The Guardians continued to discuss their plan in detail, with Ardyn nodding from time to time to show that he understood. Although he couldn't understand most of their terms which were exclusive to this world, he was able to get the gist of it.
First, the banquet should continue as planned. It was supposed to help draw attention away from Ardyn, especially with Evan introducing him as one of his royal friends. The plan was to have him attend the party as usual in a subtle disguise, just long enough to blend into the crowd and not have anyone remember his face or presence.
Next would be the arrival of Evan's other two Guardians. Apparently, their task was to 'bring' something to Evan, and then he would use it as evidence to convince the King and Queen that an Otherworlder had arrived.
After that, the royal family would promptly announce a sudden evacuation of the entire city. Ardyn would have to follow protocol, pack his bags, and join the other guests staying at the castle for the banquet celebration.
"Just blend in and follow the soldiers' orders," Evan advised. "At least one of them will be in charge of each group."
He added that the evacuation process would take hours to complete, but they were confident that everyone would be out of the city by daybreak. As long as Ardyn was included in a group, he would be fine, given that the citizens had undergone this procedure a few times during the previous Calamity attacks.
The last to leave would be the soldiers alongside the King and Queen.
The royal family had a special carriage prepared for their swift evacuation. As for the soldiers, they would be stationed on the outskirts of the city, at a safe distance in case of an emergency.
Staying within the city's walls was not recommended since Evan and the others would be dealing with the monster, which meant that large-scale destructive magic was going to be used. The presence of soldiers would only lead to unnecessary casualties.
Once the monster was sealed — assuming the sealing process was successful — the soldiers would rush in to deal with any repercussions, assisted by the city's doctors, priests, and priestesses.
Apparently, the priests and priestesses here in this world were not Guardians, but they possessed special powers that were meant to be used for the greater good. Not powerful magic per se, just support magic like healing, sensory attunement, alchemy, and other non-offensive and defensive abilities.
"Then, once the King and Queen have been informed, we will alert the other kingdoms and seek assistance from the other Summoners on the universal list," Mathias clarified. "The messenger birds are ready as well as the scrolls. We only need the royal stamp later for proof of legitimacy."
"Good." Evan took something from his pocket and examined it. It appeared to be a small clock with a fancy, unique design. "We should go. The banquet is about to start."
* * *
After the meeting concluded and they finally left the private room, Ardyn hung back a little from the group to walk next to Mathias, who was the last to leave because he needed to lock the door.
Mathias raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes?" he asked. "What is it?"
Ardyn hesitated for only a moment. He didn't know why he chose Mathias of all people to ask this kind of question, but so far, Mathias seemed to be the one Ardyn was most comfortable with. He would've asked Gideon, but the latter was now tasked with finding Voss and Blade.
Ansel seemed too bright and innocent for Ardyn to ask something like this. Clay was out of the question for now, as he didn't seem to trust Ardyn that much yet.
"I've been meaning to ask... It sounds a little silly, but just hear me out," Ardyn began. "Have you Guardians ever had these… strange dreams?"
"Dreams?" Mathias repeated. "I would think that every person in the world tends to dream when they sleep. Can you tell me the specifics?"
Ardyn fell into a brief silence, his mind racing with possibilities he had never considered before. Perhaps, ironically, being here would give him the answers that he had been desperately searching for back in his world.
"That's the thing. I can't remember my dreams, but I do recall waking up feeling empty, like something important had been taken from me. Like a part of my soul," Ardyn said quietly. "I would just feel horrible afterwards. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything. It sounds silly, but I feel like the dreams were important. That they're connected with this world somehow. I don't know. I can't explain it well."
In his ears, it sounded like he was rambling some nonsense. He feared that Mathias might not take him seriously, but to his surprise, the man listened quietly with a pensive expression on his face.
"I've never heard of something like that before," Mathias finally said. "In fact, I've never heard of it happening to Guardians, specifically."
"What does that mean?" Ardyn asked, confused.
"The dreams…" Mathias hesitated. "Usually, Summoners, when they go on a journey to find their Guardians, would have these symbolic dreams."
Ardyn's eyes widened. His heart started to pound. "Tell me more," he urged.
Mathias nodded. "For example, a male Summoner hasn't found his first Guardian yet. If he's ready to embark on a journey after completing the final ritual, he would dream of something related to one of his Guardians."
"Such as?"
"You could try asking the Prince about it, but, as far as he told me…" Mathias pondered for a moment. "He had dreams containing hints about the current location of the Guardian that was nearby. These dreams basically helped him in locating us one by one."
"Oh…" Ardyn's voice trailed off. "So he remembers his dreams. Unlike mine."
"Yes." Mathias nodded. "I don't know about your own dreams, but they do sound unusual. You might find it helpful to ask the Prince instead. He'd be more than glad to help you."
"But won't he be too busy from now on?" Ardyn asked, watching Evan chatting and laughing with Ansel as they walked ahead. Clay, who was nearby, smiled as he silently listened to their conversation.
"He'll find the time. He's good at doing his work and he finishes his duties faster than the average person, but he's an expert at slipping away unnoticed the moment he's free," Mathias grumbled. "This banquet won't change that. He'd probably celebrate for a while as a formality and then sneak out thirty minutes later without anybody noticing."
Ardyn opened his mouth to respond, but Mathias wasn't finished yet.
"For example," he added in annoyance, "His Highness would often escape the castle to wander around. I have no idea how he does it. He even had new escape routes every time I discovered one. He also makes his own disguises, but frankly, they're horrible!"
Mathias groaned as he rubbed his temple in exasperation.
"It's like he has this insatiable wanderlust or something! Ugh, just thinking about it gives me a headache..."
At that moment, Ardyn remembered the scene hours earlier when Mathias had scolded Evan for going outside without informing him. It had been quite a sight.
Ardyn couldn't help but smile at the memory. "Looks like it happens frequently," he remarked. "Him 'wandering around', I mean."
"It does." Mathias sighed again. "You have no idea how much stress he gives me when he suddenly disappears without even leaving a single note. I scold him about it over and over but he just laughs me off!"
Ardyn snickered. "I guess he's a bit of a free spirit."
The two of them chatted a bit more — or rather, it was Mathias ranting the entire time about Evan.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was observing carefully.
Ensuring that they were at a safe distance, Clay rested a hand on Evan's shoulder, causing the latter to turn his head in puzzlement.
"What exactly is your plan for keeping the Otherworlder around, Your Highness?" Clay asked with a serious tone.