Chapter 15: The Need For SSS-rank
King Cillian waved a hand. "No need for formality, Edric. Sit."
Edric did not sit. "Apologies. I wasn’t expecting you."
The king stepped deeper into the room, his gaze drifting over the open ledgers and the smudged chalkboards listing arcane calculations.
"I see you’re already cleaning up the mess." Cillian said. "Diligent as always."
Edric exhaled through his nose. "The ritual was a failure."
Cillian raised a brow. "It summoned heroes. Strong ones. That alone is worth the effort."
The High Magus’s voice dropped. "Yes, but not the one we needed."
Cillian placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then we try again. Keep refining the ritual. When the stars align next year, we cast it again."
Edric closed the ledger. "As you command."
He hesitated. Then, almost reluctantly, he added, "You know the Demon Lord grows stronger by the month. The latest scouts report he’s reached SS-rank. And worse, he’s begun preparing his own ritual."
Cillian nodded grimly. "He’s trying once again to summon the Demon King."
Edric’s eyes darkened. "If he succeeds... and that thing arrives, an SSS-rank being, we’ll have no way to stop him. We really need an SSS-rank hero. And soon."