Ardyn eventually found his way to the center of the city and blended in with the crowd. It helped that they were all still confused by the royal family’s announcement, so they didn’t notice him making his way from the garden to the gates.
He already knew about the announcement, so he didn’t wait any longer. He just needed to get ready to leave and that was it.
It was a shame that he didn’t get to say goodbye to Evan’s other Guardians — it seemed that Mathias was busy — but it was for the best. If he met up with them now, it would only arouse suspicion.
He kind of wished that he had said goodbye to Elyana as well, but Evan promised him back in the guest room that he would give Ardyn’s regards to the Princess.
It’s better if I don’t have any more ties to them, Ardyn decided. I can’t tarnish their reputation in any way, not when they’re the ones who protected me in the first place.
Just like Evan said, I have to live on.
Come on, Adrien. Let’s not be weak right now.
Ardyn took a deep breath as he adjusted the backpack behind him. He was still in awe of the magic used in this world. Even though it hadn’t even been 24 hours yet, he felt like he was slowly getting used to it.
Evan had shown him earlier that the bags could be reduced to half their size and weight, including their contents. No matter how heavy and no matter how many, they would still be reduced. It was like a manipulation of space magic.
I could’ve used a bag like this back in my world… Ardyn thought.
At that moment, the speakers blared once more.
“We have received information that a potential threat is looming on the horizon. But let me assure you that we, the royal family, will do everything in our power to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our kingdom.”
Almost immediately, loud murmurs broke out among the crowd. The townspeople exchanged anxious glances, but it was evident from their words and expressions that they all had faith in their leaders.
“No, but how could something like this happen during such a joyous occasion?” a man exclaimed.
“It must be a bad omen,” another man muttered. “I feel very uneasy about this.”
“Is that why the fishes have been behaving erratically since this afternoon?” someone brought up. “Even the forests went quiet!”
“While the danger is assessed, we kindly request that you cooperate with our evacuation efforts,” Evan’s familiar voice announced calmly from the speakers. “The celebration will continue someday, but for now, let us all work together to ensure our unity and security.”
As the evacuation began, everyone gossiped from left to right. With Ardyn in the middle, he couldn’t help but overhear some of their conversations.
“Do you think the Scarlet Kingdom is making their move right now?”
“I heard that their resources have dwindled considerably since three years ago.”
“That’s because they keep training the soldiers without rest. With the amount of Guardians that they have at the moment, they probably have a lot on their plate.”
“The Scarlet Queen is probably planning to plunder some resources from our territory.”
“Hey, didn’t a representative from there attend the banquet?”
“I don’t know. I went, but I didn’t see them there. Maybe they only visited for a short while.”
“Geez, why do we have to be located near that kingdom? They’re just a few islands away!”
“At least we have the Sapphire Kingdom as allies. They will probably come help us later. The royal family won’t let us down. Let’s have faith, everyone!”
“True. There’s no cause for concern. Our Prince will protect us!”
Ardyn listened with bated breath. It was good that no one had guessed anything close to the truth yet. Evan decided not to reveal the real reason for the evacuation in order to avoid panic and chaos in the city.
After all, this was the capital of Elfroien. It was the biggest city in the kingdom and therefore had the largest population. Even though the island was small compared to other kingdoms, Angelbay City still occupied a considerable area of the seas.
The rest of the island, according to Evan, was 60% nature and 40% towns and villages of various sizes, most of them small. The Silver Kingdom was basically very close to nature and had the most traditional culture among the four great kingdoms.
“So, as much as possible, don’t wander around alone while traveling,” Evan had warned him. “Over the years, the Calamity as well as its beastspawns are growing stronger. Do not ever stay in forests unless you have capable people as companions.”
Don’t enter forests alone. Got it, Ardyn reminded himself as he followed the line of people towards the exit. Everyone was given a limited amount of time to pack before leaving, so only Ardyn and some tourists who did not live here and were merely visiting made their way back to the gates.
The guards stationed around the city now helped people to their homes and escorted them to the exit. Ardyn, along with a few others who already had their bags ready to leave, followed a guard who was leading the way.
The evacuation took hours. Since it was night, it was chilly, and Ardyn sat on the grass with the other people who were presumably waiting for their friends and families to finish packing.
Groups were already being led away from the city, probably to the carriages that would take them to the shelters. The nearest town was a few more miles away, but they needed to be in a place much farther away if they were to be safe from the Calamity’s destruction.
Ardyn stared up at the exterior of the majestic city with mixed feelings in his heart. He had only been here for less than a day, and he was already missing the place. Due to the looming threat of the monster, it was inevitable that the city would be destroyed in the process.
They’ll be okay, right? Ardyn thought to himself, thinking about Evan and the others. A Summoner and his Guardians… They can take care of it easily, right?
Evan did say that they were capable enough…
He wondered why he was trying to convince himself. He just couldn’t shake away this feeling of unease.
He tilted his head skywards, gazing up at the big, bright moon and the black expanse that was filled with numerous stars. It was like looking at an entire galaxy; some stars were of a different color, and all of them were sparkling so beautifully that it was difficult to tear his eyes away.
Why do I keep having this sense of foreboding? he wondered. This isn’t good, right?
Or am I just afraid to finally witness this demon monster that’s been terrorizing the people of this land for centuries?