THE LORD IS TOO OVERBEARING

"Are you okay?" Iliana asked in bewilderment.

"I... Guess," Basil answered softly.

Looking at his hands, he clenched and unclenched them to make sure if he had regained his power. He, unfortunately, couldn't feel the explosive strength he usually possessed, which means he hadn't completely recovered yet.

Thud!

"I have failed you, My Lord. Words cannot describe how ashamed I am."

Moving his attention from his hands to the unfolding scene in front of him, he found Ione kneeling. He just looked at her silently for a few seconds as he thought for a perfect response.

He honestly didn't mind Ione couldn't help him in his fight; he had never expected her to help him as he only needed her to watch over Iliana. Besides, given the ferocity of the fight, she would only die if she had interfered.

"Unwilling to help and unable to help are two different situations. You don't have to feel sorry. Frankly speaking, I have never expected you to be able to help me since the beginning."

Wincing slightly at Basil's sharper than intended reply, Ione responded, "Thank you for your benevolence, My Lord."

Telling Ione to stand up, Basil also stood up. Iliana supported him when he wobbled, but he couldn't help frowning at the state he found himself in.

As he had spent the Phoenix Essence on his last attack, to heal his injuries, his body had exhausted the remaining Qi in his Core and the Mana his Heart could produce to heal itself.

He was saved thanks to that brilliant mechanism; however, the current him was no different from an ordinary person because of that. He would, at least, need a day of rest to naturally recover his exhausted Energy.

"What are we going to do now?" Iliana asked.

"We are going to return to BA-32."

At Basil's answer, Iliana and Ione couldn't help looking at him weirdly. BA-32 and Northern Mountain Region was, after all, 21,000 kilometers apart.

For them to cover that distance by a normal means, which was by their Transportation Artefact, would take them, at least, a day if they traveled at a constant high speed, which was close to impossible given their current state.

"Have you forgotten about the—"

"You have destroyed the temple where that Magic Circle is located in and all of the mountains nearby," Iliana cut Basil dryly. "How do you expect it to survive? Don't tell me we are going to Carve a new one."

Smiling softly in amusement, Basil said, "I was going to say Charles' Spatial Bracelets." He took out a black Spatial Bracelet and showed it to Iliana. "He must have a Return Stone or two."

"I am surprised that you could make the time to retrieve your enemy's possession, but I am more surprised by the fact that you are relying on an uncertain thing. Oh, how quick the time has changed," Iliana stated sarcastically.

Shaking his head faintly, he focused his attention on Charles' Spatial Bracelet. He infused his Mana into it, and spent a few seconds looking into it before eventually taking out a pair of transparent, rounded stone the size of a child's fist.

"He really has it..." Iliana couldn't help looking at the stone Basil was holding absurdly. "Not one, but two Return Stones. You really are one lucky man, Basil—I have to say that."

Ignoring Iliana's remark, he hummed faintly to himself. "These Return Stones' Return Point is not a good place."

"You shan't worry, My Lord. Wherever it is, Iliana and I will protect you," Ione exclaimed, meanwhile Iliana nodded in agreement.

Shaking his head faintly, he said, "No, I don't fear for my well-being. The Return Point is Goap's Secret Chamber, which will make things complicated, because we have to explain how Iliana could be with us."

"You can just tell everything what has happened," Iliana said, wondering what made Basil worry.

"That can't be. I don't want my fight with Charles to be known... Yet. Many will question the method I used to win, which will cause them to investigate everything about our fight. If the Church gets involved in this matter..."

Basil didn't need to finish his sentence for the girls to understand what he was worrying about. As a part of the Pacifer, their life, especially Basil's, was highly sought by the Church if they ever got to figure their real identity.

The fight Basil had with Charles had to be kept a secret, at least, until they had enough power to properly go against the Church because of that. They had to keep Basil's identity as the Fated Child away from the Church as long as they could.

"Oh, that's easy!" Iliana punched her hand after a few moments of silence. "Let's use this prick as a scapegoat."

Stomping down hardly, she almost crushed the head of the completely immobilized Tristan. "Manipulate his memory, and let him testify that Goap had left me to him. That way, no one will suspect you for what happened here."

Frowning lightly, Ione said, "Goap's disappearance with you was watched by many people. How would you—"

"None of them are bright enough to know where he had teleported himself to at that time," Iliana replied simply with a nonchalant wave.

"Let's go with that plan," Basil easily agreed. Lifting Tristan by the iron bar binding around him, he handed one of the Return Stones over to her. "Hold Ione's hand before using it. That way, you will be able to return together."

Waiting for no response, with Tristan, Basil disappeared from Northern Mountain Region. Iliana and Ione blinked their eyes in surprise at his disappearance, but eventually followed suit after a few seconds.

Leaving the already ruined and closely barren ground of Northern Mountain Region behind, the three people and one living sandbag returned to Goap's Obelisk.

...

A few moments before Basil, Iliana, and Ione arrived at Goap's Obelisk, the Royal Army and the Mages and Knights that weren't a part of Royal Army were still busy fighting the Demons in the Obelisk.

They had been fighting there for more than three hours, and they were frustrated since they couldn't find their light of hope, Basil, anywhere. Without him leading them, they felt like they were going to lose in anytime.

"Everyone, don't lose your hope! Head Commander Basil might be fighting in the frontmost line, risking his life just so you don't have to face the absolute abomination he is facing!" Edward shouted passionately.

He had been the one who fuelled the spirit of the people fighting there ever since they had lost the sight of Basil's back, which was roughly an hour and a half ago.

His encouragement had been working before, but due to their exhaustion, very few of them could force out their fighting spirit this time. He couldn't help clicking his tongue bitterly at that, and cursed audibly as soon as he saw the Demon coming at him.

"This bloody oversized frog!"

At that, Glenn, who was fighting not far away from Edward, couldn't help remarking, "Oh, wow... The Prince is cursing. That is funny, but it just proves how dire of a situation we are in."

Clang!

"Well, maybe, you can focus on killing these bastards instead!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Darn it! Has anyone entered these ponds surrounding us? Just how deep they are for them to able to contain these obese Monsters?!"

Due to a twist of fate, which was basically a lucky wrong turn, the Royal Army and the others ended up in the place where Basil and Ione had reunited, which was very close to the Secret Chamber.

None of the Mages there, of course, were capable to detect the entrance to the Secret Chamber as it was located in an Alternate Dimension. Because of that, they didn't know that their struggle was about to end.

Howl!

Deacon, who had joined the fray late with Cray and the others, swung his paw at the Demons coming at him and shredded them with his wind blades. Opening his mouth widely, he created an air sphere, and shot it forward.

"Die, you disgusting frogs!"

Boom!

"Hurray! It's Head Commander's Beast Companion!"

As soon as his air sphere blasted the Demons away, the soldiers around him cheered. His mood was still sour in spite of that however; he couldn't help feeling down as his Master had forgotten about him.

"Hahaha! Blast them, Deacon!"

"Shut it, Cray! You were crying like a baby a few hours ago—how could you go back to being insane so quick?!"

"Hey, quit it! Humans are born knowing they will die someday. It's a natural phenomenon. There is no need to mourn for the dead loved one forever!"

Mounting Deacon, Cray had been killing thousands of Demons for the past hour. They made a very great team since both of them had a strong Affinity towards Wind Element, which was the sole reason he had allowed Cray to mount him.

Boom!

"I don't think it is a wise decision to follow Basil here," Missy remarked as she crushed a Demon with her Spell. "Rather than helping him save Iliana, we are only going to die in vain!"

Swish!

Cutting down a Demon that was too close for comfort, Monica, who was fighting beside Missy remarked, "I usually don't agree with such a pessimistic thought, but I can't help agreeing with you this time."

"At least, Cray is enthusiastic enough to represent all of our vanished enthusiasm," Litton softly commented, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Can you be not creepy in the battlefield?" Monica said in annoyance.

"I embrace my creepiness, so you can suck my—"

Rumble!

Litton's not so appropriate remark was interrupted by the shaking ground. The battle stopped abruptly as every head turned to the biggest boulder in the place that seemed to be the cause of the shaking.

It was also exuding a terrifying pressure that was enough to distort the atmosphere. Everyone gulped nervously as they wondered what would come out of the boulder; they were sincerely hoping it wasn't an abomination that was worse than Goap.

When they saw a vortex forming in the center of the boulder, twenty or so swords came out of it, and head towards the petrified Demons that they hadn't killed yet.

? Swish! Swish!

In ten seconds, the battlefield was cleared off any living Demon. Everyone sweat coldly at that scene—their heart beat faster in anticipation as they hoped who would come out of the vortex was the person they had been expecting.

"Why are you lot so tense?"

Much to their glee, Basil came out of the vortex while dragging Tristan in the next second. Following suit, Iliana and Ione also came out of it.