To say that it was chaotic outside would be an underestimation of how bad the situation was. Everyone tried to save their lives as they ran around like headless chickens. The main building of the temple was on fire, and a lot of huge bodies could be seen all around the place.

"So, the monsters did manage to enter this place after all. Tsk, this is bad. It seems the barrier did not hold up as well as the temple believed it would hold."

The stranger spoke, and Layla felt she should recognize that man. His language was specific, and her brain even felt jolts of recognition when she looked at him.

"Your Highness! Finally, we managed to find you. Your father, Duke Lukewater, has asked us to escort you back home. It is no longer a safe place for you to be."

A knight ran toward Layla and the stranger, shouting at the top of his lungs. His words finally confirmed this man and his identity for Layla.

'So he is Daidus Lukawater? The Duke I saved in the past? No wonder he felt so familiar to me! It is because I do know him a little bit.'

It also confirmed that this man was not a fraud. He was not saying things to get Layla's attention out of nowhere. This man did know her, and he was trying to confirm whether what he knew was right or not.

His methods might have been a bit wrong, but the results were what mattered. And this man, at the moment, was surely going to be someone Layla had wanted to connect to.

"Duke, please hurry up and follow me. I will take you out of here as soon as possible. It is not safe to stay here any longer. The monsters are rampaging hard."

The guard complained as he reached out to grab the Duke's arm and pull him away from that place.

But the Duke refused to head out and dug his heels into the ground to show his reluctance.

"We cannot run away and leave all these people to suffer here. Our duty as a noble and higher class is to help these people. Hurry up and tell the guards to evacuate this area."

Daidus ordered, but the guard looked uncomfortable and stunned at the order.

Layla read the reluctance in the man's eyes and how his limbs trembled at the order he had been given.

The guard did not want to risk his life for people he did not know. His only goal had been to escort the Duke out of there and then be safe under all the spells cast around the Duke's carriage.

But that would not be the case if the Duke were determined not to leave and help this place.

"Duke, we can't risk your safety any longer. Please consider what I am saying and come with me. At least you need to get out of here alive, or a lot of people would die for no reason."

The guard panicked harder as he tried to convince the Duke to step out. He was afraid of the Duke and knew that he wanted to do what was best for the people.

The young duke had always been like this—considerate toward the masses and wanting to provide them with the best, even if it harmed him in the process. But how could the man let this happen?

"Hey, I have a question. Why does Duke Lukewater look so old and human-like? Isn't he a half-elf and supposed to age slowly? As far as I remember, he should look about ten years old."

Layla butted into that emotional battle with a question of her own.

That question bugged her enough to make her turn toward the man in question and ask him. But to her surprise, the guard sighed, and the Duke blushed red, indicating that it was not a story he wanted to share.

"Miss, it would be best not to know if you don't already know. Just know that liking someone can make you turn stupid and do stupid things. Anyway, that is not important, Duke; please consider your stance and come with me-"

The guard begged, but the circumstances developed so that it was impossible for anyone to leave.

One of the monsters decided to crush to exit under its massive weight, and it caused the masses that were running toward it to get crushed.

It happend so fast that no one could do anything about it. And just like that, a dozen or so lives had been lost in a single instance.

"W-What the hell happened? Where did that monster come from? It does not look like one of the two that attacked the temple. Just how many of these things are there? How do we deal with them?"

The guard panicked as he asked. He could have sworn there were only two monsters a second ago, and now another one had appeared.

Layla also found it odd, so she opened her system screen to check what was happening. She immediately noticed a red spot on her screen, which made her realize where she needed to go.

All the monsters were white, and four were there. But that red spot was where Layal's attention got diverted toward.

"Hey, I think I know what the problem is. If you want to resolve it, then follow me. But try not to cause me trouble, or I will also care for you."

Layla warned, and her words caused the Duke and his guard to gulp in fear. As soon as they heard what Layla had to say, a shiver went down their spines.

But they quickly gathered their wits and decided to head out behind her. They did not need to panic when they had not done anything wrong…yet. It could change in an instant.

"What a nightmare this is turning out to be. I should have stayed home today."

The guard complained as he followed after Layla and the Duke.