[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: The Deathless Fortress]

The trip down through the fortress should not have been long. In terms of distance, it wasn't. But every step had been full of tension—every movement needed to avoid the Deseruit Beasts prowling the ruined corridors. More than once, the three of them had to press themselves against stone walls or duck behind collapsed pillars as another huge Deseruit Beast prowled past.

Alexander found himself repeatedly checking Ivan, then checking Robert, then checking the dark corridors around them. Even Robert, for all his relaxed demeanor, walked quietly, like a man who understood the seriousness of the place even if he didn't show it.

At the end of a swirling stairwell carved directly into the stone, they came to a stop. They reached what was beneath the fortress.

The underground space stretched out like a natural cavern fused with the architecture of the fortress—stone walls reinforced with iron struts, old lanterns hanging at uneven intervals, some lit, some fallen and others shattered

The cavern was enormous, the kind of hidden expanse that felt like it shouldn't exist beneath anything man-made.

Ivan exhaled slowly, eyes sweeping over the space.

Prisoners and guards were gathered in clusters across the cavern floor. The guards wore full helms, but even so, the slight tremors in their stances, the stiffness of their posture, the way they kept glancing upward—everything told Ivan they were terrified. The prisoners, lacking helmets, could not hide their fear at all. Tremors ran through their hands. Eyes darted at every sound. Shoulders curled inward every time another thud or far-off roar rumbled from above.

There were far more people than Ivan expected—maybe hundreds, maybe even more. It made sense, he supposed; the fortress stretched far and wide. But seeing them all crammed into one cavern, breathing unevenly, clinging to hope only because they had nothing else left—it was sobering.

"This place is huge," Alexander murmured, stepping to Ivan's side. His voice echoed slightly in the cavern. "This was seriously under the fortress this whole time?" He sniffed the air again, then grimaced sharply. "And what the hell is that smell? It's like something died then got fermented."

"The smell of dead cultists," Robert answered lightly, as though the subject didn't warrant more gravity. Ivan and Alexander both gave him confused looks. "Apparently Koschei was assisting cultists—the Serpentmother's Covenant, if memory serves. They were using this cavern as a base."

"Seriously?" Alexander stared at the far side of the cavern, where crates were stacked haphazardly. He wrinkled his nose harder, taking a half-step back. "But you said they were dead?"

A soft, reverent smile warmed Robert's features.

"All thanks to dear Ella again. She took it upon herself to rid this world of those decrepit cultists." His expression brightened even more, almost glowing. "She truly does go above and beyond, doesn't she?"

Ivan rubbed the back of his neck, not sure what to make of Robert's tone. Something between admiration, devotion, and something else entirely.

"But why was that sorcerer Koschei keeping them hidden down here?" Ivan asked. His brows furrowed. "Was he working with them? Using them? Something else?" His voice dipped slightly, troubled.

Robert shrugged, almost weightless. "Who can say? Koschei is as unpredictable as he is evil. I wouldn't bother trying to understand that man's mind."

Ivan's breath hitched at that, and he glanced down.

He remembered their first encounter with Koschei with crystal clarity—the oppressive mana that had flooded the air, thick and suffocating, like a storm cloud laced with malice. It wasn't a presence he could describe easily. It was the kind of aura that told him instinctively, without room for doubt, that the man was something fundamentally wrong with the world. A walking corruption.

("To think people like that exist…") Ivan inhaled, slow and shaky. ("I really hope we never encounter him again.")

He shook his head slightly, as if physically pushing the memory away. Now wasn't the time to dwell on fear.

"I remember Tamamo mentioning that most of the Deseruit Beasts came from underground," Ivan said. "Were they really all here?"

"Seems so. Dearest Ella said as much," Robert replied.

"For real?" Alexander blurted out. He gestured vaguely around them. "That many Deseruit Beasts were just… docile here? That doesn't make sense. Most of the ones attacking were feral, not the intelligent kind. There's no way a horde of them just sat down here quietly without tearing everything apart."

"Right…" Ivan nodded, his expression tightening. "Unless…" He hesitated. "Unless there was something—or someone—keeping them under control. Or maybe directing them." His fingers tightened around the talisman at his side. "A… source," he murmured.

Robert inhaled softly. "I do not know the specifics," he said. "But Ella mentioned the name Echidna."

Both Ivan and Alexander froze.

"Echidna…" Ivan whispered, his frown deepening. ("That's the name Dante mentioned…")

The Mother of Monsters. A being Dante had spoken of with a tone Ivan had rarely heard from him—caution. Tamamo had described her similarly. A creature on par with Gods.

Alexander's expression hardened as well, but underneath, Ivan saw the same ripple of unease. If Echidna were truly involved…

No. No presence that powerful was anywhere near here. Ivan would have felt it. Alexander would have sensed it.

He forced that thought into hope.

He prayed this Echidna was not real.

"But come," Robert said, breaking their shared paralysis. He clasped his hands behind his back again, posture relaxed as if they weren't standing under a fortress full of monsters. "Let us meet with dear Ella. She's deeper in."

Alexander let out a breath that shook slightly, though he tried to mask it with a forced exhale through his nose.

"Yeah… yeah, alright," he murmured. "Lead on."

Ivan glanced again at the gathered prisoners and guards once more. Faces tightened. Eyes full of fear. Some were whispering among themselves; others clutched each other's hands. The cavern felt fragile with so many.

("Ella saved all of them,") Ivan thought. ("But… how did she choose who was deserving?")

He swallowed.

Who decided who deserved saving? And how did they decide?

He felt the question scrape against something inside him, an odd discomfort. There was always a chance for people to change. Even those with severe crimes could grow, shift, become something different.

Did that make them deserving?

Or did their past actions forever stain them?

He didn't know. He wasn't sure anyone did.

But the unease lingered as they continued moving through the cavern. As they did, they could feel dozens of eyes following them. Some were curious, others suspicious, and a few were so exhausted that they barely registered anything beyond their immediate misery. The guards were no different—tense, weary, gripping their weapons tighter whenever a Deseruit Beast screech echoed beyond the cavern's walls.

"You two look like you might break into a sprint at any moment," Robert said again, glancing back with an easy smile. He seemed oddly comfortable walking through a cramped cavern filled with frightened people. "Lady Ella will be glad to see capable allies. She appreciates — how shall I put it — useful company."

"I sure hope so…" Alexander murmured, though the tone in his voice made Ivan raise a brow. It wasn't worry—no, Alexander sounded almost eager. Excited, even. Ivan didn't need magic or intuition to guess why.

("Seriously, Alexander…") Ivan sighed internally, rubbing the back of his neck. He supposed he could understand it, to a degree. Ella was beautiful—breathtaking, really. But even that description felt lacking, almost insulting to what she truly was. She didn't look real. More like something carved with perfection, as if an artist had sculpted the idea of beauty itself and then breathed life into it.

But it wasn't just her face, or her hair, or her posture. It was something else—a strange, almost uncanny aura around her. The mismatch between her delicate appearance and her vulgar, dismissive tone made her feel too unique.

Ivan exhaled slowly and shook his head, as though trying to shake loose a fog.

("Great, now I'm thinking about her too.")

Exactly what he needed—both of them distracted by the same girl while the cavern above threatened to collapse under swarms of Deseruit beasts.

They continued weaving through narrow tunnels, the chatter of prisoners and guards dying out behind them. It wasn't long before Robert suddenly slowed while the cavern widened ahead.

"Oh—looks like she's already waiting," Robert said with a slightly amused chuckle.

Ivan felt Alexander straighten beside him, shoulders tensing, the faintest hitch in breath giving him away.

There she was.

Ella sat perched on a broad slab of stone as if it were her personal throne, her legs elegantly crossed. She wasn't doing anything important or dramatic— not meditating, not checking on those in the cavern, not strategizing. Instead, she studied her black-painted nails with an air of boredom, as if the entire cavern and every soul inside were less interesting than her delicate nails.

Even though Ivan had already met her earlier, seeing her now—silent and almost glowing in the darkness—was startling. That same intricate black dress hugged her petite frame. Her hair was still perfect: flowing and lush, her bangs framing her pale face with impossible symmetry. And then her eyes—radiant and ruby red. Eyes that didn't look entirely human.

As if sensing their presence, those eyes slowly lifted, locking onto them.

Ella lowered her hand, raised a brow, and examined them like she was deciding whether they were worth her time.

"Dearest Ella!" Robert called out, instantly bright. There wasn't even a pause. "I hope you didn't miss me too much. And I trust the cavern hasn't been nearly dull enough in your absence."

"Shut the hell up before I set you on fire," Ella snapped, not even bothering to adjust her posture. Her voice was sharp, and so at odds with her delicate appearance that Ivan once again found himself stunned at how effortlessly she pulled it off.

"You wound me, Ella," Robert declared proudly, bowing with exaggerated flourish. "I am, as ever, merely honored to behold your beauty,"

Ivan genuinely couldn't tell if Robert was fearless or suicidal. Maybe both. Alexander seemed equally unsure. Even Ella paused, blinking once in disbelief, before scoffing.

"I won't put up with your idiocy, fool." She flicked her hair and finally turned her attention to the newcomers. "These two are from earlier. What the hell are you doing here?"

Alexander and Ivan froze like schoolchildren caught somewhere they shouldn't be. Thankfully, Robert stepped in again without hesitation.

"They can help, and I can vouch for them," he announced, gesturing confidently.

Ella leaned her elbow against her knee and rested her chin in her hand. "Go on."

"They say they've got a method to attract and most of the Deseruit Beasts outside the fortress. Enough that we can evacuate everyone here."

Ella's eyes shifted to the talisman Ivan held. She hummed softly, tilting her head. Her legs adjusted slightly, causing her dress to hike just an inch higher.

Alexander immediately flushed crimson and jerked his gaze away. Ivan sputtered quietly and decided staring straight up at the cavern ceiling was safer. Robert, meanwhile, practically glowed, shamelessly appreciating the view like a pilgrim being granted divine revelation.

Ella, of course, noticed none of this.

"Well, if you think they aren't useless…" she murmured. "Having to look after all these people is a huge pain anyway. I'd rather be watching that fight."

Her casual dismissal made Ivan hesitate before raising his voice timidly.

"Uhm… Lady Ella, could I ask something?"

"Huh?" She looked at him again, unblinking. "Go ahead. If it's stupid, I'll beat you."

Ivan's lips pressed into a thin line. Alexander leaned forward with that foolish little look of encouragement, which helped steady him. He drew a breath, the cavern's stale air filling his lungs, and forced the question out.

"Are… are you going to save the others still outside?" he asked.

He did not know if he expected a warm smile, or a scolding for asking something like that. He only knew that beneath the vulgar attitude and the dangerous glare, there had to be a heart somewhere — or not.

Ella's eyes fixed on him, unreadable. For a long beat there was nothing, merely a heavy silence. Then she sighed — not soft, not angry, simply a dismissive sound.

"Are you done?" she said finally, and there was no malice in it. "Or is that the important bit?"

Ivan's heart thudded in his throat. He'd hoped for something different: assurance, maybe, or a spark of empathy.

But it seemed Ella gave nothing easily.

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