You think you're worthy of saving the world?

That eerie scene was like—

Yuri is the true lord of Graycastle, while Crimson and Vicious are like witches serving him!

"..."

Just as one of the witches was about to say something, she immediately shut her mouth.

Because she saw the hideous, deep red egg hanging on the black-haired boy's chest—

Good morning, witches.

Yuri casually pulled out a chair and sat down with a smile.

"Let's start with a cup of black tea."

Arrival in Valpugis at 070

The promised opening day finally arrived.

Recently, many unfamiliar faces have appeared on the borders of the Kingdom of Arthas.

The news that the beautiful Lady Valpurgis and the legendary elven princess had jointly convened a dueling tournament to select a "hero" spread throughout the entire continent.

The dueling tournament is an ancient tradition that began in the early days of the Holy Era, while the legend of the "Hero" saving the world is even more ancient.

Now, the legend is turning a new page.

Knights, warriors, and valiant men from three major countries, along with countless hot-blooded men, rushed from all directions, bringing with them a restless and fervent atmosphere.

Workers moved back and forth along the city wall without stopping for a moment, busily building brand-new defensive fortifications.

An elven army also arrived from the distant Kingdom of the Sacred Tree, stationed itself here, and began its orderly training.

All signs indicate that a war is about to break out.

However, the people in the city did not seem to care about the brutal war, but were more concerned about the upcoming dueling tournament and the selection of the "hero".

Residents were immersed in the festive atmosphere, while officials planned to use the event to generate revenue for next year's budget.

The warriors gathered here reveled in the title of "Hero" and the unparalleled glory and favor of beauties it could bring them.

The children were arguing noisily about who would be the strongest fighter to win the final duel.

However, beneath this prosperity, some unstable factors are actually hidden.

"Madam, were you looking for me?"

A blonde elf dressed in a green ranger outfit strode briskly into the city hall office.

Rosalia was sitting at the desk.

These past few days she's been busy with the dueling tournament in her territory, barely getting any sleep, and a hint of fatigue has appeared on her beautiful face.

"Tia, you've come at the right time. Take a look at this."

As she said this, Rosalia handed a report to Tia.

The fairy princess picked up the report and began to read it carefully.

"Three days ago, the guards discovered a decapitated male corpse in a small alley in the west of the city. Based on the identification documents found on the body, it was determined that the deceased was a contestant who came to Walpughis to participate in the tournament."

“Yesterday morning, a body was found in front of the town's church. The cause of death was that the right hand had been cut off and the heart had been pierced. The deceased was a contestant who came from the Augusta Empire to participate in the tournament.”

“Yesterday evening, a body was found in a trash can in the East City Market. It had been severed from the left shoulder to the right side of the waist and the victim died instantly. The deceased was a native of Arthas who had registered for the dueling tournament a week ago.”

As she read, Tia's expression grew increasingly grim.

These reports are all about murders that have occurred within the territory in the past week.

In less than seven days, a total of ten murders occurred.

Even though many outsiders and foreigners have recently flocked to Valpughis because of the dueling tournament, and the combative men have caused a series of security problems, the number is clearly abnormal.

Moreover, the deceased had another very obvious characteristic: they were all registered contestants who came to Walpugis to participate in the dueling tournament.

The elven princess looked up and asked, "Madam, could this be...?"

Rosalia nodded: "Professionals have already examined the bodies, and all the victims were killed by the same weapon."

It's safe to assume that the killer is the same person; a serial killer targeting tournament participants has emerged in Valpurgis..."

Tia's pupils dilated slightly as she blurted out, "Could it be the witch's doing!?"

"..."

Rosalia was stunned: Has Tia come to hate witches to this extent?

"We can't rule out the possibility that the murderer is a witch, but the chances are very, very small," Rosalia asserted.

Why would you think that?

Tia countered that if the situation was based on the corpse, then witches also possessed similar magic and could easily create the illusion of being killed by swords.

The Grand Duchess shook her head and explained.

"Because all the deceased were warriors and knights with specialized skills, many of whom were highly capable fighters..."

If a witch wanted to take revenge on us, she wouldn't need to specifically target people like this, would she? They don't discriminate when committing evil.

I believe that the perpetrators of these crimes should also be contestants in this competition.

That guy desperately wanted to prove his strength to everyone, which is why he searched for strong people all over town and fought them in private.

Sadly, the victims ultimately succumbed to the killer and lost their lives.

"I see, as expected of Madam..."

Tia gritted her teeth: "Just to prove your strength, you take other people's lives at will?! Isn't the purpose of swordsmanship to help the weak and uphold justice?"

"Well... everyone has a different opinion."

Rosalia turned her face to look out the window: at least when she learned swordsmanship, it was only to boast to her father and mother that she was an omnipotent genius...

"lady!"

The elven girl's resolute voice interrupted Rosalia's distant memories.

Tia said with a serious expression, "Please hand this case over to me. I will find the culprit who disrupted the territory's security before the conference."

"No way," Rosalia said immediately.

"Why!"

Rosalia said unhappily, "Isn't it only natural that you are the princess of the Holy Tree Kingdom?"

All the men who have gathered in this town now are here for you.

On the day of the conference, I'll have you dressed in formal attire and present the medal to the "Hero"...

"You actually thought of catching a vicious criminal? What if you get your pretty face injured? You'd better stay put for the next couple of days."

"I have absolutely no interest in that kind of thing!"

Although Tia was resolute, Rosalia was even more resolute.

"Princess Tia, please give this information to the members of the Holy Tree Kingdom's advance team and ask them to help maintain order in the town."

"……Yes."

With a resentful expression, Tia left the room.

Once outside, she continued to read through the reports as she walked, her mind still unsettled.

No... we can't just let it go like this...!

I'm not a princess locked in a cage! Nor am I the prize for winning the competition!

The girl made up her mind to sneak out of her room that night to find the murderer lurking in the town and bring him to justice.

……

……

……

That same afternoon, Yuri and the "Crimson Witch" entered the city of Valpughis.

Of course, they were not the only ones who entered this border city; there were also eleven other witches, including the "wicked witch."

At yesterday morning's meeting, Yuri proposed a plan to use this dueling tournament to conquer Valpugis territory and launch the "Witch's Night".

Whether it was because the plan itself was so tempting, or because the "Demon King's Egg" was too irresistible for the witches to ignore... they were still unaware of the truth behind "Witch's Night".

Ultimately, the roundtable meeting unanimously approved the proposal.

Now, all twelve witches of Greyhold are disguised as tourists, lurking in the streets of the town.

The dueling tournament will begin in three days.

In Yuri's plan, that day would be the night the witch descended, marking the disappearance of Valpugis territory from the map.

Similarly, it was the day he completed the Singularity raid.

071 Reunion

Because of the tournament, Valpugis has become a popular tourist destination.

The streets, shops, and bars were packed with people, and even hotels were fully booked.

Yuri was sitting on a bench in front of the hotel, comfortably drinking soda and reading the local newspaper.

Today's front-page headline is "A mysterious serial killer has appeared in the city! Citizens and tourists are advised to avoid going out at night!"

"Hmph, a serial killer who targets the strong, huh..." Yuri stroked his chin, suddenly becoming interested.

After a while, a stunningly beautiful woman with her blonde hair pulled high back walked out of the hotel across the street.

She appeared to be in her late twenties, with a full and shapely figure, slender and well-proportioned hands and feet, and an incredible charm that drew the attention of passersby.

The Crimson Witch sat down next to Yuri: "My King, the room has been booked... the inn only has double rooms left."

"Only double rooms left?"

Yuri glanced at her suspiciously, then took the keys without saying anything more.

"You've worked hard, would you like a drink?"

Yuri handed her a soda with a straw, and the latter trembled upon hearing this: "Can...can I drink it too?"