Kawao and Koru now found themselves in a long, dark tunnel.
Just moments ago, they had been with Kenzo in front of the gate to Kurani. But when a sudden wall of fog enveloped them, everything went dark, and now they were here. Kenzo had whispered to them just before, telling them to run quickly through the tunnel. Once they reached the end, they would be safe. The two were unsure of what awaited them, or if Kenzo was even okay, but they pressed on, growing faster as they went.
After a few minutes, they heard a crackling sound behind them, like stones being moved. They turned around. A small light had appeared at the end of the tunnel. After a moment, they realized it was moving toward them.
They braced themselves for a fight.
If someone had found this hideout, they would have to silence them.
But soon they saw who it was—Kenzo!
She was using a self-created fire staff to support herself, limping toward them. When she saw the two of them, she gave a tired smile.
"I thought you'd be farther along by now," she said in a trembling voice.
Moments later, she almost collapsed.
"AH!"
They quickly helped her up and hurried along. Whoever was at the end of the tunnel would surely be able to help her. Kenzo knew the risks of her plan and wouldn't have risked her life just for a couple of strangers.
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After a while, they arrived in a large cavern. All around them were tables, chairs, blackboards, and cabinets. People were rushing around like in a chaotic marketplace, sending countless papers flying through the air. The atmosphere was filled with loud shouting and heated arguments.
They tried to ask someone for help, but they were skillfully ignored. Kenzo had lost consciousness by now.
"HEY! THERE YOU ARE AT LAST!" someone suddenly yelled over the noise.
They looked around but couldn’t see where the voice had come from. Then, a small, elderly man squeezed his way through the crowd toward them.
It was Sid! The homeless man who had led them to Kinzo’s shop.
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"Sid! You’re here? Never mind that! We need to help her!" Koru quickly replied, pointing to Kenzo.
"Kenzo? What happened to you? We need to get her treated quickly!"
He snapped his fingers, and two people immediately arrived to take her off their hands. Kawao and Koru watched her go with concern.
"Will she make it?"
"Don’t worry, she’s tough! She’ll survive. You two should rest for now."
"Are you sure? Can’t we help somehow? We promised we would."
"You did? Hm... That’s good, but you can’t help here. I’ll have you taken to some rooms to rest, and tomorrow we can discuss everything that’s happened."
They wanted to protest, but with another snap of his fingers, they were whisked away down another tunnel, leading to a different part of the hideout.
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Meanwhile, in Kaisan...
Once a month, the Council of the Eternal Flame gathers to discuss the future direction of the country. These meetings take place without the emperor.
Two days later, the emperor learns of their decisions in another meeting, where he delivers the final judgment.
Today, however, the council had called an emergency session.
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In a specially designed chamber within the emperor's palace, all five ministers were seated around a table.
One of them had brought his protector—special individuals sworn to use their Nyd to protect the ministers and their affairs.
Everyone sat in silence, eyeing each other warily. Only the protector stood like a statue, awaiting orders.
He wore a strange-looking armor that made him look like a knight from the future. This protector was Lance, the Spear of the Farmer. He was the protector of Drumbo, the minister of agriculture.
Drumbo, overweight and clearly uncomfortable, sat there wondering when the meeting would finally be over.
Then, the defense minister spoke. His name was Fintei, the exact opposite of Drumbo—thin but courageous in his own way.
"As you’re all aware, a major battle took place in Kurani a few hours ago, nearly wiping out half the city! We haven’t seen an incident like this in 15 years! I called this emergency council to quickly make some decisions before everyone starts doing whatever they want!" he said, casting a stern glance at the ministers of health and finance.
The health minister, Hitto, had a thin, pointed beard and looked every bit the scheming businessman. He sighed.
The finance minister, Minca, looked more like a mob boss, sitting at the table with a large, intimidating presence.
Minca clicked his tongue and dismissed Fintei’s accusation with a wave of his hand.
Hitto responded with a sigh, "Oh, come on! Just because I tried to make a little money off that minor accident?"
"A little? Because of you, nearly all those people would’ve ended up on the streets!"
"If they can’t afford their medical bills, that’s their own problem!" Hitto replied, dismissing the conversation with a flick of his hand.
Shortly after, the education minister spoke up. "What does any of this have to do with me? Can I leave now?"
His name was Dracko, the only one at the table who looked good in a suit. He had the air of a teacher, but his words made it clear that he’d never be one, nor could he.
"This concerns all of us, Dracko! You’re the one who’ll have to clean up the headlines!" Fintei snapped.
He hated these meetings as much as the others did. But they were necessary.
So that they could continue to rule this country from the shadows.