Outside the castle walls, all of us—Heroes and knights alike—stood ready. These knights were not the usual kind; their armor was distinct, and their gazes were cold and stern. They were knights under the Divine Knights, sent by Radakel to either protect us or lead the attack.
"Is everyone gathered and ready?" Radakel asked, his eyes sweeping over the assembled group.
I glanced around. Most of us were indeed present, except for those who were still too scared to fight. Nancy was notably absent.
There was no need to guess what Nancy planned to do while we were away, especially since Amelia, who usually kept an eye on her, wouldn't be around. Nancy would likely enjoy herself with the Emperor, getting even closer to him. I just hoped she was doing it to secure her position and not for any other nefarious reason.
