The scorching sun was beating down on Rudi's dark skin. Sweat continued to pour out, drenching his entire body. He stared directly at the glaring sun without fear of the dazzling light.
"Is the journey still far?" He spoke softly. His words weren't directed at their current journey, but rather at their journey in finding their way back home. He counted the days and hours every time. Doubt and anxiety haunted the man. As long as he remained in this world, his heart would never find peace.
This hot place was cooler compared to the dry land in the western part of Hamud. However, the desert created terrifying mirages when looked upon. Who knows what would happen if the Camel wasn't with them? They might get lost in the middle of the desert.
Birds chirped, heading towards the city. Tied to their legs was a piece of paper. They seemed like messengers of a fantasy world. What message could those birds be carrying? It remained a mystery to anyone who saw them.
Slowly, their path became clearer. Cacti clustered more densely along the way. From Camel's explanation, 'the more cacti near you, the closer you are to the city,' echoed in their minds.
"There it is!" Camel shouting, pointing towards a city protected by a massive wall.
"So that's the city, huh?" (Rudi)
"So white..." (Lidya)
"That indicates we're in the right city." (Micah)
Sayejij City is surrounded by tall walls made of white stones and bricks. Inside, the city seemed to ascend higher towards the center. It could be said that the city was actually a hill inhabited by people. There was a large fortress in the center of the city, likely the residence of its ruler.
***
In front of the gates of Sayejij City, there was a long queue of immigrants wanting to enter the city. They were being inspected, one by one. What they were searching for was clear: evidence of whether they were rebels and followers of Count Ingro an Thor or not.
"Let's go..." Camel leads the four others to a certain place.
They left the long queue and followed Camel from behind.
"Where are we going?" (Rudi)
"A secret path?" (Lidya)
Camel fell silent, not moving a muscle in his head. He didn't answer their questions because the answers would soon reveal themselves once they arrived.
Camel suddenly stopped at the entrance to an underground water channel. There seemed to be no guards or anything blocking their way there.
"We're going through here? How cliché..." Lidya commented disappointedly.
"Yeah, where else would we go?" (Camel)
Ignoring her disappointment, Camel continued his journey. He entered the water channel, followed by the other four. Inside, darkness became their main enemy. The only illumination inside was the sunlight piercing through the drain holes.
"Camel, if you want, I can use magic to create a torch," Elia said with a disturbed tone. The darkness reminded her of her school days.
"Don't (raising his hand)! The guards will be here soon!"
"The guards?"
"This is a city. So it's not surprising if there are some guards with sensor skills. People with magic might work to oversee places like this."
That meant... Rudi immediately took a defensive stance. He summoned his Soul Weapon and prepared to fight instantly.
"What's wrong with you?" Camel asked strangely.
"If you say they have someone like that, it means they've known about us from the start!"
Micah raised both hands as if questioning the intelligence of the 'eye'. "Don't you understand what a censor is?"
"Eh? Sorry, censor skills aren't popular, so I don't know much..." Camel looked puzzled.
"Oh~! (aiming into the darkness) The eye doesn't know about sensors?! How surprising!"
Micah couldn't believe what he had just heard. He thought the 'eye' understood many things. But now, right in front of him, the 'eye' said something ridiculous by claiming not to know what 'sensors' are.
"Hey, you! Can you make a torch?!" Rudi asked Elia who was behind him.
"I can, but... Didn't Camel forbid it?"
"It's too late for that! They're coming!"
*Swish!
"It's too late to ask her! They're already approaching!" Lidya wrinkled her face.
Not only did she create a small light in the underground water channel, but Lidya also illuminated the entire drain. The previously dark drain became brightly lit because of the fire that burning around it.
"Good job!" (Micah)
"You become a burden if you can't see, you know?!" (Lidya)
"I just praised you..." he replied annoyed in a whisper.
The sound of footsteps grew closer. From what they heard, the number of enemies was not few. There were also strange footsteps mingling among the running crowd.
"Oh, yeah! Time to make a score!" Micah began aiming.
However, Camel, who was next to him, suddenly grabbed the man's pistol and lowered it. "No, we retreat!"
"Argh?! Why?" it wasn't Micah who objected, but Rudi.
"You should understand, right?"
Camel tried to communicate with Rudi not as a friend but as a fellow strategist.
Rudi immediately widened his eyes, understanding, and nodded. "Let's retreat! There's no point in fighting here," he ordered calmly.
"If you say so, then..." Micah lowered his weapon.
"Lidya, turn it off!" (Rudi)
"Hmm (nodding)!" With that, the underground water channel that was brightly lit now turned dark again.
"Retreat!"
They had to retreat now. Causing chaos now would only complicate matters for Lady Juno, who was currently imprisoned.
They all retreated and tried to exit through the same route.
As the sunlight began to appear at the end of their path, a shadow suddenly blocked the incoming light and stood in their midst.
*Srit!
The five people trying to escape were forcibly halted, standing silently, staring at the shadow blocking the sunlight.
"I didn't expect such foolish people like you to try entering through here." The shadow stretched out its arms as if challenging them. "Even fools like peasants know how dangerous this path is!" The smile on his face indicated how lowly he thought of those who were suggested to enter here.
The five silenced individuals tried to contain their emotions. They didn't have many options now. It was either them or the hostages who would survive. They had to choose quickly.
Micah tried to raise his weapon, but Camel stopped him. He gave Micah a sharp look as if to say, 'Do as you please, and you're finished!' Right now, he wasn't afraid of Micah at all. He had to do whatever it took to save his master's wife, even if it meant risking his own life.
They all fell silent.
*Grakgrakgrakgrak!
The pursuing soldiers finally caught up.
They were trapped from two directions. There was no way to escape except to fight. They wanted to fight, but Camel strongly opposed it.
"You're trapped..." The shadow walked in and approached them.
His previously grim face due to the sunlight was now clearly visible. The man had very dark skin from being frequently exposed to the sun. His body was covered with claw marks resembling those of a tiger's, likely from fighting Eruplions. The muscles in his arms looked very tense, indicating extraordinary strength. His face looked young, but his hair was shaved bald. Finally, the man revealed his face with full confidence.
"There's no escape for you now. Surrender!" he said with a vile grin.
Meanwhile, Rudi glanced quietly and cautiously at Lidya. Lidya immediately understood Rudi's signal and nodded in response. They would use that plan.
Lidya immediately raised her staff and stabbed it into the ground.
A circle of magical light instantly illuminated the dark water channel. Lidya tried to do something that was only planned by her and Rudi. Both Camel and Micah didn't understand what Lidya was going to do. They were confused by her actions.
"What are you doing?" Camel asked, puzzled.
On the other side, the action was perceived as an act of resistance by the guard. They advanced and began to attack with their swords. Some Eruplions also followed the attack.
"Everyone, attack!" the guard commanded.
However, just as the guards and Eruplions attacked them, the intruder's body suddenly glowed and disappeared into the ground. They vanished from there without leaving a trace.
***
"Teleportation? It was the sorcerer who did it," the guard looked towards where the intruders disappeared. He looked puzzled and suspicious.
He already knew they were rebels, and their goal must be Juno. But one thing that puzzled him was why there was a pure magic user in their team.
"Captain Lykeri! What was that earlier?!" one of the soldiers approached with a surprised face.
"No need to tell me! (lowering his head, holding his chin) Doesn't that sorcerer know the nature of their leader?" The man called Captain Lykeri felt confused. What he saw raised a question.
"Strange indeed, if they're rebels, why is there someone using pure magic?"
"Isn't Count Ingro hate people like them?"
The soldiers questioned each other. They found it strange what they had just seen.
"Maybe that bastard tricked them!" Lykeri punches his palm in frustration.
He was increasingly frustrated with Count Ingro's attitude. That's why he hated those rebels so much.
To Lykeri, they (the rebels) were nothing more than people who hated magic and liked to look low and worthless to them.
Lykeri's frustration peaked after knowing what the count was doing now to gain victory. He turned to his soldiers and ordered them to guard all places without exception. The sorcerer could come from anywhere.