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33.09% [BL] Guardians of Fate / Chapter 46: Chapter 15: Evacuation [4]

章節 46: Chapter 15: Evacuation [4]

Meanwhile, the castle was in a state of chaos. Guards were accompanying the staff and the servants and leading them towards the exit. The amount of people in the banquet hall was slowly dwindling, with citizens anxiously waiting to return to their homes to pack their things.

The announcement had been so sudden for all of them, but the royal family, including the Guardians, were now in the midst of their own preparations.

"Have all the guests been evacuated from their rooms?" the King asked the head of the royal knights.

The Commander, Barion, saluted to his superior and nodded firmly. "There is no one left in the guest rooms, Your Majesty," he reported. "All the soldiers are currently assisting with the evacuation process. It is estimated that the process will be completed before daybreak."

The King nodded. "That's good. What about the personal mission that I gave you?"

Barion shook his head. "I have sent my best men to search for whoever is suspicious. I also ordered a few to scan the outskirts as well as the nearby shores. So far, no one has reported any unusual individual wandering about."

The King gritted his teeth, his expression filled with displeasure. "I cannot believe this. 200 years, and they've returned… We should not let this go. We need to capture that Otherworlder at once. For now, we will focus on the evacuation, but keep an eye on any suspicious individuals in the meantime. Is that understood?"

Barion nodded, his gaze sparkling with a passionate determination. "I will not fail you, Your Majesty. We will find that Otherworlder and bring them to you, alive."

‏‏‎ ‎

* * *

‏‏‎ ‎

"Evan."

Evan didn't even turn around as he continued to drape the robe over his clothing.

This was commonly known as the Summoner's Robe, a flowing material that reached from the neck down to the ankles. It was a deep, velvety shade of black with a thick leather band cinched at the waist to keep it in place.

Around his neck was the Summoner's Necklace, sparkling under the chandelier lights.

Clay stood there behind the Prince, an uneasy, worried look crossing his features. He seemed a little fidgety, which didn't seem to suit his large, muscular build.

He had always been the fiercest and most capable in the group, the one who protected the others and constantly assured everyone that things were going to be okay, like a big older brother.

But right now, he was at a loss for words.

He had only traveled here to the Silver Kingdom for the purpose of celebrating his Summoner's engagement party, but then things changed so drastically that it made his head dizzy.

Who could have expected that the Calamity would be returning three years later instead of the expected eight years of peace? It was just unthinkable.

"We're really gonna do this, aren't we?" Clay whispered, his voice audible enough in the deathly silent room.

Evan paused in his movements before moving to face his Guardian.

When he turned around, the robe's hood was drawn low, framing his face in shadows. The sight gave off an air of enigmatic mysticism, very much unlike his usual bright, prince-like aura.

His hands were covered with gloves made of supple leather, embellished with intricate patterns of runes. The patterns glowed subtly as he moved, indicating that it was ready and activated.

The sight of it made Clay's heart lurch in his chest.

Evan seemed to sense his unease, because he drew the hood back to reveal a gentle smile on his face. His features were so soft that it felt like he was trying to silently reassure his companion that things were going to be all right.

"We've been ready for this for a while. Now, the time has come for us to do our duties," Evan said softly. "How are the other Guardians? Have you finished with your own preparations?"

Clay nodded, not finding it in himself to speak.

Evan smiled again, this time with a melancholic air permeating the room. "Don't look at me like that, Clay," he said lightly. "We'll succeed. There are risks, yes, but we'll be fine. Things will go according to plan."

Clay took a deep breath and nodded again.

"I know," he whispered. "Just… be careful, okay?"

Evan chuckled. "No worries. I have such capable Guardians by my side to protect me. Like you."

He took a step forward and locked the older man in a warm embrace.

Funny, they had done this quite a few times before. They would comfort each other, joke around, chat and gossip, and even scold each other affectionately, but this time, the hug just felt different.

Clay shut his eyes and hugged Evan back, holding him so tightly as though he were afraid of letting go.

"I'll protect you until death, my friend," Clay promised quietly. "As your Guardian, I swear to protect you until the end."

‏‏‎ ‎

* * *

‏‏‎ ‎

Standing outside the room were six people, leaning their backs against the wall and trying to restrain their emotions.

"…I'm scared," Elyana whispered.

"…Me too, Ely," Ansel muttered as he wrung his fingers together anxiously.

Gideon, who was beside him, reached out and clamped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're all here. We can fight it together," he assured. "Let's do it like we always do, but with ten times more effort."

"The people's lives are at stake," Blade added quietly. "We gotta do what we gotta do."

"I know that," Ansel mumbled. "Just that… the thought of seeing that monster again… It gives me the chills."

Mathias folded his arms across his chest, looking pensive. "As long as we do it according to the sealing process, we'll be fine," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The seven of us have enough experience under our belt, don't we?"

"Maybe we should create more backup plans just in case," Voss proposed. "There's nothing wrong with preparing too much in case something goes wrong."

"Yeah, like what if we fail?" Elyana said, squeezing her elbow nervously. "I can't even imagine the consequences of that."

"We'll go over the process as much as we can. We still have enough time before it appears," Mathias said calmly, closing his eyes.

In truth, he wasn't calm at all. Far from it, actually.

Studying, practicing, and training for it was one thing. But being faced with it and applying what you learned all your life… that was a different story altogether.

Right now it felt like they were lambs being sent to stop a rabid wolf from devouring everyone in the farm.

Mathias suddenly reopened his eyes and looked at his fellow Guardians. "Has he already left?" he asked quietly.

They all stared back at him with the same look in their eyes.

They didn't even need to know the name. They already knew who he was referring to.

"Evan sent him off hours ago, so yes, probably," Elyana answered.

"I was there," Ansel supplied. "We said goodbye."

"Okay," Mathias said simply before the conversation came to an end.

After all, it was dangerous to talk about him here, within these castle walls.

They never knew who could be a friend or a foe, and that included the King and Queen themselves.


next chapter

章節 47: Chapter 15: Evacuation [5]

Daybreak was approaching. The skies were fading from a deep black to a much lighter hue, causing the stars to blink weakly until they eventually disappeared.

Soon, the sun would rise from the horizon and cast its rays on the lands, signaling the beginning of a new day.

Evan stood at the balcony, watching his people leave the city in an organized manner.

The evacuation was almost over. The once-busy streets were now like a ghost town, not including the soldiers who were running back and forth, checking if there were any citizens left. He could still see the lanterns and decorations all around as well as the food and game booths.

All deserted.

"Ardyn..." he murmured as he tried to find the man among the last of the crowd near the exit. Of course, he wouldn't be able to make out a figure, as they were too far away for him to see clearly, and it had been hours since the man had left, but he figured there was nothing wrong with trying.

"Are you worried about him?"

Evan turned around to see Elyana's concerned face as she approached him tentatively.

With a smile, he held out his hand, and she took it gently. He led her to stand beside him by the railing, watching as the rest of the crowd was now out of the gates.

"I am worried, but I believe that he'll do just fine," he confessed. "I'm sure he'll be able to find his purpose very soon."

Elyana studied him for a moment. "You seem to have placed a lot of faith in him," she remarked. "Though I can see why. Despite his sad appearance, he has potential."

"So you can see it too, huh," Evan said, and he sounded a little pleased. "I knew that I had a good eye for people. I'm pretty great, aren't I?"

Elyana shoved him playfully on the shoulder. "There you go again with your bragging," she said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"I can't help it. I'm just praising it like it is," he said smugly, knowing very well that she would get annoyed by this.

True to his expectations, she slapped him lightly on the back, scrunching her nose adorably. "Stop that. I just came here to fetch you. His Majesty requires your presence."

"Ah. Are he and Mother ready to evacuate?"

Elyana nodded. "They… wish to say their goodbyes," she said softly.

"All right." Evan smiled and let her lead him out of the room.

Time was passing quite fast. No matter how much he tried not to think about it, it was inevitable.

He just hoped that after all this, there would be no casualties. It would be heartbreaking to lose a life during the battle, but the risks were too high.

They had been taught at a young age that people like them — the Summoners and the Guardians — should always be ready for death at any time during the Calamity's reign of terror.

Evan sighed internally. He never thought that he would be meeting that monster again after three years. He thought that he still had more time before they faced each other again.

The King and Queen had already sent out warnings and missives to every kingdom, but it would take some time for them to respond.

First, they would prioritize their own people. Second, they would assess the situation and strategize. Third, they would assemble whatever army they had. Finally, they would send out their Summoners, but even that would take too much time. Distance and transportation were big factors, for example. Also, they were scattered far and wide, making it difficult to gather them quickly without prior warning.

There was also the matter of tracking down the Calamity. The process would usually take several weeks to months, and it wasn't easy. The main point was that there were many factors involved, especially in a sudden case like this with unprecedented events.

In the past sealing attempts, Summoners all around the world were gathered just around the time when the seal would expire. That way, there would be a greater chance of immobilizing the monster before it could take any more lives.

When initiating the sealing process, it wasn't a guaranteed success. There were chances that it would fail. That was why the entire world, especially the major kingdoms, had an official copy of the list of Summoners with all the contact details so that they could save time trying to locate each one.

I'm going to be the first Summoner to confront the monster the moment it reappears, Evan thought. It'll be up to me and the others to deal with it until reinforcements arrive.

If I ever fail in the sealing process, my priority is to buy time. Just enough time for more Summoners to take their chance before the monster expends too much energy and runs off to regenerate.

Evan sighed internally.

The last time he had seen the Calamity with his own eyes was three years ago.

He had expected to encounter the colossal creature five years from now, but it seemed that things changed. They all had no choice but to accept the changes and make the best of the situation.

This time, he was the Summoner who would become the people's hope. He couldn't let them down.

As they neared the stairs leading down to the castle hall, Evan glanced at the knights guarding each door and recalled something important.

"Have you told the men to ready the cannons?" he asked, thinking about how they could salvage the city's remains after the Calamity's eventual destruction.

Elyana nodded. "But what of the barriers? Shall I check if the magic wards are in place?"

"Those, too. But we cannot make use of the barriers. We won't be able to keep the Calamity in place with our magic. Instead, let them activate the magic wards to fortify the castle and the entire town. The important thing is to prevent too much destruction. Since we've finished with the evacuation, we don't need to worry about thousands of casualties."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Evan took a deep breath.

"The sun is slowly rising. Make sure that every single soul has been evacuated, and we will later begin the initial sealing process outside."


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