Chapter 65
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy for a few seconds. Royale quickly spoke up, as if afraid of losing the momentum in his head.
"Sorry, Mr. Sied. I didn't mean to bring up your bad memories again."
The raggedly dressed man slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at Royale briefly, then forced out a restrained bitter smile.
"Just forget it, Royale. I don't want to think about it anymore either," Sied replied calmly.
Royale rose from his seat. His gaze turned flat again, scanning the surroundings with caution. "Alright. It seems those people will be arriving soon."
"Ah, that's right." Mr. Sied immediately straightened his back, then stepped forward with firm strides.
On the other side, Mr. Sied began to busy himself kneading dough with his companion. Royale shifted his gaze toward Reynald and another man who was focused on sharpening a piece of wood with a dull knife.
Beside them, piles of wood and dry branches were stacked high, ready to be used as torches as well as for warmth when night fell. Their task was actually simple: sorting the best wood splinters that could be used as fire starters so the embers could ignite more quickly.
He moved calmly, taking the top piece of wood from the pile, then returned to his work.
"How long was I gone?" Royale asked, his hands busy again sorting dry twigs from the pile.
"Twenty minutes, maybe," the man beside him replied without looking.
Reynald added while still focusing on the tip of his dull knife. "Fiona even left because you kept ignoring her."
"I see," Royale muttered flatly. He gave no further explanation, simply letting the image of that woman fade away with the cold air of the camp as he continued his work.
...
A few meters away, a woman with sharp blue eyes and black hair hidden beneath a wide hat was seen walking along the rows of tents. Her thin white shirt was dirty from the dust swirling in the air, paired with simple trousers. However, the black leather boots she wore still radiated remnants of dignity that contrasted with the chaos around her.
As she passed through the muddy road that had begun to dry, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. The survivors sitting in front of the tent flaps, along the empty sides of the tents, stared at her with pure hatred—gazes that could kill if only they had the courage.
"Huh, those looks again," she thought. She chose to ignore them; dealing with their hatred in a situation like this would only waste energy.
That hatred was not because of her unusual appearance, but because of her lineage. The refugees in this sector came from Krensen, and they knew exactly who she was: one of the members of the Kuzanov family.
Although only a mid-tier noble, the name Kuzanov was already well known in the region, especially due to the bad rumors that often dragged their family name. For the suffering common people, the presence of a noble near relief supplies always triggered suspicion.
However, the woman's purpose here was far from what they assumed. She did not come to show off or enjoy special treatment from the Kingdom; she had her own business in this hell.
A meeting of important figures from each district would soon take place, with Kuzanov representing Krensen and the nobles from other districts who were believed to have survived the horrific incident.
Under the constant murderous gazes directed at her, her knees trembled with every step. It made her hesitate to continue, yet she forced herself forward because of her father's orders. Although she tried to ignore those looks, the atmosphere continuously weighed down on her shoulders.
She shook her head briefly to dispel her nervousness. After walking for several minutes without stopping, the woman arrived at the area where those important figures would gather.
As she expected, she came alone, unlike the three other nobles who were each accompanied by at least two attendants standing beside them.
She walked closer to ask one of the mid-tier nobles she knew, who stood on the left side of the closed tent curtain.
"Excuse me, Mr. Havertson," the woman said while bowing gracefully. "Have they all arrived here yet?" she asked, hoping he would answer.
Mr. Havertson immediately noticed her presence. He briefly observed the two other nobles beside him—a young girl and a man with a grim expression.
He chuckled lightly and quickly replied in his hoarse voice, "As usual, Miss Cattyline. They always arrive late, no matter the situation. Who knows what's on their minds."
David Havertson was one of the mid-tier nobles who had lived in Chapena for quite some time. His reputation was no less than other mid-tier nobles who controlled territories in that district.
Although several nobles from Chapena were currently declared missing due to the severe destruction, and it was unknown whether they were alive or dead, he was summoned to represent Chapena over the territories of Cosdever, Vica, and Coutredise that he governed.
Cattyline simply let out a small laugh and stared for a long moment at the two guards beside her—a woman and a large, well-built man.
Then, she quickly turned her head back upon hearing thunderous footsteps, as if each step cracked the dried mud beneath their feet.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn as about six people walked toward them with steady strides. The surrounding atmosphere became tense upon their arrival.
The six of them glanced at one another before one of them, a dignified man, opened the tent curtain in front of him and stepped inside, followed by the other five.
Realizing that the six had entered together with the two nobles who had been waiting earlier, Cattyline patted her clothes as if to make herself look presentable before entering.
David stood still in his place, flanked by two guards on either side, their expressions flat, almost like moving dolls.
"Zilea, something feels off." David couldn't hold back his thoughts.
The female guard standing beside him immediately responded and asked further;
"What do you mean, Sir?" Her expression did not change in the slightest.
"It's nothing," David replied with a bitter smile.
'This isn't right. Something is off, but what is it?'
After thinking about it for too long, David finally turned around, leaving the two guards confused by his earlier remark before entering inside.
...
Inside the tent, there were several chairs and a pair of simple sofas with slightly charred backs, yet still comfortable enough to sit on for a long time; seated there were six mid-tier nobles from the six districts of Moran.
The two who had arrived earlier, a man and a young girl from mid-tier noble families, each brought three guards.
Meanwhile, among the six who had just arrived, two of them were mid-tier nobles, each accompanied by two guards.
The other five nobles sitting calmly on the sofas, each with two guards, caused the corner of Cattyline's lips to lift slightly, almost forming a bitter smile as she realized her current situation.
But it wasn't that which made her react that way, but rather the eldest son of the ruler of Tezny who was staring at her intently.
'Damn. Isn't that man the second son of that noble? Why is he looking at me with that mocking smile?' she complained inwardly.
"Alright."
As that noble, a sour-faced man with an ordinary appearance from the Hazel family, rulers of Hava, began tapping the round table that served as the center of this meeting.
"My father couldn't come. And he told me to attend this meeting."
'He's busy hunting that criminal group with his forces, damn it,' he added inwardly.
David sighed upon hearing that.
'What kind of foolish nobles still concern themselves with business matters in a situation like this? And as I see it, they send their children to attend this meeting, except for the ruler of Niki.'
"So, why is this meeting being held?" the man from the Hazel family continued loudly. "Could it be because other nobles disappeared due to that incident, and there's an order to find them? That's ridiculous."
Although he was blunt, impatient, and easily emotional, the man named Vernon was actually kind; perhaps for a certain reason he acted that way. Being forced to come here—that was the cause.
"Your thinking is truly ridiculous," Lorainne said firmly, the daughter of a ruler from part of Gours, from the Westender family.
"Children of noble families should behave properly, you know?" Wayne grumbled, a man in his forties with a cynical smile.
He was a ruler of one of the regions in Niki, who participated after hearing the request from the city's authority, Novewilian Alistair, who did not attend due to the overwhelming problems in Moran.
The man who had arrived late earlier with Mr. Wayne, and had briefly observed Cattyline, finally opened his mouth to begin the meeting.
"It's better if you stay quiet! That helps a lot. I will share important information obtained with great difficulty thanks to the refugees in this camp."
He extended his hand backward without looking. One of his guards swiftly placed an envelope into his palm. Although he knew it was only a copy, its contents were more than enough to stir chaos.
With a calm motion, he tore the edge of the envelope and took out the document inside, then raised the paper so everyone could see it.
"This is the information the higher-ups want," his voice was cold, cutting through the silence. "It is directly related to the Main Church of Morotuane. I hope you are wise enough in handling this information so it does not turn into a disaster."
He paused briefly, letting the tension settle before adding the key points within it:
"The WaterDocisone Building, a woman named Kharensya, the underworld group still roaming in Moran, and... details of the next attack by the Demon Horse. The rest can be read yourselves."
Cattyline touched her chin, deep in thought. "That building? You mean WaterDocisone in the south of Tezny?"
'South of Tezny and what ancient letters are there?' Alfred added in his heart . As the eldest son of the ruler of Tezny, he knew every inch of that land. If WaterDocisone was involved, then his father's territory was in serious danger.
"Of course," he replied with a faint smile.
Before continuing, he stood up and placed the document quickly in the center of the round table.
"I will explain it," he said firmly. "Mr. Wayne, I hope you can help me go to that building. The others, just patrol the west of Tezny near the field and make sure no one leaves the area."
"And for tonight, we must gather before half past seven. That's all."
After saying that, he sat back down, his gaze sweeping the room to ensure everyone understood their respective tasks, waiting for any questions.
However, that was unnecessary after seeing that no one asked anything.
"Alright then, you may all leave. Nadine, escort them out!"
Nadine, a female guard standing behind him, acknowledged the order and immediately escorted them out of the tent.
Meanwhile, his two male companions remained standing, waiting for their master's orders.
"Seems tonight won't be like the previous nights," he muttered while stretching his body.
Alfred quickly folded the fake document before slipping it into the pocket of his gray trousers.
"So, how is the progress of your mission?" he asked, hoping for good news.
"My apologies for earlier, Sir," one of the guards said firmly. "We failed to obtain what you ordered."
He let out a short sigh upon hearing the disappointing information. "That's unfortunate. But it's fine, you've done well."
The two guards nodded and replied in unison, "Thank you for your words, Sir."
Night finally fell, and as ordered earlier, they had all arrived, each carrying their own means of defense.
Alfred brought two revolvers along with two remaining boxes of ammunition, while his partner, Mr. Wayne, carried a long rifle slung over his shoulder, along with a cane with a curved tip.
The others only carried pistols as precaution while they moved through the streets around the field.
And on the count of three, they finally decided to move, searching for the mastermind behind Moran's destruction while trying to save the city that stood on the brink of collapse.