“It erupted?! What’s the damage?!”
My subordinate’s report on the volcanic eruption came sooner than predicted. As the Knight Commander, I tightened my resolve.
Half of our nation’s territory faced the sea, while the rest bordered several other countries, and in several places the volcanic belt was what marked the borders. If the damage from this eruption was severe, we’d need to launch joint relief efforts with those neighboring nations.
“Sir! Residents in the surrounding areas, including neighboring countries, have already completed evacuations. There are no issues.”
“That entire area, from the foothills up, is residential. Did the neighboring country guide them out first?”
“Well...”
I frowned at my subordinate’s hesitation. When it came to an eruption, speed was essential for every response. That mountain had erupted several times in our nation’s history. Each time, it was said a sacred beast had gone forth to calm it, averting disaster.
However, for certain reasons, we couldn’t expect aid from sacred beasts this time. We, the Four Great Ducal Houses, had divided the task of identifying and managing matters previously handled with the assistance of the sacred beasts.
This volcano was one such matter. Reports of small earthquakes and shaking ground had been gradually increasing over the past few years. We’d gathered experts and monitored it together with our neighboring country.
Naturally, we couldn’t predict when it would erupt. We had instructed the residents that if they noticed any abnormalities, they should evacuate immediately and report to the soldiers’ command posts set up nearby.
“What is it?” I demanded. “Speak up, I say.”
“Yes. It seems that several nights prior, strange cries were heard coming from the mountain. Near the summit, unseasonal hail fell, emitting a red glow. The residents interpreted it as a sign of impending disaster and evacuated voluntarily...”
“What? Not earthquakes or rumbling? What were these cries?”
“Well...” My subordinate hesitated again. It was fortunate that no residents had been harmed, but the situation itself couldn’t be good. That was obvious. I couldn’t think of any reason for my subordinate’s hesitation.
“What? Just say it.”
“Sir. ‘Oh yeah, oh yeah, mortis, mortis, hell is burning hot, baby,’ or similar...”
“Or similar?” Huh? What the hell was he talking about now? What was “mortis”?
“‘Wow! So cool! Mortis!’” my subordinate recited. “It sounded like the voices of a woman and child cheering for something. It was so threatening that instead of evacuating...maybe the residents were...fleeing, sir?”
I could understand hesitating to report it to superiors. But what the hell was this “mortis”? I was speechless for a moment, but I had to ask about something that bothered me. A report from days ago just coming now? That was late. “Why the hell wasn’t this reported sooner?”
“Before we could report it, the screams apparently incited an extraordinary sense of crisis, and nearby residents panicked, thinking they had to flee immediately. They only came to their senses and headed to the soldiers’ station just before the eruption occurred. By the time the soldiers at the post tried to contact us after hearing the report, the eruption had already begun. After that, they confirmed the current situation—whether any residents were left behind, the extent of the eruption damage, and any magical beast-related casualties—which is why it took until now, sir.”
In the event of a natural disaster, strict orders mandated prioritizing the safety of local residents above all else. The speed of response after the soldiers received the alert hadn’t been bad.
“What about the magical beast damage?” I asked.
“Sir, apparently, the magical beasts were the first to disappear. Which only made the residents...”
Indeed, it made sense that panic would ensue if magical beasts, instinctively sensing danger in an already unsettling situation, fled. Even with some training, it must have been difficult for the residents to maintain their composure.
“I see... What about the scale of the eruption?”
“Yes. Fortunately, it was a small-scale event of the sort rarely seen in the past. The lava remained confined near the summit crater, and while pieces of debris did fly shortly after the eruption, only a few were confirmed, and they were all in the sparsely populated mountainous area. According to the experts, if nothing happens over the next few days, it should subside completely.”
“Understood. Continue maintaining vigilance.”
“Yes, sir!”
After the knight who came to report left the room, I pondered for a moment.
“A sacred beast?” The thought that had come to mind just slipped out. The unnatural panic among the residents... If the incomprehensible shouts heard from the mountain had influenced them, then those cries would have effectively forced the residents to evacuate. I had never heard of a magical beast capable of affecting residents over such a large area with just its cries alone.
Lady Robur held a contract with a sacred beast, and some were still protected by the sacred beasts that still existed. Therefore, sacred beasts had to still remain in our country, offering some degree of protection.
The young lady of the Faltan family, a branch of the Asche family, had gained a sacred beast’s protection some years ago. Originally, perhaps due to being raised in pampered luxury, she had been arrogant and conceited, though she’d had a lively personality. However, after receiving the blessing, she’d begun to claim she could hear the ill will of people around her. She lost her confidence and became constantly fearful. I sensed a similarity in the negative impact on her emotions.
This lady was the former fiancée of my foolish son, Heinz. It had been quite some time since she’d withdrawn from the Academy, and as the main family, we’d been providing aid to her household. I decided I would summon her to report on her current situation.