Lucas’s mind couldn’t immediately process what Lelia had just said.
What did she say?
That she was actively inviting Noli to join them?
Isn’t that something he should be asking?
And would Lelia really not mind having another girl around him?
Under the table, Lelia’s foot gently nudged Lucas’s calf, signaling him to stay quiet for the moment.
Honestly, with things having reached this point, Lucas was also curious about what Lelia was scheming.
“Me?”
Noli pointed to herself.
“Well… I don’t know… There are some things I want to decide on after some time.”
“That’s fine, take your time.”
Lelia smiled softly.
“Before you make a decision, Noli can just live here.”
“Okay then, thank you for your kindness.”
Noli’s room was right across the hall from Lucas and Lelia’s.
Once the door was closed, you could barely hear any other sounds.
That night, Lucas finally had a chance to ask Lelia why she was doing this.
“Why do you want to do this? Because Noli is someone you need, that’s all. The mission the gods gave you isn’t something you can complete alone—you need reliable teammates.”
“That may be true, but these past few days with Noli haven’t gone that smoothly. Is it really okay?”
“Teammate relationships always need time to develop. Lucas, you can do it—I believe in you.”
“But Noli is a girl, you don’t…”
“Do you think I care about that?”
Lelia covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“Don’t worry, I know you better than anyone. I’ve seen everything you’ve done for me. I know my place in your heart, so I’ve never worried about this.”
“But…”
Lucas wanted to ask more, but Lelia gently pressed a finger against his lips.
“No need to ask anymore. I agree, and I won’t object. Even if there are other girls in the future, as long as I’m still the most important person in your heart, I won’t mind.”
Lelia took Lucas’s hand in hers.
“You’ve always taken care of me, and now I want to do what I can for you—even if I can’t go through all those things with you.”
Lucas squeezed Lelia’s hand firmly, silent.
“All right, it’s late. In a few days, you’ll be heading out again, right? Make sure to rest and conserve your strength.”
Yeah, it was almost time to deal with those slave traders. No point in thinking about anything else now—rest was the real priority.
Lucas closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
***
Ivina’s next summons came three days later.
Early in the morning, Lelia left home to work with the Princess, leaving only Lucas and Noli at home.
It was then that Black Hawk brought news from Ivina.
“Knights, assemble immediately.”
No surprise—they were about to move.
This time, it would be a complete showdown with those slave traders.
Lucas and Noli hurried to the Knights’ headquarters and headed straight to Ivina’s office.
“There’s a direct order from above,” Ivina got straight to the point.
“These slave traders are currently led by a man called Korn Elven. Their target is the scattered elves across Morovira. Korn’s hideout…”
Ivina spread out a map and marked a spot on it.
“Just as your earlier interrogation revealed, it’s about half a day’s journey west from the main gate of the capital. There’s an abandoned cluster of buildings there—once a small town, long deserted. Nowadays, almost no one sets foot there, and it has become their refuge.”
“Are we attacking directly?”
Lucas asked.
“Yes, the entire force will storm in and wipe them out. If there are any captured slaves, bring them back to the Knights for centralized processing.”
Ivina was personally commanding the operation, gathering about a hundred knights.
With so many people, Lucas could only assume one thing—this group of slave traders was sizable.
It made sense. Ivina had mentioned that this organization was linked to the Eight Sins.
Anyone connected to such a widespread power in Morovira wouldn’t be weak.
The slave traders they’d encountered before each carried a firearm; their main base’s firepower would be even more formidable.
Ivina handed Lucas a new set of armor—not entirely new, but the standard issue armor of the Knights.
According to her, the standard armor could withstand close-range firearm attacks.
Most importantly, it was surprisingly lightweight and didn’t restrict movement.
“Let’s go.”
Ivina slung her sword at her waist.
“This time, we’re wiping them out all at once.”
The main force galloped down the highway toward their destination.
The destination was a wasteland.
Due to some disaster, life there was gone; even birds deliberately avoided this area.
This place was undoubtedly the best hiding spot for those slave traders.
The knights dismounted a distance from the target, quickly forming a perimeter under Ivina’s command.
Ivina led part of the group, including Lucas and Noli, into the ruins.
Looking around, there was no sign of movement.
The hideout was truly well concealed.
If it hadn’t been for the interrogation, who would have guessed these slave traders were hiding here?
Ivina took point, cautiously moving through the ruins.
No ambushes—it struck Ivina as strange.
Even upon reaching the destination, not a single person was encountered.
The hideout was inside a long-abandoned small chapel.
Despite decades of wind and rain, it still stood firmly.
According to the slave traders, the entrance to their hideout was inside this chapel.
Most items inside the chapel had been cleared out, except for a statue of the Creator God at its deepest point.
The neglected statue was covered in dust and overgrown with tenacious plants growing through the cracks.
Ivina approached the statue, bowed respectfully, then began to search the base.
Until she found a loose stone tile.
A faint rumbling came from the floor, and a spiral staircase beneath the statue slowly opened.
The pitch-black stairs revealed nothing about what lay below.
Ivina went in first, Lucas and Noli followed closely behind.
The remaining knights came after.
The winding staircase led downward for several minutes before finally reaching the true hideout of the slave traders.
At the entrance, a few guards were lazily sitting on the ground, yawning.
Ivina gave them no time to react.
She drew her sword swiftly and silently, taking out two of the slave traders with decisive blows.
“You all stay here.”
Ivina assigned several knights to guard the door.
“The rest, follow me and kill them all.”
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