As they listened to the townspeople while treating their injuries, their faces became grim. They heard how the monster plants wrecked damage and killed the innocent every day, and would only go quiet when the sun broke the clouds.
Injuries were not the only ailment either; some of the villagers were seriously ill from having diarrhoea and fever, causing the chapel to smell of ungodly scent and lowering the mood of the survivors.
Somehow, the church was the only place the monsters did not attack, as if there was some sort of protective charm around the church. The remaining townspeople had congregated here. Crowded, cornered and sick, the atmosphere in the little downtrodden chapel was depressing and stifling.
By the time the four knights were finished with their tasks and rested at a corner table, dawn was about to break.
"We were too late," Alistair smashed his fist on the tabletop, his brows furrowed in anger.
"Yes," Yurian rubbed his forehead in distress. "We underestimated Persephone. She chose the time when we left for Lefu to attack. We didn't take note of how the townspeople were falling ill, as well, even though we were told that Persephone causes diseases and paranoia."
Marianne was pale. Her magic reserves had depleted after she finished healing the townspeople, and the fatigue she felt was compounded by her shock.
"Hey, Marianne, are you…okay?" Sylvester asked her cautiously as he handed her some warm water.
"Sylvester…" Marianne looked up at him fiercely as she gripped the water container tightly. "I didn't see Libby amongst the injured."
She could see Yurian stiffened from the corner of her eyes, but at this point in time, she was not in the mood to be concerned for him.
"…Given the extent of damage…" Sylvester closed his eyes firmly Marianne, "you have to get a grip of yourself." He did not know how to convey the facts to Marianne kindly, but her friend was probably no more.
The townspeople said that most of the people were buried or crushed by the debris and plants before they knew what was happening. Libby, given her frail physique that gets tired from carrying a basket of weed, was highly likely to be one of them.
"Excuse me," a nasally voice came from the side.
"Yes?" Alistair started.
A dishevelled blonde woman had come up to them with two plates of pale bread. She smiled at them tiredly, "My name is Crystal. I was wondering if our heroes needed some food."
"Thank you," Sylvester nodded as he received the bread and immediately placed a slice in his mouth. He was too tired to argue about being a hero. But the bread was unexpectedly stale, and he instinctively felt the urge to spit it out.
'It seems it's been a long time since I became the Third Prince. When was the last time I ate such low-quality bread?' However, his mouth slowly chewed the bread numbly in response to his hunger.
Crystal smiled at the young man obediently chewing the bread. "Please tell me what you may need," she continued. "Even though we have little, but we did manage to forage for some necessities here and there."
"How did everyone survive for the past few days?" Alistair asked.
"We have a stallholder from Upper Enzak who holds a warehouse here, and I myself come from a nearby restaurant," Crystal explained. "When the sun is the hottest at noon, we sneak out in small groups. The plants seem most lethargic then, so the risk is lowest. After all, given the number of people and their state of health here, we are in constant need of food, medicine, or water just to keep them alive."
Yurian abruptly stood up from his seat, "I'm going out for a breather."
"How wide is the perimeter of this…'protection' of the church?" Alistair questioned.
"It covers all the way to the fences. You can see the monsters being repelled by a certain barrier, but since the sun is coming up, they should retreat soon. I don't believe in God, but at times like this, it seems that the stuff about the Moon Spirit is true…"
Alistair looked at Yurian. "Come back before noon. We have a battle to fight when the sun is hottest."
Yurian exited the stuffy church and sat on the steps of the dilapidated chapel. He could hear Crystal excuse herself and Marianne's subsequent soft sobbing, no doubt into Alistair's arms.
He slowly raised his head and looked at the crescent moon in the sky, his fists clenching until the veins in his hands showed.
'Libby…'
He reached into his pockets. In his hands was a pink crystal bracelet charm, a cheap commodity that can be easily bought in the shopping streets of Enzak.
Initially, he had bought it because he wanted to apologise to her, then when he realised she held no grudge, it became the gift he would give her upon their next meeting.
But now, what purpose did it serve?
He grasped it tightly in his hands.
'Libby, have you really gone so fast?'