Annette looked at Gourdon and nodded. Then she looked at Erikson.
"Is that all? Anything else you’ll need?"
The boy fell silent for a mont, fidgeting. He then raised his head and stuttered slightly.
"Uhm, yes, ac...actually, there is sothing else."
Annette raised her brows.
"And what would that be?"
The boy counted on his fingers as he spoke.
"I’ll need a map—this one will do. I’ll need soone to escort to the underground tunnel so we can check it out. For to work faster... I need to familiarize myself with the terrain down there."
Annette watched him attentively.
"Is there a particular person you have in mind, or would anyone do?"
Erikson looked at everyone; they were all staring back at him. He shifted his gaze to Annette, uncertain.
"Uhm, I don’t know? Any good scout will do?"
"Oh, a scou—"
"!!"
Before Annette could finish, soone shot their hand skyward.
Annette looked at the owner of the eager voice and sighed.
"Ellis, you can go with him."
’I was going to ask you anyway.’
Ellis’s eyes sparkled with vigor when he was given permission.
"Thank you very much, Sage Annette."
She folded her hands and tapped her fingers for a mont, then turned to her right.
"Abyss Tyrant, escort them in case of any danger."
Nahia frowned and leaned forward.
"What?"
Annette looked at her.
"What? Got a problem?"
"You’re sending a monster alone with two teenagers?"
Annette recoiled in slight surprise.
"A monster? Seriously? With—"
"Night Terror is not a monster!"
Ellis’s voice cut through hers.
Nahia turned to the boy at her left with a scowl.
"Who is this insignificant crow?"
Ellis frowned back.
"I am not an insignificant crow. Night Terror was the first true friend I made, the first person who truly cared about ."
Nahia looked at him with disgust.
"You’ve all finally gone mad—calling a monster a person."
She dragged her palm down her face.
"My decision is final, Lady Nahia. If you have a problem with it, I don’t mind you going so you can protect them from the... monster."
Annette’s voice carried the weight of absolute authority.
The lady scoffed and turned her face away.
Then Annette addressed the rest of the crowd.
"As Ascendant Gourdon has said, we all have our work cut out for us. While we await responses from Erik and Eli, we should heal our wounds, prepare any surprises, and find alternatives. Is that clear?"
They all murmured their agreent before turning to each other in discussion. The murmurs rose as they dispersed from the table.
However, the hall doors suddenly slamd open, and soone in matte black armor ca running inside.
The others paid no mind and continued dispersing.
The figure reached Annette, panting heavily.
"Drolock, did you run up the stairs?"
He nodded quickly, gasping and trying to steady his breath.
"The—There’s a new arrival."
Annette’s eyes narrowed to slits.
"New arrival?"
"Yes!"
Drolock nodded frantically.
"Lady Ayu and Myu. It took a while to recognize them, but it was certainly the two of them. They’re here with so tall lady and two other people."
Annette’s expression remained calm.
"Any signs of Sage Gilbert?"
Drolock shook his head.
"No."
Annette sighed and stepped forward.
"I should et Ayu and Myu."
"Wait."
She froze at the sound of that voice. Not just her, but everyone who had been walking away mid-conversation.
The entire hall fell dead silent.
Gourdon turned toward the man sitting in the chair, tilting his head with a large, clownish grin.
"Ehhhh? You barely speak your entire life, and now you’re shouting?"
Zeek had his glasses lowered, mouth agape.
"Beats too!"
The person they were all focused on, Zahir al-Noor, lowered his head. His face was covered, but his eyes—they held a glint of wariness.
Gourdon saw it and squinted suspiciously.
"Hey, Zahir, is sothing wrong?"
He lowered the scarf wrapped around his lower face, revealing his scarred lips—as if soone had once tried to sew him shut by force.
Behind him stood Ryan, pale and rigid, as though everything happening right now was a colossal hassle and he’d rather be anywhere else.
Zahir rose and looked at Annette.
"They are strong."
She tilted her head slightly, confused.
"The new people?"
"Yes. Two of them are fairly strong—I can asure them. But one of them, I can’t asure... and if I can’t asure..."
He shifted his eyes to Gourdon.
Gourdon’s eyes, usually hidden beneath his hair, were revealed and widened.
"...then that ans they’re strong enough to beat the shit out of you, ..."
Zahir added with ice in his gaze.
"Everyone."
The mont he spoke, the entire world held its breath.
It wasn’t a ti freeze—it was sothing deeper. Everyone, including the atmosphere, the building, the very floor beneath their feet, seed to pause. That single second stretched like an eternity.
Silence swallowed the hall whole, so complete that when the first step touched the ground, it echoed as though it were reverberating across every corner of existence.
It was the sharp staccato of heels striking the floor of a narrow corridor.
Step.
Step.
Accompanied by the gentle whisper of a long coat.
Fear—raw, primal fear—seized their lungs with invisible claws. The whole world felt silent and dying.
The echo of footsteps finally ceased, and a lady stood among them all, her gaze fixed on Zahir.
A small frown creased his brow as he looked back at her.
"Lady Rehema Nora. To what honor do we owe the hallowed presence of Reimgard’s firstborn in this ruined city?"
Annette’s eyes went wide as saucers.
Everyone wore the sa expression—they felt their insides shrivel from sheer terror.
The first princess of the empire stood in their midst.
None of them dared even breathe.
Then, in that cold and vicious mont of silence, sothing terrible happened.
Nebulous Lord moved.
He cut through the distance like a blade, riding a gale of wind that seed to slice the very atmosphere in two.
In that instant, crimson eyes sharpened to razor slits and the lady whirled. Her hand lashed out, catching Nebulous Lord’s fist with casual ease.
He whipped out a leg—she crushed it down with the elbow of her gripping hand, sending shockwaves rippling outward like thunder.
The entire hall shuddered. The crystal chandeliers sang a violent, trembling song.
Her fingers released his fist and struck forward like a viper’s fangs. She wrapped her hand around his throat and hoisted him skyward with a frown.
"Huh...? What is this?"
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