Captain Damian continued speaking, his heavy tone filling the conference room. The topic remained the same: concern over a case involving demons.
"Even if it's only a Wrath-level demon this time, don't forget that Velmire will rise to the top and attain the title of Destruction-level demon if left unchecked," James chimed in, his voice calm yet weighty. When that happens, the entire world will face disaster, just as it has in the past."
He could feel the tension in the room, but Captain Garrick simply smiled and leaned back in his chair. He slowly moved the feathered hand fan in his hand again, fanning his face.
"Captain James, you're too tense. We're talking about a Wrath-level demon, not a Destruction-level demon. We're Captains of the Order. Handling it isn't a big deal."
Louis saw Captain Damian frown. "If it were that easy, the wedding couple murder case wouldn't have claimed over a hundred lives." His words were laced with sarcasm, and Louis saw Garrick's jaw tighten.
Instead of replying to Damian, Garrick shifted his focus. He pointed his fan at Lady Ginerva Ashcroft, who sat gracefully at the head of the table.
"Lady Ginerva, the Order of the Hall of Letters that you lead should be more efficient at gathering information. How many suboptimal reports have you and your subordinates submitted? Even in this case, the reports were late."
Louis was too lazy to join the argument, so he stood by, watching Lady Ginerva. Although the captain of the Order of the Thorned Rose was known for rarely engaging in combat, her insight and her role in maintaining the Order's information were irreplaceable. Lately, however, she and her subordinates had been nearly suffocated by the workload and boundless complaints from the Sentinels. Ironically, those who criticized her still ended up running to her for help.
Now, in front of Garrick, who was looking for a scapegoat, Lady Ginerva simply sighed softly. She massaged her temples with her fingers, and the shadows of exhaustion were clearly visible under her dark eyes. She wore a pink dress with white stripes that kept her looking elegant, even though Louis knew the pile of files on her desk hadn't diminished one bit.
She cleared her throat softly and fixed Garrick with a flat gaze.
"If you can handle millions of stacks of documents with ease, then go ahead. My colleagues and I will gladly relinquish our positions in the Order of the Hall of Letters. Let's see who can find information more efficiently."
Garrick's fan paused. As usual, his fault-finding remarks never lasted long.
The fan in Lord Garrick's hand stopped moving. As usual, his fault-finding remarks didn't last long.
The Royal Order meeting room remained tense. The debates among the captains felt like an endless ritual—they always returned to the same topics, spiraling into a cycle of recriminations and arguments.
Louis, as usual, remained silent. He simply listened, his gaze shifting from one face to another. To him, the verbal battle in this room was a storm best avoided.
"Velmire is a Wrath-level demon," Lady Ginerva said calmly. "She has been in the human world for a long time and has taken countless lives. If she evolves to an even more dangerous level, the Royal Order of Valmorra will face the same threat as with the emergence of a Destruction-level demon."
Louis understood the ranking system well. Sentinels have four levels: Low, Middle, High, and Supreme. Demons, on the other hand, have five far more terrifying levels.
Fierce-level demons can kill a single target and have a local impact. Cruelty-level demons can wipe out a family or small group in a single attack. Ferocity-level demons cause structural damage and mass casualties that surpass the family scale. Wrath-level demons are city destroyers, like Velmire, the brideslayer who once wiped a city off the map. Finally, there are the most feared Destruction-level demons. Each one is capable of destroying an entire country, disrupting the world, and plunging humanity into immense suffering.
"Of the four Destruction-level demons that have ever appeared in the world, one was so terrifying that Sentinels worldwide were unable to handle it," Lady Ginerva continued. You must know that the Valmorra Capital Fire was not the first of its kind."
Louis noticed the change in the room. The name hadn't been uttered, yet a tense aura permeated every corner of the conference table.
"The Nameless White Demon," Lady Ginerva finally said.
Silence hung like mist around the table. Even Captain Garrick, who usually couldn't resist a sharp remark, was visibly holding his breath.
Louis knew from the Order's historical records that kingdoms collapsed when the Fourth Demon King appeared. Victims fell without a fight. The Kingdom of Lusignan was the first to perish at his hands—a prosperous land that was reduced to a putrid swamp in three days.
"He was also responsible for the Fire of the Capital of Valmorra," James said in a heavy tone, as if the memory weighed on his chest. "If His Majesty hadn't killed him, perhaps the Royal Order of Valmorra would have suffered the same fate as the Kingdom of Lusignan."
"There's no need to discuss the Nameless White Demon any further," Lady Ginerva said quietly. Her calm voice cut through the tense atmosphere in the meeting room. "That demon has already been destroyed by His Majesty. It would be unethical to continue dredging up the past when the present problem remains unresolved."
The topic shifted like a sudden change in the tide.
"The Velmire Demon problem was easily resolved," Garrick said, fanning his face. His tone was light, but his eyes were narrowed. "Not everyone is capable of facing a Wrath-level demon. I noticed that Young Master Louis seemed perfectly comfortable just sitting there, listening and not wanting to get involved. Your contribution to the bride murder case was extraordinary."
Louis held back a sigh. As usual, Garrick liked to fish in troubled waters, teasing and complimenting with a hint of sarcasm.
"I'm not really that great," Louis replied calmly. "I'm simply grateful to the people around me who have been so helpful in solving the case."
It wasn't a fake act of humility. Louis knew that he wouldn't have succeeded at the time without William's help—a very unpredictable orphanage youth.
Lady Ginerva nodded slightly. "Sister Margaret is the caretaker of the orphanage." Father Albert is the head of the orphanage. Margaret was a close friend of the late Lady Anastasia. At that time, your partner, Miss Elizabeth, inquired via magical communication about the construction of the Sanctum Misericordiae church and the nobleman who founded it. It turns out all of that leads to Lady Caroline collaborating with the demon Velmire."
"The orphanage, huh?" Lord Garrick spoke again, this time with a hint of intent. "Young Master Louis, you mentioned help from those around you. I heard from the Lower Sentinel that a young orphan helped you. He said that he, too, was able to use magic unique to Sentinels. Such a talented youth caught my attention. Who is he?"
Louis could feel Garrick's gaze, which was not merely curious, but dangerous.
William Langley.
Louis had only known him for a short time, yet he left a profound impression on the teenager. He wore a Maple Leafs suit, had raven-black hair tied in a ponytail, and had a spirited demeanor laced with mischief and a remarkably sharp tongue for his age. He was easily irritating and equally difficult to ignore.
"His name is William Langley," Louis replied dryly. "The teenager from the orphanage. He was a key witness in Sister Margaret's disappearance. He was also the one who defeated the demon Velmire and captured Lady Caroline."
It was a casual answer, but it was enough to make Garrick's eyes glint. Louis knew Garrick well enough to know that if he found something special, he would go to great lengths to get it, even if it meant using the most despicable means.