.

"Could it be the Empire\'s shadow unit?" Hagley suggested.

"Perhaps..." Belphegor tilted his head, unsure.

Manggot hadn\'t deployed all its forces in this war; a minimal number remained for defense, mostly individuals specialized in detection.

\'No matter how much humans try to conceal their Internal Energy, they can\'t reduce it to zero. All living beings possess Internal Energy; it\'s impossible to eliminate it without dying. And even if they manage to suppress it to that extent, any organized movement by a large group will be noticeable.\'

Even with the best concealment, a trace of Internal Energy, akin to that of a herbivore, would remain.

Hiding one\'s Internal Energy was like disguising oneself as a harmless creature. It wasn\'t about completely evading detection, but rather diminishing it to an insignificant level.

However, when a large number of individuals with suppressed Internal Energy moved towards Manggot, the movement itself would raise suspicion.

Yet, someone had infiltrated Manggot\'s defenses undetected, reaching a distance suitable for an attack. This meant...

\'Could it be that someone came here alone?\'

"Hagley."

"Yes?"

"Do you think Osprey is capable of remotely drawing a rune?"

Hagley looked at Belphegor in surprise. "Are you suggesting that Osprey is the one attacking us?"

"I don\'t know. But I can\'t think of anyone else capable of such a feat."

To Belphegor\'s knowledge, Osprey was a master of spatial magic. Given his expertise in teleportation and movement, it wasn\'t impossible for him to create a rune from a distance.

"Well, there\'s no use just speculating." Belphegor rose to his feet.

Hagley was taken aback. Not only was it surprising to see Belphegor stand up on his own, but his intention was also unclear.

"Is there a need to play into the enemy\'s hands? It would be more effective to draw them into our territory."

"You\'re only thinking that because you haven\'t fully grasped the nature of that attack," Belphegor countered, grabbing his staff from the wall.

It was an unassuming staff, almost too crude in appearance. It looked like a thick tree branch, roughly cut and minimally modified with a handle and a base for support.

"That strike... he deliberately missed." Belphegor examined his staff as he spoke.

"If he had hit us directly, Manggot would have crumbled."

"...!" Hagley gasped.

"That attack possessed such power?"

"Well, not everyone would have perished. Some would have survived and escaped. That\'s not what he wants. He intends to completely eliminate the core of Manggot. Me, or perhaps you."

"...I am no core of anything," Hagley muttered.

"Hahaha. Your humility sometimes worries me, Hagley. I fear you might actually believe that."

Belphegor finished inspecting his staff and placed its end on the floor.

"I\'ll be back shortly. If I delay any longer, a direct hit might come our way."

"I shall accompany you."

"No." Belphegor refused curtly.

"Examine the interior of Manggot. It could be a diversion."

"...Understood." Hagley nodded.

In truth, Hagley shared Belphegor\'s sentiment. His offer to follow was partly a formality.

He knew he wouldn\'t be of much help in a battle between Belphegor and Osprey; avoiding interference would be an accomplishment in itself.

More importantly, worrying about Belphegor was pointless.

* * *

As Frondier\'s sword aura shook Manggot, the guard stationed at the prison within the fortress felt a surge of anxiety.

"Wh-what was that?" He looked up at the ceiling nervously.

Despite the massive tremor, nothing further happened.

"Whew, I thought a monster had gotten in."

‘Well, even if that were the case, the higher-ups would handle it. There\'s no way anything could reach this deep.’ This prison was located at the very bottom of Manggot.

"Speaking of which, that girl..."

Relieved, the guard sat back down and peered into one of the cells.

"Is she trying to kill herself?"

Inside lay a woman, far too alluring to be a mere prisoner.

"Hey, Jei."

The prisoner called out, but Selena, as always, remained silent.

It had been four days since she was transferred here. During that time, Selena hadn\'t touched any food or even a drop of water.

Considering the meager meals she had received since returning to Manggot, going without sustenance for four days was extremely dangerous for someone already malnourished.

"..."

The guard silently observed Selena, collapsed on her side.

She was still wearing the same clothes from the meeting, the attire designed to entice men, revealing her figure perfectly. Despite four days of fasting, her body remained as captivating as ever.

Gulp

The guard swallowed unconsciously, then shook his head and forced his gaze elsewhere, only to sneak another peek into the cell moments later.

"Hey, Jei. Stop being stubborn and drink some water. Trying to die over one failed mission is foolish."

Within Manggot, Selena was known to have failed her mission. She herself had declared it.

She was supposed to extract all the Ancient languages before the war with Manggot broke out, but she hadn\'t succeeded. That much was true.

However, the war had started earlier than anticipated, and her plan had a low probability of success from the beginning. Acquiring knowledge of the Ancient languages was fraught with uncertainty, regardless of Selena\'s skills.

"Jei, at least say something."

Selena remained silent.

As the guard watched, a strange sense of unease crept over him.

‘Isn\'t she being a little too unresponsive?’

He couldn\'t recall how long she had been lying in that same position.

Initially, her shoulders had moved slightly up and down as she breathed, but now even a single strand of her disheveled hair was still. It was as if...

"H-hey, Jei?"