Toni's hurried footsteps echoed as he approached. Relief flashed in his eyes when he saw Virginia standing among the crowd of evacuees. "Virginia!" he called hoarsely, rushing to her. His breathing was heavy, and his face clearly showed his exhaustion.
Virginia turned, slightly surprised to see him. "Toni, are you alright?" she asked with concern.
Toni nodded slowly. "I managed to help some of the citizens reach the evacuation zone." He paused, taking a deep breath, then continued, "But… I think this is my limit. I'll join the evacuees heading to nearby cities. I feel I can be more useful there."
His tone was somber, and Virginia could sense the weight he carried. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done so much, Toni. Helping those who are injured and ensuring their safety is a noble task. There's nothing wrong with your decision."
Before Toni could respond, Lord Barthold approached them with steady steps. He was still clad in his battle armor, looking weary after a night of vigilance. "You've all done extraordinary work," he said, his voice firm yet sincere. "Your team deserves proper rewards. I'll ensure you receive compensation for your efforts, including transport if you wish to return to Libenthium."
Not far from him, Catherine merely gave a short nod, her face calm but her eyes reflecting fatigue. Beside her, Pierre leaned on his sword, squinting slightly as he stared at the sky, now tinged with the hues of dawn.
"Morning comes too soon," Pierre muttered dryly.
"And we're too tired to welcome it," Thomas replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "The Navigator hasn't stopped talking in my head all night. I think he needs rest more than we do."
"Everyone needs rest," Virginia added, glancing toward Prince Claudius, who was being treated by the medical team in one of the tents. Nina remained steadfast by his side, her gaze never wavering from the prince.
Jeanne and Pharnaces II joined them, nodding in agreement. "We'll return to Libenthium," Jeanne said. "We need a place to recover, and that city makes the most sense. I suggest you all do the same."
Pharnaces added calmly, "The situation here is under Lord Barthold's control. He's competent enough to handle it and call for reinforcements from other nobles."
Barthold nodded, his eyes resolute. "That's right. You've done more than enough. Let me handle the rest."
Finally, Catherine broke her silence. "Then we return to Libenthium," she said curtly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
The sun had fully risen by now, its light illuminating the ruins of Esverita, bearing witness to the long, arduous night. The evacuees began moving toward nearby cities, with Toni among them.
Catherine, Pierre, Virginia, Thomas, Jeanne, and Pharnaces made their way to the transport prepared by Barthold. In silence, each of them was lost in their own thoughts, reflecting on their experiences and the uncertain path ahead.
The Navigator, whose voice had echoed in their minds throughout, finally quieted, as if understanding it was time to let them rest.
"For now, you've done your best," the voice resonated gently before fading away.
On the carriage taking them back to Libenthium, Catherine closed her eyes, leaning back into her seat. A new day had begun, but for them, the journey was far from over.
***
I opened my eyes slowly, realizing I was back in the main room of my flying castle. The view outside the wide window was serene: white clouds with the morning sun just peeking over the horizon. The Main Headquarters looked as grand, orderly, and silent as ever.
Beside me, Luna, the astral point guide, was waiting as usual. She smiled, her face bright as if nothing in the world could go wrong. "Good morning, Navigator," she greeted cheerfully.
I nodded. "Good morning, Luna."
She studied my expression closely, as she always did. "You look tired. What happened?"
I took a deep breath, letting my body sink into the comfortable chair. "I just completed a hidden-route quest in the Kingdom of Esverita. We saved Prince Claudius, but… the main mission to resolve the kingdom's internal issues is still incomplete."
Luna tilted her head, her gaze attentive. "So, you're still thinking about your next steps?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes. Even though the hidden route is done, the bigger issues in the kingdom remain unresolved—internal conflicts, charm magic… nothing's been fully settled yet. I'm not sure what to do next to finish the mission completely."
My thoughts were interrupted when a system screen suddenly appeared before me. Glowing golden letters flashed brightly:
[Bambin4Channel is video calling you]
Two buttons appeared below: [accept] and [decline].
I frowned, confused. "Bambi?" I muttered.
Luna turned, curious. "Another Navigator? Isn't he your friend?"
"Friend, yes… though he's a bit of a handful." I sighed. Before Luna could comment further, I pressed [accept].
The screen changed, displaying Bambi's face—tear-streaked, red-eyed, and utterly disheveled. "I… I made a huge mistake!" his voice broke through sobs.
I sighed deeply, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Calm down, Bambi. Stop crying and explain slowly what happened."
He tried to compose himself, taking shaky breaths before speaking. "I… I was in the Kingdom of Esverita, right? I saw someone hanging in the square. It was… it was so horrible! I fainted!"
I froze for a moment, unable to believe what I'd just heard. "You fainted?" I asked, my tone sharpening.
Bambi nodded, looking down like a child being scolded. "I fainted… and I left Jeanne and Pharnaces alone."
"Fantastic," I muttered under my breath, trying to suppress my irritation. Jeanne and Pharnaces were his combat units, and leaving them mid-mission was far from what a responsible Navigator should do.
"I've been trying to call them," he stammered, his voice thick with panic. "But Jeanne and Pharnaces aren't responding! Do you… do you think they're mad at me? I don't know what to do!"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before responding. Bambi was always like this—quick to panic and often letting her emotions take over. But now wasn't the time to be frustrated with her.
"Calm down, Bambi," I said, my voice firm but not harsh. "You won't be able to think clearly if you keep this up. Listen to me."
She nodded slightly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "O-okay," she muttered.
"Good," I continued, looking at her seriously, even if it was just through the screen. "I'm going to explain the situation. You need to listen carefully, alright?"
"Yes," she replied softly, her eyes focused on me, though they still glistened with tears.
I took another deep breath before speaking. "What happened in Esverita is complicated. The public execution… I know it was horrifying. I understand why you fainted. But that was only the beginning. The Archpriest used charm magic to control their prince, Claudius, and incite chaos throughout the kingdom. Many civilians died. Even the guard knights under the charm attacked indiscriminately. That's why the situation has become so dangerous."
Bambi looked at me with guilt written all over her face. "I… I really can't stand seeing things like that. It feels… too cruel," she said softly.
"I know," I said. "But you're a navigator. You have to be able to handle situations like this. Jeanne and Pharnaces are excellent combat units. They likely understand your condition, but you can't let them act on their own. It's our responsibility to support them, no matter what."
She bowed her head, gripping a piece of fabric tightly in her hands. "I feel guilty… leaving them like that."
I nodded slowly, carefully choosing my words. "That's natural, and your guilt shows you care about them. But you also have to remember that they're not completely alone. They're strong and experienced soldiers."
"But… why didn't they answer my calls?" she asked, her voice cracking again.
I tilted my head slightly, trying to find a reasonable explanation. "There are many possibilities. Maybe they're still recovering. The situation in Esverita was truly exhausting, both physically and mentally. Jeanne and Pharnaces might need some time to themselves."
Bambi nodded slightly, though she still seemed hesitant. "Do you think they're angry at me?"
I sighed, feeling a bit tired of her repeated worries. "I can't say for sure how they feel, Bambi. But if you truly care about them, you should give them space while also being ready in case they need you."
She stayed silent for a while, seemingly processing my words. Finally, she raised her head again, her eyes calmer though still a bit watery. "I'll try," she said. "I'll try to be stronger. I want them to know they can rely on me."
I smiled faintly. "That's the spirit of a good navigator."
The system screen in front of me started blinking, indicating incoming data. I glanced at it briefly before refocusing on Bambi. "If anything comes up, you know how to reach me, right?"
She nodded. "Thank you… I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."
I gave a small smile, feeling slightly relieved though knowing this might not be the last time I'd need to calm her down. "Remember, Bambi. Don't give up, no matter what."
She nodded again before ending the call. I sat still for a few seconds, letting the room return to silence.
I stepped out of the main headquarters, letting the cold air touch my face. From atop the flying castle, Esverita looked small and devastated—a kingdom filled with ruins, thin smoke rising from several corners of the city, and remnants of chaos still visible. The sky was starting to clear, but my mood wasn't as serene as the blue above.
I stopped at the edge of the balcony overlooking the horizon. I gazed at the sky, trying to soak in the moment to clear my thoughts, but the shadow of the Archlich beneath the Mephisa church continued to haunt me. Mephisa. The name echoed in my mind. I closed my eyes, trying to dig through my memories from years of playing Astral Point. There wasn't a single reference to Mephisa. Not as an NPC, not as a location, not even in the lore I had read. Astral Point was known for its deep, layered lore full of mysteries, but Mephisa? This was completely foreign.
"Could Mephisa be… an administrator?" I muttered softly, though no one was there to hear.
That possibility sounded plausible, yet it also raised even bigger questions. If Mephisa was an administrator, why use a name not recorded in the game's previous versions? And why was there now an Archlich—a level 90 entity—beneath a church bearing that name?
I sighed, letting my mind wander further. That Archlich wasn't like a typical NPC. It could speak, and its words… its words made me uncomfortable. It mentioned Astral Point, it knew about the flying castle. As if it wasn't just a creature of this world, but something more.
"Could it be one of the combat units?" I thought aloud.
But that was odd too. If it really was a combat unit, how did it reach level 90? To achieve such a high level, I knew for certain it required massive resources—ascension materials, experience cores, all of which weren't easy to come by, even for veteran players.
I took a deep breath, trying to analyze the situation more rationally. So far, I had only met Bambin4Channel, and she was a novice navigator. I hadn't encountered any other players, at least not directly. Could it be that other players were transported to this world before me?
My thoughts paused briefly at that possibility. "Could it be… player transfers to this world aren't happening for the first time?"
If that were true, how many players had been trapped here before me? And could the Archlich have once been one of them—a player who failed their mission, got stuck in this world, and turned into something else?
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the dark thought. "No," I whispered. "That's just speculation. There's no evidence."
Still, the idea was hard to ignore. If there were players before me, it meant this world might not be just a game simulation. Perhaps it was something more real, something bigger than a mere game.
I gazed at the blue sky again, seeking peace amid my chaotic thoughts. But all I found were more unanswered questions.
"Mephisa, the Archlich, other players… what's really happening here? Could it be… those battle maniacs were transported here too? Nah, that's impossible," I asked myself, knowing there would be no answer.
Behind me, I heard soft footsteps. It was Luna, my faithful guide. "Navigator," she said gently, "you've been outside for a while. Is something troubling your mind?"
I turned to her and tried to give a small smile. "A lot, Luna. Too much."
She looked at me attentively but didn't push. I appreciated that. Maybe I'd explain everything to her later. But for now, I just wanted to enjoy the serenity of this sky.
***