“So, when are we going to the inner city?” Ralph said, as the Star Seekers were walking out of the canteen, prompting everyone to pause and turn towards him. “What? I was just curious. And do not act is if I am the only one who wants to know. You, Aren, I saw how you kept glancing at Captain ever since Yuri brought up the topic of going to the inner city. And the same goes for you, Karl.

  “And you, Zain, just because you kept your neck stiff, does not mean that no one will be able to see your eyes moving. On the contrary, it made you even more conspicuous. Next time, try to act more natural. Like Norren. Who kept bringing up the topic of experiencing more battles in the inner city from time to time.”

  Ralph paused, allowing his words to sink in, and the faces of his teammates to turn red, before continuing with his words.

  “Just admit it. Everyone wants to know when are going to inner city.”

  “…When did he become so observant?”

  “He is our Ralph, right? Not someone posing as him?”

  “Hey!”

  “Who knows, maybe he has been possessed like Captain.”

  “…Keep me out of this,” Alnea said, glaring at his boisterous teammates, only for them to laugh out together. Maybe telling them about what he experienced at the end of the Trial was not such a good idea. “And stop being so awkward. If you have any questions, then just ask.”

  “…Well, if you insist, I am also a little curious about when we are going to the inner city.”

  “Just curious though. Not that I—we want to go there right away. You can take your time if have other things to deal with in the city. There is no pressure on you.”

  “…I just want to know when we will be able to use our new privileges.”

  “And I also have to go and show off—I mean, tell my clan about me passing the Final Trial. So, knowing when we will be going to the inner city would make it more convenient for me to act.”

  “…It’s all right. You do not have to give any explanations,” Alnea said, but did not answer the question right away. Instead, he first glanced at the giant hall behind them, and then at the only exit of the hall, before turning back to his teammates. “Let’s talk about it as we walk, shall we?”

  Without waiting for his teammates to answer, he pushed the doors open and walked out of the hall, leaving them no choice but to follow behind him. And he waited until all the Star Seekers had walked out of the hall, before he began talking. Though he did give them their answer right away.

  “Before I tell you when we are going to the inner city, would you mind answering a question for me first?”

  The Star Seekers glanced at each other and shook their heads, all while following their Captain to the stairs.

  “We have been in the Lost City for over half a year. Some, even a year. And we have explored quite a few places. Including other Districts. But in all that time, have you ever seen the inner city?”

  The Star Seekers, especially the boys, paused in their steps for a moment, and glanced at each other once again. This time, with solemn faces. And after they confirmed their thoughts, they quickly turned back towards their Captain, only to find him also staying in place, and staring back at them.

  “Have you realised the problem?”

  “…There was something blocking our perception?”

  “Not just our perception,” Aren said, shaking his head. “Even our thoughts were blocked.” After a pause, he added, “Something was keeping us from thinking about finding the inner city.”

  “…Then why can we think about it now?”

  “Because of our privileges,” Alnea said, flashing a grin, before turning around, and resuming his steps. “Earlier, we were not qualified to enter the inner city. But that was not enough to stop us from trying to find it. And if we were really adamant about it, searching every corner of the city, then even if they blocked our perception, it would have been of no use. So, they simply blocked all its thoughts from our minds, leaving only one clue. To enter the city, we must follow its rules.”

  “…I see,” Zain said, nodding to himself. “Kind of like the Glyph Arrays placed around my clan’s Library, preventing unqualified people from approaching its towers.”

  “…Not exactly,” Vestia said, glancing at Zain. “I know the kind of Glyph Arrays you are talking about. My clan also uses similar Arrays. And probably, so does all the Orthodoxies in existence. With their own set of Glyphs, of course. Just with similar effects. Preventing unqualified people from approaching or exploring a certain area by removing it from their senses.”

  Vestia paused, and glanced at the rest of the Star Seekers, before continuing with her words.

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  “In contrast, the methods used by the Lost City are much more thorough. And subtle. In addition to blocking off our senses, it also influenced our thoughts, preventing us from thinking in a certain direction. Maybe, it even prevented us from walking towards the inner city, making it impossible for us to stumble into the inner city, even by mistake.”

  “…Such an ingenious method…”

  “Ingenious indeed,” Alnea said, glancing back at his teammates, as they entered the main lobby of the Blood Hall. “But we do not have to worry. Since we can think of these things, it proves that the Lost City will not prevent us from entering the inner city anymore.”

  “…But we still have to find the inner city.”

  “And that answers your question,” Alnea said. “When we go to the inner city will depend on when we find it.”

  “…I see,” Norren said, breaking out into grin. “Is this another challenge for entering the inner city? Maybe, even a Hidden Trial?”

  “…You are thinking too much. We can just ask the people working in the Blood Hall. Since they are all True Wanderers, they should know where the inner city is. The only reason they could not share that information with us before was because of our low privileges, but now that we have cleared the Final Trial, and gained the qualification to enter the inner city, they should not mind helping us a little.”

  “…Especially Daes.”

  “Wanderer Daes?” Alnea said, glancing towards the counter for Scholar Hall. “Is she still here? I thought she was going to meet with us in the inner city.”

  Was she too eager to meet him, so she came back running to—

  Alnea paused, both in his steps, and in his thoughts, as he felt a chill climb up the back of his spine. One even colder than the breath of Death.

  “…You have quite a good memory.”

  “It has been a month, yet you still remember what she said.”

  “Are you so eager to meet with her?”

  “And what your other ‘friends’?”

  “They must also have been eagerly waiting for your return.”

  “Look, one of them is even waving at you.”

  “Why not go say a few words to her?”

  “Maybe even ask her to help us find the inner city… so that you can meet up with Daes.”

  …Alnea stood still, not daring to glance back towards the voices. And the more he heard those voices speak, the stiffer he became, until he could bear them no longer, and let out an awkward laugh, before resuming his steps. Just not in the direction he had initially intended. Instead, he made his way towards the exit of the Blood Hall, quickening his pace along the way.

  “…Where are you going, Captain?”

  “Were you not going to ask for help?”

  “That’s the wrong way!”

  …Idiots.

  “The counters are this way.”

  All of them.

  “Hey, Captain! Wait up!”

  Could they not feel the terrifying breath brewing next to them?

  “Slow down!”

  And face those terrifying beings hounding his back?

  “Why are you running?”

  …To save his life. But he could not say that out loud. And he could not just stay silent all the time either. He had to come up with a reasonable excu—explanation.

  “…I am not running,” Alnea said, while maintaining a pace that was only a little short of running. “This is called brisk walking.”

  “…Can we slow down?”

  “No.”

  “At least tell us where we are going.”

  “Back to our mansion.”

  “But the inner city—

  Alnea paused just as they reached the Blood Hall’s exit, before glancing back at his teammates. Some were panting and sweating, while a few others were sporting a grimace, giving him the perfect excu—explanation he needed.

  “Take a look at yourselves,” Alnea said, trying to maintain a straight face, while avoiding the eyes of the terrifying beings standing next to them. “Just brisk walk is enough to send you huffing and puffing, and you want to go look for the inner city?”

  “…That—

  “What can you do even if we find the inner city?”

  “…We—

  “Do you not remember how severe your injuries were when we took you to the Healers? And have you forgotten what they said?”

  “…No—

  “Forget what those healers said. Just look at yourselves. Ruined robes, bloodied bodies, and mud on your faces… I know that everyone is excited to go to the inner city as soon as possible, but are you sure you want to go there in your current state?”

  “…Let—

  “What you need now is not the method to reach the inner city, but a nice, warm bath, a change of clothes, and a good night’s sleep.”

  “…At least let us speak, Captain,” Ralph said in an aggrieved tone, after Alnea finally finished his tirade. “We never said that we wanted to go to the inner city right away. We just wanted to know when we will go there, so that we can plan accordingly.”

  “And we were not even the ones to suggest asking the Wanderers of the Blood Hall for their help. None of us have such close relationship with those people. Only you do.”

  “Even then, we never thought of asking them to lead us to the inner city. As long as they could have told us how to find it, we could have looked for it on our own.”

  “Though, even if they would have agreed to lead our way, it is not like those women could have left their counters to lead us to the inner city right away. They all have their own responsibilities to fulfil.”

  “All you had to do was to ask when they would be free, and we could have set a time that would have worked for all of us.”

  “But you…”

  …Maybe his excu—explanations were not as reasonable as he had expected them to be. But it was too late to regret. He—

  Fortunately, the three terrifying beings, with their eyes set on him, did not seem to mind the flaws in his excu—explanations. Or was the silence their way of showing their dissatisfaction? He did not know. And did not dare to guess. At least not while they were still so close to the Blood Hall. So, after apologising for his ‘misunderstanding’, he ignored the grumbles of his teammates, and led them all back to their mansion.