There were no carriages left.
“What about the ships?” one of the priests asked the soldier.
The soldier shook his head. “The royal family strictly forbade the use of ships and naval transportation.”
“But why?”
Ardyn just listened in the back as they talked, finding it a better solution to remain silent. He wondered if it was a good idea to keep the people in the dark at this point, especially if they were the last group of civilians to be evacuated, but he assumed that they would be alerted once they were far enough away from the city.
There were a few more civilians in the group besides Ardyn and the priests, but they seemed to be huddled together in their own small circle, muttering quietly under their breath.
He deliberately fell back until he was at the rear, just so he could blend in unnoticed and also so no one would ask him any dangerous questions.
One of the priestesses suddenly spoke up. “Is it because of the Otherworlder that we sensed earlier?” she asked.
At the mention of ‘Otherworlder’, Ardyn instantly froze.
Surely they couldn’t be talking about him, right?
“We’ve discussed it before, but…” One of the priests, a kind-looking man in his late forties, seemed hesitant. He took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his robe and wiped his sweat.
Even though the atmosphere was chilly at the moment, like a sign of an approaching storm, everyone was tense and breaking out in cold sweat. The priests were especially restless.
“Isn’t the energy similar to whenever the Calamity of the Planet breaks off from its seal?” a priestess questioned.
Everyone tensed immediately.
It seemed that the topic of the Calamity was a sensitive one. Not that Ardyn could blame them, of course.
“That’s ridiculous,” one civilian piped in. “It’s been sealed for three years now. There’s no way it’s coming back this early.”
“Then what else could be the reason?”
“Well, what if it’s a war? The Scarlet Kingdom is gathering a large number of Guardians for their cause. They might be planning to attack us again!”
“But why? There are barely any Guardians in the city, and the Summoners are all out on their journeys. The remaining Guardians are those left over from the attack three years ago, and the numbers aren’t that impressive.”
“You think that the Queen cares about that?”
The conversation became heated, and everyone spoke rapidly over one another.
“That is not a reason for the skies and the waters to be disturbed like this,” a priest calmly pointed out. “It’s something far worse than a war. Even the Scarlet Queen cannot manipulate the atmosphere on a large scale such as this. And even if they are planning a war, the sensors around the borders would alert the guards. I’m afraid something else is happening here.”
As they argued, Ardyn sighed inwardly and looked back at the city behind him. They were about a kilometer away now, and Angelbay was getting smaller and smaller with every step he took.
But the more he walked, the more the feeling of foreboding grew in his gut. He couldn’t put the feeling into words. It was as if something was pulling him back, but what?
Calm down, he scolded himself. Evan and the others will take care of things there. You’re not needed. You can’t even wield magic!
Ardyn took a deep breath.
I know all this, but… just why do I feel so afraid? I feel like I need to go back, but why?
I didn’t forget something, did I?
Everything seemed to be changing now, little by little. The atmosphere had shifted considerably, turning into something darker and more malevolent. Gone was the peaceful and warm ambiance, replaced by an insidious sense of foreboding.
When Ardyn raised his head, the sky had turned gray, a shade so dark it was almost black. The surroundings grew dim, and the clouds drifted rapidly toward the center of the city, almost as if a tornado were approaching. The wind picked up, and the stray leaves danced briskly with the wind.
Is it already starting? he wondered.
I feel so cold all of a sudden. This is eerie…
While Ardyn was mulling in his thoughts, he overheard the priests’ conversation nearby. It seemed that they weren’t finished with their discussion.
“Something strange is going on,” one of them said. “I agree with Oscar. I don’t think it’s a war at all.”
“Of course. It’s the Otherworlder,” one pointed out.
“Yes. That’s why we conducted the prayer ritual.”
“And then we heard that announcement in the middle…”
“That means that the royal family received our report regarding the Otherworlder. I hope that we are correct about this. Otherwise, everyone would’ve been evacuated for nothing.”
“It can’t be for nothing. Look at the skies! It doesn’t look normal at all.”
“True. And there’s a strange, demonic energy accumulating near the city. I’m glad that we’re walking away from there. It’s no longer safe.”
“Hold on,” a priest suddenly said, pausing in his tracks.
The others, including Ardyn, turned to look at him.
“What’s the matter, Oscar?” someone asked.
“I… I feel like I forgot something. Something important,” Oscar said, looking troubled. It seemed that he was the kind-looking man who spoke earlier.
A priestess with short blonde hair and brown eyes folded her arms across her chest. “What is it? Did you forget the Holy Necklace?” she asked. “There’s no need to go back for it. We can always acquire a new one.”
“No, no. It’s not an object, Lira… Wait! I remember now!” the old priest suddenly exclaimed as he stopped in his tracks.
A few of the nearby people stopped to stare at him, while the others in front of him continued on, chattering with worried faces.
“What is it?” a priest asked, startled. He was a man seemingly in his thirties, with wide brown eyes and a mop of dark hair.
“That young man!” Oscar exclaimed, his voice so loud that it almost sounded like a shriek. “That young man is still there, Harkus! In the church!”