The weather has started to turn cold recently, with daily forecasts mostly showing overcast skies. You need to wear a coat when going out.
Sean led Luke and the others out of the Earl’s mansion, heading toward the road leading to his own home. Even the neighboring Divala family was drawn by the commotion. Dozens of witches filed in a line toward the Earl’s estate, all wearing identical robes rarely seen in Oro City, and notably, every single one of them was strikingly beautiful.
"Who are these people?" Charles Divala asked, craning his neck curiously.
Orlando hadn’t seen them before, but as a few witches passed by, he noticed a symbol he’d heard mentioned. "Sky-Obscuring Wings." "What?" Charles and Philo both looked at their father.
"These witches should be from Sky-Obscuring Wings. I’ve seen that mark before. There was a similar organization back when Tacoma City still existed," Orlando said.
The three of them then recalled that Count Vigil seemed to have quite a connection to the Sky-Obscuring Wings wizard organization.
"So they’re the witches of Sky-Obscuring Wings." Charles glanced a few more times toward the Earl’s mansion. As a topic of occasional conversation among men, the witches of Sky-Obscuring Wings were always something they’d heard about.
"Stop staring and get inside." Philo scolded her brother for his lack of dignity, and when she looked back toward the Earl’s estate, the witches had already disappeared from view.
On the other side, Sean watched the approaching group. He didn’t recognize most of them, except for one familiar face at the front—Karyana. She was the one he’d first met when accompanying Freya to Riyetis, passing through a fortress city called Cliff Peak. She had been the liaison stationed there, later transferred, and she was also the first person to teach him how to draw maps.
Even now, the schematic of Cliff Peak she’d drawn was still in his study. Though the map only showed a partial area—he’d only walked one street—it had long since become one of those keepsakes tucked away at the bottom of a chest.
"Long time no see, Karyana," Sean greeted her.
Even the unfamiliar members of Sky-Obscuring Wings’ headquarters had a friendliness level above "friendly." As for their levels, Sean scanned the crowd—most were around Orderer Level 6, except for one who was nearly Level 8, with health showing as and mana as . Even Karyana was close to Level 6. Last time he’d seen her, she was only Level 5. In less than half a year, she’d improved that much.
Just as he’d suspected—Orderer levels hit a bottleneck above Level 6.
"We’re here on the leader’s orders to assist you, and also to establish a branch of Sky-Obscuring Wings in Oro City." With so many people around, Karyana stated their purpose formally.
"Of course. I’m still a member of Sky-Obscuring Wings, after all. Welcome!" Sean said.
He didn’t usually flaunt this identity, but using it now and then didn’t hurt.
"Come on in. I’d like to fill you in on the current situation." If they’d come earlier, Sean might have cracked a joke, but right now, he was too worried to sleep and had no mind for anything else.
The girls, who had been whispering in the back, quieted down and followed him inside.
Asland and Joseph were already waiting in the meeting room. They rarely saw so many witches arriving at once, and for a moment, they even forgot what Sean had told them to do.
"Asland?" "Ah—oh, my lord." "Everyone’s here. Explain the current situation to them," Sean ordered.
Asland laid out the recent events in Oro City and the underlying issues to everyone present. Sean had planned to wait for the alchemist Alphonse to join, but the north was in the middle of a war, and the alchemists were likely too busy to come. The search for the Necronomicon would have to be put on hold.
"So Oro has faced so many troubles too. Can we no longer send people north?" asked another witch Sean hadn’t met before—the one with the highest level, nearly Orderer Level 8.
"I don’t plan to send anyone out either. Holding the southeastern border of the empire is the greatest help I can offer. If the rebels take Oro City or the Adaks amass troops at the border, it would be a fatal blow to the empire still fighting on the front lines. The imperial army is stretched too thin to handle pressure on both fronts," Sean said.
After a year as a lord, Sean had become more pragmatic. Rather than chasing a good reputation, it was better to keep the benefits on his own land. Besides, if Oro truly fell, the empire would have no choice but to sue for peace or retreat westward.
"What do we do now?" Karyana asked.
"We discussed this before—things have to be handled one step at a time." Sean pointed to the mountains outside Oro City on the map.
In his field of view, the hills appeared as forests, but this scaled-down map was too vague. The forests were vast and couldn’t show the rebels’ exact location, and since he’d never been to those deep mountains, they wouldn’t appear on his map.
"We’ll search the mountains for the rebel camp. If they won’t come out, we’ll force them out. Then, we’ll extend checkpoints to the mountain paths. The old roads probably need repairs, and we can set up a barrier there," Sean outlined his plan.
"As for the Adak region, I’ve been to the old Tacoma district before. They seem to be searching for something, which is why they keep sending people. If possible, I plan to dispatch a team to investigate the city on the Adak side—the one called Bahahama."
He was still fixated on the ancient statue.
"Sean?" Karyana suddenly interrupted. "I mean, Count Vigil." She wasn’t used to the title yet and slipped back into the old address.
"Do you remember when our Sky-Obscuring Wings investigators went to the village of Katia and encountered that circus that opened at night?" "Of course I do."
That night’s circus had been the start of the Tacoma incident. Later investigations by Freya suggested the circus might have been run by the offspring of Deep Ones and humans, playing normal roles to blend in.
"I recall they went to the Adak region." "Yes, that’s right. But over the past six months, I’ve been tracking them. Some Adak merchants said they saw a circus like that, but it didn’t stay long in Adak. Instead, it turned south and entered Mersin." She pointed to the area below the map, which wasn’t drawn.
Mersin. That was the southernmost country of the Zambutar region, bordering southern Bashalan. You could reach it from Koga City, or from his side, heading south through the swamps.
"Right now, we’re dealing with rebels, keeping an eye on the Adaks, and waiting for news from the front. With three uncertain factors, it’s best not to provoke another place," Sean said, frowning.
If they had to deal with another country— He paused, but then another idea struck him. He looked at Luke, who seemed lost in thought too.
"That’s not what I meant. I’m saying, if the Night Circus causes trouble, why not ally with that country? If they’re willing to help us by stationing troops in the Adak region too, then the Bahahama problem would be solved," Karyana proposed.
Sean mulled over this bold approach. He glanced out the window. A few snowflakes were falling against the glass.
It was snowing. That meant they’d made it to winter.