The mere thought that the book alchemists called legendary might be in Old Tacoma kept Sean from sleeping...
When the first maid opened the door at dawn, she was startled.
"Milord! How are you..."
"It's nothing. I just got up earlier today," Sean said.
Looking at the state of surprise hovering over the maid's head, it was no wonder she was shocked—he hadn't truly risen early once in nearly a month, and suddenly pulling this today was bound to raise eyebrows.
"Has Aslant arrived yet?"
"Not yet, milord... It's only just dawn. Are you hungry? Shall I have the kitchen prepare something?" the maid asked.
Usually, the servants dared not disturb Sean's rest, slipping in at first light to tidy up quietly and leave. Who would have guessed he'd be up this early? They probably assumed hunger had roused him.
"No need..."
Sean glanced at the sky outside; it wasn't fully bright yet.
"Count, Butler Calibo said we should add some desks at noon. Should we bring them in?" the maid suddenly asked.
After Calibo arrived at the Count's estate yesterday, Sean had promptly made him the household butler. Since he enjoyed tinkering, let him be—as long as he didn't lose any of Sean's belongings.
"If that's the old butler's opinion, go ahead," Sean replied casually.
He waited in his room until full daylight, then summoned everyone once Luke and Dan reminded him to gather them...
If the Necronomicon really was in Old Tacoma, he couldn't afford to let others search for it. According to Alphonse's earlier description, this 'possibly existing' book contained many unknown things, a tome sought by alchemists studying the 'Gate of Truth.' Many of the horrifying tales or ancient curses heard in the world were excerpts from that book, though most had failed.
Those were Alphonse's exact words, and Sean realized then the difference from wizards—alchemists pursued this very book!
He had mentioned it to Freya before, but she seemed unaware at the time, saying she'd keep an eye out... It wasn't the first time Sean noticed how little that girl knew.
When he first met Freya, he thought she was impressive—certainly, in terms of raw power, he'd never encountered a human of higher rank. But in magical research and scholarship, she fell short of erudite wizards like Eshu.
If the Necronomicon might be in Old Tacoma, it was worth going himself... even just a possibility warranted a look.
When Sean announced he'd personally go to Old Tacoma, the faces around him all showed alarm.
"Milord, that place is too dangerous."
"What danger could there be? The Adaks are just merchants who might linger there, and we'll have to rebuild Old Tacoma eventually anyway. I'm just scouting the situation." Sean didn't mention the Necronomicon to them, mainly because Alphonse had said contact with that book could bring unpredictable consequences.
So he held back on telling Luke, worried that if they sent people to search, they might encounter what the Black Feather Knights had faced.
"But Ouro still needs you to oversee many matters..."
"It's only a day or two. I trust you all to handle things."
Though Luke and Harry insisted he shouldn't go, Captain Joseph practically wanted him to leave immediately—it would boost morale among the border troops. Lately, the border forces had no choice but to camp at the old military fortress.
But since many had died there, rumors kept spreading among the soldiers... Having the lord personally present might quell the trouble.
"It's settled. I'll return in a few days—four at most if I hurry. With other cities already eyeing us, I can't just sit idle!"
............................
After preparing everything, Sean chose only Joseph to lead the escort, leaving Aslant in Ouro to handle other matters.
Ouro wasn't far from Old Tacoma; with fast horses, leaving at dawn would get them there by the next evening...
The towns along the way were deserted.
Once beyond Ouro's jurisdiction, the whole landscape turned bleak and desolate. After the Tacoma incident, the surviving residents had only thought of fleeing. Word had it that when the Black Feather Knights withdrew, nearly half the survivors had already left.
Looking at the places he'd passed before...
Last time, it was through the mist; now, it was clearer, but also emptier.
"Milord, Old Tacoma is just ahead. The city is dead silent now. Should we head straight to the camp?"
"No need. Since we're here, we should go in."
The military fortress was where he'd stayed with the Black Feather Knights—close to the city and not far from the border, making it the best spot for the soldiers to camp.
Entering Tacoma again felt different. No mist shrouded it, no hordes of maddened, lost walking corpses—just desolation and filth...
The streets were eerily quiet, footsteps echoing.
"Milord, where to now?"
"The city center..."
Sean figured that if he was looking for clues, that place would hold the best remnants.
It was where Freya had been escorted by the Deep Ones and the Fish-men, and where the 'Great Being' the Deep Ones spoke of was supposed to appear.
Too bad the summoning had failed!
Only a broken trace remained...
Sean peered into the depths of the large well at the city center. It was said to have been a fountain, but the Deep Ones had turned it into a massive well. Water still filled it; Freya had mentioned the Black Feather Knights had checked it before. Some deep well water connected through groundwater to the southern swamps.
But they found no trace of the thing with giant octopus tentacles—as if, after the failed summoning, it had vanished completely! Not a single mark left behind.
What a shame.
He should have had Freya keep an eye on this place back then. Since the summoning site was here, something should have remained—better than just withered grass now.
Looking around, there was almost nothing of value. Even within his field of vision, he spotted no useful items.
But then, a prompt suddenly appeared in his sight...
"Who's there?!"
He turned toward the corner of an alley.