When they returned to the village, Zafir felt like his heart had been struck by a hammer as he beheld the mangled corpses of beastmen strewn around, a grim confirmation of the consequences wrought by his own childishness and naivety.

In a rush of desperate hope, he darted towards the place where Khalid had shielded him, praying against all odds that Khalid might still be alive. His hopes were shattered when he found Khalid's half-eaten body lying lifeless on the ground.

“Khalid, you idiot… Why did you sacrifice yourself for me when I treated everyone so poorly...? I wouldn’t blame you if you had just let me die…” Zafir gently closed Khalid’s eyes, silently wishing him peace.

Farid approached Khalid's lifeless body and sat beside it, lamenting the loss of his savior.

“Khalid… Zafir told me how you saved me from the drakes that attacked our village… You could have escaped, but you chose to protect us. Your sense of duty was unwavering. May you rest in peace…” With a solemn nod, Farid acknowledged Khalid’s sacrifice before turning his attention to the task at hand.

“We should start cleaning up this place now,” Milli declared, summoning Baltimore with a simple gesture.

Baltimore materialized and, recognizing Milli and Regina, began clearing away the wreckage and aiding in burying the beastmen's remains. Milli, adept at summoning without relying on a staff, used her magic to assist Baltimore in the cleanup efforts.

After hours of hard work, they gathered in one of the still-standing houses that had escaped the drakes’ destruction.

Richard opened the door and, sensing Regina's desire to follow, instructed her to remain inside for safety before stepping out himself.

“This is the perfect opportunity to test my [Water Bomb],” Richard muttered to himself, retrieving a spherical object from his pouch and tossing it into the air. With a precise shot from his gun, a [Lightning Bullet] struck the object.

“I will stay here,” Farid declared firmly before Milli could inquire about his plans.

“I… Please let me stay here with you too!” Zafir's unexpected plea caught Farid off guard, considering Zafir's longstanding desire to leave the village.

“Didn’t you always want to leave?” Farid questioned, puzzled by Zafir's sudden change of heart.

Kneeling before Farid, Zafir spoke earnestly,

“I know what I did was wrong, and this guilt will never leave me. But I want to atone for my mistakes, even if it's just a little. Please, let me stay here with you!”

“Please, village chief, let—” Zafir began to plead, but Farid interrupted him with a gesture.

“This isn’t a village anymore. I am no longer the village chief,” Farid stated firmly.

“T-that’s…” Zafir stammered, taken aback by Farid's declaration.

“I am sure Khalid would have wanted you to explore the outside world. If you want to atone, travel the world, experience what the villagers could not. Do not let their deaths be in vain, even if it means pursuing your dreams through selfish means,” Farid advised solemnly.

Zafir was left speechless, unable to find words to respond with.

“Mama, could you bring Zafir along with you?” Farid turned to Milli with a request.

“Please let me travel with you! I will do anything!” Zafir bowed deeply to Milli, showing his sincerity and resolve.

“Well…I could bring you along…but I might not be able to save you if anything bad happens. You will have to take care of yourself,” Milli cautioned.

Zafir thought hard for a moment, then accepted her proposal. He believed that even if he perished, he would fulfill his long-held desire at the expense of many lives.

After an overnight stay at the ruined village, Milli and the others decided to depart. Milli retrieved Belphegor’s card and offered it to Farid, but he shook his head and declined.

“Mama, I’ve come to realize that even with good intentions, any method can breed ill will. I will do my best with what I have, and let nature take its course. And I know you need Belphegor’s power more than me,” Farid explained.

“Will you be fine living here by yourself?” Milli asked, concerned.

“Mmm. Please take care, mama,” Farid replied warmly.

“You too, Farid.” Milli and Farid shared a heartfelt hug before she set off toward Luo Yang, accompanied by Regina, Richard, and Zafir.

In a vast chamber adorned with red lacquered pillars and intricate decorations, Gilles sat alone, meticulously reviewing documents submitted by his subordinates.

An arrow suddenly pierced the air, aimed directly at his head, but before it could reach its mark, Annie emerged from the shadows and deftly intercepted it.

“Shooting arrows at someone’s father isn’t very polite,” Annie remarked, her gaze directed upward toward the ceiling with clear annoyance.

“Heh, if you couldn’t stop this petty arrow, your father doesn’t deserve to live either,” a voice mocked from above.

Four figures descended swiftly from the ceiling pillars, clad in the same black robes as Annie, their features characterized by brown skin and black hair.

Gilles was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. He had assumed Annie was alone and was unprepared for the arrival of four additional individuals.

“Who are these people?” Gilles managed to inquire, his composure wavering as sweat formed on his brow.

Annie hurled the arrow back at Harun al-Mustasim with such force that it threatened to pierce his chest, though he effortlessly caught it mid-air.

“I won’t go easy on you next time you try something like this,” she warned, her smile belying the seriousness of her threat.

Harun, the group’s acting leader, responded nonchalantly,

“Spicy as ever, can’t you take a joke? I even did you a favor yesterday.”

“What favor?” Annie pressed, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“How do you even know that person was working for me? He could be any random individual,” Gilles questioned, maintaining his composure despite the tense situation.

“No use acting dumb. Don’t underestimate the information network of the Hashshashin. We don’t need any reward for this; we’re just helping our cute junior here,” Harun replied confidently.

“You’d be so much more popular if you talked less,” Annie interjected, teasing Harun with a playful smirk.

“Hey, cut me some slack. Escaping from all those soldiers is a pain in the ass. Just think of all the headaches we had, trying not to get caught because they were so inept,” Harun retorted, earning sighs from both Annie and Yasmin.

“Enough of this, Harun. Annie, Master Hassan wrote a letter for you,” Banu Al-Ra’ad intervened, handing Annie a letter.

After reading it, Annie grinned mischievously.

“What did you say?!” Gilles exclaimed, his frown deepening as he rubbed his temple, feeling the weight of the impending threat.

“This will only get worse if we don’t hasten our plan!” He spoke with urgency, his stress palpable.

“This is why Master Hassan sent us here. Keter Shinal will halt his invasion if we take control of Luo Yang beforehand,” Azraq al-Mustasim explained calmly.