Chapter 68
The surrounding air became suffocating as they both turned their attention elsewhere, unwilling to look at each other or say anything afterward.
Arvrenda let out a deep breath. Thinking this was the right time to mend his relationship with Zeta and Miss Forn, who were still unconscious...
"...About Zeta and Miss Forn. I hope you can talk to them like you usually do," he said, hoping she would accept his suggestion.
'I didn't expect their conflict to become even worse when she wasn't invited to go that time.' Arvrenda thought while adjusting his glasses again.
Aurora straightened her gaze and took a final sip of the wine in her glass before placing it on the wooden table beside the iron support holding up the stretched blue tarp.
She fell silent for a moment, thinking about two things regarding her presence here; finding Zavi Actitus and his older brother. Midgar Chevalya.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said in an ice-cold tone. "I followed that person's orders not because I wanted to, but to obtain information, that's all."
As she fully looked at Arvrenda with an expression that was hard to describe, she quickly added;
"Tell me, is the information about the death of Zavi Actitus actually true?"
"I don't know about that. But one thing is certain, he won't die that easily," Arvrenda replied while removing his glasses, revealing a significant change in his expression.
The expression he had before, like an ordinary doctor, shifted into that of a mature man, yet within it, it was as if he had witnessed countless exposed incidents once the glasses were removed.
"What!?"
Of course, Aurora didn't believe that statement, and to confirm it further, she asked again, this time her tone almost like a child whining to her mother.
"How can you know that?"
The corner of Arvrenda's lips lifted, forming a confident smile as he put his glasses back on.
"Come with me," he said while stepping forward. "Talking somewhere else would be better."
A frown appeared on his face as Aurora walked behind him. Her fingers couldn't stop moving, her legs urging her to keep walking as if telling her not to miss this opportunity.
After walking for quite a while, they arrived at the corner of Coordinate 15, near Coordinate 16, directly bordered by a tall wooden fence.
The atmosphere there was very quiet. Only the sound of heartbeats, steady breathing, and the night wind accompanied them. Behind them, the rows of tents stood silent, without light or conversation, as if bearing witness to their presence there.
"Say it quickly." Aurora could no longer hold back the anticipation of what information she was about to receive.
Arvrenda's eyebrows arched slightly upon hearing such an impolite remark from a woman. But he knew there must be a reason why she could become this cold and...
"I got a bit of information from people sent by the Morotuane church to secure the road leading to the town square, the last place he was known to be. As for the rest, I don't know."
'That information isn't enough, you know? I could find that myself. And besides, why would an underworld group target his life? Did he do something to make himself their target?'
Aurora completed her thoughts. She knew herself well. She was just an ordinary human, unaware of supernatural matters, even though she knew about talismans, relics, and such things because of her older brother who liked those things.
"Thank you for the information, Mr. Guelhram." Aurora smiled in relief as she looked at him with a graceful expression, the first time she had shown this to someone else, except for the real Zavi Actitus.
"It's nothing," he replied with a flat face, though inside he held a vast sense of relief.
'I didn't expect her to be this interested in that man. I don't even know what kind of things a woman like her likes. And considering how Zeta treats me, it's no wonder women's personalities change depending on their mood. Damn it.'
After thinking for too long, Arvrenda slightly moved his foot. His instincts told him to immediately look at what was happening ahead.
Behind the fence where they had been talking, a commotion broke out due to jealousy spreading from one person to another, turning into dozens of people causing a pointless quarrel around the camp.
Realizing that, they chose to remain silent because of the boundary between their location and the commotion, and they did not want to interfere in other people's problems as it could lead to a bigger conflict. They sighed in confusion before deciding to move back to the others.
Meanwhile, under the wide stretch of tarp and the bright lights that made the place resemble an entertainment stage, both of them were quite surprised by what they saw.
'How did they manage to get something like that?' Arvrenda realized that one among the crowd had collected leftover good lamps and moved them here using gas and kerosene to activate them.
The warmth in that place felt artificial. As if by laughing, they could erase memories of a world that had already fallen apart. Among the crowd, a young man who had lost everything tried to fill the emptiness in his heart with foolish antics that stirred chaos.
One of the brown-eyed youths with blond hair vented his frustration, his voice like thunder. "Damn you, Fred. Did you take someone else's lamp again? Return it now!"
People around them—some eating, chatting, and having a small party with alcoholic drinks—laughed cheerfully at the scene.
"No, I just picked it up from the trash," Fred replied, denying any wrongdoing.
A young girl sitting behind him suddenly stood up. "It seems Fred is hiding something from all of us!"
An old man with a thin beard beside her spoke. "Run, Fred, if you don't want to get caught by them."
An elderly woman with her hair fully covered by cloth said weakly, "Hahaha, looks like there's going to be a chase game after this."
Some people laughed, some lamented, and some were saddened by their circumstances. But seeing what was in front of them, they realized they weren't the only ones suffering like this.
The small party was an escape. A way for these fragile beings to be grateful for the "salvation" given by God Auneron, even though in reality they were at the lowest point of their lives.
"This party seems quite lively, isn't it, Mr... Fererra."
Fererra, who was leaning against a pile of wood some distance away from the crowd, noticed someone approaching him and speaking to him outside of working hours.
"Yes, Mr. Kavatusce," he replied with a bitter smile. "Why don't you join them?" he asked to make sure.
"I don't know them, and I'm not interested."
"Ah, I see."
"Why is that?" he asked after noticing the frown on his forehead.
"That's normal. Besides, look at them—some are alone, some are chatting with their friends at this party, and some are here simply because they were forced by someone." His gloved index finger pointed at one of the people he meant.
Then he added, "And what about your investigation regarding that strange person you saw earlier?"
"About that," he said hesitantly, full of uncertainty, "I've found the person, and their location is not far from Coordinate 15."
'I see. Could they be related to the demon horse attack that happened about a month ago?'
"Alright. I'll report that to my superior."
'If the secret group you mentioned earlier is as skilled in gathering information as you said, I hope they can find that damn bastard.' Zaharon thought, his jaw tightening as he clenched his fist, whether out of anger or simply as an outlet for why he was here.
The night passed quickly...
The next day. The warm and gentle sunlight brought life and marked the time for them to wake up and begin their daily activities.
Meanwhile, inside one of the tents; Albert and Luke were still asleep, bumping into each other as they fought over a comfortable sleeping position.
From the half-open curtain pushed aside, a woman in classic attire—a thin cotton shirt comfortable for long wear, a long black skirt, and black boots—stood with a strange expression as she looked at them. Feyne.
She had arrived early in the morning, around seven, to wake them up because there would be a gathering regarding the report of strange incidents during the small party.
After much effort and a bit of anger to wake them, Albert and Luke finally got up, though their souls had not fully returned to their bodies. Still, they tried to stand and walk out of the refugee tent to wash themselves.
In the end, they slipped and fell over their own shoes lying near the tent curtain.
Thud!!
"Damn."
"I told you not to enjoy the party too much last night. Now it's hard to wake up! Useless men." Feyne couldn't hold back her annoyance.
The two simply agreed, choosing not to argue so as not to ruin the morning atmosphere.
After a long wait, they were finally ready and hurried to the usual meeting place.
The atmosphere inside the main tent was far more tense than yesterday. The same people had gathered, plus four uninvited guests whose presence added to the pressure.
"So, Mr Havertson," Fererra spoke up, sitting to Wayne's right. "Shall we begin?"
Wayne let out a short sigh. He sat at the end of the table with his arms folded across his chest. His eyes swept across the room, making the temperature inside the tent seem to plummet to freezing point.
"Regarding the mysterious group roaming around Tezny last night..."
The sentence hung in the air, instantly turning the atmosphere tense. All eyes were now fixed on Wayne, who had his arms crossed, waiting to see what other bad news would hit them this morning.