“How about this? Does this outfit still suit me?” Glenn spread his arms wide as he asked.

  Tia studied him for a moment, her eyes brightening. “Yes—it looks wonderful!”

  Even Miss Elf and Laviel came over, intrigued.

  “It does look quite good…” the elf murmured thoughtfully, then tilted her head. “But… it feels like something’s missing.”

  Tia and Laviel glanced at each other, examining him again. Indeed, something seemed incomplete.

  Glenn pondered for a moment, then as if struck by realization, conjured a black cowboy hat and set it upon his head. “How about now?”

  Everyone’s eyes lit up at once.

  “That’s it! You look so handsome, sir!” Tia exclaimed first.

  Glenn chuckled, ruffling the little maid’s hair. “Alright then. I’m starving. Have you eaten yet?”

  “We just finished, but it’s fine—I’ll go make you something,” Tia said, hurrying toward the kitchen.

  Meanwhile, on the battlefield—

  The cleanup was nearly done, but the powerful werewolf had yet to appear. The exhausted soldiers, though relieved, still carried a faint unease in their hearts.

  “Seems like it won’t be showing up,” Reiz said as he surveyed the scorched wasteland beside the weary mage.

  “Headquarters reports that the Demon Lord’s avatar has vanished. The damage wasn’t as bad as we feared.” The mage’s tone was drained of all energy.

  “We still haven’t figured out why the demons attacked… and that mysterious werewolf… It feels like our kingdom is slipping into decline.”

  “Careful, Reiz. That’s dangerous talk.”

  “Apologies. I just needed to vent a little.” Reiz quickly bowed his head, then changed the subject. “How is Lady Feit?”

  The mage turned to leave. “Exhausted, with a few minor injuries—but she’ll recover.”

  Reiz sighed softly. Only after the mage departed did he murmur to himself, “Strange, isn’t it…”

  Below their unseen exchange, the knights were already marching back to camp.

  Once Vice Marshal Feit recovered, they would destroy the demon nest, seal the rift, and finally return to the capital to report.

  The logistics crew, long prepared, rushed into action—tending the wounded, distributing food and water.

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  Windsor, however, did not rest. Riding her gryphon low over the camp, she searched anxiously.

  “Where is that boy?” Her brows furrowed. “Could he have been attacked by a stray demon? No… there’s been no report of that…”

  As she worried, another gryphon rider—a young woman—spotted her.

  “Captain, what are you looking for?”

  “The man who knew how to give those massages to relax the body. Have you seen him?”

  “No,” the young knight shook her head. “Maybe he got scared and ran back to town?”

  Windsor didn’t respond, though she doubted it. That young man didn’t seem the cowardly type.

  “Captain, do you want him to help you relax again?” the knight teased.

  Windsor shook her head. “No. I want to take him with me—as my personal attendant.”

  The young knight laughed. “You’ve got good taste, Captain. He really knows how to take care of people.”

  “Enough flattery. Go rest. I’ll search the nearby towns.”

  Dismissing her subordinate, Windsor urged her gryphon skyward and flew off beyond the camp.

  The battlefield, littered with demonic corpses, finally fell silent.

  When the female knight in obsidian armor reappeared before the troops, her arrival marked the true end of the war.

  Black lightning speared into the demon nest. A storm of battle energy followed, obliterating the grotesque towers the demons had raised.

  The final strike descended into the rift, and molten magma surged upward like splashing waves. A demonic scream echoed across the barren plains.

  The ground trembled faintly. The rift began to close, as if stitched together by invisible threads, until peace returned—leaving only a jagged ridge, like a scar carved into the earth.

  …

  “Is it finally over?”

  During dinner, when Glenn recounted what had happened outside, Gotaya’s voice carried a note of unease.

  “It’s hard to say. I suspect there’s more trouble to come,” Glenn replied between mouthfuls.

  “May the gods watch over us, and keep this place untouched,” Tia murmured, fingers intertwined in prayer.

  “What about my parents? Are they safe?” Laviel asked timidly, after holding back for so long.

  “Don’t worry,” Glenn said, wiping his mouth. “I already told them to leave early. The fighting never reached their area.”

  Laviel breathed a sigh of relief.

  Glenn stood, motioning for Tia to clear the table. “Alright, young master. From today, you’ll work here with Miss Elf. You don’t need to go back to town anymore.”

  Laviel blinked, then nodded quietly.

  “I need to visit Dud’s place—check on my shop and call Luther and the others back.”

  With that, Glenn headed for the door.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Glenn!” Tia called cheerfully.

  “See you…”

  He hadn’t gone far before spotting an old man trudging toward town with a huge bundle on his back.

  When the old man saw him, his pace quickened. They met halfway.

  “What’s all that?” Glenn asked, pointing to the bundle.

  “Some special materials and tools—a gift from a friend,” the old man said casually, then added, “So? The demons seem to have lost. Did you join the fight?”

  Not only did I fight—I killed their leader. Glenn hesitated, then briefly recounted the events.

  The old man stood frozen, expression blank.

  Woof! Woof!

  The bark of a small puppy—a Rottweiler poking its head from the bundle—snapped him back to reality.

  “H-How did you even manage that? I mean… how…?”

  He fumbled for words, utterly lost.

  “I know it sounds impossible,” Glenn said with a helpless smile. “Truth is, I don’t really understand it myself. Maybe it’s something to do with my body.”

  The old man fell silent for a long moment before sighing. There was no use pursuing a mystery with no answer. The young man before him harbored too many secrets.

  “You said you obtained the Fang of Flame? I’ve heard of it—but to think it was a corrupted dragon… and now it’s your trophy.”

  He lowered his pack to the ground and sat upon it like a stool.

  “You’re at great risk now,” he continued. “Fortunately, the demons’ interference covered your tracks. Otherwise, you’d already be exposed. That gryphon knight instructor will surely file a report to her superiors. Whether you can stay hidden… I don’t know. But you needn’t worry about Defa—she’s not the kind to betray you.”