A Resplendent Era (10)

I said it.

In the end, I said it.

“I… can see the future.”

After repeatedly postponing it, when I finally uttered those words, Freugne had expected Edan to at least inquire further, even if he didn’t outright reproach her.

She had prepared responses to the anticipated questions, though they more closely resembled a confession than mere answers.

‘Why didn’t you tell me until now?’

I’m sorry. I was afraid of losing this relationship too.

I thought I wouldn’t get caught, and I didn’t want you to get entangled in such matters, Uncle.

‘Did you know this would happen?’

I didn’t. I knew the Demonic Tribe would eventually attack, but for some reason, it happened today.

It was an unprecedented situation, so I wasn’t prepared. That’s why you got hurt. I should have told you sooner – it was my negligence.

‘What were your original plans to address this?’

Well, the thing is… I had actually established a small organization back in Londinium-

Laying it all out like this only underscored how much their relationship had been built upon falsehoods and secrets.

Would he be disappointed?

Would he reject her, claiming this wasn’t the Freugne he knew?

After so many lies, would he perpetually doubt her every word going forward?

Yet contrary to her swirling apprehensions, Edan simply acknowledged her matter-of-factly. Instead, he inquired:

“Then could you at least determine if the police will be surrounding us in an hour’s time?”

Doing so would undoubtedly render her unconscious. Yet remaining awake while piggybacking him wouldn’t particularly aid the situation either.

‘Have I become a burden?’

No, not a mere conjecture – objectively speaking, her presence was currently an encumbrance at best.

Freugne had always loathed powerlessness – primarily her own.

She feared reverting to a state of utter helplessness during pivotal moments, prone to losing everything she possessed, unable to defy her fate.

Her organization’s inception stemmed from an aversion to living as a lowly laborer eternally, and a refusal to involve herself in such situations altogether.

Yet this was the very manifestation of what she had so desperately sought to avoid, was it not?

“It’s fine. Tell me.”

If this was a way she could contribute, she would readily oblige.

Glimpsing the future for someone else’s sake was an entirely novel experience.

As she gently caressed his cheek with her upraised hand, fleeting visions etched themselves into her mind.

The location remained unchanged – this very street they currently occupied. Edan sat slumped on the ground.

Belatedly, people gathered around him, initially recoiling from the pooling blood before hesitating anew upon beholding his near-lifeless state, then finally whisking him away.

Beyond the door he had stubbornly guarded until the end, she lay within.

‘…Uncle.’

‘……’

She knew he could recover from his injuries with nourishment. However, amidst the foreign streets while battling the Demonic Tribe, he lacked the leisure to seek out a restaurant.

Yet his battered state implied no means of recovery, and her avoidance of capture or death signified his success in safeguarding her.

‘Are you alright?’

As the rescuers ushered her away, she paused midstride to inquire about Edan’s condition.

The blood mingling with rainwater hinted at the extent of his injuries, the crimson stains undoubtedly his own. He could not possibly be alright.

Perhaps she asked in the hope that, as always, he would reassure her with a simple “I’m fine, just wait a bit longer.”

Glimpsing the imminent future afforded vivid, prolonged visions.

Thus, Freugne witnessed the entire process unfold before her very eyes. As soon as it concluded, she promptly lost consciousness.

Yet her body grew limp, her eyes closing.

The final image was of Edan smiling faintly as he gently laid her down and closed the door behind him.

Thud

Accompanied by the sound of the closing door, her consciousness faded into darkness.

---

The doorknob’s forceful removal seemed to have slightly dislodged the hinges.

Fortuitously, this allowed the door to remain firmly shut without requiring a barricade. Since Freugne might feel chilled, it was best to keep it tightly closed.

[He’s stopped.]

[Stay cautious, he could be scheming something.]

[The brat he was carrying is gone. She must be inside that door.]

[If the Dark Lord cannot sway them both, he ordered us to kill them. It seems persuasion is futile now, our course is set.]

The encircling Demonic Tribe conversed among themselves, but I couldn’t comprehend their language.

Civility dictates they wouldn’t politely address their enemy in the human tongue, I suppose.

While a “heroic last stand” narrative where I protect everyone but ultimately perish gloriously might hold appeal, I naturally have no desire to be its protagonist.

I, too, have contemplated this.

If I were to meet my demise here, wouldn’t Freugne have desperately tried to prevent it, claiming my death would render her efforts futile?

Then I should interpret her survival as an indication that she emerges unscathed.

And her well-being implies that I, her protector, also retain my life.

Of course, judging by their reactions, my condition doesn’t seem entirely intact, but expecting complete invulnerability after defiantly confronting the Demonic Tribe would be unreasonable overconfidence.

“Should I stall for time, or prepare to fight to the death…?”

Perhaps I should have consulted Freugne about this as well.

No, she had already succumbed to fatigue and lost consciousness, so inquiring would have been pointless.

Regardless, I hadn’t instigated this one-against-many confrontation out of sheer madness.

Had these been human adversaries, I might have engaged them recklessly, but regenerating a severed head seemed improbable, even for me.

While the situation could hardly be termed favorable, one positive aspect was the availability of potential obstacles.

“Come out and fight fair and square!”

“Ganging up like cowards, you have no shame!”

Clang clang I dragged over and overturned a couple of street vendor stalls, providing ample cover for my lone figure.

While the Demonic Tribe had evidently attacked the populace, they seemingly lacked the leisure to neatly tidy up the stalls.

“You could try fleeing, but… it doesn’t seem like you have any intention of doing so.”

“Ah, to be honest, I’m not really the type for this character, but circumstances have conspired to put me in this role.”

Had I been armed, or at Carno’s institute when ambushed, or even accompanied by members of the Royal Academy.

Such hypotheticals served no purpose. I should be grateful for what I have and safeguard it. At the very least, I hadn’t witnessed Freugne’s capture by the Demonic Tribe.

After briefly dusting off the mud, I took a bite from the fruit. Despite the exertion of fleeing and evading, I could feel my minor wounds gradually healing.

My stamina replenished slightly, and the shivers that had nearly precipitated hypothermia subsided.

From now on, I must exercise prudence. During previous reckless brawls, I could simply gorge myself to repletion, but currently lacking the option of pillaging bakeries, I must judiciously ration the fruit’s consumption timing.

While I can eventually respawn upon death, Freugne cannot.

And she will not receive a second chance.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

But enough negativity. Shaking my head clear, I extracted a metal frame from the underside of a vendor stall.

Poorly maintained and rusted to a sharp edge, it likely violated five safety regulations, but it would suffice as a weapon.

Taking one final deep breath, I emerged from behind the stall, narrowing my eyes as I infused the makeshift spear with mana and hurled it.

---

Not every law enforcement and security facility in Antrim had ceased functioning altogether.

Initially dazed and comatose amid the incessant cries for aid from all quarters, they eventually regained their senses as time passed.

“Authorization for the use of live ammunition is granted! Remember, our adversaries are the Demonic Tribe, brazenly trampling the heart of our homeland!”

“The fire at the Capital Defense Command’s munitions depot has been contained. We’re joining the fray now!”

“The Belfast Mages’ Association has graciously offered assistance from its combat magic degree holders.”

Moreover, even ordinary civilians refrained from passive inaction.

This included organization members who had received intelligence about the Demonic Tribe’s infiltration of Antrim, albeit unaware of the precise timing; Carno, seeking to gather live combat data; and Ulr, who had simply awoken from a well-deserved slumber after an arduous day.

“So the reports of the Demonic Tribe lurking within the city were true…”

“Though we didn’t know it would happen today.”

“These weapons are anti-Demonic Tribe armaments produced at our institute. They disrupt or interfere with their mental magic capabilities.”

“Oh, can we just use these then?”

“Of course. They were intended for the Demonic Tribe anyway, so consider this an early field test.”

As the situation gradually stabilized, the outlines of the upheaval became apparent.

Prominent mages, renowned researchers, and promising officers had perished overnight.

Government bureaucrats, dragged to emergency meetings without changing clothes, collectively shrieked in terror.

“Is this even plausible?!”

“Please, remain calm. Our foremost priority now is ensuring the safety of the remaining civilians. Let us first identify potential Demonic Tribe targets and secure their protection.”

“There were even attempted attacks on foreign embassies! This is already a diplomatic catastrophe!”

“Ah, of course, we must include foreigners too. Verify all their locations immediately.”

Straining their administrative capacities to the breaking point, they compiled a list based on the notion: ‘If I were the Dark Lord, whom would I most desire to eliminate before the war?’. They swiftly ascertained the locations and fates of those individuals.

And only then did they realize a startling fact.

“Um, regarding the individuals from the Glasgow Kingdom…”

“Yes, what about them?”

“One is missing.”