"What? He killed a Behemoth?"
"...By mistake?"
Their voices overlapped in fragmented disbelief, as if their minds refused to fully process the revelation.
Both Sage Mack and Ascendant Zion turned to stare at Paragon Raizel, their expressions caught between shock and incredulity.
Raizel, however, merely scratched the back of his head, his laughter slow and almost too casual.
"Ha, ha, ha… That just slipped out, boy. Don't mind me." He waved a hand lazily. "When you get old, your mouth gets real loose. Haha. You'll understand when you reach my age."
Northern said nothing, his expression darkening. A shadow of malice flickered across his face.
The Ascendant and Sage turned to him simultaneously.
"Is Paragon Raizel really telling the truth? Did you actually kill a Behemoth—"
"...By mistake?" Sage Mack emphasized, as if that part was particularly important.
Northern remained silent. But he didn't need to answer. His face alone confirmed everything. More importantly, Raizel had no reason to tell a pointless lie.
"How?!" Ascendant Zion pressed, his tone rising. "How did you do it?!"
His voice carried genuine disbelief.
"You're not even an Ascendant yet! Killing a Destroyer should be impossible for you—let alone a Behemoth! Only a Paragon has the right to slay one!"
Northern's expression darkened further.
What nonsense.
He had even killed a Belial before. What did they mean by 'the right' to slay a Behemoth? These people needed to study their assignments better. These days, anyone could kill anything—at least, that was how it worked for him.
Before the conversation could escalate further, Raizel sighed dramatically.
"Hey, you two—back off the poor boy!"
Immediately, both Sage Mack and Ascendant Zion leaned back into their seats, but their curiosity remained evident in their gazes. From time to time, their eyes flickered toward Northern, burning with unspoken questions.
Raizel exhaled, his tone shifting into something more serious.
"So… I'll stop hiding things from you all. What I'm about to say is classified—a high-ranking military secret. And I want you to either die with this knowledge… or leave the room right now."
The air grew heavier.
His gaze swept over them—not with force, but with something far stronger. A quiet, inescapable weight.
"So, I assume we're all on the same page?"
Northern hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his hand.
Before he could even lift it fully, Raizel cut in smoothly.
"Don't worry, Ral. As my disciple, you get an automatic pass."
His grin spread wide—almost too wide.
A grim shadow crossed Northern's face.
Raizel, ignoring the look, clapped his hands once.
"Now then. Let's start from the beginning."
Paragon Raizel leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table as his gaze swept over them.
"Do any of you have any idea who's behind this devastation?"
Ascendant Zion glanced at Sage Mack, their shared confusion evident.
"Isn't the strange behavior of the monsters to blame for that?" Zion questioned. "The only odd thing is why more of them drift towards Lithia. But I wouldn't assume other places have it any easier than we do…"
Northern's eyes widened slightly.
'They don't know…'
He said nothing, but the realization was clear—Ascendant Zion was completely unaware that Lithia was the only city under siege.
Raizel exhaled, turning his head.
"Ral, please explain the situation to them."
Northern was momentarily taken aback. That wasn't mentioned beforehand. He hadn't even known this meeting was happening, much less that he would be speaking in it.
Just like how Raizel hadn't told his subordinates that someone new would be joining them.
'Whatever knack for surprises he's got, it's a bad habit.'
Suppressing his irritation, he exhaled. His cold eyes darkened further as he regarded them with the unfiltered truth.
"Right now, Lithia is the only city under siege by monsters."
Both Sage Mack and Ascendant Zion's eyes widened in shock.
"What?!"
"What did you just say?!" Zion's voice boomed.
Sage Mack, on the other hand, looked troubled, a deep frown settling over his features.
"That doesn't make any sense. Why?"
Northern flicked his gaze toward the Paragon before continuing.
"You've been cut off from the rest of the world. While the military is subtly moving behind the scenes, I don't know exactly how they're controlling monsters on such a massive scale, but one thing is certain—they're the only ones benefiting from what's happening in Lithia."
A tense silence followed.
Ascendant Zion turned to Raizel.
The Paragon sighed, then finally spoke.
"A long, long time ago, I had a friend." His voice was measured, slow. "An incredible and intelligent man. He admired the idea of service—loved the military because, to him, they served the Continent selflessly, without personal greed. That's the kind of person he always wanted to be."
They listened intently as Raizel continued.
"But our paths diverged. He joined the military, rising to become a formidable and influential figure. Then, three years ago, he became a Paragon. That's when he came to me with an offer—to own me. He wanted to dominate the entire continent, level everything into 'equality,' and revolutionize the selfishness of nations and cities."
Raizel's voice took on an edge, his eyes narrowing.
"There were more details to it, but that's not important now. What is important is that I refused him. That was the moment he marked me as his enemy."
The Paragon leaned back slightly, exhaling.
"I believe Lithia's misfortune is directly tied to my presence. Either he wants to keep me trapped here long enough to finish his plans, or he's devised some insidious way to kill me—because he knows I'll be in his way."
A brief silence fell.
Northern studied the man. The moment Raizel finished speaking, he finally said:
"Uh… I'm not sure, but this childhood friend you're talking about—would his name happen to be Dante?"
Raizel visibly stiffened. His body nearly lurched backward from sheer surprise.
For a second, his composure wavered.
Then, as if effortlessly regaining control, he smiled.
"Oh my? You know Dante?"
Northern shrugged.
"Not anything too deep. There was a rift situation in Arcadia, that was where I met him. We challenged it together."
Raizel's mouth dropped open.
"You challenged a rift with Dante?"
Northern casually nodded.
"Yes. I did."