The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 248

"...What are we going to do after this?"

A man paced back and forth while biting his finger, clicking his tongue repeatedly.

"I don't know," he replied firmly. "I can't think of anything!"

The man, dressed in a white shirt with a tie and vest, along with a black coat accented with gold, raised an eyebrow.

"How can you refuse to think about it? Do you know what our situation is right now?" he exclaimed, his tone filled with confusion.

"Shut up!" Grace muttered quietly.

After parting ways with the others, Calvert and Grace decided to hide inside an abandoned building in northeastern Layana. Although both of them knew that hiding there without moving at all would eventually lead the church and cathedral to discover their whereabouts.

Despite realizing that, they still did not dare leave the building, hoping that luck would once again be on their side. Clearly, that thought was wrong, and Calvert pushed it aside as he tried to escape the reckless situation caused by his companion.

"If it weren't for you killing that man, we could have returned to Caestevil safely, you idiot!" Calvert shouted as he walked around looking for somewhere to sit before finally settling into a chair with a hole in it, which he had moved near the entrance.

Grace showed no reaction as those words continued to circle in her mind. She admitted her mistake, although she was not the only one who had killed that man and the other five people.

"Damn, where is that man now?"

At a glance, Calvert, who was sitting with his cheek resting on his hand, turned toward her for a few seconds before his attention returned to the door.

'Wait for me, Nawai. I will definitely come home and save you.'

Although his hope of hiding Nawai from the loss of three important senses had vanished after Zavi Actitus's death, Calvert found a glimmer of hope after getting through this situation.

More than that, he hoped that he would be all right and be able to meet the others again, because they were comrades who had fought alongside him.

...

To the southwest of the great city of Kuranda, in Watunim, two members of the Eistender hunter organization acted differently from the others. Instead of hiding, they took advantage of the crowds filling the streets and fled the area as quickly as possible.

Their objective was simple: go to Jikusuma and take the train route from Velise Station to Wayaa Station in the city of Minehold.

The two, Renneiver and Michael, did not exchange a single word as they focused on their steps, carefully passing the officers patrolling that night.

Fortunately, they managed to evade the countless officers as their feet reached Velise Railway Station after walking for roughly an hour without stopping.

Their restrained breathing finally returned to normal as each of them wiped the sweat from their faces with the sleeves of their coats.

They saw no suspicious signs among the numerous visitors at the station and the officers who were still on guard there, even though the night was growing late.

"What time is it...?" Michael asked quietly, occasionally glancing at the person sitting beside him.

"10:50 p.m.," Renneiver replied as he closed his pocket watch and slipped it back into the pocket of his knee-length black coat.

"I see." Michael sighed as he relaxed his body, resting his head against the back of the long iron bench.

The two remained silent, unwilling to speak before the last train arrived at 11 p.m.

...

Far from Kuranda, in the historic city of Layana, the cultural festival was reaching its climax. After several hours of wild performances during the third event, the costumes, dancers, puppeteers, magicians, and Pseuca, or people known as comedians, appeared during the sixth event, which was also the last before the festival's closing.

"Which event is this?" Zavi asked while leaning against the iron railing, pointing toward Aaron.

Aaron was still leaning against it, his gaze directed straight ahead as he answered in a somewhat apathetic tone, "Six, if I'm not mistaken. As far as I know, cultural festivals in other cities usually have six or seven events. I don't know about the rest."

Zavi's pupils widened for a moment before returning to normal.

"I see. I really enjoyed the performance. Especially the costumes. They reminded me of my hometown."

As those words echoed in his mind, Aaron turned toward him before sweeping his gaze across everything in front of him.

"Moran, huh?" Aaron said, his shoulders dropping slightly.

"..."

'Earth. It reminded me of Earth. I don't know why I suddenly remembered it, but what is this feeling stirring in my chest when I see those silhouettes as the costumes face one another to show who is the greatest and most valiant? Every time I remember it, I suddenly remember the three of them.'

As he thought, the figures of his mother and his first and second older sisters appeared to be standing beside him, their faces glowing as they turned and smiled at little Liam Tirarty.

As Zavi raised his hand for several seconds while glancing at them, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"May I have your attention... The final event we have been waiting for will begin shortly. I hope you have enjoyed this festival, especially our honored guests who have presented their magical performance on the stage." The host's excited voice was carried by the night wind, reaching the ears of every visitor both near and far from the stage.

"I, as the host of this cultural festival in the town square, would like to announce that it will be midnight in just a few minutes, and the month will also change from September to October... I hope that this month, we receive what we desire and happiness as vast as the ocean out there."

"The final event will begin shortly...." the host shouted while raising his hand.

The applause and cheers of the visitors made the night even more festive and lively despite the late hour.

For a moment, the host extended his hand, staring at the sea of people and the sparkling spotlights before him, making his face appear to glow.

'God... is this heaven?'

After thinking for a moment, the host and his two companions hurried down from the stage, handing the megaphone to the main performer of the sixth event after stepping onto the stones on the road.

Meanwhile, where they stood, Zavi's calmness faded as his mind seemed to freeze. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat pounding as though it had lost its rhythm, while his gaze suddenly became empty.

'October, you say?'

His widened pupils were fixed on Aaron, who was calmly talking with Felina as if the revelation were not surprising to him.

"Hey, didn't you hear that?" Zavi exclaimed while holding his breath.

The three people in front of him immediately turned around, observing the panic on Zavi's face with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked, tilting his head.

"Do you want to tell us something?"

Felina looked at him with deep suspicion.

Zavi nodded. However, before he could open his mouth to answer their confusion, a cold hand and ragged breathing could be heard directly behind him.

A man wearing a white shirt and black trousers complete with a leather belt was hunched behind Zavi, his breathing loud and labored.

"Who is that?" Celvira asked in confusion.

Zavi spontaneously turned around and took two steps back, staring at the familiar-looking man who was hunched over and had briefly held his shoulder.

"Is he an acquaintance of yours, Actitus?" Aaron asked, his hand ready to vault over the railing and see for himself.

Zavi turned toward him, a frown appearing on his face.

"No," he answered shortly and clearly.

'There's no way I know someone like him.'

Once the man's breathing began to stabilize, Felina's gaze grew more intense as she observed him. Yet, for no apparent reason, she did not recognize the man at all.

The man finally straightened his body, staring at the three of them with an indescribable expression.

"We have been inside a fairy tale for approximately six months."

The calm atmosphere faded, replaced by disbelief as Felina and Aaron's gazes froze for several seconds.

Zavi only just realized it, although his shock still echoed in his mind. After remaining silent for several seconds, he approached Zuhen and studied him carefully.

"I can't believe I forgot. No, more precisely, I simply don't remember it."

Without giving Zuhen a chance to speak, Zavi immediately added, his tone quieter and more relaxed this time.

"Since when did you realize this, Mr. Zuhen?"

Zuhen raised an eyebrow.

"I saw the pamphlet on the table," he answered with a bitter smile. "I never expected my carelessness to reveal this fact."

Zavi nodded as if he understood, although in truth, he did not.

"I just remembered something about leaving this morning," Zavi said quietly, as if he did not want anyone other than Zuhen to hear him.

"Could it be..." Zuhen lowered his gaze, his expression becoming sharper.

Zavi nodded confidently.

"Yes, I asked someone whether today was April 8th." Zavi paused for a moment to chuckle before continuing, "But it turns out six months have passed, and today is apparently September 30th."

The corner of his lips twitched, his mind, which had briefly frozen, slowly becoming clear as Zavi tried to remain calm so that Celvira would not act recklessly.

Aware that the risk of losing his contract and control would most likely occur if he lost his sanity, Zavi considered the previous months to have already passed rather than the opposite.

"For now, I suggest that we go straight to that place tonight. What do you think?" Zavi suddenly said, his gaze briefly shifting toward Celvira, who was staring intently at him.

"I can't believe this actually happened. However, when I asked that man whether the man I saw earlier this afternoon was merely an illusion, and what I had been doing since that night until today."

Zavi waited for something that would shock him once again, after the urge to slam his head against the wall grew stronger.

"I'll go," Zuhen said with a sigh.

"Huh?" Zavi snapped out of his thoughts, surprised that Zuhen had accepted his suggestion so easily.

After the two agreed to leave for Vinohoshi that very night, they approached the three people standing behind the iron railing and asked for their opinions.

However, they were still standing there with vacant expressions, as if their brains were not yet ready to accept the information. Aaron, on the other hand, had no objection whatsoever.

What puzzled him was this: had that night really happened yesterday, or had it actually happened six months ago?

Aaron did not know as he instinctively shook his head, then nodded when voices began entering his ears and swirling around in his mind.

"How about we enjoy this festival until the end?" Aaron exclaimed calmly before turning around and directing his gaze forward.

Only this time had he truly enjoyed the beauty of the world!

Felina was still thinking about how six months could feel like the previous night. What was certain was that after entering Luciven's body and obtaining memories from thousands of years ago, she felt that her perception had become increasingly chaotic lately.

"All right, I agree," Felina answered somewhat confusedly. "However, I don't agree to leaving this place right now."

Because they did not want their relationship to become tangled like the air in the morning, Zuhen and Zavi agreed to their request. As for Celvira, Zavi informed her through telepathy. The two agreed, and neither objected to this sudden plan.

...

Far from Layana's town square, in the great city of Kuranda, specifically in Eiyon.

After remaining inactive for several months since arriving at that large house, despite occasionally reporting his condition to his companions, the member of the secret organization who had previously encountered the hunter group realized that the fairy tale's effects were still lingering even after being freed from the restraints of the "Puppeter" ability.

"It's terrifying," Antonius said while playing with his glove, his pale face looking incredibly grim inside the dimly lit room.

"Yes." Andreas's voice sounded weary as he responded to his friend's statement.

"About that, actually, I didn't intend to bring this up," Antonius continued.

"Oh? Leonard suddenly becoming ill because of the effects of that ability?"

Even though several months had passed, they had not yet told their captain about the incident. Those who had not suffered severe effects, such as the six members of the NightField search team, except Leonard Horowitz, were still trying to determine which ability had such a significant impact on their opponent's body and mind.

The captain, who was an acquaintance of Andreas Nesta, had secretly deployed his subordinates to search for Loki Wesborn by following traces of encounters and battles within the narrative in Histis, west of Layana.

To this day, their efforts had yielded no results, as if the person they were searching for were a ghost capable of disappearing and appearing at will.

What was certain was that the female captain who was acquainted with Andreas Nesta had nearly given up on continuing the investigation. However, unexpectedly, Nagreitta Cathedral in the capital was willing to assist her, as though they sensed that something terrible was about to befall the Kingdom of Norn.

"So, what about them? Should we take turns with them?" Antonius exclaimed as he rose from his seat and turned on the lamp, causing the previously dark and suffocating room to come alive as the glittering objects around them made their minds feel much calmer.

Andreas finally rose from his seat, but after taking two steps, he apparently switched seats with Antonius.

"Just do whatever you want..."

He still felt guilty about the terrible incident that had left his companion bedridden for several days and even caused him to lose consciousness for a time.

"Don't be like that," Antonius muttered, trying to lift his spirits. "Do you want other people to experience the same thing, especially those closest to you?"

"No." Andreas lowered his gaze, unwilling to look at his friend.

Antonius smiled bitterly before walking toward a pair of sofas and sitting on the single sofa opposite him, then turning to the left and staring at him intently.

"Then just leave it like this. It will make you feel much better. Besides, I'll be leaving here soon anyway."

Antonius was fed up with Andreas's attitude as a leader, yet he showed none of the qualities expected of one. Instead, the person who was supposed to hold the position of squad leader merely acted like an ordinary person, trying to atone for his mistake by searching for the person who had rendered his comrades helpless.

With a sigh, Antonius rose from his seat, turning his back to his companion and waving his hand before leaving him behind. Andreas raised his gaze, completely indifferent to his departure, except for the state of his own mind.

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