The next morning...

King Shizurana strolled through his estate and eventually reached his wife\'s room, then knocked.

Once - Knock-knock. There was no response.

Twice - Knock-knock-knock. Still no response.

Third time... Knock.

"Y-yes?"

He heard the gentle but indistinct voice of a woman. Shizurana easily recognized his wife\'s voice, but her tone made him raise an eyebrow. He felt that something strange was happening, but even after long contemplation, he couldn\'t find anything wrong, so he simply ignored it.

"In an hour, reinforcement from Avalonia will arrive. Get ready," Shizurana said, furrowing his brow. He was displeased that his wife hadn\'t even bothered to open the door.

"Ah..." A quiet moan was heard in response, which Shizurana caught. "Y-yes, alright, I understand..."

"What\'s wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Shizurana felt something was amiss but couldn\'t pinpoint the reason. Occasionally, there were knocks on the door, which heightened his desire to simply open it, but protective magic prevented him from doing so. That\'s why he gave up and, turning around, walked away.

***

An hour later, as the king had predicted, help came from Avalonia. The number of soldiers was over twenty thousand, which should be enough for the time being, although to Adam, these people looked more like cannon fodder that could be sacrificed at any moment.

He wasn\'t interested in talking to the general leading the army, so he just lay in the queen\'s chambers until he was distracted by a vibration in his Amarantha token. As expected, it was a call from her, and Adam "answered the phone."

"Hello, my dear," Amarantha\'s familiar and gentle voice sounded, instantly calming Adam and making him smile. "I have some news for you, but I\'d like to hear how you\'re doing first."

Hearing her melodic and tender voice, Adam stood up and settled in more comfortably. Then he replied, "Darling... hello. I\'m doing well; Kasumi agreed to become my spy, and with her help, I\'ve managed to gain some influence in Varasima. It turns out that the seemingly harmless queen wields significant power, both in the light and in the shadows. Everything else is fine. How about you?"

"I see... things are going well for me too. Can you believe it, the school is already open. The academic year has started, and the children are studying so diligently; it\'s quite charming," she reported, chuckling. "Your plan for rewarding good grades was well-received by the poor and the rich alike. Even those who understand the seriousness of the document still agree, as not everyone can obtain a good education."

"It\'s nice to know that our plan is going well. Well, even though it\'s an obvious trap, many are willing to go along with it, just to become something more than a farmer. Although farming also requires brains," Adam said, yawning and cracking his neck. "You mentioned you have good news for me, right? I hope the school\'s reaction isn\'t the news?"



"You underestimate me, dear. Hehe, I have even better news. The first news... do you remember you gave me two eggs of some creatures?" Amarantha began.

Adam raised an eyebrow, realizing where this conversation was heading. Two mysterious eggs that, according to the system\'s description, could hatch into two random pets, about which nothing was known. It was like playing Russian roulette.

"Yes, I remember. A-a-and?" Adam asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Ta-da-da-dam! It hatched! It hatched!" Amarantha replied with a joyful tone, making Adam smile. "It\'s quite a peculiar pet, to be honest. It looks like a baby crow, but... damn, it\'s so cute! Incredibly cute! The girls won\'t leave it alone!"

"Oh..."

Honestly, what amused Adam more was Amarantha\'s reaction than the fact that a pet had finally hatched from the egg. Her excitement and happiness were the best things he could get.

"Hehe..." Adam smiled with such tenderness that it seemed like flowers were blooming around him. "I can\'t wait to come back. So, you say it\'s cute?"

"Yeah! Claire and Mary are smiling stupidly whenever they look at it. But I can\'t blame them; it\'s just so adorable!" Amarantha exclaimed, her tone indicating her delight. "Besides, it has the potential to grow into something more, but when that will happen, I don\'t know."

"Indeed. I doubt I would have gotten something ordinary like a crow... I hope it\'ll make a good companion," Adam said, stretching and cracking his fingers, feeling laziness engulfing him. "I need to deal with some matters regarding the heroes; today, Alexander asked me to meet with them as they\'ve fully recovered. I\'ll be back in two days."

"We\'ll be waiting, dear. The girls have missed you!" Amarantha bid farewell, and after those words, the token went silent.

Adam gently smiled, stroking the token and looking out the window.

***

Today was a tough day for Leonid and his comrades. They had to meet with the general and report, with every detail scrutinized and subjected to a barrage of questions. Every little detail was examined, and they tried to find falsehoods or inconsistencies.

This was very exhausting for the group of heroes who had only just managed to get back on their feet after a long rehabilitation.

Near the repaired wall that stretched along the entire border between Varasima and the Chaos Empire, there were tents. In the center of this small tent settlement was a tent the size of a house, housing people.

Two men and three women. The men sat around a round table, while the women sat in the corner of the room. This was Leonid\'s group of heroes, and at the table sat Leonid and an unfamiliar man in armor.

A knock echoed. The bearded man with scars on his face indifferently gestured toward Leonid, who was trying hard to hide his irritation and disappointment. The man\'s blue eyes sparkled with mockery and disappointment, and his bald head gleamed from a magical lamp attached to the top of the tent.

"You can return. In two days, you will return with Mr. Adam to Fortungard and report to Her Majesty," the man, who was dissatisfied with Leonid, announced. "Also, let me make it clear right away... Leonid, you will be cut off from funding."

"What?! General James, what does this mean?" Leonid exclaimed in shock, feeling a jolt of disbelief.

"It means what I said. Leonid, tell me, how many years have passed since your group showed even a hint of results?" James frowned and banged the table, visibly irritated. "Your question should have been about why Avalonia continues to sponsor you, a bunch of idiots who can\'t even kill a Superior demon, let alone demons of higher levels!"

"General James, with all due respect, my team and I can\'t just go and kill a demon of that level as easily as snapping our fingers, you understand? We are still a young team!" Leonid retorted, feeling offended by James\' insulting words. "You, sitting comfortably in the capital, can\'t judge our achievements! We heroes were chosen by the Goddess of Light herself, so as a believer, you should support us until we\'ve wiped out all the demons!"

Leonid\'s face was stern as he spoke these words with unwavering determination, unwilling to back down on this matter. After all, funding from Avalonia was so crucial that it could determine life or death.

Earnings as mercenaries were too meager, considering the high level of danger. In essence, you worked to earn money just enough for a meal. But what about armor? Swords? Maintenance of those items?

"So, please, reconsider! I know that Her Majesty, whose kindness and wisdom shine as brightly as the Sun, will make the right decision!" Leonid frowned and placed his hand over his heart. "Or... were all these words a lie, and Her Majesty doesn\'t value us at all?"

"Insolence!"

A loud bang echoed as General James suddenly struck the table, breaking it into two pieces that fell to the floor with a crash. The man\'s face was filled with anger and irritation, as well as disgust for Leonid, who was in shock from the general\'s sudden movement.

"Leonid, what do you think you\'re doing, you idiot?! Return..." Suddenly, a voice interrupted, and Vanessa, irritated, stood up. But she was quickly calmed down by Angela, dressed as a nun.

"Quiet, Vanessa! Don\'t interfere!" Angela snapped, covering Vanessa\'s mouth.

Leonid gritted his teeth but didn\'t turn around. He continued to gaze resolutely into James\' blue eyes, and upon meeting the young hero\'s gaze, James only snorted.

"Do you think I\'m the one in charge here? You should ask for this directly from Her Majesty. I simply conveyed to you an order from the Minister of Finance, who made this decision based on your achievements!"

However, even hearing this, Leonid didn\'t give up and continued to plead with James.

Not far from the tent, a young-looking man, around twenty years old with a handsome and masculine appearance, accompanied by an older man with thick black hair and deep brown eyes, approached the central tent.

The guards, upon seeing them, greeted them and without hesitation allowed them into the tent. Upon entering, Adam plugged his ears due to the loud shouting and frowned upon seeing two men arguing, looking as if they would start a fight at any moment.

Meanwhile, two women were trying to calm down the woman with chestnut hair, Alexander\'s daughter.

"What\'s going on here?" Adam\'s deep and beautiful voice rang out, instantly silencing all the agitated faces.

At the same time, people turned to the entrance and saw Adam accompanied by Alexander, who sighed upon seeing his daughter\'s behavior. Although everyone was surprised by his presence, the girls were captivated by his appearance and admired him, quickly analyzing the identities of the men.

Creak.

"Advisor Adam, hello. I apologize for showing you such a sorry sight," James greeted, rising abruptly, causing the chair to squeak.

"General James, it\'s good to see that you\'re in good health," Adam nodded and smiled at the man, then turned his gaze to Leonid, who was looking at Adam as if he were an enemy. "And this spirited young man..."

"Leonid, Hero Leonid. Mr. Adam, he\'s just an arrogant kid, so pay him no mind," the general replied, forcing a somewhat awkward smile.

Leonid, upon hearing these words, suddenly stood up and pointed at Adam, looking displeased. "It\'s you, you bastard! I heard from the doctors that you hit me while I was in a coma!"

To be continued...