Fourth Day of Eldorin's Showcase.

Day One allowed Fenric, Yeon, and Khali to display their individual prowess through one-on-one duels. Day Two highlighted Venya, Lutz, and Oswin, whose auxiliary abilities captivated the crowds and earned them devoted supporters across the capital. Day Three demonstrated Eldorin's strength as a unified force… seamless teamwork, flawless coordination, and undeniable talent.

So, what was Day Four?

Simply… a clash of intellects between the brightest minds of Eldorin.

Representing them were Verso, the Inverse Warlock bound to the Guardian Deity of Light, and Eris Umbrelune, the Necromancer who laid souls to rest.

Though both were formidable combatants, their true callings lay in scholarship.

Verso's mastery of light magic was rivalled only by his depth of arcane theory, while Eris's research into souls and the afterlife was second to none. Yet, their renown as powerhouses often eclipsed their academic brilliance. This day, however, was their chance to let knowledge shine.

"The undead aren't a travesty against nature, but part of the natural laws."

Eris's gentle voice resounded in the packed amphitheatre, drawing gasps from the scholars who attended the lecture. If it were any other person, they would have screamed blasphemy or even forced Eris to step down from the podium. But, no one dared to speak just yet… for Eris's overbearing confidence in her topic sentence enthralled the listeners.

"All souls yearn for rest. We are from nature, and we therefore, return to nature. The undead are… souls that have yet to fulfill the conditions for their eternal rest, and therefore stay present in the mortal realm."

"Wait… Weren't undead beings created by necromancers?"

One of the arcane scholars raised his arms and posed the question that was at the tip of everyone's tongues. It was common knowledge that necromancers used the undead to fulfill their nefarious deeds. After all, every time an undead breakout occurred, a necromancer was likely present.

"No, necromancers simply manipulate and use the undead for their own causes. Most undead beings won't have free will, and therefore, they are easily manipulated. Even those with great emotions and lingering attachments can be manipulated if the necromancer is skilled enough."

"B-But… we've seen necromancers create undead legions!"

"Yes, necromancers can summon undead beings, but we technically don't create them."

Eris continued her lecture peacefully, without feeling repulsed by the constant bombardment of questions. This was the first time necromancy had been discussed openly without any taboo or prejudice, something that could never have been accomplished without Amon and Eldorin's fame. Therefore, Eris was going to take her time and patiently break the misconceptions about necromancy.

"Undead beings are formed when there are souls cannot establish their eternal rest. Sometimes, it may be a person who was brutally murdered. Maybe it was an elderly person who has regrets of their life. Either way, the souls will linger through the mortal coil, unable to rest. That's where the necromancers come in."

Eris continued her lecture with practical effects. She allowed some of the souls in her possession to emerge, and they wandered around the amphitheartre like spectral wraiths. Many were spooked, but Eris reassured them.

"Necromancers have gotten a bad name… rightfully so. Because most necromancers use their powers for evil. But, before we were ostracised and condemned, necromancy had a place among humans. We were the priests who gave souls safe passage for their eternal rest."

Necromancers were priests who gave rest to the dead, a truth that wasn't widely known.

"We did rites that summoned souls. We were therapists for the dead. And we… gave them their final goodbyes."

Eris smiled, and the souls within her control smiled back. They bowed their heads down, giving her thanks for all that she did and disappeared into spectrals of light. The scene was equally as haunting as it was beautiful. Everyone felt their minds go numb at the scene, for they had witnessed a truth that was going to overturn their worldview.

"Some necromancers, to enhance their powers, will forcibly kill as many people as they can. That way, they can control more souls. It's an evil beyond comprehension. Yet, the Demon Cult is taking it one step further."

As she spoke of the Demon Cult, Eldorin's mortal enemy, Eris's smile was no longer serene. Instead an uncontrollable wrath blazed within her eyes as she said decisively:

"They consume human souls. They use them to create demonic mana, and corrupt the lands. Souls controlled by the Demon Cult, never get the chance to rest."

The Demon Cult's evil was something that even Eris Umbrelune, a pacifist and someone who wished to remain hidden from the world, could never ignore. Even if Amon hadn't brought her into Eldorin, she would have fought against the Demon Cult until her final breath.

"That's why… We must eradicate this threat before it's too late."

Eris lecture about necromancy soon shifted into a propaganda speech against the Demon Cult. And while all of this is happening, Leon sat quietly observing the crowd.

'The capital… it's truly corrupt. One third of them are aligned with the Demon Cult.'

After awakening the Holy Blade and unlocking his abilities as the Hero, Leon's sensitivity far exceeded that of regular humans. He could feel every accelerated breath, every inconsistent heartbeat, and more importantly…the traces of demonic mana within one's soul.

Just by looking at the amphitheatre once, he could uncover half of those in bed with the Demon Cult. As for the other half, he had a cheat hounding his mind about them. A cheat that was once considered the greatest demon slayer of all time.

[That fat man there… He's hiding his demonic mana well, but it's unmistakable.]

Agios Solaris. The Solaris Saint, and the most powerful human to have ever lived, spoke with unrestrained anger as she pointed out all of the Demon Cult's spies. She was the second Hero to wield Ascalon and the woman who ended the Great Demon War. Her hatred for the Demons was second to none, so much so, that sometimes Leon even felt overwhelmed by her fervour.

[Kill them now, Leon.]

'... I can't do that, Lord Agios. There are too many witnesses here.'

[If you're not going to do it, then let me take over your body. It'll be over in an instant.]

'...'

Truly, a woman who made Leon speechless.

When she first awakened as the second guardian spirit within Ascalon, Leon believed that she would be another mentor figure, much as the Solaris Founder was. But, the Solaris Saint's personality was far different. She was cold and distant, barely caring about anything that Leon did. Well… except when it came to Demons.

[Those bastards… I'd thought I eradicated them all. But, they really were the plague. I should have ignored Hyades and invaded the Demon Realm!]

'...'

Sometimes, Agios would drop unfathomable knowledge tidbits that would fry Leon's brain. For instance, the Goddess Hyades was unquestionably real. Back during Agios's time, she regularly had conversations with the Goddess, and was empowered by her divine might. Though Leon wasn't able to hear the words of the Goddess, the Solaris Saint's whispers were enough to guide him against the Demon Cult's minions.

And not to mention… Agios knew demons better than Amon or Yue ever could.

[Ever since entering the capital, I felt the presences of over a hundred Greater Demons… Tch, the bastion of humanity truly has fallen! I should have enforced stricter laws before I ascended!]

The number of Greater Demons in the capital was unknown to everyone, even Amon and Yue. Yet, Agios could easily detect them all. If he wanted to, Leon could have used Agios to sniff out all of the Demon Cult's strongholds and even lead solo raids against them. But, for now… he followed Yue's plan and uncovered all of the spies.

'Lord Agios, we will have plenty of time to discuss regrets later. For now, let's focus on the traitors.'

[I will…]

Although discontent, Agios didn't force the matter. After all, if Leon didn't give her control over his body, there was nothing she could do. She was nothing more than a remnant thought attached to the Holy Blade.

By the time Eris had concluded her lecture and Verso begun his, Leon had already investigated the traitors and their backgrounds in detail. And more shockingly…

'Even the Chairman of the Hyades United Bank is compromised. Amon… your fears weren't unfounded.'

The previous Chairman of the Hyades United Bank assisted the Demon Cult and was cast out. That was a well known fact. But to think that his successor was also part of the dastardly organisation. It seemed that the capital had been rotten to the core.

'We'll need to…'

Before Leon could complete his train of thought, he sensed something unthinkable… At a location not far from the ampitheatre, he sensed a trace of holy power. And not just that… the holy power… was laced with something more sinister.

Demonic mana.

But that wasn't what had Leon tongue-tied. It was the holy power itself. It felt familiar, warm, and more importantly… it belonged to someone he knew very well.

'Sir Arthur!'