The catastrophic event—what does it mean? One can only guess at the pressure after such a disaster, but experiencing it firsthand reveals the true depths of despair. Arthur was in that exact situation.
He left the gate to reach the northern part of the city, but as he was on his way, he heard a massive sound coming from the south. Arthur immediately stopped, his eyes widening as he realized his home was in the south. He turned back, tears welling up in his eyes, and ran towards the source of the noise. When he arrived, he saw nothing but destruction; the blast had been so powerful that it had obliterated everything, leaving only bare ground.
He lost it, collapsing to his knees and crying out in anguish, "Why did you do this? Why? Why are they gone?" His voice was filled with such extreme pain that anyone who heard it would understand his torment. He cried and shouted for several hours, his grief overwhelming him. Finally, as evening fell, he stopped, utterly exhausted. Casia, Gorge, August, and Samarth were standing around him, witnessing his suffering. Arthur, drained from his intense outpouring of emotion, passed out from sheer exhaustion.
Scene shifts to the main castle. A few maids are talking in the lobby.
"Did you hear that the wind elemental boy is in the castle?"
"Yes, I heard Prince August brought him because he collapsed while crying."
"I heard he cried for almost four and a half hours. I can't believe someone can cry for that long."
"His family was destroyed in the blast. Of course, he would cry."
"Oh, and wasn't there a newborn baby in his house too?"
As Prince August approached Arthur's room, he overheard these rumors and scolded the maids, "You better work with your hands than your tongues."
Hearing this, the maids stopped gossiping and resumed their work.
As August continued towards Arthur's room, he thought to himself, The whole southern area is destroyed. It may not be a problem for most people, but for Arthur, it is devastating. He is the only survivor from the south. He lost his entire family.
Meanwhile, in another room of the castle, a meeting was taking place between the heads of the seventeen noble families, discussing the recent catastrophe in the southern region.
"This is a disgrace! How could this happen under such tight security?" the General Secretary exclaimed.
"You act like this is our responsibility," the Chief Guard retorted.
"Well, am I wrong?" the General Secretary shot back.
The Chief Guard became angry and sighed, "You are too much, really."
"Stop it, both of you. This is not the time for arguments," interjected the head of the Count family, the King's youngest brother.
"Yes, you are right. This is not the time for fighting. The loss is far greater than it seems," added the head of the Agriculture Department.
As they were talking, the King entered the room, immediately silencing everyone.
"As you all know why I have summoned you here, our country's southern area has been completely destroyed. Only Arthur Cifer survived. This is a significant issue, and I would like to hear all your opinions on this matter," the King said gravely.
Hearing this, everyone became serious. Rather than mocking other families, they began discussing the situation in earnest. The head of the Count family said, "Does anyone know how serious this damage is to us?"
The head of the Agriculture Department spoke up, "Yes, for starters, our country depended on the southern area for food. Not only that, but 70% of our exports came from the southern area. Given this, we have roughly lost 20,000,000 gold coins per month."(USD $38,000,000,000.)
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.
"There is more. Our most powerful heroes and warriors were stationed on the southern side due to the proximity to the neighboring country. We have lost around 34 prestigious warrior families, including direct descendants of Velcane Cifer. This may not seem like much, but it will undoubtedly encourage our neighboring country to attack us," the head of the Agriculture Department added grimly.
"The damage is far greater than we originally anticipated," the King said, flustered. "Do any of you have any idea how this happened?" he added.
"Sir, if you grant me the Blessing of Life, I would like to say something," the Chief Guard requested.
"Go ahead," the King said.
"Sir, when this attack occurred, our soldiers saw Sage Samarth flying over the southern area where the attack happened. Not only that, but traces of the Malvanii clan started to appear when he entered the city," the Chief Guard explained.
The head of the Duke family, the King's second brother, slammed his hand on the table. "Are you suggesting that Sage Samarth, who is not only the teacher of the royal family but also known as Divine Justice, is behind this attack?" he said angrily. "Do you understand the gravity of what you are implying?"
The King intervened to calm his brother. "Stop, brother," he said.
"But what he is saying is absurd!" the Duke protested.
The King turned to the Chief Guard. "Do you have any solid evidence to support this claim?" he asked.
"Sir, I would say only this: when the incident occurred, he was right there. If he had wanted to, he could have stopped the attack, but he did nothing. Don't you find that unlikely?" the Chief Guard responded.
After hearing this, everyone in the room began to suspect that Samarth was the culprit. Even the royal family started to support the Chief Guard's theory. Seeing this, the King knew he had to consider the opinions of the other nobles, as they played a crucial role in ruling the city. Observing the situation, the King asked,
"So, what are you all suggesting?"
With an evil smile, Chief Commander Gridion Sailma said, "Sire, Sage Samarth has done so much for our country that we cannot imprison him, but we can exile him, Can't We."
Everyone agreed with the decision, and despite his reluctance, the King knew he had to follow through.
To be continued...