It was 15 minutes later that Lumen and Van arrived at the battlefield.

Lumen stepped off to help Cadel onto the horse. As if on cue, Modeleine, the latecomer, appeared in front of them.

“Sir Lumen! Where on earth is this plac..... Where is the demon? Did I miss it?”

Ordering his men to stand by, Modeleine dismounted. Instead of answering his questions, Lumen showed him Cadel he was carrying.

“This person is.....”

The second son of the Dominic family. Even if it was a noble family of another country, it was not a force that could be ignored, and there was no need to create unnecessary friction by refusing a job that was not that difficult.

Modeleine nodded, and Lumen immediately laid Cadel on the ground.

He removed his gloves and pressed his hands to Cadel's unconscious chest. A pure white glow began to radiate from beneath his mana-filled hands.

The healing session lasted about a minute. Modeleine's brow creased into a small frown as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the healing. Slowly, he withdrew his mana.

The troubled eyes revealed beneath the lifted eyelids turned to Lumen.

“I'm sorry, but.... This is beyond my competence.”

* * *

Evening glowing red sunset.

Cadel's body, wrapped in a blanket, swayed with the movement of the galloping horse. Lumen hit the reins, hugging Cadel tighter so that he would not feel uncomfortable.

A numbingly chilly wind whipped Lumen's neatly coiffed hair and rosy cheeks. His usual graceful demeanor was shattered, and all that was visible in his blue eyes was a fierce anxiety, a breathless urgency.

‘I'm sorry, but.... This is beyond my competence.’

‘Are you saying he can't be healed?’

‘That's not it. However, with my current abilities, it is impossible to decompose the extreme poison that has spread throughout his body. It looks like we need Commander's power.’

* * *

Lumen scoured the town. He ransacked the few taverns and overturned brothels he had never set foot in before.

And finally, he was able to locate Garuel Monzasi.

“It’s here.”