Puffing himself up, Claud messed up his clothes as he made his way towards Moon Mansion. The streets of Licencia were mired in an eerie silence, a silence that was somehow even deeper than the city when he had left it earlier, and Claud doubled his pace.
It didn't take much of a genius to guess that the city had probably witnessed the aftereffects of his sneak attack. For all his focus on stealth, the only reliable method of killing someone off was so flashy that Claud wanted to curl up in a hole. He could still remember the aftermath of the attack; the ground he and the target were on had been completely destroyed, creating a crater large enough to bury fifty or so bodies inside.
Mustering his courage, he continued on down the deserted, silent streets, heaving a small sigh as he arrived at Moon Street. Fortunately, the Moon Lords' patrols were still in full force, which meant that there was a good chance of gaining information via eavesdropping.
He didn't need to approach them, however. Presence Nullification was still in effect, and Claud made full use of it by drawing close to one of the patrols openly.
"…glad when I'm done."
"Tell me about it. We should totally ask for double pay, though. Patrolling Creepy Street isn't something on my pay grade."
Claud glanced at the pair of masked patrollers, and then rolled his eyes as they fell silent. Fortunately, he encountered a few more patrols as he neared Moon Mansion, and the fourth patrol he met was discussing the frightening bolt of lightning that had fallen from the sky.
"Look, I'm telling you, it's not just normal lightning," said one of the guards, his tall and lanky frame preoccupied with scolding his stouter buddy. "Even from here, that lightning bolt was as thick as your plump ass, so don't even think of leaving this bloody city to check out what happened."
"Come on, it can't be that bad, right? There's a whole bunch of strong people in this city. The inquisitors of the White Church can stop any—"
"To save your ass? I don't think so, bub." Mister Lanky folded his arms. "Fortunately, you were at the toilet when that flash of light struck. Otherwise, you would have gotten a set of brown and wet pants."
"Are you sure you aren't the person with brown pants? There's an odd stink around you."
"Wait, really?" Mister Lanky made a face. "…I'm going to get a change of clothes."
The tall fellow scurried off, leaving behind his buddy, who had a scrunched-up nose.
Putting aside the amusing little skit, as well as the heroically suicidal stout guard there, Claud was now assured that the entire city had probably seen the mighty attack he had unleashed. Its impact was probably greater than that flying fist he'd delivered to the Tri-head Snake a month or so ago, due to the amount of time he spent on controlling that attack. It was pure concentrated mana, refined a few times over — it would have been weirder if it didn't produce a better result.
The stout guard sniffed disdainfully a few more times, and then began to fiddle with his weapon, prompting Claud to continue on. After dodging a few more patrols and listening to their gripes, it was clear that there were more patrols than usual.
Why did Farah or Schwarz see the need to activate more patrols today? He didn't know, but it was definitely something he approved of. Sidestepping yet another complaining duo, Claud ducked into a corner and deactivated Presence Nullification, before making a beeline for Moon Mansion.
Some of the patrols that passed by him stared at Claud curiously, but since he was walking with purpose in his step, none of them actually had the thought of stopping him and asking about his identity. While it was good, such an act was clearly a lapse in security, prompting Claud to make a mental note about stepping up on security and patrol behaviours when he had free time.
The reassuring black dome of Moon Mansion came into view, but to his surprise, Schwarz and Farah were standing outside the place. The former was sporting three belts full of bottles, while the latter was leaning on her great sword. The booth that governed entry had been opened for some reason, and their faces twitched slightly in unison as Claud drew up.
"What's going on?" Claud asked.
"Request from Caroline just came in. We're to prepare to receive her if an enemy attacks Licencia. She won't withdraw to Nightfall Palace; she'll take shelter in Moon Mansion instead." Schwarz had a helpless look on her face. "Couldn't say no to that, unfortunately."
"She must have been referring to that attack," Claud muttered.
"Right, you were heading over to check out the ambush site, right?" Schwarz asked. "What happened?"
"Barely five minutes after I snuck out of the city — took me some time, mind you — something like a blinding thunderbolt fell from the sky. A huge pillar of light and everything, and I turned back upon seeing it." Claud shook his head. "That was scary. And then, and then, the world seemed to stop."
"You also saw them, then." Farah shook her head. "The others saw it too, but when I asked the staff and the vanillas, they didn't."
Schwarz grunted. "It's abundantly clear that mana-users were the only ones that saw the odd epithet."
"Something huge's about to happen," said Claud. "But what the heck was that poem about?"
"It's very special too," said Farah. "You just need to think about that particular memory, and the poem will reappear too. Fortunately, it's now in a less ominous font and background, but still…"
"Really?" Claud focused on his memory, and the words appeared in his vision once more. This time, however, time didn't freeze, and the four screens were now in blue boxes.
[The Third Bearer of Destiny has fallen, his killer wreathed in life and light.]
[As decreed by the five grand skies, the great Dark will descend in a year.]
[Time, frozen in an interlude, shall once more take flight.]
[And may the Moons preserve those they hold dear.]
He read the poem out slowly, and then shivered. It wasn't just a poem, now that he had the chance to examine it slowly. It was a prophecy, a warning.
"I know. Ominous as heck, right?" Schwarz let out a small sign. "'As decreed by the five grand skies, the great Dark will descend in a year'. I find this sentence the most troubling of the four."
"Why is that the case?" Claud asked.
"…Do you still remember Colidra's yearly tradition?" Schwarz asked.
"Uh…some recital of some old legend, right?" Claud rubbed his nose. "I think it was called Moons and the Makers. Why?"
"I was listening to it a few days back," said Schwarz. "And this phrase, 'the great Dark' reminded me of his story. I don't know if it's the same, but my instincts tell me that it is linked. Somehow."
"We'll have to make preparations for that, then," Claud replied. "If you say it's linked, it's probably linked."
Farah eyed Claud. "You guys really have quite the shared history, don't you? How much do you exactly trust each other, that you would simply trust Schwarz's instincts?"
"We're long-time buddies," Claud replied. "Besides, when it comes to security and safety, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Even if Schwarz is mistaken, taking all these precautions will help our safety in the long run. After all, defensive artefacts don't grow legs and run away, right?"
"For some reason, your words make sense..." Farah frowned. "But buying defensive artefacts don't exactly make economic sense, though. They don't enhance one's ability to project power, nor do they help to produce resources."
"But they preserve one's life, no? I think that is what counts," Claud replied. "Anything that protects one's life won't be a waste, right?"
Farah shrugged. "I'm not going to argue with that, but it's really inefficient."
"I know, but better than being dead."
"As long as you cling to that, we can never truly debate on the same level," Farah noted. "Well, let's just agree to disagree, and end this topic on that note. Can we return to that 'great Dark' thing? It sounds really ominous."
"That's all I know, though. Mister Colidra might know more about this term, but like any sensible person right now, he's staying at home."
Claud grinned. "Heh."
"That triumphant look on your face is irking me," Farah muttered.
"I'm just smirking for the heck of it," Claud replied. "Don't read too much into it, alright? It's really nothing much, heh. Heh. Heh."
"What are you two, children?"
Claud clicked his teeth. "Pot, meet kettle. Right, the streets were all closed, so I couldn't get you your skewers…"
"It's fine." Schwarz waved a hand airily. "It's good that you're safe, and that's all that matters."
After fooling around for a few more minutes, Claud made his excuses and entered Moon Mansion. Lily was sitting on a sofa, kicking her legs back and forth.
"I'm back, Lily. Sorry, but I didn't get your cake, since all the shops were closed."
She looked up, rubbed her eyes, and then looked up again. "You're back."
"Yes, yes, I am back—ouch! Why did you hit me?"