Ryle adjusted his notebook as he sat in the grand hall of the Velbrath Capital. Ornate pillars lined the circular chamber, and the soft murmur of nobles filled the space. The air was heavy with tension—this meeting would decide where the next Hero would be summoned.
He had heard the tales before.
Every 500 years, a Demon King is reborn. A year before their awakening, the Hero is summoned to stop them.
But this cycle was now in chaos.
Velmara, the sacred land of summoning, was gone.
The room buzzed with whispered debates. Without Velmara, the Hero's summoning had no set location. The kingdom's future was uncertain.
Ryle sat near Caelum Valtoria and Luce Valtoria, nobles from the Land of Unity.
"Didn't expect to see you two here," Ryle muttered, flipping open his notebook.
Caelum, The Duke Valtoria smirked. "Velbrath has some interesting issues. It's entertaining."
Luce, wore a calm expression. "We're just here to observe. Valtoria isn't allowed to participate in Hero Summoning."
Ryle raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Luce sipped his tea. "Because Valtoria is the Land of Unity. We cannot summon a Hero meant to fight against a specific race. If the Hero is summoned to destroy demons, it goes against our doctrine."
Ryle scribbled notes. "So, if the Demon King declared war on humanity, Valtoria wouldn't be able to help?"
Caelum chuckled. "We can defend ourselves, but summoning a divine warrior to eradicate an entire race? That's not our style."
Ryle hummed in thought.
Valtoria… always playing neutral.
Still, there was something else he wanted to ask.
"What about Dragonoids? Are they doing great at Valtoria?."
Caelum nodded. "They do. They can fly, so we employ them for large-scale construction. Why?"
Ryle tapped his pen against the table. "Just curious."
The room fell silent as the meeting officially began.
A noble from Velbrath stood. "We must choose a new location for the Hero Summoning. Without one, the Hero cannot arrive, and the Demon King will have no equal opponent."
Another noble scoffed. "The obvious choice is the capital itself."
A priest from the Holy Church stood. "That would be unwise. The summoning requires divine energy, and the capital lacks the sacred grounds necessary."
Murmurs filled the chamber.
Ryle kept writing, his mind drifting to something else.
Corruption Magic… and Noctis Vitae
Ever since he read the Noctis Vitae book, one question haunted him.
Was Noctis Vitae actually a form of Corruption Magic?
Corruption Magic was a lingering power from past Demon Kings—one that twisted and tainted the world.
And vampires… weren't they an evolved form of demons?
If Noctis Vitae could bring back the dead… and if Ignilth had been controlled after his resurrection…
His eyes narrowed.
What if a Demon General was behind Noctis Vitae?
If that was true… then the Demon King's return was imminent.
A flicker of movement caught his eye.
He turned and saw Thea wearing her old outfit.
Ryle smirked. "Didn't I just buy you new clothes?"
Thea adjusted her belt. "The fancy stuff is hard to move in. This is easier."
Ryle chuckled but didn't argue. She was practical, after all.
His attention snapped back as another noble stood up.
"The ruins of Velmara still hold lingering divine energy. Perhaps the summoning could be attempted there?"
An elder priest shook his head. "Impossible. The land is cursed. The ritual could fail or worse—summon something other than a Hero."
The room fell into deep debate.
Ryle leaned toward Caelum and whispered, "What if the Hero has already been summoned… somewhere else?"
Caelum raised an eyebrow. "Then we're already behind schedule."
Ryle clicked his pen. "And if a Demon General has already returned?"
Caelum's smirk faded. "Then the Hero might not be enough."
Ryle exhaled, tapping his fingers against his notebook.
A Demon General… The return of the Demon King… The mystery of Noctis Vitae…
Everything was starting to connect.
And if he was right…
The Next Demon King Age Is Going To Be Harder.