Chapter 323 – Falling (2)

The second largest market in the capital located right next to the Alchemists' Bell Tower.

"What is going on?"

A merchant who had opened his store later than usual and was currently setting up his fruits looked toward his neighboring merchant and asked.

"I don't really know either."

The responding merchant shook his head. His gaze was headed toward the busier than usual entrance of the Alchemists' Bell Tower.

Someone interjected into their conversation at that moment.

"Y, you know, it's about that one thing."
"That one thing?"
"Yes, that thing!"

The innocent looking young man with a muscular body started to speak.

"The Alchemists' Bell Tower took children from the slums fifteen years ago while saying that they'll give them jobs and turn them into alchemists."
"Ah, ah. I remember."

The merchant recalled something from a long time ago.
Fifteen years.
It was an extremely long time ago.
At least it felt that way for the people currently standing outside the Bell Tower.

"The families of those children seem to be requesting the guards to let them see those children."
"Ah is that so? Have they not been able to see them this whole time?"

The merchant's eyes opened wide as he responded back about this fact that he did not know about.
The young man, Vice Captain Hilsman, licked his lips before continuing to speak in his uniquely friendly manner that made him a social butterfly.

"Yes sir, that does seem to be the case. You know about Honte-nim, right? The Tower Master's disciple!"
"Of course I know. Who doesn't?! Honte-nim is from the slums. The Alchemists' Bell Tower is amazing and Honte-nim is amazing as well. That was a case of great results coming out from wonderful intentions."
"That is indeed the case."

Vice Captain Hilsman slowly started to get to work.

"But you see…"

The fact that the young man's expression turned serious made the merchant as well as people walking by all start to pay more attention to him.

"Even Honte-nim's family could only see him from afar and have never been allowed to meet with him."
"… Really? Why would they?"

The two merchants' expressions turned odd.

"…I didn't know about that. I didn't know that that was the case."

Hilsman exaggeratedly nodded his head at the merchant's comment.

"Me neither! I didn't know about that either! Anyway, there is apparently a reason all of those people went to the Alchemists' Bell Tower to look for their family members right now."
"What is the reason?"

Hilsman flailed his arms around as he exaggerated on.

"You know how a lot of alchemists went to the battlefield in order to fight against the Whipper Kingdom? They were worried about their family members, so they went to meet with them."
"Ah."

The merchant nodded his head.
He had wondered why they were all here, but that was an understandable reason.

"It makes sense to be worried after sending your family members to the battlefield. I'm sure it's been hard for them to sleep at night."

'Oops.'

The merchant who had said that without thinking flinched and turned his head. The merchant who was putting out his fruits did not have a good expression on his face.
His younger brother was participating in the Whipper Kingdom war as a soldier.

"Ahem, hem. But we probably don't need to worry much about it! Our Empire will win!"

The merchant looked at his buddy and quickly added on, giving the chance for Hilsman who had been waiting for an opening to strike.

"Of course. Would the Imperial Prince allow the Empire's citizens to die terribly?"
"Of course not! That would never happen!"

Hilsman turned his gaze away from the merchant who was unintentionally playing along and looked around.
He was not the only one acting like this right now.

Cale and Rex's people were having similar discussions throughout the capital and observing what was going on.

'I can see concern and uncertainty.'

The soldiers that the Imperial Prince took with him.
The people of the capital made up the majority of those soldiers.

The Empire was still at war no matter how peaceful it was at the capital right now.

Vice Captain Hilsman looked around at the now chaotic atmosphere and stealthily disappeared.
The others were doing the same thing.

Everyone who had received the same orders as Hilsman did were moving around the capital while avoiding the gazes of the soldiers. Cale's words were running through their minds.

'I plan to distribute two footages to the capital.'

Tap. Tap.
The hurried steps of a red Cat jumping across roofs could be heard.

'The first footage will be about the Alchemists' Bell Tower's evil deeds starting from fifteen years ago.'

The majority of people would be astonished about it and condemn it, while the people of the slums and the family members of the slaves from other nations would rage.

'Second.'

Sir Rex glared at the Alchemists' Bell Tower.

'The second footage will be the footage of the Imperial Prince and the Alchemists' Bell Tower using the bomb, 'Honte,' to try to kill his own people.'

All of the Empire's citizens would rage once they saw that footage.

'Sir Rex, I want you and the people of the slums to help the citizens evacuate to the outside of the capital at that time.
You will be protecting and guarding the people this time.'

Cale's voice echoed in Rex's ears.
His bloodshot eyes were taking in every corner and path inside the capital.

'I will definitely evacuate everyone.'

He had made up his mind.

***

"Some people from the slums showed up earlier today?"

The extremely nervous alchemist reported today's happenings to Adin.

"Yes, your highness. Didn't a lot of alchemists participate in the Whipper Kingdom battle this time? They seemed to be worried that their family members ended up there as well, so they were asking for any information about them or asking to see them if they were in the Alchemists' Bell Tower."
"Why so suddenly?"

The alchemist shook his head.

"It is not sudden. We have had people show up every so often. The only different thing was that Honte's younger sibling showed up, which I believe is what made others follow behind them. However, there were still only around ten people."
"I see. Keep an eye on the slums as well."

The alchemist quickly bowed after hearing Adin's orders.

"We need to get rid of any and all variables right now."

It was because the Imperial Prince's voice was quite cold.

"I understand, your highness. We will fortify the patrol around the capital three times as much as it currently is today."

They were using these patrols as a front to keep an eye on things.
Adin nodded his head and the alchemist quickly headed out of the terrace room Adin was in.

"Your highness, do you think something will happen in the slums?"

Adin shook his head at the Imperial doctor's question.

"Even if something does happen, what could they do? It's the same today as it was fifteen years ago. We just can't let false rumors spread throughout the capital."

Adin was thinking that he needed to strengthen his control over the capital some more.
He took a sip of dead mana.

"It's still so bland."

It was extremely bland compared to the black liquid with other people's despair.
Adin thought about that delicious flavor as he took another sip of dead mana.

At that same time, Cale was in a small forest a bit south of the Empire's capital.

"The surveillance of the slums has increased?"
"Yes, young master-nim. I heard it from my subordinates."

Cale nodded his head at Freesia's response.
He touched the item in his hand as he asked.

"Are all of the preparations complete?"

His gaze headed to the darkness within the forest.
Two people walked toward him from within the darkness.

The Sun God twins.
Saint Jack and the sword master Hannah.

"I've been ready to fight since a long time ago."

Hannah grumbled as she touched the face of her sword. Her eyes were sparkling with the thought of killing her enemies.

"I just need to fight with the sword oppa gives me, right?"

The text that had been written inside the black magic book. The twins had already heard about it from Cale.

Cale's gaze turned toward Saint Jack.

"Saint-nim, are you ready?"

Saint Jack was touching a small orb with a stiff expression on his face. This was one of the video recording orbs that would be released throughout the capital tomorrow.

Saint Jack lifted his head up and looked around the dark forest.
He could see Cage, the priestess of the God of Death, the necromancer Mary, and the Dark Elf Tasha.

'Will, I really be able to use the divine item and pull out a sword? Do I have the qualifications to do this?'

He thought about the trees that turned white in Section 7 of the Jungle.
That sight was truly a sight of, 'light.'

Saint Jack reached his hand out.

"Young master-nim, please give it to me."

Cale started to smile at Jack's stern voice.

"I've been waiting for you to say those words."

The small old compact mirror in Cale's hand was handed over to Jack.
Jack received it with shaking hands and opened it up. He could see the mirror inside.

Condemnation.

That word was still written on it.
However, Jack just closed the mirror again for now.
The Condemnation of the Sun.
The divine item that was said to turn the night white.

Jack held the divine item in his hand as he started to speak to Cale.

"I will definitely create a white night."

Cale was about to respond to this when he raised his head.

Swooooooosh-

Wind was blowing.
He could only see a regular night sky.
However, he could tell.
There was something invisible in the sky.

– Human! Rosalyn is here!

The airship that had been turned invisible by the two Dragons was floating right above the forest.
Cale could see black dots suddenly falling from the sky.

Tap! Tap! Boom!
The black beings who landed on the ground with different noises slowly stood up.
These were the Dark Elf warriors who had fought in the Jungle.
They bowed to Cale with their Elementals around them.

Cale started to speak.

"One day."

Only one day was left.

Dawn the next morning.
Adin received a report that the slums were quiet as usual, as well as the fact that not many people were moving about and that the soldiers had listened to the conversations of the people as well.

"There was not much, your highness."

However, they did not realize that the people were simply quietly waiting for the day to pass.

***

"Did you close the window?"
"One moment!"

The child quickly reached toward the window at his mom's question.
He could see the soldiers and knights patrolling outside.

'They are working hard even at night to protect us because of the war.'

The child recalled his mom' words and quietly observed the soldiers and knights outside.

"Cold air is coming in!"
"Ah, I'm on it!"

The child quickly closed the window after hearing his mom's voice once more.

Screeeech.
The old window slowly closed.
It was late at night. The sun had long set and only the night sky was visible.

Clang.
The hand of the child who was trying to lock the window flinched.

"M, mom!"

The child called for his mom, but his voice could not be heard.

Beeeeeeeep- Beeeeeeeep-

A sharp noise cutting through the night was heard throughout the capital.
The mom held the shocked child in her arms as she finished locking the window.
Her pupils were shaking.

'Did the enemies invade? Do we need to run? What is this noise?'

She was filled with uncertainty as they were currently in the middle of a war. All of her senses became alert as she tried to figure out what was going on.
It was at that moment.

– Looking down at this really is entertaining.

A familiar voice was heard outside the window.

"It's his highness! Mom, his highness!"

The child was right.
It was Imperial Prince Adin's voice.

Screeeech.

The window opened back up.
She looked up at the sky.

A large flying object was in the air.
There was a footage being cast on that airship.

"Huh? Mom, it's his highness's face!"

She could see an area with skeletons piled up like a mountain. The Imperial Prince was in the terrace up top drinking a black liquid.
The first footage covered the capital's sky.

Sir Rex, who had returned to his human form, had a video communication device in his hand at that moment.

– Start.

It was Cale's voice.
Sir Rex looked forward. Many people in the slums were holding orbs, shields, and other items while looking at him.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"Disperse. Let's all get through this."

That was the beginning.
People started to move through the darkness in the slums.

At that moment.

– Start.

Rosalyn turned her head.
She could see a magic circle shining at the center of the airship as well, as the ancient Dragon who was floating up into the air.
She opened her mouth to speak.

"Activate the magic circle to destroy the walls!"

Her voice echoed into the night sky as the entire airship started to shake from the roaring mana.

And finally.

"Let's go."

Cale entered the northern secret passage into the Alchemists' Bell Tower where Adin would be.

Raon and Choi Han followed behind him.

Cale heard a person's voice through the video communication device.

– East, West, South, and North secret passages infiltration will commence.

It was Tasha's voice.
North, South, East, West. The Alchemists' Bell Tower's secret passages.
The Dark Elf warriors were infiltrating these secret passages with Tasha leading the way.

It was time.
This was just the beginning.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]