Time passed.
Above the massive hole—
the Holy Knights who had remained behind were still positioned around the entrance.
They waited patiently.
Then—
**WHOOSH!**
A figure suddenly leapt out from the darkness.
The knights immediately turned their attention toward it.
Another figure followed.
Then another.
One after another—
Aurelia, Lucan, and the Holy Knights who had descended into the ruins emerged from the hole.
Aurelia landed lightly on the ground.
She looked toward the knights waiting above.
"Everything is fine."
She glanced toward the massive hole behind her.
"We're done here."
The Holy Knights immediately relaxed.
Aurelia turned toward the vehicles.
"Let's go."
The group quickly began moving.
They boarded the military vehicles one after another.
The Dresvalle officer who had accompanied them approached Aurelia before they departed.
"Your Highness..."
Lucan looked toward him.
"Where are you heading now?"
"Are you returning to the skyport?"
Lucan shook his head.
"No."
"We're going to the spatial port."
The officer looked surprised.
"The spatial port?"
Lucan nodded.
"Yes."
"There are things we need to investigate there."
The officer hesitated before nodding.
"Understood."
He quickly gave the order for the vehicles to move.
The engines roared to life.
**VROOOOM!**
The vehicles began moving through the streets of Dresvalle.
---
Meanwhile—
At the spatial port of Dresvalle—
Holy Knights had already been stationed throughout the massive facility.
They stood near the entrances, along the walkways, and around the damaged sections of the port.
Inside the enormous hall—
Commander Roland stood beside one of the spatial platforms.
His gaze remained fixed on the damaged spatial transfer circle in front of him.
Several mages were positioned around the formation.
They carefully examined the engraved lines and the remaining traces of mana.
The circle had been badly damaged during the battle.
Parts of its formation had cracked.
Some of the engraved lines had been destroyed completely.
Yet the mages continued their work.
Suddenly—
the sound of approaching vehicles echoed through the hall.
**VROOOOM!**
The vehicles entered the spatial port.
They slowly came to a stop.
The doors opened.
Holy Knights stepped out first.
Lucan followed.
Then—
Aurelia stepped out of the vehicle.
She looked around the massive hall.
The Holy Knights quickly moved into position around her.
Aurelia began walking forward.
Lucan followed beside her.
Commander Roland noticed their arrival.
His expression immediately became serious.
The mages around the damaged spatial circle also stopped what they were doing for a moment.
Aurelia continued deeper into the hall.
Her gaze eventually settled on the damaged spatial transfer circle.
She stared at it in silence.
There was still much they needed to uncover.
And the spatial port might hold another piece of the mystery.
Aurelia continued walking through the massive hall.
Lucan followed beside her.
The Holy Knights remained close behind.
As they approached the damaged spatial transfer circle, Commander Roland stepped forward.
He stopped before Aurelia and bowed.
"Your Highness."
Aurelia looked toward him.
"Commander Roland."
She glanced around the hall.
"Tell me about the situation."
Roland straightened.
"As you know, based on what we were told, the Demon King's son came here."
"And after that..."
He looked toward the spatial platforms.
"That was the last place he was seen."
"So we assumed he may have used the spatial port to leave."
Aurelia nodded slightly.
"Under your orders, we've searched the entire port."
"We examined the entrances, the surrounding platforms, and every spatial formation that could still be inspected."
Roland turned toward the damaged circle.
"This is the only thing we've found that might give us an answer."
Aurelia and Lucan looked toward the formation.
Aurelia narrowed her eyes.
"The damaged circle?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lucan frowned.
"I don't understand."
"What makes this a clue?"
Roland looked at him.
"Because the damage doesn't match the battle."
Lucan's expression changed slightly.
"What?"
Roland pointed toward the surrounding area.
"When we first saw it, we assumed the same thing."
"We thought the circle had simply been damaged during the fighting."
"But the mages examined it more carefully."
He gestured toward the floor.
"Look at the surrounding stone."
Aurelia's gaze moved across the area.
The floor surrounding the circle was intact.
The nearby platforms were undamaged.
The pillars were still standing.
Even the engraved structures surrounding the formation showed no signs of impact.
Roland continued.
"If this formation had been destroyed by an attack, we would expect the surrounding area to show some damage as well."
"But it doesn't."
He pointed toward the center of the formation.
"Only the spatial circle was affected."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed.
"And the other circles?"
Roland turned toward them.
"They're intact."
Lucan looked across the hall.
There were several spatial transfer circles positioned throughout the massive port.
None had suffered the same damage.
Roland continued.
"That's what made us investigate this one further."
Aurelia stepped closer.
"What did the mages find?"
Roland looked toward the formation.
"The damage isn't concentrated around the edges."
"It's concentrated along the core of the formation."
Lucan stared.
"The core?"
Roland nodded.
"According to the mages, the central pathways were overloaded."
"Not broken by force."
"Overloaded."
Aurelia's expression became serious.
"Overloaded by what?"
"Spatial mana."
Roland answered.
"The traces remaining in the formation indicate that an enormous amount of spatial mana was forced through it in a very short period."
Lucan's eyes widened.
"So..."
Roland nodded.
"The formation wasn't destroyed by someone attacking it."
"It was damaged because it was pushed beyond its limits."
Silence.
Aurelia stared at the circle.
Roland continued.
"And there's something else."
He pointed toward one of the damaged sections.
"Some of the formation's channels show signs of mana flowing in the wrong direction."
Lucan frowned.
"Wrong direction?"
"The circle normally distributes the spatial mana through several channels before completing the transfer."
"But these channels show signs that the mana was being forced through the formation faster than it was designed to handle."
Aurelia slowly understood.
"So whoever used it..."
"Forced the circle to go beyond its normal limit."
Roland nodded.
"That's what the mages believe."
Lucan stared at the damaged formation.
"And there was no destination circle?"
Roland shook his head.
"Not that we could find."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed.
"Then the transfer couldn't have been a normal linked transmission."
"No."
Roland looked toward her.
"If their theory is correct..."
"The user forced the spatial circle to perform a long-distance transfer without a corresponding destination formation."
Lucan's expression hardened.
"So they weren't simply using the port."
"They were forcing it to send them somewhere."
Roland nodded.
"Exactly."
Aurelia remained silent.
She looked at the damaged circle again.
The cracked formation.
The intact surroundings.
The traces of spatial mana.
Everything pointed toward the same conclusion.
This wasn't damage left behind by the battle.
This was the aftermath of the transfer itself.
Lucan finally spoke.
"Then..."
"This really could be the circle he used."
Roland nodded.
"That's what we believe."
Aurelia looked toward the mages surrounding the formation.
"And if they continue examining it?"
Roland answered immediately.
"They may be able to determine more."
"Perhaps even the direction of the spatial distortion."
Lucan looked at Aurelia.
"If they can determine that..."
Aurelia finished his thought.
"We may be able to determine where he went."
She stared at the damaged circle.
"The question is whether just the damaged circle alone will be enough."
Roland nodded.
"That's what the mages are trying to determine now."
Aurelia's expression became serious.
"Then have them continue."
"We need to know where the son of the Demon King went."