"It is a long story."
Captain Roland was the one to respond promptly. His answer heightened D'andre's concern, what could be happening to Rowan and Winterseed Village?
Being a natural lover of juicy gists, D'andre wasted no ti as he strolled into the eting hall with the captains.
George hurried to arrange the seats properly before handing one over to D'andre to sit on, while the other captains took their places. They then ford a small circle and were ready to discuss.
Among the captains, Roland possessed the best communication skills, so he naturally beca the one to reveal the devastating news to D'andre; he began by recounting the monstrous hordes in the dark forest—a phenonon Rowan suspected was unnatural to their return to the village—followed by the explosion and finally the disappearance of Rowan.
The more he narrated, the more confused D'andre beca. However, amid his confusion, a na erged in his mind—The Cult of Ember Justice—but he chose not to reveal it to the captains and instead continued to listen.
His suspicions were further confird when the captains disclosed that only Rowan, Riela, and Dragun had been taken away.
In Winterseed, they were the sole individuals capable of wielding magic.
Such individuals are treasured by the Cult of Ember Justice.
"He left his pets behind?" D'andre inquired, his confusion deepening further.
If the answer proved affirmative, it could only an that Rowan had been taken without his consent.
Roland and the other captains nodded in agreent, confirming his inquiry.
"There is no organization on this continent strong enough to pull off such an act. This is one hundred percent the handiwork of those wicked goonies. I just hope Rowan is alright," thought D'andre.
"Where are the pets?"
D'andre possessed a magical slip that enabled him to communicate and understand the language of divine beasts for a few seconds. He intended to use it.
"The wolf is at Lord Rowan's place, while the giant bird flew away—I believe it went off to search for Lord Rowan," replied Josh.
"Cool then, lead to the wolf," he said.
Without wasting any ti, they all strolled toward Rowan's place.
As they strolled through the village, so villagers peeking out of their windows saw D'andre and felt a small surge of hope, praying that D'andre would surely save their beloved Lord.
In just a few minutes, they arrived at Rowan's place.
It was as if Blaze could unmistakably sense their presence as he casually strolled out of the house. He wore a gentle yet defiant expression on his face, and his muscular body emanated a fiercely powerful fiery aura.
"These pets are growing incredibly fast," D'andre exclaid.
The last ti he had been here, Blaze was not nearly this big and strong.
"It appears extrely frustrated. It must be missing its master," he mused.
He opened his inventory and scrolled through the myriad of items before summoning a silver-colored magic slip.
He tore the magic slip, which exploded into a brief, blinding flash of light.
"You were with your master before he was taken away? Can you recount to the events that transpired that night?" D'andre communicated with the divine beast.
However, the language he used was peculiar—a strange tongue that none of the captains could grasp, as it sounded like gibberish.
Fortunately, the opposite was true for Blaze.
Blaze currently wore a very perplexed expression, clearly understanding every single word that D'andre had spoken.
Within him, he also felt an unexpected bond that had never existed before.
It was a weaker version of the bond that Blaze shared with Rowan, which allowed them to communicate easily both verbally and telepathically. In contrast, D'andre's connection was solely verbal.
"Do not worry, for what you feel right now will only last for the next ten minutes, and then it will vanish permanently."
D'andre suspected that Blaze was troubled by the connection, so he quickly dispelled any doubts.
Thankfully, it worked perfectly.
Blaze cald down and recounted in full detail the events that transpired that night.
"I knew it could only be the handiwork of those bastards," D'andre sighed.
"Rest assured, as long as they are still alive, I will do everything in my power to bring them back safely. I have powerful friends."
Blaze nodded subtly in response.
The magical connection that had existed for that brief mont gradually faded away until it was completely gone.
D'andre turned to the captains and offered them the sa assurance.
He was ready to leave when they called him back to ask for a favor.
"Ehh."
D'andre scratched his head, feeling embarrassed after listening to their request — they wanted him to deliver a public address to the villagers to calm their worried hearts.
D'andre possessed superior communication skills, though they were most effective in a small group or with a single listener. When it ca to addressing large crowds, however, he could not rely on his usual communication prowess.
Nevertheless, he ended up agreeing to their requests — it was the least he could do for his friend.
....
Half an hour later.
The village square was filled to the brim with gloomy villagers. Although the square was truly packed, it remained mostly silent and somber.
D'andre could not help but be deeply surprised by the state of the crowd. He wondered what sort of technique Rowan had employed to make the villagers love him so dearly and beco so profoundly sorrowful in his absence.
"Not even Venerable Mario possesses such a deep connection with his people, despite his strength and wealth, there remain a few of his subjects ready to kill and seize his throne the mont he lets his guard down. Rowan is truly different."
D'andre scanned the crowd once more before softly muttering a quick chant.
Employing wind magic, D'andre levitated several ters above the ground so that all the villagers could obtain a clear view of him. He also activated a voice amplification spell to bolster his voice.
"Good people of Winterseed....."
He began, imdiately drawing the attention of the gloomy villagers.
Unlike Rowan, who possessed a unique talent for capturing positive emotions instantly, D'andre found that task exceedingly difficult, especially given their current negative state.
But he tried his absolute best.
He began by consoling them about the disappearance of Rowan and then proceeded to...
"I promise you all, with every ounce of my heart, that within one week I will return your beloved Lord and every missing villager," he declared.
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