The Leonardo Grimoire shone so brightly it filled the entire mausoleum with light. For a brief moment, the whole space was turned into a pure white dimension.
The light from the Leonardo Grimoire then gradually diminished and the book flew back to Evelyn's hands with its first page opened.
Evelyn looked at the opened first page and noticed something had changed.
The blank spaces the page used to have, which Evelyn thought as the ink fading, now had been filled with ancient writings, complementing the content of the book. Turning it into a perfect text.
Evelyn formed a huge smile at this outcome.
"(So this is why You sent me to this family.)"
Dumbfounded, Hannah and Bryce went over to their daughter.
"Evelyn, my daughter, what just happened?!" asked Hannah. "You recited a spell I've never heard of before!"
"And that light! It never happened in our previous pilgrimages!" said Bryce.
Before Evelyn could give them a response, she frowned and glared towards the exit. She sensed something ominous projected towards them.
Suddenly a loud eerie scream could be heard coming from outside, from a great distance away from the mausoleum.
"What was that?!" shouted Hannah.
"No way!" distressed Bryce.
Evelyn's face turned fierce. She proclaimed to the other two what just caused the terrible noise.
"Demons." claimed Evelyn. Her voice and gaze were as fierce as those of a lioness.
The young lady shut the grimoire and quickly ran toward the stairs.
"We've no time! Let's head back up!"
As they went back upstairs, they met with one of the knights who was standing guard outside.
It seemed the knight had rushed into the mausoleum with worries after hearing the horrifying scream.
"What's happening outside?" asked Bryce.
"DEMONS! DEMONS ARE APPROACHING, SIRE!" shouted the knight with a face full of terror.
"WHAT?! HOW COULD--"
"--What kind of demons?" Evelyn suddenly cut in.
Her expression was composed and yet full of caution. The sound of the word 'demon' did not seem to fear her, unlike the knight.
"I-I-I--"
The knight had trouble conveying his words because of how scared he was.
"SPEAK, SOLDIER! WE'VE NO TIME TO WASTE!" spoke Evelyn sternly.
Hannah and Bryce were surprised by their daughter's stoic attitude. Never could they imagine their sickly daughter would act so bravely like this.
Evelyn's sudden burst brought a little sense of courage back to the knight. Enough for him to continue his report.
"AH! A pack of three-headed dog each the size of a house accompanied by a dark wyvern!" stated the knight.
"(That combination... Could it be…)"
Evelyn frowned after hearing the report. She then requested a confirmation from the knight.
"Were the three-headed dogs had their flesh torn off in several places revealing their bones? And was there a hooded demon riding the wyvern while carrying a staff?"
"I-I think so!"
"(Just as I thought...)" thought Evelyn.
Hannah and Bryce gasped at the description.
"They're the same kind as the ones that attacked us on our last pilgrimage with you, Evelyn!" said Hannah.
"I'm certain they're the same demons, mother."
"But we've killed it! I saw the dealing blow with my own eyes!" said Bryce in frustration.
Evelyn shook her head at her father's statement.
"A lich has its way to stay alive. It must have sneaked away with its forces in a way that you'd think they were killed." stated Evelyn.
She continued to explain about the demon with full confidence.
"When lichs are heavily damaged, they'd need time to recuperate depending on the dark energy available to their access. After all these years, it's likely the lich have regained most of its power, resurrected its army, and intends to pursue what it failed to accomplish years ago."
Bryce and Hannah were astounded by the knowledge their daughter had gained after her recovery. They did not bother to question her and decided to think about the situation at hand.
"Then we've no choice but to fight back!" said Bryce.
"But how are we going to face them this time, my love?" asked Hannah to her husband. "Last time it took the help of the Adventurer's Guild, the church, and Duke Shaughnessy's provincial army to fight them off!"
Bryce hesitated to answer, because he, actually, did not have an answer.
But an answer did come, only not from where the people there expected.
"Father, I want you and the knights light a firewall on the grounds around the mausoleum." instructed Evelyn. "Though they're undead, the three-headed dogs will still slightly hesitate getting past the fire. It will buy us time."
Hannah, Bryce, and the knight were surprised by Evelyn's level-headedness in such dire situation.
They never expected for the sickly Evelyn who had spent most of her live in bed due to a curse to be able to muster such precise order, against demons nonetheless.
They all quietly stared her in confusion.
"HURRY!" shouted Evelyn to her father and the knight.
Due to the urgency of the situation and the state of panic they were in, they could not even think of questioning her.
Evelyn then turned to Hannah. She showed her mother the Leonardo Grimoire
"Mother, I just found a spell in this book that could help us with our predicament. But I need your help."
"What?! What are you talking about?! What are you planning to do against those--"
Evelyn reached to her mother's hand, calming her down.
"I need you to trust me, mother. Please!"