"It's... a hidden door."

Sheira's POV

As both of us stood there, the wall suddenly opened and revealed a route directly into it.

Is this what those people from earlier were referring to? Anything behind the castle walls may be true. The only way to find out is to investigate on our own.

Eamon's POV

So, that's it. The secret entrance to something we could never have imagined before. Maybe we'll be able to locate something valuable that those people desire. The King must have kept these goods hidden from us, even the military, in a secure location. That is to say, there is a vital item beyond the castle walls that must be guarded and secured.

Fortunately, she was leaning against this wall, so we could find what the King was looking for. Now that we've figured out how to get in, we should hurry up and complete our job.

Sheira appeared to be taken aback by what she had done. But there's no time to squander because the King is eagerly waiting for our good news. I should lead the way in slowly, without making any noise that would draw attention from the outside.

Sheira's POV

"Sheira."

"What?"

"Make sure the door is locked," He added.

While I walked slowly towards the door to inspect it, Eamon began to move a few steps deeper within the wall.

"It's locked," I confirmed.

Eamon turned to face me and nodded, indicating that he understood. I decided to follow him inside the walls as he continued walking forward.

He took a candle from the table and lit it to illuminate the path inside. From behind, I slowly followed him, making sure everything was in order.

The path to the inside was so extensive that we'd been walking for quite some time and still hadn't arrived. I had no idea there was a place this deep inside the castle wall, or what was kept behind those massive walls.

We finally arrived after a few minutes of walking. A small room hidden behind the wall was crammed with books and other things inside. These items appear to have been stored here for a long time.

"Look for anything important. I'll check the right side while you check the left," he commanded.

Without wasting a moment, Eamon began his search, meticulously going through each book and crate. I followed suit, carefully examining everything to ensure that we didn't miss anything.

As I was engrossed in my search, Eamon called out my name. "Sheira, come here," he said, as if he had stumbled upon something significant. He held up an old book with a crimson-colored cover, on which two words were scribbled: '黑暗'.

"Hei-an?" I repeated, feeling a sense of intrigue and confusion. We both fell silent, unsure of the meaning behind those words. Could it be a regular book with an unusual title, or does it hold a deeper significance in this context?

Eamon opened the book and started flipping through the pages rapidly, catching me off guard. But something felt off. He kept flipping through the pages, but all he found were old, blank sheets without a single word written on them.

As I resumed my search, the sound of pages turning continued. It went on for a while before suddenly coming to a halt, just like Eamon. Curiosity piqued, I glanced towards the end of the book where he remained motionless. I approached him to see what had caught his attention, causing him to become still and unresponsive for a brief moment.

As I got closer, I saw that the page he was reading had only a few words written on it. Carefully reading the words, I too was struck with astonishment and rendered speechless. It was just a single sentence, but it carried profound meaning. The dizziness and confusion overwhelmed me as a flood of questions flooded my mind.

"Annihilate the master of Heians, and the Heians shall face extinction," the book stated.

"What does it mean by killing its master? Do the Heians have their own King or Queen who controls them?" I asked, trying to make sense of the cryptic message.

"Who knows, we need to find out," Eamon replied.

"But how do we track down its master? Even after fighting them for so long, I couldn't distinguish any hierarchy among them," I expressed my frustration and confusion.

Eamon fell silent once again, closing his eyes and wearing a serious expression mixed with a tinge of frustration. He then shared a few words with me regarding the issue we had been discussing.

"I believe I have figured out who the master is," he stated.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

Eamon nodded. "I realized it on the day you lost your friends."

Aria, Blair, and Cara. Was he referring to them? The day I... lost them. Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind, depicting how a Heian had taken the lives of my three younger sisters. That... I sighed.

"During the time when I held you back from pursuing the creature. Do you remember?" He questioned.

I replied, "Yes..."

"As I was about to leave that place, I noticed a Heian that was twice the size of the average ones we usually encounter during our expeditions," he mentioned.

A Heian in a larger size? I had never come across a bigger one despite numerous battles. Regular Heians already stood at three meters tall, making it challenging for humans to reach their necks and strike them. Dealing with a larger Heian would be even more difficult, especially since we knew nothing about its fighting capabilities. Making the wrong decision could spell our doom.

Curious, I asked, "So, this larger Heian is the master?"

"We don't know for sure, but it seems like the most likely scenario at the moment," he finished his words.

It was possible that this massive Heian was their master, as Eamon suggested. However, we couldn't confirm it until we knew the whole truth.

As I took a step back, I heard the sound of paper being stepped on. My hands moved on their own accord, picking up the piece of paper from the floor. I examined it closely and realized it was an unfamiliar map. Surprisingly, this map could hold valuable information for us.

A large drawing of a kingdom with the word "自由" (ZiYou) catches my attention.

"Ziyou?" I asked.

"Our kingdom," he said.

Our focus shifts to the southeast corner of the map, where there are numerous drawings of an ancient tree. Above it, the word "Lair" is written. What does it mean? Is this the Heian's lair? Where did this information come from? Once again, a flurry of questions filled my mind, seeking answers that had yet to be found.

With the discoveries we have made so far, we have made significant progress and are getting closer to our ultimate goal of saving the world from extinction. The reign of the Heian dynasty should no longer hold sway over humanity. It is now our responsibility as humans to bring about change.

"Prepare yourself, we're leaving soon," Eamon declared as he faced the exit.

"Where are we going?" I inquired.

Eamon came to a stop and turned to face me, locked eyes with determination. He said, "To save the world."

To be continued...