Soon? That was nonsense; the pillar of fire wouldn’t go out no matter what they did. After a few days, thoughts of the Empire’s alchemy would dominate their minds. Since Faern and the Mogor Empire were allies, they had to know about the pillar of fire the Empire had used on Myple Castle. The duke would break his promise to the people in the end.
Satisfied by the course of things, Cale turned his gaze not toward Seca manor but toward Faern Castle, where Guardian Knight Clope was currently stationed.
Cale wasn’t the only one with his sights set on the castle. Rok likewise looked in that direction—toward his son, Clope. Any moment now, Clope would head to the lake with his subordinates. Rok was confident that his son would resolve this problem.
As if responding to the duke’s trust, the castle’s main gates opened. Screech! The immense entrance gaped wide as knights on horseback appeared from within. A knight bearing a white banner rode at the front, with Guardian Knight Clope behind him.
“Let’s go.” With this curt order, Clope rushed toward the Lake of God’s Tears.
He’d been taking a break from his business in the castle, gazing out toward the brightly lit plaza, when the red thunderbolt had struck the ground and set the lake aflame. Considering Clope’s plans to advance south as soon as spring arrived, this was more than a little inconvenient.
Though he was calm on the surface, his heart pounded in his chest. What is going on?
As his snowy hair whipped in the breeze, the other day’s events took on an even greater significance. That white-haired priest he’d met a few days ago… The man had disappeared into thin air as if by magic, and the identification card Clope had gotten his hands on turned out to be a fake.
The priest’s words monopolized Clope’s thoughts. “I pray that the lake fills again soon.”
While he first listened to the priest, a thought had occurred to Clope: The look in his eyes made him seem certain of it. The priest had said he would pray, yet his eyes shone with conviction. Everything he’d said spun through Clope’s mind.
“Human greed prompted their esteemed god to take back that gift to humanity and leave this land behind. Rather than lashing out in anger, the god shed tears of sorrow… All will become clear in due time.”
Clope’s fingers trembled around the reins, and his head snapped up—he needed to stop his horse. “Whoa!”
However, he needn’t have done anything at all; the horse stopped on its own. The animal stood rooted to the spot, unable to go a step farther. Clope was similarly struck dumb by the sight of the lake ahead—or, more specifically, the raging pillar of fire that filled the basin and consumed his vision.
“How can this be?”
The column of flame did not breach the lake’s edges, spewing straight into the heavens. When Clope saw it, a single word came to mind.
Fury.
Clope’s heart thudded wildly.
Before long, the mages under his command caught up. “Captain!”
Expression grim, Clope ordered, “All units, focus on putting out the fire. Knights, cut down the trees and bring over heaps of dirt to slow the spread. Mages, commence spellcasting.”
“Yes, sir!”
The team from the castle sprang into action. The fire was difficult to approach, but they couldn’t leave it be. Clope eyed the flames before turning toward the forest to the east—the same forest where the white-haired priest had vanished. Clope stared at the forest for a long time, still as a statue.
Meanwhile, Cale—the white-haired “priest” in question—put an end to his sloth impersonation and slid down from Choi Han’s back. He stretched, sighed, and addressed the fierce gazes directed at him. “I told you, I’m fine.”
“I’ll protect you.”
“I’ll keep you safe, human!”
“I’m gonna surround our enemies with poison.”
“I’ll obscure their vision with my mist!”
Cale shook his head at everyone’s declarations before facing the white manor crowning the Seca family’s estate. Despite the late hour, the pale house wasn’t wreathed in shadow; lights glimmered throughout the building. That worked to their benefit, since it was harder to track something down in the dark.
“Raon.”
“What is it, human?”
“Turn Ohn and Hong invisible.”
“All right!”
As Raon, Ohn, and Hong winked out of sight, Cale retrieved a mask.
Choi Han put on a mask as well, but not without a sigh. “Mr. Cale?”
“What?”
“Why don’t we make better outfits for next time?”
“You mean these Arm uniforms?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t want to.” Cale grinned wickedly, which gave his companion pause. “Say, Choi Han.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Think about it from Arm’s point of view. Which would make you angrier: someone causing trouble while wearing a cheap imitation of your uniform that’s clearly fake, or someone causing trouble with a flawless uniform?”
“…I see.”
Cale used shabby-looking outfits on purpose, knowing it was bound to irritate Arm even further.
After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Choi Han remarked, “The amount of thought you put into things amazes me.”
“This is nothing,” Cale said breezily. He looked down at his hands.
Hwoosh.
The Sound of the Wind coursed in a single direction. Following the gale, Cale proceeded downward. As they’d started off on top of the Seca estate’s main building, this was an odd choice.
“Mr. Cale, why are you going that way?” Choi Han trailed after Cale, confusion plain on his face. They were moving away from the well-lit area.
Cale was walking toward the corner of the property, which housed the original structure that secured the first duke’s reputation as a humble person. He could see a small abandoned field in the area. As the wind guided him to that field, Cale grinned beneath his mask.
‹You’re smiling right now, aren’t you, human?› Raon guessed, floating in his wake like a ghost. ‹I know what you’re thinking! It’s exciting!›
Cale’s steps were light as he searched for the divine artifact he’d come to pilfer. He did have one question, though: If the protagonist of the legend about the God’s Tears was a human with an Ancient Power, what form would the divine artifact take?
At that moment, the Scary Stone’s owner piped up, “Are you trying to sacrifice yourself?”
Chills shuddered through Cale, and his smile vanished in an instant.