Kellan walked over to his desk, pulled out a parchment, and began writing. Every line carried urgency and clarity. After finishing the letter, he folded it neatly and sealed it with wax bearing his personal crest.

He moved to the pigeon perched nearby, tied the letter to its leg, and gently patted its head. “Take this message to Master Silas. Don’t waste time.”

The pigeon spread its wings, let out a sharp screech, and disappeared into the dark sky beyond the window.

Morning arrived. Soft sunlight filtered into the room through the curtains. Kellan slowly opened his eyes, and the moment his vision cleared, he saw Aveline sitting beside him, smiling warmly.

In a gentle, affectionate voice she said, “Good morning, Kel. How are you feeling now?”

Kellan returned a faint smile. “Much better than before.”

A little time passed, then a servant informed him that Master Silas had arrived.

Kellan and Aveline immediately headed to the drawing room. The space felt serene with white marble floors and intricate magical runes carved into the walls, glowing softly. Master Silas, now fifty-three, was a cheerful and warm-hearted mage. All the items Kellan and Aveline used in their explorations had been crafted by him.

The moment they entered, both of them greeted him.

Kellan bowed respectfully. “Master Silas.”

Aveline followed with a pleasant smile. “Good morning, Master Silas.”

Seeing them, Silas’ face brightened. Kellan quickly explained everything—from the ancient relic they recovered to the demon attack the previous night. Silas listened calmly, occasionally stroking his long beard as he pondered over their words.

After a moment he smiled. “Kellan, may I examine the relic?”

“Of course, Master Silas,” Kellan replied without hesitation and handed it over.

Master Silas moved his staff over the relic, releasing a faint golden aura. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the relic’s energy.

Kellan and Aveline sat quietly on the couch, watching him with full attention. The air seemed to grow heavier, as if the mana flow within the room had shifted. Their expressions carried a hint of worry. They could sense that this relic definitely had some connection to the demons.

Everything stayed silent except for the soft humming coming from the staff’s glowing tip.

After analyzing the relic, Master Silas finally looked up at Kellan.

“Kellan, could you bring me the kingdom’s map?”

Kellan immediately grabbed the map and spread it across the table. Silas held his enchanted staff over the map, and as the tip glowed, a hologram projected upward.

It revealed an ancient, abandoned castle located around a hundred and seventy kilometers to the east.

“The mana inside this relic matches the exact signal coming from this castle,” Silas said, glancing at both of them. “There’s definitely some kind of connection between the two.”

Kellan and Aveline leaned closer, studying the hologram carefully.

Aveline asked with a confused look, “But Master Silas, the ruins where we found this relic were far away from this castle. How can it still be connected?”

Silas rubbed his beard again, thinking for a moment, then smiled lightly. “That’s what even I can’t understand yet.”

Kellan rose to his feet with steady confidence. “Whatever the connection is, we’ll only know once we go to that castle.”

Silas gave a mischievous little grin. “I knew it. The moment I told you this, you’d be eager to uncover the mystery. You haven’t changed at all, Kellan.”

Hearing this, Kellan and Aveline shared a small smile. A spark of excitement lit up in both their eyes.