Lord: I can see loyalty.

"We won!"

The knights of the Azure Peak exchanged glances, their faces beaming with joy, and then they embraced and cheered.

The mages behind them finally breathed a sigh of relief. Exhausted, they collapsed to the ground, but showed no signs of fatigue.

Pastor Aria came to Heinrich's side, placed her hand on his shoulder, and a milky white halo appeared at her fingertips, easing the weakness he had suffered from using Holy Light.

On the other side, Gina quickly came to Vio's side and helped him up. Vio nodded slightly in acknowledgment and then glanced at the Ash-faced Erosion God once more.

"Lord... my lord." Suddenly, voices came from behind.

Vio turned around, his expression shifting slightly. The source of the voice was Duke.

The moment the Eclipse God died, the "Carrying Curse" status on Duke's panel twisted and dissipated, followed by "Immortal Body".

The edges of his jawline began to crack rapidly, turning into ashes like those of the God of Devouring, and his already lifeless eyes shattered as well.

"Duke!" Vio took a few steps forward to help him up, but didn't continue speaking. He knew very well the curse brought by the God of Eclipse, which disappeared after its death.

Duke, whose body was beginning to break down, seemed to have anticipated this. He grabbed the arm that Vio offered, and a rare smile appeared on his cracked face.

"Thank you, my lord... for freeing me..."

After he finished speaking, his body collapsed even more noticeably, his arms, chin, and abdomen, until he completely disappeared and scattered in the wind.

Vio's wide eyes slowly returned to normal, taking on a solemn expression as he stood up.

The Knights of the Azure Peaks all witnessed this scene. Without hesitation, Jimmy took the lead in kneeling on one knee to mourn the fallen warriors.

The knights' faces quickly darkened, and they all lowered their heads, standing behind Jimmy, facing Vio and the vanishing Duke in front of him.

……

Southern border, Bordeaux, Count's Castle.

Inside the brand-new fortress, Vio sat on a high chair, with stacks of official documents in front of him, as he wrote a letter to be sent deep into the desert.

After the death of the God of Eclipse, Vio quickly sent the message throughout the Southern Territory that he intended to develop the depths of the desert.

The reason is simple: he is very interested in the "special minerals" mentioned in ancient books. It is said that most books describe these minerals as being related to magic and extremely valuable.

The southern region, after a period of stability, had become somewhat saturated.

Whether they sell these magical minerals to the capital or use them themselves, it is well worth their effort to develop them.

Now that the southern border is completely stable, Vio has set his sights on the pirates in the western border.

After the bandits were wiped out and Axel's Black Pearl pirates submitted to Vio, the pirates of the West began to stir. Recently, Vio has captured several pirates who came to investigate.

Vio leaned back in his high chair, his eyes fixed on the map, his fingertips slowly tracing the sea behind the southern border and the point where it connected to the western border.

"My lord, militia from Savannah village in the east request an audience!"

Vio's thoughts were interrupted by the guards at the door. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Let him in."

A moment later, supported by two guards, a militiaman, panting heavily, staggered into the house. His legs were still trembling, and he would probably have collapsed to the ground if he hadn't been supported.

"...Count!" After finally seeing Vio's face clearly, the militiamen rushed forward as if they had grasped a lifeline, crawling on their knees.

"Calm down, what's going on?" Vio glanced at the panel; he was just an ordinary Savannah village militiaman, the only noticeable thing being the [Fear] status.

With the help of his guards, the militiaman stood up again. After catching his breath, he finally calmed down, swallowed hard, and continued.

"Sir! Our entire Savannah militia has been attacked!" His face was filled with fear. "I couldn't see what it was... no, it definitely wasn't a wild beast!"

As if confirming something, the militiaman quickly added, "Those guys also know how to use weapons...and highly poisonous ones!"

Are they human? Like the bandit remnants that have recently appeared in the central South?

Vio frowned slightly. He knew that the Savannah village area was the closest part of the Southern Territory to the Eastern Territory, so even during the peak of banditry, there weren't many bandits there.

Not to mention the remnants of bandits.

"Vincent," Vio said to the captain of his personal guard standing silently behind him.

"What are your orders, Your Excellency?"

"Take this militiaman to rest and keep an eye on him." Vio stood up and continued, "Have the servants prepare things; I'm going to the east myself."

Savannah Village, in the eastern part of the southern border.

The landscape here differs from the arid and rugged terrain of most of the Southern Territory, thanks to its proximity to the Eastern Mountains.

Here, the grass is lush and green, the streams murmur, and the air is filled with the scent of damp earth and grass. Most of the wooden houses in the village are covered with vines, making it as peaceful as a paradise.

That was true at least a day ago.

Nowadays, every household keeps its doors and windows tightly shut, and the few eyes that occasionally peek out from the cracks are filled with fear and anxiety.

The village’s largest barn was temporarily used as a medical center, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

Several militiamen lay on straw mats, curled up and groaning in pain. One of them had a black and bruised wound on his arm, while another had his abdomen simply bandaged, and the blood seeping from under the burlap had turned dark blue.

The symptoms of poisoning are spreading rapidly, and their breathing is becoming increasingly weak.

The militia captain, a burly lumberjack by trade, was now deathly pale as he futilely wiped his companion's burning forehead with a damp cloth.

"Damn it... what the hell is this thing!" His voice was hoarse, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with despair.

"The village pharmacist is useless, bloodletting is useless... It's over..."

"Team leader!" A young militiaman scrambled into the barn, his face flushed with excitement and his voice trembling.

"They're here! Your Excellency! The Count's caravan has reached the village entrance!"

Upon hearing this, the militia captain suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over a basin of water beside him.

Soon, footsteps could be heard.

Vio appeared at the doorway, with the hunter Gertrude in hunting attire to his left and Valentine, wearing an old robe and with a furrowed brow, to his right.

Following behind were Luca and Winnie, carrying Valentine's belongings.

Meanwhile, Gina and Ansquie, who had come along with them, were leading the Azure Peak Knights in setting up defenses in the village.

"Get out of the way." Vio didn't waste any words, and the militia captain and the young militiamen quickly stepped back.

Geltor merely glanced at the wound and skin of the injured man, his expression instantly darkening. He looked up at the old mage Valentine: "The same poison that nearly killed Xavier!"

His voice was filled with icy anger, "So it really is those barbarians?!"

Valentine was already crouching beside a seriously injured person, his withered fingers hovering above the bluish wound, the tips of his fingers gleaming faintly.

Without saying much, he gestured for Luca and Winnie to mix the various powders and herbal extracts they had brought in a specific order.

The old monk raised his wooden staff, waving it to trace green arcs, while chanting softly.

The gentle green arc, guided by his wooden staff, seemed to seep into the wounds of the injured person as if it were alive.

The next moment, the stubborn dark blue color began to fade from the edge of the wound at a speed visible to the naked eye, the swelling slowly subsided, and the injured person's painful spasms gradually calmed down.

Although still extremely weak, the deadly toxin has been eliminated.

A hint of surprise flashed in Vio's eyes; Valentine's magic was surprisingly useful.

Once the condition of the injured had stabilized, Valentine had Luca and Winnie feed them the prepared medicinal soup.

Seeing that the militiamen's breathing gradually calmed down, Vio turned to the militia captain who was still in shock. He pulled over a wooden chair, sat down, and stared into the man's wide eyes.

"So," Vio began, his voice echoing in the silent barn, "tell me, what exactly happened?"