"Is the soundproofing sphere activated?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
A chuckle. "No need to call me that right now, Matty. We're in a private room."
"All right, then. If you say so." The sound of a smack on the back of the head instantly resounded in the walls. "You frigging dummy! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?! And what about the near-heart attack that I suffered earlier?!"
"Ouch! Hey, have mercy on me!"
Mathias had gone straight to the private room where Evan was waiting for the other Guardians. Right now, the servants and the soldiers were taking care of last-minute preparations, so the Prince didn't have to do anything at the moment.
"Seriously…" Mathias heaved a long-suffering sigh. "I have no clue what to do. I restrained myself in front of that Otherworlder earlier, but right now I can feel my veins popping out from anger."
"Calm down. He's not the one at fault," Evan reminded him gently.
"Then who else can I blame?" Mathias said with a scowl. "You know very well what happens to this world whenever the Calamity returns, Evan. It's not pretty."
Evan's expression was somber. "Of course I know. We went on a long journey back then. All of us together. We helped all those people. We saw all the destruction. We witnessed the demon itself wreak havoc on our lands."
"Which is why this is a very serious matter!" Mathias said, rubbing his temples from stress. "I'm always prepared, but this one is far beyond my expectations. We don't even have much time left. What are we supposed to do?"
"Calm down," Evan repeated, reaching out to pat his friend on the back reassuringly. "You're usually the most logical and rational person in the group, Matty. We can get through this. I believe so."
Mathias took a deep breath. "Maybe," he said quietly. "But it's hard to focus."
"I know," Evan said gently.
"Evan. We only have about 18 hours left."
"I know."
"It's not enough."
"I know."
Mathias looked at him, crestfallen. "Why are you still so calm? So many things can go wrong, and yet you... I just can't understand."
Evan chuckled. "On the inside, I'm not so calm. But I'm a Summoner. I'm the Prince. I have to be calm at all times. I'm just good at hiding my inner turmoil."
Mathias felt an ache in his chest at his friend's words. They were the same age, only a few months apart, yet Evan was the one who always had the bigger burden on his shoulders. Being the Prince of a kingdom and being a Summoner at the same time was no easy feat.
Sometimes Mathias wondered what it would have been like if Evan were a mere commoner instead. Maybe his friend would be much happier.
Still, it was evident that no matter what, his friend was still happy and contented. He was always smiling, always gentle, and always optimistic. He was loved by many people because of this warm personality of his.
If the information about the Otherworlder ever got out, Mathias couldn't even imagine the amount of betrayal that the people would feel. Personally, he respected Evan's decisions and knew that his friend only did what was best.
But what of the people that barely knew him? Would they also understand his genuine intentions?
Not only that, but the King and the Queen would be furious. It was like being stuck in a rock and a hard place.
Mathias wondered which would be the lesser of two evils.
"Don't think too much about it, okay?" Evan said softly, interrupting Mathias' train of thought. "Let's just make the best of this situation. We can't do anything about it now. Blaming anyone will only prove fruitless. Just focus on surviving and saving the people around us. That's what I think is the most important."
Before Mathias could respond, the door to the private room suddenly slammed open. The two of them stood there in stunned silence before a figure suddenly rushed towards Evan, encasing him in a tight hug.
"Evaaaan!" a familiar voice exclaimed. "I missed you!"
"Ansel?" Evan said in delight, hugging him back eagerly. "How is it that you keep looking more handsome than the last time we met?"
Ansel laughed out loud. He was a twenty-year-old boy with chestnut brown hair and friendly brown eyes. He had this natural innocence that drew people to him unconsciously. "You only have good things to say about me whenever we meet," he remarked, though he did look pleased at being praised.
"He was so excited on our way here," someone nearby spoke up in amusement. "The carriage was practically shaking from his enthusiasm. He even said that he wouldn't miss your wedding for the world."
Evan laughed. "Thank you for coming, Gideon," he greeted, also giving the man a warm hug.
"I'm happy to see you," Gideon said with a smile. He was a tall man with dark brown hair and dark eyes. He also wore glasses which gave him a somewhat scholarly look. "I got your message and arrived as early as I could."
"Thank you," Evan said happily.
"Hey. Long time no see."
Mathias turned around at the sound of another familiar voice, having felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
"Oh, Clay!" he exclaimed. He gave the man a brief hug as a greeting. "It's been a while since we last heard from you."
"Yeah. Sorry about that." Clay rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was a large, bulky man with silver hair and tanned skin. His features were rigid and intimidating, but his eyes were warm. "I've been traveling a lot lately."
"What about your wife?"
"She's not my wife," Clay said, but his cheeks were flushed in embarrassment.
"Yet," Mathias said with a snicker. The others laughed along in the background.
Clay growled at them, but it was hard to get scared of him when he was still blushing furiously.
"Where's big sis Ely?" Ansel asked curiously.
"Hey, she's not 'big sis' anymore. With this banquet, she has practically become the Princess already," Clay pointed out. "So you should address her formally from now on, kid."
Evan laughed. "No worries. She won't mind whatever you call her. She's still busy discussing something with my mother, so she'll be late."
"Oh, I see," Ansel said, nodding in understanding. "What about Voss and Blade?"
"I asked them to do something on my behalf," Evan said. "They'll be here in time for the banquet. Unfortunately, they can't join this discussion right now."
The room instantly fell silent, and the tension was slowly sifting into the atmosphere. Everyone knew what they needed to talk about next, but the topic itself was daunting. They still found it hard to believe, honestly.
However, they needed to do this as soon as possible. After all, going into battle without a plan was suicide.
"Back to the matter at hand then," Clay said, his earlier embarrassment disappearing completely, replaced by his usual stern expression. "How exactly did this Otherworlder come to Angelbay City?"
Gideon's face was filled with worry. "Your Highness, are you absolutely certain that he's a foreigner from another world? There's a possibility that you might just be mistaken, right?"
"As much as I would like that to be true… no." Evan shook his head solemnly. "I am sure about this. There is no mistake."
He opened his palm and conjured a sphere from thin air. It glowed with a holy light, preventing anyone from seeing what was on the inside.
"Earlier, before I came here, I went to the royal family's private archives to confirm my suspicions, and it seems that I am indeed correct," Evan said gravely. "Once you guys see this, I'm sure that you'll agree with me as well."
He let the sphere dissipate into the air, revealing the object that was encased inside of it.
A blue butterfly.
The room fell into stunned silence. Mathias, who had already seen this sight before, only looked away, shutting his eyes as he did so.
The butterfly fell gracefully on Evan's open palm like a feather, clearly lifeless. However, there was a faint glow coming from it, a sickly green color that looked like it was slowly distorting.
The wings also appeared unusual, both having two different colors. One wing was completely black with blue skeletal designs that made it look almost eerie, while the other was a blue so pale that it was almost transparent.
Even with this unusual appearance, everyone in the room recognized what it was.
"That's…" Ansel spoke, finally breaking the silence.
"…a Linger," Gideon said slowly.
"Exactly," Evan said solemnly, reaching out to gently caress the dead butterfly's wings. "I found this lying beside Ardyn on the beach earlier today. He was unconscious at that time. I saw this Linger and kept it with me. You know what this means, correct?"
"Wait a minute," Clay piped in, looking confused. "From what I know, Lingers never die since they're remnants of people's souls who have moved on into the Meadow. This doesn't make any sense."
Gideon shook his head, strands of hair falling across his eyes. "You never read the books, Clay, so you don't know this, but…"
"A dead Linger is usually found near the spot where the Otherworlders first appear," Evan explained quietly. "Yes, Lingers never die, but on the very rare occurrence that they're found lifeless, it typically means that an Otherworlder has arrived."
A shell-shocked expression mirrored each of the Guardians' faces.
Mathias gazed at the scene in front of him, aware of the rising tension in the atmosphere.
Of course nobody would immediately believe that an Otherworlder had actually trespassed into this world after 200 long years. Heck, if Mathias hadn't seen the dead Linger in Evan's possession, he wouldn't have believed it, either.
But it was there, right in front of them. An undeniable piece of evidence.
Otherworlders were like a dark stain on this world's history. They were loathed and crucified in the history books. They were regarded as the cause of this world's destruction.
So, in order to ensure that none of them would enter this realm again, Summoner Xanthe sacrificed her own life 200 years ago and closed the boundary between the two worlds.
But it would seem that that boundary was torn apart once again. Perhaps the spell wore out through time, because that was the only explanation that made sense at the moment.
In their circle, Evan, Ansel, and Gideon were the only ones who studiously read books about the Otherworlders, finding the topic both morbid and fascinating at the same time.
Mathias, on the other hand, had never read more than a few pages of the books because he refused to give the dangerous intruders an ounce of sympathy from his heart. He was afraid that if he read more about their lives, he would get attached to them and their endless quest for justice, just like Evan.
Mathias refused to do that. He was a man who loved his kingdom more than anything else, and he found that the less he cared, the less he would make mistakes that would tip over the balance between mindless empathy and logical thinking. For him, it went without saying that the lives of his people held much more importance than the life of a trespasser who had already died back in their own world.
Evan often seemed sad when he revealed his thoughts about this, so Mathias kept his mouth shut whenever the subject of Otherworlders came up. Even though their opinions differed most of the time, Mathias still held an immense amount of respect for Evan, and his loyalty to the man would never waver even against the test of time.
Although the reason weighed more on the fact that he was Evan's Guardian, he also deeply admired the Prince's consistency and kindness towards his people, the outsiders included.
But he had to admit, after meeting Ardyn himself, he felt something inside him waver, even just the slightest bit. The man was a genuinely good person, he could tell.
It was just unfortunate that he had to be an Otherworlder.
"Like I just mentioned to you all, I had my suspicions, but I could not fully believe in them yet until I confirmed it in the books," Evan continued on. "However, somewhere along the way, I just knew, from Ardyn's words and actions, that he does not belong here. I know that I'm probably crossing the line here, but I want to help him."
His Guardians stared at him in disbelief.
"First of all, how do we even know if we can trust him?" Clay demanded.
"I don't think he'll have any allies in this kingdom, for starters," Evan responded calmly. "He's all alone, and he just got here."
"…Right. Because of his identity," Clay muttered.
"Well, what about his magic? What if he hurts you? Or us?" Ansel asked.
Evan shook his head. "He doesn't know how to use it. I suspect that he hasn't activated it yet. All the Otherworlders before him did have difficulty in harnessing their powers at first. It takes time."
"Do you think that he trusts you?" Clay asked quietly.
Evan smiled. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it's highly likely. He's even willing to cooperate. I really do feel that he's a good person."
"Your Highness…" Gideon swallowed. "I don't know…"
"But of course, our utmost priority is to evacuate the townspeople to all of the safehouses on the map," Evan clarified with a solemn expression. "I'm not saying to expend all our energy and resources into helping Ardyn. But I have made my decision, and I want to save my people, my family, my friends, and him as well."
"Look, Evan," Clay began, his eyes narrowing. "I understand how you feel. I know that putting all the blame on one person is stupid. I don't like it, either. But even if we disregard our own feelings, there's still the matter of everyone else around us. You don't really think that they'll embrace this Otherworlder with open arms, right?"
"Maybe we should put that aside for now and focus on getting everyone out of here," Gideon interjected cautiously. "If we don't act soon, thousands of people will die."
"The plan is to commence the evacuation a few hours later," Mathias spoke up. "In order to keep the suspicion off the Otherworlder, we need to formulate a plan first and then figure out how to tell His Majesty. That way, we won't draw unnecessary attention to him."
Clay's eyes went wide. "We're delaying the evacuation because of this trespasser?!"
"Not delaying, exactly," Evan said gently. "Let's look at this another way. We only have about 18 hours left before the Calamity makes its presence known. This may be the last time."
Everyone fell silent at once. They knew the implication all too well.
The atmosphere in the room slowly grew tense. No one wanted to speak for a while, their minds filled with conflicting thoughts. Things had happened too unexpectedly and too quickly for them to process everything.
There was also the matter of taking the safety of the entire city into their own hands. They had to prevent panic among the citizens as well as devise strategies and discuss contingency plans.
Since they, as Guardians, were in charge of sealing the monster and Evan was presumably the only Summoner at the moment who was capable of doing the ritual, it was a no-brainer. They couldn't let the soldiers and the royal family stay here if they were to conduct the sealing process. It was basic protocol.
"So," Ansel began in a small voice, loud enough to break the stiff silence, "what do we tell the King and Queen later?"
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