Boom!
A massive explosion sounded from another direction in the city, followed by a plume of thick smoke... It was very far away, almost on the eastern edge of the city, while the group was currently on a high mountain in the northwest.
Everyone looked bewildered by something happening so far off.
Sean scanned his surroundings. They had originally come to welcome the powerful witch from the north, but the sudden loud noise had put everyone in a state of [Confusion!].
"What was that?" Igniya, standing beside him, asked.
Sean couldn't say either, as it was too far away for him to see what was happening there.
"Fire! It looks like a fire!" someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
After the smoke cleared, flames began spreading across the rooftops in the distance, igniting the surrounding houses one after another!
Faint explosions continued to come from that direction...
"It seems I'm not very welcome here," the newly arrived Red Dragon Witch finally spoke, just as doubt began to creep into everyone's minds.
Her voice carried the unique charm of a mature woman.
"We..." Aelia and her two brothers were momentarily at a loss for words.
The sudden turn of events left the three in a state of [Confusion!], their minds [Racing with Thoughts!], and Aelia kept staring at the site of the fire, unsure of what to do!
"We'll deal with this later. Children of Count Hamilton, gather your men and follow me. It seems there are people in this city who don't appreciate my arrival. Your father made the right choice this time." With that, she began casting a spell.
[Summoning~]
Sean noticed the spell she was casting had started its casting bar.
It was summoning!
He had heard about this type of magic when Lussier explained basic knowledge before, and now he was finally witnessing it.
The casting took about five seconds... As the magical fluctuations appeared, a space rippled like a mirror above her head. When the casting was complete, a massive flying beast slowly emerged from that space.
With dark, glossy skin and leathery wings, it looked more like the dragons described in movies and stories. Its body, with wings spread, was larger than two horses standing side by side.
Everyone watched as she leaped directly onto the beast...
"Follow me, children of the Count." With that, she flew off toward the east.
The group snapped out of their [Shock!] and turned to look at the three.
"Black Knights, let's follow and see what's happening over there!" one of the three finally spoke.
Sean remembered his name was Ryan. On his first day at the Count's estate, he had an unpleasant exchange with him.
"Everyone, come along too. It's better if we stay together for mutual support."
The incident was too sudden, and they still hadn't received any news from that direction. All they could see was the fire... accompanied by the sound of explosions, which sounded like a factory had blown up.
"Yeah, that works. Everyone stay together and don't get separated!" one of the leading viscounts among the nobles stepped forward to say.
Having just climbed the mountain in the morning, they now had to rush back down in a hurry...
Sean grabbed Igniya from behind.
"What's wrong, Sean?"
She turned around to see Sean's serious expression, and along with her, the wizard named Warren also turned.
"Hurry up, Igniya..." His expression changed when he saw Sean.
"Baron Weigel, we're in danger right now. There might be a fire in the east, and we all need to go. Can you please not hold up my junior sister?" Warren looked at Sean with some dissatisfaction.
Their rapport had always been cold, almost every meeting filled with sarcasm.
This had happened many times over the past few days...
"Oh, really? Then go ahead." Sean glanced at Igniya, who was looking at him with [Curiosity!].
"You..."
"If it's dangerous, then hurry up and get away from it."
It was clear that Warren was in a state of [Anger!]. If Igniya weren't there, Sean figured they might have come to blows.
"Alright, stop arguing... Warren, you go first. I'll catch up with Sean soon." Igniya finally intervened.
"But how can I leave you here alone?!?"
"Is this place more dangerous than where the fire is? Go ahead, Shalik and the others are waiting for you." She repeated herself.
"Go on!"
Under Igniya's urging, Warren finally left first, stopping a few steps away to look back at them.
"Be careful, Igniya."
"I know, just go. I'll be right behind you..."
And at that moment, Sean noticed that Warren's rapport with him had finally turned into [Hatred]!
Hmph~
"Your senior brother doesn't seem to like me much."
"He's always been this meddlesome. Don't mind him... By the way, Sean, did you notice something?" Igniya had chosen to stay behind with Sean partly because of the observational skills he had shown the day before.
She had never seen anyone deduce so much from such an ordinary event!
"Don't you find the fire and explosions strange?" Sean said.
In fact, from the moment he heard the first blast, Sean had sensed something was off...
"You mean the gunpowder?!" Even Igniya caught on.
They were so close to the truth, yet still a step too slow. If only the two of them had checked a few more places yesterday afternoon, they might have discovered it.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go tell them now! And that 'Sky-Covering Wing' leader, the Red Dragon Witch Freya, is here too. We need to let her know about this." Igniya's first thought was to quickly inform everyone.
If they went now, they might still find the rioters.
"Too late."
"Huh?" Igniya looked at Sean, confused.
"What's too late?"
"Going now won't help. We'd just be helping to put out the fire. As you said, even if the fire destroys the houses, it's nothing to the high-level wizards in Koga City. So why would they do this?" Sean countered.
Igniya had no answer.
Even Sean couldn't find a breakthrough on this question...
When did it all start?
Before he came to Koga City, or even earlier, had they already been planning this?
In an instant, his mind replayed all the vivid memories.
From leaving Taylor Mian Town, to the inn outside the city... the states of the people he encountered, then the city itself—the rats, the sewers, the ailing Count, the heirs fighting for the title, the orchard and gunpowder materials in the east, and the things Igniya had learned.
None of it seemed to connect much...
If he went further back, to the start of winter.
"Igniya..."
"Hmm?"
"We're going back." Sean suddenly looked toward the largest building in the city.
"Where?"
"Back to the Count's estate."