The golden rays of the setting sun bathed the land.
Now and then, a few Starlys flew across the sky, their silhouettes tinged with crimson by the twilight.
In the slums of Aspiration City—once rundown and desolate—a vast area had now been cleared.
Many carpenters were busy on the open ground, constructing rows of extremely simple wooden huts. Packed tightly together, they resembled a honeycomb.
Mira sat at a wooden desk beneath the window, earnestly reviewing documents. Her flowing white hair took on a reddish hue in the sunset light, and her refined face wore a solemn, slightly worried expression.
Chief Knight Kevin, Treasurer Johnson, and Sheriff Richard—trusted confidants of the lady—stood quietly to one side.
Gently placing the papers down, Mira sighed slowly.
"Corrupted magical beasts have appeared near the Abyssal Caverns."
Kevin frowned slightly. Though he had anticipated this possibility, he hadn't expected it to happen so soon—especially since the heavy snow of winter hadn't even arrived yet. If those beasts, tainted by the grey fog, launched an attack this winter, the villages outside Aspiration City would suffer catastrophic damage.
"It seems we'll need to evacuate the residents near the Black Forest into the city sooner than expected."
The knight fell silent. He wanted to promise that the city's knights would keep the corrupted beasts at bay within the forest, but given the scale of this year's winter beast tide, the words caught in his throat and turned into a single response: "Understood."
"How is the construction of the temporary shelters for the slum residents coming along?" Mira continued to ask.
Although she had long wanted to relocate all the outlying residents into Aspiration City, doing so would require enough land, housing, food, and daily supplies to support them.
If everyone truly moved into the city for the entire winter, Aspiration City's resources would be overwhelmed. Therefore, the plan was only to relocate villagers when the beast tide from the Abyss was imminent.
This was also why she had issued a gag order. If word of the Abyssal beast tide spread among the lesser nobles, merchants, or commoners, it would cause widespread panic—especially among villagers living near the Black Forest.
To prepare for the impending battle, Aspiration City still needed the taxes, berries, and other strategic resources these villages provided.
This time, it was Treasurer Johnson who replied. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Construction on the temporary shelters is progressing quickly, but it will still be difficult to accommodate all the villagers."
"I suggest we first evacuate the residents in the northeast section of the territory, near the Abyssal Caverns. Even if the beast tide breaks out immediately, the villagers in other areas will still have time to evacuate."
"Staggered relocation will reduce pressure on Aspiration City. The city's finances are already strained due to preparations for the beast tide. If we move everyone too soon, we simply won't be able to sustain it."
At his words, the ministers around the room all nodded slightly. It was clear they agreed with his suggestion.
"In addition, the existence of the Abyssal beast tide must remain hidden—just like five years ago," Sheriff Richard added.
With a large influx of people entering the city, some disorder was inevitable, and this would already make managing public order much harder.
If people found out about the beast tide, it would spread fear rapidly and plunge the city into further chaos.
Johnson agreed wholeheartedly and added, "Keeping the beast tide a secret will also help with post-disaster reconstruction. If word of the danger at the Abyssal Caverns spreads, many villagers might flee the territory and head to nearby Meteor City or Marina City."
Mira nodded gravely. For any lady, having a strong and skilled populace was essential for developing a territory, and the loss of residents—especially skilled freemen—could be devastating.
"Then begin relocating the villagers from the northeastern part of the territory into the city. The knight corps, finance office, and the sheriff's court must make the necessary arrangements," Mira declared, making her final decision.
As they continued discussing the details of the relocation, a sudden knock came from the door.
"Vice-Captain Todd has returned?" the attendant reported. The people in the room exchanged glances, puzzled.
By right, Todd should currently be leading the knights in hunting magical beasts in the territory. Had they already completed their mission? Or had something gone wrong?
Outside the castle, Vice-Captain Todd was also deep in thought, his mind still occupied with the failed knight regiment mission in Fruitvale Village.
Although Aven claimed the blame lay entirely with the nobles, absolving the knight order of responsibility, the matter still involved aristocrats. Any scandal involving nobles within the knight corps would put immense pressure on the organization.
Moreover, if he followed Aven's suggestion and reported the incident by placing all responsibility on the nobles, the knight order —whether they liked it or not—would be taking a stance against those nobles and siding with Fruitvale Village.
He had a strong feeling that Aven, by sending him alone to report the situation while holding back the main forces, had deliberately left him with no choice but to move forward.
Just as Todd was still pondering how to handle the situation, he saw a castle attendant hurrying toward him, announcing that the lady wished to see him immediately.
'Sigh... I'll leave it to the lady to decide,' Todd thought, exhaling as he strode swiftly toward the study.
Upon entering, he immediately gave a formal knight's salute. Glancing around the room and seeing Kevin, Johnson, and the others present, he felt a little more at ease. All of the lady's close advisors were here—just as he had hoped.
"Vice-Captain Todd, why have you returned?" Mira asked with a stern expression, motioning for him to rise.
Just a moment ago, she had noticed the suppressed exhaustion on his face and the disheveled, dirt-streaked armor he wore. Clearly, he hadn't rested at all on the journey back.
(End of Chapter)