He pulled the map closer and traced the route with his finger. "Here's the path we'll take. Main road for the first day through relatively safe territory. Then we branch off onto less-traveled paths as we approach the forest. The Illusion Forest's boundary is here—" he tapped the edge of the massive green area "—and once you pass through it, Merc Assault's fortress is approximately half a day's walk on the other side."

Satou studied the map carefully, committing the route and landmarks to memory. Then something occurred to him, something he should have noticed earlier. "Loki, where's Cassius? He's usually at your side during important meetings like this."

Loki's expression shifted slightly, becoming more calculating. "I sent Cassius on a critical reconnaissance mission three days ago. He's currently monitoring Chronus's territory and movements."

Loki leaned forward, his voice dropping to something more serious. "Here's the reality, Satou—Chronus is predictable in some ways, but he's also centuries old and dangerously cunning. If he discovers we're hunting down Merc Assault, he might try to interfere. Either to protect his investment and salvage something from his failed assassination attempt, or to eliminate both you and the assassin to cover his tracks and remove any evidence of his involvement."

Loki's eyes were hard. "Cassius is watching for any unusual troop movements, any activation of temporal magic on a large scale, any signs that Chronus is preparing to deploy forces. If that temporal bastard makes a move toward the Howling Wastes or your settlement, Cassius will send immediate warning through communication crystals."

That made tactical sense. Knowing your enemy's movements was crucial when planning any operation, especially when that enemy was a Tenth Seat demon lord with time manipulation abilities.

"Smart," Satou acknowledged. "Chronus already tried to kill me once, he might take direct action to salvage the situation."

"Exactly my concern," Loki agreed. "Which is why Cassius is monitoring rather than accompanying us. He's my eyes on Chronus while we deal with Merc Assault."

Then Loki stood, and his expression became solemn as he placed his hand over his heart in the traditional demon lord gesture of oath-binding. Magical energy swirled around him, responding to the formal invocation.

"But don't worry about your settlement while you're away, Satou," Loki said, his voice taking on the resonance of a magically enforced vow. "I'm leaving fifteen of my personal guard here—Elites who have served me for decades. They will reinforce your existing defenses and patrol your borders."

The magical energy intensified, forming visible patterns in the air around him. "And I stake my reputation as a demon lord, my honor and my title, on this oath: I will protect your home, your people, everything you've built here. I will defend this settlement as if it were my own territory. Anyone who tries to attack while you're gone—whether it's Chronus's forces, opportunistic raiders, or anyone else—will have to go through me first."

The oath settled into place with an almost audible snap, the magical bindings wrapping around Loki and anchoring to his very existence. His eyes flashed with power as the vow was sealed.

Such oaths were not given lightly in the demon realm. They carried real magical and political weight. If Loki failed to uphold his promise, if he allowed Satou's settlement to be attacked or destroyed while he was supposed to be protecting it, the oath would backlash. His power would be diminished, his reputation shattered, possibly even his seat among the demon lords revoked.

The fact that Loki was willing to bind himself like this spoke volumes about both his commitment to their alliance and his personal hatred of Chronus.

Satou felt genuine relief wash through him. One of his biggest concerns about leaving had been the settlement's vulnerability in his absence. Yes, Grendel and the other warriors were capable, Jessica and Lyra's tactical mind was sharp. But against a demon lord's forces, or against a coordinated attack by multiple enemies, they would struggle.

With Loki's forces reinforcing their defenses and Loki's personal oath of protection, that vulnerability was significantly reduced.

"Thank you, Loki," Satou said sincerely, returning the formal gesture with his own hand over his heart. "Your oath means more than you know. My people... they're everything to me. Every single person in this settlement depends on me to keep them safe, to eliminate threats before they can reach our home."

Movement caught Satou's attention—Lyra had been standing quietly throughout the entire discussion, observing everything with her usual composed professionalism. But now she stepped forward, and Satou could see the carefully controlled emotion behind her eyes.

Before Satou could say anything—before he could offer reassurances or make promises about coming back safely—Lyra closed the distance between them and pulled him into a fierce embrace.

Her arms wrapped around him with surprising strength, and he could feel her trembling despite her best efforts to maintain composure. Her face pressed against his chest, and he felt moisture seeping through his shirt—tears she was trying desperately to hide.

"I know what you're going to say," Lyra whispered, her voice carefully controlled despite the emotion threatening to overwhelm it. "You're going to tell me not to worry, that you'll be careful, that you'll come back safely. You're going to make promises and offer reassurances."

She pulled back just enough to look up at his face, and her eyes were red-rimmed, shimmering with tears that threatened to spill over. "Don't. Don't say any of that right now. Save it for when you come back."

Her voice dropped to barely a whisper, thick with emotion. "Say it when you're standing here in front of me again, whole and alive. After you've fulfilled your revenge on Merc Assault. After you've ended this threat once and for all. After you've proven to yourself that he didn't break you, that you're still strong enough to face your nightmares and destroy them."

Tears finally spilled over, running down her cheeks in streams she couldn't control. "Then you can say whatever you want. Then you can make all the promises you want. But right now, all I need you to know is..."

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