The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

T/N: Well, I finally decided to go back to Capeline for Katarine, since when I read it in English it feels a bit awkward and I feel like it’s a different character haha, I guess in a few more chapters everything will be stable regarding the names… I’ll edit the previous chapters.

Chapter 364: “Have You Seen My Little Fox?”

The Dark Temple.

When Shien arrived here once again, it was enveloped in a pitch-black evil aura, as if surrounded by black fog, completely obscuring the scene inside.

The plain that was once the beastmen tribe’s territory now resembled a dark abyss, with only the undulating evil aura visible.

“This evil aura…”

Shien hovered in mid-air, gazing at the land of evil below. Negative emotions surged in his heart.

He felt an urge to lash out, to destroy everything around him.

“Good heavens…”

Shien’s expression became serious.

Even with the maxed-out [Abnormal Status Resistance] skill, he was still somewhat affected by the evil aura. It was unimaginable what would happen if he entered it.

“Could this be Lilith’s power, the evil aura that turned the ancient land into hell?”

Shien couldn’t help but think so.

And he also realized,

“It seems the seal is about to be broken. Although Lilith hasn’t fully emerged, her power is already starting to interfere with the outside world through the weakened seal.”

So, should he go in?

Shien pondered.

But as he was thinking, there seemed to be some other movement around him.

“Oh?”

Shien saw people approaching from all directions and raised an eyebrow.

Among the newcomers were members of the Stalim Duchy’s First Knight Order and the female knights of the Severed Blade Knights.

Katarine led the Severed Blade Knights as they approached, but suddenly called for a halt, stopping everyone at a distance from the land of evil. Their expressions were grave.

Clearly, the Imperial Princess had noticed the strangeness of the evil aura and prevented her people from approaching rashly.

On the other side, the members of the Stalim Duchy’s First Knight Order also approached and were similarly stopped by a middle-aged knight at the forefront.

Shien’s gaze fell on the middle-aged knight, who had a military bearing. His aura was extraordinary, his every move exuded a decisive air, and his level was as high as eighty-eight, the highest among everyone present. Shien couldn’t help but notice him.

Beside this man, Limgir and another middle-aged knight of level eighty stood like adjutants, clearly indicating that the man was in charge.

Shien didn’t know who he was.

However, he was certain that the man was from the Stalim family and was the leader of the Stalim Duchy’s side in this incident.

Now, this leader, like Katarine, first stopped the knights from approaching rashly, then met Katarine’s gaze.

Their eyes clashed, as if sparks could fly between them. It was clear they didn’t get along.

This was only natural.

One was the leader sent by the Kingdom, the other was the leader sent by the Empire. They were rivals, and it was normal for them not to get along.

According to the guard at the city gate earlier, the two knight orders had clashed many times before, even secretly attacking each other. It was evident how much they disliked each other. ℞₳ɴỗ𐌱Εṣ

At this moment, the two knight orders confronted each other.

“You’re quite fast, Captain Yuri.”

Katarine said calmly.

“Princess Katarine is also quite fast.”

Yuri responded indifferently.

Both sides had come to investigate and resolve the strange occurrences in Cosmos. Now that there was a new development, they naturally had to rush over immediately.

However…

“Since you’re here, why aren’t you going in?”

Katarine pressed Yuri.

“You’re the one who should be asking that, Princess. Why are you stopping here?” Yuri seemed unconcerned by Katarine’s provocation. “If it were any other time, with your usual style, you would have already charged in with your people, right?”

“I really want to.” Katarine snorted. “Unfortunately, I can handle it myself, but these female knights can’t just barge in.”

“So, Princess has also noticed the threat of this evil aura?” Yuri glanced at Katarine and asked humbly, “In that case, what do you suggest we do?”

“What? Are you trying to get information from me?” Katarine smiled, her eyes narrowed. “I’d like to know what the renowned Captain of the Stalim Duchy Knight Order plans to do about this.”

They stared at each other, then both snorted coldly and looked away.

Clearly, they were just testing each other, wanting to know if the other party knew the origin of this evil aura and what they planned to do about it.

However, both of them were unfamiliar with this so-called evil aura. They didn’t know what it was or how it was related to the strange transfer phenomenon. For the time being, they naturally couldn’t decide what action to take.

“Uncle.” Limgir leaned into Yuri’s ear and said, “This evil aura seems very strange. Just being here seems to be affecting the knights’ emotions. They’re all distracted. What should we do?”

“Should we go in, Captain?” Sona asked impulsively. “We also have magic potions that can enhance resistance to abnormal statuses. If we take them, this irritating feeling should disappear, right?”

However, Yuri didn’t act rashly.

“Don’t rush.” Yuri said calmly. “I feel this evil aura is very dangerous. I’m not sure if magic potions will be effective. It’s better to observe for a while.”

“Understood.” Limgir had no objections and nodded, falling silent.

“Troublesome.” Sona pouted, seemingly disagreeing, but she also obediently followed orders and didn’t act impulsively.

The First Knight Order began to discuss their next course of action.

On the other hand, the female knights of the Severed Blade Knights simply waited quietly for Katarine’s orders.

Katarine gazed at the land of evil ahead, her expression thoughtful.

“This seems to be the location of Elise’s tribal camp, right?”

Katarine recognized her friend’s homeland.

As Elise’s friend, although Katarine was an Imperial Princess, she had once been invited by Elise to visit this place.

Although it had been a long time ago, Katarine still vaguely remembered it.

“After the incident in Cosmos, when I came to this city, I never entered this area.”

At that time, Katarine was worried about her friend and wanted to check on her as soon as possible. However, before she arrived here, she encountered her friend, who told her that the beastmen tribe had been attacked by the Old Demon Faction, and her fellow tribesmen had been caught in the strange transfer phenomenon and disappeared.

Because of this, her friend, along with the beastmen priests, had left Cosmos, seemingly to pursue the culprits. Only a few beastmen priests remained here for guard duty, and the beastmen tribe was gone.

Therefore, Katarine hadn’t come here again.

Who would have thought that when she came here again, such a strange phenomenon would occur?

“Could it be that all these strange occurrences are because something happened to the beastmen tribe?”

Katarine couldn’t help but think so.

She didn’t know what secrets the beastmen tribe held.

However, since the beastmen saintess and her priest group had been stationed here for a thousand years, never leaving, there might really be some secrets here.

And something seemed to have happened to that secret, leading to all this.

Katarine figured this out, and her gaze towards the land of evil ahead changed.

“If this is the source of everything…”

Then Katarine had to go in.

After some thought, Katarine made up her mind.

“Deploy the mobile barrier.”

Katarine ordered.

The Imperial Valkyrie was going to use a mobile barrier to protect herself and her people before entering.

On the other side, the First Knight Order had also reached a conclusion.

“Send a small squad to scout ahead. Have them all take magic potions to enhance their resistance to abnormal statuses.”

Yuri decided.

Thus, both sides took action simultaneously.

But just as they were about to enter the land of evil…

“I advise you not to go in, or you’ll regret it.”

When this voice rang out from mid-air, everyone present was shocked.

“Who…!?”

Yuri shouted, the knights behind him entering a state of alert, drawing their weapons.

“Alert!”

On Katarine’s side, the female knights reacted instinctively, protecting Katarine in the center and drawing their weapons.

Everyone looked up at the figure descending from the sky.

And then…

“It’s you…!?”

Limgir’s eyes widened, his fists clenching.

“You…!”

Katarine’s pupils constricted. Looking at the figure, she exuded a sharp aura.

Shien landed on the ground in front of everyone.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just here to ask a question.”

Shien acted like a passing traveler, as if everyone present were just hospitable locals. He spoke awkwardly, seeming embarrassed.

“Excuse me, have you seen my little fox that ran away from home?”

Shien’s words clearly reached everyone’s ears.

“L-little fox…?”

Everyone present heard these words, which sounded like he was asking for directions, and they were all dumbfounded.

Little fox?

What little fox?

Did he have a pet fox?

He came here just to find his pet?

Everyone was speechless.

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