When they returned to Drogo Castle, the atmosphere in the streets and among the townsfolk remained as usual. However, inside The Unveilers' headquarters, the mood was grim and chaotic.
The finders and hunters were speaking in hushed tones, and not a single one of them was joking around.
The Chief had just announced to the people of Drogo Castle that the kingdom would soon declare war on Shawodmoor, in defense of Percival Castle.
Several people were busy going in and out of the Chief's office to carry out his instructions. Even Sherina, who usually teased Ash to provoke a reaction, was now absorbed in whatever task she was doing on her computer.
Milo, who had entered the Chief's office earlier, popped his head out of the door and called to Ash, "Ash, the Chief wants to speak with you."
The members of The Unveilers, who were now accustomed to Ash's presence, didn't pay much attention to why the Chief was calling him.
Ash stepped into the Chief's office, which smelled heavily of cigarettes, and saw the Chief signing and stamping a document before handing it to one of his subordinates, who immediately rushed out with the paper in hand.
Seeing Ash standing beside Milo, the Chief immediately called him closer and motioned for both of them to sit.
"Ash, Drogo wants to understand how your summoning ability works. Can you explain it to me now?" he asked firmly.
The Chief's bald head gleamed as he moved, prompting Ash to idly wonder how he managed to keep it so perfectly shaved every day.
Shaking off the distracting thought, Ash answered the Chief's request but chose not to reveal all of his secrets.
"I found a book that provided instructions on how to capture, store, and summon creatures in this game. These creatures follow my commands, even if they themselves are in danger."
He paused briefly, noticing the Chief's intense focus, before continuing.
"Summoning them also causes me to lose magic stat," he explained further.
Milo suddenly chimed in, "His magic stat reaches 200, Sir."
"Huh?" The Chief, who had been clasping his hands near his mouth, lowered them onto the desk.
"Is that true?"
"Yeah," Ash replied reluctantly. He wasn't keen on explaining how he had achieved such a high magic stat.
"Alright. Perhaps you've found items that are also useful for your summoning ability. You may leave now, but when Drogo arrives later, you'll need to be present alongside Milo," the Chief instructed, signaling them to exit his office.
They stepped out of the Chief's office, and Ash immediately asked Milo, "What does he mean by 'to be present alongside you'?"
She turned to him with a laugh. "You have to be there when Drogo announces the war, and you need to stand right next to me."
He mumbled under his breath, loud enough for her to hear, "Why can't I stand next to someone else?"
Milo responded, "Maybe Drogo will mention your name, so you need to be beside me so he can easily identify you."
His eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"
***
Drogo stood on the podium set up by The Unveilers in the middle of the castle square.
He was tall and thin, with sharp cheekbones. His straight white hair was cut to chin length, with a bald patch on the top of his head.
He wore a black robe with gold accents, giving him an intimidating presence. His dark eyes made it hard for anyone to meet his gaze.
His pale skin gave the impression that he had rarely, if ever, been exposed to the sun.
Ash couldn't help but wonder how someone like him could have so many consorts in his palace.
"The residents of Drogo Castle, whom I deeply respect. I apologize for disrupting your daily activities with this important announcement, which I must make for the well-being of us all," Drogo said.
His voice was firm yet calm as it echoed through the microphone set up by palace staff, ensuring everyone in attendance could hear him.
The crowd responded in unison with phrases like "No" and "It's alright," creating a brief murmur of noise.
The soldiers and knights present worked to quiet them down.
'It seems like Drogo is well-loved by his people,' Ash thought while closely observing Drogo's movements.
Drogo cleared his throat before continuing, causing the gathered crowd to fall silent once more.
"I deeply regret to announce that we will be joining Percival Castle in war against Shadowmoor," he declared.
This time, no one in the crowd uttered a word. They stared at Drogo and their expressions frozen in shock.
The intimidating man continued, "Yes. We will fight against Shadowmoor. However, there is no need to fear. We have knights, each with high-level Warrior Skills."
He then turned his gaze toward the members of The Unveilers and said, "As you all know, we also have powerful members like Vanthe and Milo. Oh, and we now have a new member who is both strong and intelligent—his name is Ash."
He gestured toward Ash, who stared back at him, confused. 'A signal for what?' he wondered.
Milo leaned in close and whispered, "Tell Jagu to step forward and make him big in front of the crowd."
"O-Oh, okay," Ash replied, slightly hesitant.
He gave a mental command to Jagu, who had been sitting in front of him, quietly watching the crowd with eyes resembling those of an innocent cat.
Jagu turned to Ash, who nodded.
The black jaguar then walked to the center of the square, as The Unveilers instructed the townsfolk to step back and clear a space for him.
In just a few seconds, the black jaguar grew to a height of three meters and let out a thunderous roar.
The crowd was shocked—some tried to run, while others fell over in fear at the sight and sound of Jagu's roar.
Drogo smiled from the stage and said, "As you can see, this young man can summon other creatures as strong as this tiger."
Then, raising his voice, he shouted, "WE WILL DESTROY SHADOWMOOR COMPLETELY!"
The townsfolk, realizing the giant jaguar posed no threat to them, cheered loudly.
"We will win!"
"We will defeat Shadowmoor!"
"Long live Drogo!"
"Long live Drogo!"
The crowd's chants were followed by another roar from Jagu, who seemed to think the people were inviting him to play.
Ash, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the noise, kept his eyes fixed on Drogo.
He noticed Drogo clapping as he heard Jagu's loud roar, his expression clearly showing satisfaction.
Drogo then called Ash over and whispered, "If you help me defeat Shadowmoor, you will be rewarded with a high rank and great gifts."
Ash glanced at him and noticed Drogo's sly smile. Still, he replied politely, "As you wish, Sir."
***
Without wasting any time, the residents, knights, police, soldiers, and The Unveilers all began preparing for war.
Ash, who initially planned to spend an entire day relaxing in his room after the tension of fighting the abominations, found himself with no free time.
He was called upon to assist with war preparations, such as preparing weapons, helping to build catapults, and other tasks.
For the first few days, he was fine with it. But after two weeks, frustration set in.
He couldn't leave the castle to search for items, and the last item he acquired wasn't enough to push him to level 10.
Now, he has a bold idea—to approach Drogo himself and ask for a down payment.
That day, Ash headed toward Drogo's palace with Jagu by his side.
Several gatekeepers who recognized him allowed him to enter after he expressed his intention to meet with Drogo.
Following the directions given by the guards, he made his way into the palace to find Drogo.
It wasn't easy for Ash to locate where Drogo was, so he asked several office workers and knights stationed throughout the palace for directions.
Finally, he arrived at a room with large wooden doors, guarded by two knights on either side.
The two knights stopped him to ask about the purpose of his visit.
After he explained who he was and his purpose for meeting with Drogo, one of the knights entered through the door.
He could faintly hear the knight reporting about the young man requesting an audience, and shortly after, the knight returned. This time, the door was opened slightly, allowing Ash and Jagu to step into the room.
Inside the room, he saw Drogo seated on a sofa, holding a smoking pipe in one hand as the cigarette smoke filled the air.
On the table in front of Drogo sat a bottle of wine with a glass beside it, accompanied by an assortment of snacks and fruits.
Drogo noticed him entering and said, "Ah, Ash. Please, have a seat," gesturing toward the sofa across from him with the hand holding the pipe.
Ash, slightly bothered by the strong smoke from Drogo's pipe, sat down across from him. Meanwhile, Jagu sniffed around the room as usual every time he was in new place.
"Tell me, what brings you here to meet me?" Drogo asked, taking a deep drag from his pipe.