Convergence Point

The guards of the village of Tunaust have been playing cat and mouse for several hours now. Indeed, the surprising events that had taken place at the Wandering Cat Inn were the talk of the town, and rumors were already flying. Some accounts described what appeared to be a simple robbery, while others were full of implausible stories.

In any case, Haruto had managed to lose his pursuers in the narrow, stifling alleys that characterize working-class neighborhoods. The young man’s choice to set up his hideout there was also a contributing factor. Criminals and thugs operating in the area were not inclined to talk to the authorities, who, in turn, wanted to avoid bloody conflicts with the residents.

Back in his shelter in the basement of the destroyed house, the engineer put his backpack on the floor before collapsing onto his camp bed, exhausted.

“That was a close call,” he whispered.

After a long moment, Haruto’s heart rate had returned to a more relaxed level. He took advantage of this moment of respite to pull the bag toward him so he could take another look at the stolen items. The familiar sight of the cell phone in particular was still disturbing to him. Until recently, the young man had been convinced that he had lost the device during the attack on Pauweik.

“But here it is, right in front of me,” he finally said before continuing:

“However, that still doesn’t explain who this girl is or the guy with her. Why did they think it was necessary to steal my phone from Skotto? Do they even know what it is?”

This last possibility terrified Haruto more than he wanted to admit. In fact, if this hypothesis were true, a whole new set of questions would arise, and the identities of these people would become even more important. They could, for example, represent an additional threat or, worse still, be associated with the Church.

“No, no! Not that damn clergy again,” the engineer exclaimed, shaking his head.

Despite his fears and past traumas on the subject, Haruto nevertheless continued his internal monologue for nearly an hour. The number of unanswered questions had not diminished, but the young man had nevertheless reached a logical conclusion that presented him with a crucial dilemma.

“Escape or confrontation...”

Fleeing would allow him to avoid the trouble of being captured by the city guards and start afresh under a new identity. Staying under the radar of the authorities, and especially the clergy, was of the utmost importance if he wanted to survive until he achieved his ultimate goal.

“What’s the point if I can’t find anywhere to go? I don’t really want to spend my time looking over my shoulder to watch my back against the slightest threat,” Haruto thought.

On the other hand, facing the unknown also carried a certain amount of risk, but also the potential to get answers to questions that had been tormenting the engineer for some time. He therefore decided it was wise to conduct a thorough investigation into the identity of this female mercenary.

“And in any case, I can always slip away if the need arises. However, I’ll have to finish building my weapon first, as a kind of insurance policy,” he finally decided.

The next morning, gloomy weather had descended upon Tunaust. The sun’s rays struggled to break through the cloud cover, giving the city a dark atmosphere, suggesting the possible arrival of a catastrophe. This heavy air accompanied Haruto as he made his way to Eksmid’s shop.

Once he arrived, the engineer pushed open the heavy door without hesitation and entered the workshop. The familiar smell of burning metal immediately reached him, as did the blacksmith’s hoarse voice. The old man was cursing and swearing like the worst of sailors as he worked on a piece of Damascus steel.

“Yeah... Judging by the misshapen scrap metal lying at the foot of the anvil, it’s clear that his technique isn’t quite there yet,” whispered Haruto as he made his way toward the craftsman.

Eksmid noticed the young man’s movements out of the corner of his eye and looked up in response. He gave a half-smile, but his awkward expression couldn’t completely hide the blacksmith’s surprise.

“Ah... Tanis... I thought ya’d disappeared for good after yesterday’s incident.”

“Not yet,” Haruto replied defensively.

After returning the piece he was working on to the fire, the old craftsman placed his hammer on the anvil and wiped his calloused hands on his leather apron. He then walked over to one of the piles of objects near the forge and rummaged through it for a moment.

“I’ve finished what ya asked me to do,” he finally said, pulling out a small canvas bag, before continuing:

“It wasn’t easy, damn it! But I think ya’ll be happy with the final result.”

The engineer was still anxious about Eksmid’s hint. He carefully unfolded the bag. All the requested components were there, carefully packaged.

Satisfied, Haruto nodded in agreement before turning his gaze back to the blacksmith. He thought he detected a kind of reluctance in the latter’s eyes, as if he were hiding something. He had to get to the bottom of it.

“What’s wrong, Eksmid?”

The man lowered his eyes and clenched his fists, like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong. Eksmid sighed loudly, then replied in a low voice:

“The day after ya visited, a woman came here. She had hair as white as snow and blue eyes that could freeze ya in ya tracks.”

“And what did she want?”

“She showed me somethin’... A kind of piece of black glass... It was about this big,” said the blacksmith, miming a small rectangle.

Haruto felt a lump form in his throat. He knew full well that Eksmid was talking about the cell phone he was carrying at that very moment, but he tried hard to remain stoic nonetheless.

“I told her I didn’t know anythin’ and couldn’t help her any further. She didn’t look at me for another second before leavin’ as quickly as she had arrived,” the old man admitted.

A heavy silence fell over the shop. Only the crackling of the flames in the forge could be heard as the men stared at each other.

After a moment, Haruto finally took off his backpack and pulled out the signet ring and the golden crest he had found in the room. He held them out to Eksmid, his hands trembling slightly.

“Do you recognize either of these?”

Eksmid barely glanced at them before looking at the young man suspiciously.

“This has somethin’ to do with yesterday’s thing, doesn’t it?”

The engineer nodded, his gaze shifting away. Eksmid began with the signet ring, examining it, then picked up the tarnished badge. He turned it between his fingers and scrutinized it from every angle, frowning, before finally returning them to Haruto.

“I don’t recognize the ring, but the other thing... You shouldn’t be carryin’ it around with ya... it’s dangerous.”

“What’s the danger? I don’t understand why a piece of metal could be so scary, apart from the value of gold,” Haruto replied, looking puzzled.

Eksmid shook his head in denial before continuing:

“Ya’re not from around here, are ya, kid?”

“Yeah... let’s just say I’ve come a long way to end up in this town,” replied the young man, thinking nostalgically of his home world.

“Be careful, because the crest is an old mark of honor. Only members of the Nerfeldfer Royal Guard were allowed to wear it,” explained the blacksmith in a serious tone.

“The Royal Guard!?”

The engineer was incredulous at this new revelation, his mind already racing with thoughts about the ramifications. Haruto only vaguely remembered Oscar’s words when the Church troops came to take the children of Pauweik away. The captain had spoken about the royal family and a broken agreement.

“That mercenary girl and the guy with her are definitely enemies of the clergy,” the young man concluded.

“Oh Tanis... Tanis,” said Eksmid, waving his hand in front of the engineer’s absent gaze.

The latter suddenly snapped back to reality and immediately noticed that the craftsman was speaking to him insistently.

“I don’t know what ya’re after, but be careful,” he finally said with a sigh.

“I don’t know yet what I’m going to find, but I promise I’ll be careful,” said Haruto, looking at the two objects in the palm of his hand.

He carefully put them back in his backpack, along with the canvas pouch containing the last components of the weapon. Then the engineer turned his attention back to the blacksmith.

“Thank you, Eksmid. Thank you for everything.”

In response, the old man simply grunted before shaking the young man’s hand with his usual iron grip.

As soon as he stepped outside the shop, Haruto felt his shoulders slump, as if a destabilizing weight had been placed on them against his will. He knew, of course, that the badge and its owner had a lot to do with it, but the young man realized that there was something else behind his discomfort.

“I assumed the crest belonged to her, but is that really the case?”

Haruto began walking toward his hiding place while continuing to ponder the question. He seriously considered the idea, but ultimately rejected it when he thought back to the events at the inn. The man he had seen in the hallway had stood guard in front of the woman’s room.

“That doesn’t fit with the normal behavior of a mere coworker,” the engineer concluded.

But one piece of the puzzle continued to slip through the young man’s fingers. The frustration of not understanding everything made him clench his fists.

That’s when Haruto passed by one of the wooden boards displaying portraits of wanted individuals. The sight of it piqued his curiosity and prompted him to stop and take a quick look.

“Am I one of those people now? I doubt it,” he sneered as he approached.

A quick inspection confirmed to the engineer that there was no bounty on his head yet, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. His eyes then fell on the poster of the girl with a thousand gold coins.

“Wait a second... don’t tell me?!”

Haruto tore the piece of parchment from the bulletin board to examine it more closely. The shape of the face, the delicate features, and the captivating gaze.

“Eureka! I knew that chick looked familiar,” exclaimed the engineer, attracting the suspicious glances of onlookers.

Haruto wasted no more time and resumed his journey, armed with this new information. He assumed that the woman was probably a member of the nobility and that the man accompanying her was a member of the royal guard.

“But if that’s the case...”

The young man then realized that he was in a precarious situation and panicked inwardly. Indeed, the items he had stolen from them could compromise the pair’s identities and, as a result, made him a threat to them.

“No, no! It’s clear that they’ll do everything they can to get them back... unless... unless I give them back first. Yes... yes, that might be the best thing to do, but then what? What would stop them from killing me? After all, there’s nothing better than a dead man to keep a secret,” thought Haruto in his delirium.

He continued to wander aimlessly to his destination, looking like a madman to the average observer.

It was only after a restless night’s sleep that the engineer finally regained his composure. His mind was tormented by doubt, but he had nevertheless decided on a plan for what was coming next.

“It’s better for me to take the initiative and meet them on my terms, rather than the other way around. That way, I retain the advantage of the location, but also of the timing of the meeting,” he concluded.

In addition, one remaining variable also needed to be included in the young man’s calculations. He had just placed a canvas bag on his workbench.

“Finishing this damn weapon is my top priority. Especially since it’s my main insurance policy in case of problems.”

Haruto spent the next two days working like a slave on this single task. Like a gamer addicted to his screen, he ignored the signals his body was sending him, such as hunger and thirst. The rare breaks the young engineer took were only because he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Shaping the stock had been easier than expected, as had installing the pair of barrels. On the other hand, the delicate mechanism of the trigger and its leaf spring system had tested his patience. Haruto finally allowed himself to take a break only when he had finished integrating the flints taken from firelighters into the pistol’s hammers.

“Hell yeah! I finally finished this thing,” he said triumphantly, as he collapsed into his chair.

The finished product was sitting there on the table that served as his makeshift workshop. Measuring about a foot long, the weapon was more like a sawed-off shotgun than a pistol, with its imposing pair of pipes mounted on a piece of wood carved with a knife.

“But will it work? Is it going to blow up in my face?”

Haruto was burning with impatience to go out and test the weapon in the forest, far from prying eyes and ears. However, a major obstacle still stood in the young man’s way.

“I’m not sure I have enough black powder on hand to be able to conduct any tests,” grumbled the engineer.

He then grabbed the container holding the substance and opened it to visually confirm how much was left. Haruto knew, of course, that this exercise was futile, given that the volume of powder would not have changed since the last time.

“Obviously,” he said with disgust, dropping the bottle, which rolled across the workbench.

Not letting himself get discouraged, the young man grabbed the newly completed pistol. He cocked it, then stretched out his arm, holding the weapon in his right hand. It was quite heavy, and the effort required to hold it like that made his forearm tremble. Haruto finally pulled the trigger, and a loud click echoed through the cellar.

“At least the firing mechanism works smoothly and the flints produce sparks.”

Although the young man really wanted to put his weapon to the test, he had to settle for the current result. So he retrieved the bottle and began to load the pistol. First, a small amount of black powder, followed by a piece of leather as a wad, and finally, the bullet.

Satisfied with the result, Haruto then got up from his chair and tried to figure out the best way to carry the device safely. After a few minutes of gesticulating, he decided to strap the weapon to his back, parallel to his pelvis. This way, he could conceal it with his cloak, but also draw it in a pinch.

“With the weapon issue settled, I can now focus on the best way to approach the upcoming encounter,” Haruto thought.

Over the next few days, the young engineer spent his energy trying to spy on the mercenaries’ every move. To do so, he had traded in his gray cloak for one of the more common color. Haruto then prowled around the guild, but also near the Wandering Cat Inn. The operation ultimately proved to be a complete waste of time, which frustrated Haruto.

“Where the hell are they? Don’t tell me they already know they’re being followed, or worse...”

He suppressed a shiver running down his spine when he thought about the possibility that he might already be being hunted by that woman and her henchman.

“No... the best thing would be to go back to the room and wait for them there patiently. Once things are cleared up, I can get the hell out of here and put as much distance as possible between them and me,” he decided.

So Haruto waited until dusk before leaving his lair and heading into the heart of the city, toward the mercenaries’ lodgings. Both nervous and determined, he carried his pistol, which was loaded but not cocked. It was hidden under his gray cloak.

He finally stopped at the corner of the alley opposite the Wandering Cat, his heart pounding. The memory of his last visit to this place did nothing to reduce his stress level.

“I hope this time I won’t have to jump out the window like some common criminal,” he said as he cautiously approached the entrance.

The young man then heard noise coming from inside. The laughter of several customers and the clinking of mugs against wooden tables were the main sounds he could hear.

“Such cacophony should be enough to cover my approach inside.”

Haruto took one last look around, then pulled his hood over his head before walking around the inn to the back. There he found a service entrance that was undoubtedly used by the establishment’s staff. About fifteen wooden crates were stacked there against the wall under a half-open window on the upper floor. The engineer didn’t waste a moment hesitating. He grabbed one and placed it on the ground before stepping on it. It creaked but seemed to hold up, which reassured the young man.

He then built a rudimentary staircase with the crates. Then, using one of the silent movement techniques he had learned from Askondal, he reached the window in three leaps. Clinging to the window sill, Haruto dared to glance inside and immediately recognized the hallway of rooms at the top of the stairs.

“There’s no one here. At this hour, I imagine they’re all downstairs drinking,” he thought, smiling slightly.

The young engineer quickly opened the window and climbed inside. He then tiptoed toward the room he knew belonged to the woman. Once he reached the door, Haruto hesitated for a moment. With one hand on the handle of his gun, he took a deep breath before opening the door and entering the room.

Once inside, the engineer quickly closed behind him, only to discover that he was plunged into total darkness. It took several minutes for the young man’s eyes to adjust to the darkness.

“Damn it, where is she at this hour?”

Haruto was dismayed to find that there was no one else in the room but him. Worse still, the bed sheets appeared to have been untouched for a long time, and the space occupied by the broken window was now barricaded.

“This whole thing reeks of a trap,” he said, turning toward the door, gun in hand.

He waited there for what seemed like an eternity, fearing the arrival of an enemy at any second, but none came. Relieved, Haruto holstered his gun and sat down on the bed frame to think.

“The girl and the guy don’t seem to be around. They must have changed lodgings and figured out the trick, but what are they planning?”

Since there was no point in staying any longer, the young man got out of bed. He took one last scrutinizing look around the room, searching for any clue that might give him a lead.

“Everything is in order; there are no signs of a struggle, except... what is that?”

He approached the table against the wall to the left of the old window and walked around the chair. With the lack of proper lighting, he could easily have missed the small ball of paper lying on the floor under the furniture. Haruto bent down to pick it up, then unfolded it carefully so as not to damage it. It was actually a piece of parchment with text hastily written on it. Although he had learned the English-like language spoken by the inhabitants of this world, the engineer was by no means familiar with the writing system.

“The scribbles on it could turn out to be crucial information. It would obviously still be possible to find someone to read the text to the person concerned, but what if the subject matter proved too sensitive? Damn, damn, damn...”

Cursing his inability, Haruto folded up the piece of parchment and stuffed it into one of his pockets. He then left the room as quietly as he had entered it and slipped out of the inn through the same window without making a sound. After all, he didn’t want to be recognized by any overly curious staff members.

“Who could I ask? Eksmid? No, I doubt he can read. A merchant, then? One of them would surely be more willing to help me in exchange for a few coins, but the risk of the information being divulged is very real,” Haruto grumbled.

The young man decided it would be better to put off the decision until the next morning. At this late hour, it would be practically impossible to find someone to help him.

“Unless...”

Haruto then changed course and retraced his steps. He walked for about five minutes before arriving near the building he was looking for. The young man wasted no time and approached the double doors of the stone mansion with its greenish roof.

Inside, Haruto briefly surveyed the large room he had just entered. There were a number of tables scattered around the room, but his gaze was mainly drawn to the imposing counter at the back. The engineer walked quickly and purposefully toward it, ignoring the questioning looks of the people sitting at the tables. A thin man dressed in a suit-like garment was waiting for him, his hands folded in front of him.

“Good evening. How can the mercenary guild be of service to you on this pleasant evening? Are you here as an employer or to be employed?”

The choice of words momentarily confused Haruto, but he didn’t let it show and instead focused on his response.

“I... I’m here because a partner invited me to a meeting, but you see... I’m having trouble reading his instructions,” lied the young man, feigning discomfort.

“Don’t worry, good sir. Our establishment does not judge the abilities of others in any way,” replied the clerk with a smile.

He then held out his hand before continuing:

“I would be happy to help you with this and read the instructions if you wish.”

“Um... yes,” stammered Haruto, who continued to play along.

The engineer then took the piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to the guild employee. The latter glanced at it briefly, then stared at Haruto, raising an eyebrow, looking perplexed.

“Tomorrow at noon. In the chapel near the central bell tower,” the clerk recited in a monotone voice.

“I... I see,” replied the young man, who seemed visibly shaken by what he had just heard.

This time, Haruto wasn’t pretending and reacted as sincerely as he did spontaneously. A new wave of questions then flooded his mind.

“Who wrote this damn message? The girl? The guy with her, or someone else? And who was it meant for? Was finding this message in the room just a coincidence, or not?”

Pulling himself together, Haruto thanked the man with a wave of his hand and left the establishment. Upon reflection, none of that mattered, because this might be his one and only chance to get answers to his questions. Trap or not, he knew he would go to this meeting.

                                                                          ***

Nearly five days earlier, Lena sat up with difficulty in her bed, rubbing her eyes, her eyelids still heavy. The faint morning light filtered through the boards of the makeshift barricade replacing the destroyed window. The young woman had been unable to sleep properly since the theft of her father’s signet ring, along with other items she kept hidden under the floorboards. Everything seemed so distant, even the sounds of merchants, carts, and onlookers on the street. They seemed muffled by the fatigue and anger that had overcome her.

Fortunately, that difficult night had nevertheless managed to calm Lena’s ardor. Instead, her subconscious was now filled with a growing number of worries and questions.

“It’s clear that this theft puts us both in great danger. Will the Church’s soldiers finally come after us?”

This last thought made the princess shudder. She could easily imagine the horrible treatment that awaited her if the clergy ever managed to get their hands on her. Hilde, for his part, would surely be executed, a fate almost more enviable than hers.

“There’s no need to imagine the worst right away,” she said, shaking her head slowly before continuing:

“We can still succeed if we manage to identify and then catch this despicable criminal. But how can we do that?”

Lena let her mind wander on the subject as she left the warmth of her bed and got dressed. As she pulled on her tall, brown leather boots, the sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room.

“It must be Hilde,” she whispered.

The princess approached the door and raised her hand to the lock, but stopped herself.

“Is it really him on the other side? After all, how can I be sure?”

Doubt and paranoia made her hand tremble above the mechanism. The young woman’s heart was pounding against her chest, suddenly making her dizzy. Only the touch of her hand on the cold metal of the handle was able to bring her back to reality.

After opening the door, Lena found herself face to face with Hilde. Relieved, she greeted him, while he simply nodded slightly.

“He’s already wearing his gear, and his face looks much more tired than usual,” she thought as she watched her protector closely.

The young woman then invited the man to follow her into the bedroom so they could discuss their plans. True to form, Hilde remained standing near the door, on the lookout for any signs of danger. Lena let out a long sigh, then began gathering her things before saying:

“I think we should focus our efforts on finding the thief. What do you think, Hilde?”

“My duty is above all else to protect you, Lena,” the man began in an almost solemn tone, before continuing: “Avoiding conflict is my first instinct. However, I don’t think that’s a viable option, given the identity of our adversaries.”

“Do you think the Church could have found us after all this time?”

“I don’t believe the clergy is involved; otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation...”

The princess caught the hint and immediately understood what the guard was getting at. Nevertheless, although she wanted answers, she wanted above all to get her hands on the culprit behind this despicable act.

“Perhaps it was that coward Skotto, seeking revenge? I knew we should have cut out his tongue,” she declared angrily.

Hilde flinched and had to suppress a grimace at her mistress’s unhealthy attitude. He closed his eyes for a moment to carefully choose the next words that would come out of his mouth.

“Pillaging in all its forms is generally a despicable act reserved for the worst of criminals. In my opinion, Skotto himself has too much to lose to cause us trouble like this. I would say that a third party is behind the disappearance of your property.”

The former member of the royal guard watched Lena nervously to gauge her reaction. He saw her mentally turning over the final decision she had to make about what to do next, weighing the pros and cons. After a few minutes, the young woman simply shrugged and walked determinedly toward Hilde.

“Let’s go find the scoundrel who dared to attack us. I suggest we wear cloaks so we can go unnoticed during our investigation.”

The guard nodded with a smile, then opened the door to let his mistress go first.

The following days passed in a succession of searches with dubious results. The pair had initially concentrated their efforts in the immediate vicinity of the inn. They had questioned the locals, merchants, and other people passing by. Witnesses were few and far between, and their accounts were mostly vague or contradictory. No matter how hard Lena and Hilde tried to track down the thief, every clue seemed to lead them to a dead end.

On the second day, the mercenaries focused on the blacksmiths, whom they showed the mysterious rectangular object. Again, no one seemed to know anything. Hilde even used his imposing physique to intimidate a stubborn craftsman who refused to answer. The latter finally gave in, but not without showering them with curses. Despite everything, they were still stuck at square one, and the young woman’s frustration was becoming increasingly palpable.

“It’s as if the whole universe is taking pleasure in putting obstacles in my way,” she complained.

The third and fourth days were also a waste of time. Lena and Hilde had started their day by visiting a street market, trying to find out if anyone had tried to sell a gold item. The merchants refused to cooperate, citing the importance of the relationship they had with their customers. The mercenaries then met an old man who turned out to be the owner of a tavern away from the central square, located near the eastern districts. The man, although very talkative, mentioned vague rumors about unrest in the city, but nothing concrete.

“This poor fellow’s memory seems to be as good as the quality of the alcohol he serves his customers,” Hilde had declared in an unequivocal tone.

The afternoon of the fifth day finally arrived at full speed. Hilde was beginning to show real signs of fatigue and impatience. He was reluctant to talk and mostly just grumbled when Lena addressed him. The princess, for her part, felt as if she was going around in circles, like a caged animal. Her bitterness and anger had only grown during this ghost hunt.

“What a waste of time... We’ll never find anything this way. It’s obvious they’re making fun of us!”

“We should go back to the Wandering Cat and get some rest. There’s definitely a clue we’ve missed, but it’ll be easier to see clearly after a good night’s sleep,” suggested Hilde.

Back at the inn, Lena wasted no time, dropping her things on the table before flopping down on the bed like a child. Hilde couldn’t help but sigh when he saw her acting this way. That’s when the princess noticed something unusual sticking out from under the pillow.

“Is something wrong, Lena?” asked the guard, who noticed the change in his mistress’s expression.

“I’m not sure...”

Intrigued, she pulled on the object, which turned out to be a small piece of parchment folded in half. She then opened it and noticed a few words written in haste:

Tomorrow at noon. In the chapel near the central bell tower.

As she read the note, Lena felt her throat tighten and the world began to spin around her. It all stopped when she felt pressure on her left wrist, anchoring her in the present moment.

“Lena, Lena ! Damn it. Are you okay?”

“Look... look at this parchment,” she finally said, still in shock.

“It’s a trap, and it also shows that we’ve been followed for some time now,” Hilde said after reading the note.

“A trap? Possibly, but it may also be our only chance...”

“I see it more as an incredible opportunity to get ourselves killed stupidly, and I am fiercely opposed to the idea,” retorted Hilde, returning the parchment to Lena.

The young woman jumped to her feet, her gaze hard, and moved within inches of the guard’s face.

“We’re going to this meeting, period,” she said authoritatively.

“Alright, alright, but as a precaution, can we find refuge elsewhere for the night? It would make me feel better.”

The princess turned away from the man, then gathered her belongings from the table. She crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and tossed it aside.

“Let’s get out of here, then,” she said before heading for the exit and walking out the door.

                                                                            ***

The sun was already high in the sky when Lena and Hilde reached the chapel, as indicated in the note. The building was in a sorry state, exuding a strong smell of damp wood and revealing chunks of mortar that were literally falling into ruin. Although the building was located a stone’s throw from the bell tower in the central square, the surroundings were bathed in an almost supernatural calm.

“Stay on your guard, Lena. This place doesn’t feel right,” ordered the guard, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

The young woman nodded, gritted her teeth, and slipped behind him. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her tense body, sharpening her already alert senses. Hilde pushed the door open cautiously, but the rusty hinges screeched, ruining any hope of discretion. Lena shot an angry glance at the guard, who sighed as if he had expected it. He entered, followed immediately by the princess.

After entering the dilapidated sanctuary and closing the door behind her, it took Lena only a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The rays of light shining through the broken stained glass windows added to the eerie and gloomy atmosphere of the place.

“We’re not alone here. Look over there,” whispered Hilde, nudging her gently to get her attention.

The mercenary woman’s gaze followed the guard’s as well as she could. She finally spotted the individual standing in front of them, behind the altar. He was a man of average height with dark brown hair. He was also wearing a large gray cloak that reached down to his ankles.

“I refuse to believe that such an ordinary guy is involved,” Lena thought angrily, clenching her fingers around the hilt of her sword.

Hilde began to move, trying to get behind him. Lena took two steps toward the stranger, and their eyes met. She froze, rooted to the spot. Her pupils dilated, and her mind was shaken by the shock, engulfing the princess into her memories.

“Those steel-gray irises and that gaze... That unwavering determination...”

A flood of images suddenly overwhelmed Lena. She relived the failed invocation ritual before Kustdin’s fall, the preparations involved, but also the strange world she had glimpsed on the other side. She remembered the crowd surrounding her, but above all, she remembered the young man standing inside a metal monster. He had stared at her with such intensity that she felt her chest suddenly tighten.

“I... I can’t... I can’t believe the ritual could have worked... After all this time?! And this man is supposed to be our hero? No! I refuse to believe it,” she thought, shaking her head.

The shock was mutual for Haruto, who was left breathless. He hadn’t felt his heart race like this since the destruction of Pauweik months ago. The midday light reflected off the young woman’s short platinum mane, highlighting her fine features, pale skin, and azure-blue eyes. These features froze the engineer’s perception of time, propelling his consciousness into a kind of time jump that took him back precisely to the day of his Arrival.

“The train station... And that girl in strange dress... No, no, no, it’s impossible! And why now? What am I supposed to make of this?” he thought, his throat tightening.

The moment of simultaneous trance between the two young people came to an abrupt end when the sharp sound of a boot scraping the floor echoed through the chapel. Hilde had kept moving and had thus bypassed Haruto with a measured step. The guard had also grabbed the hilt of his sword, which was half drawn, ready to strike in a second.

“Who are you?” Hilde asked firmly as he took another step forward.

“Uh, what?! I don’t understand how he got behind me,” thought the young man, who almost jumped as he spun around.

Haruto reflexively backed away from the intruder. His right hand frantically searched his pants pocket as his heart pounded. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally found his phone. The engineer grabbed his cell phone and quickly pulled it out before turning on the flashlight. A dazzling light burst from the device and blinded Hilde, who immediately turned his face away, trying to protect his teary eyes with his free hand.

“Back off, damn it!” Haruto yelled.

The warrior growled, momentarily unable to see anything, but nevertheless remained rooted to the spot. Lena, meanwhile, seemed to have emerged from her silence, her eyes still fixed on Haruto. However, she did not dare to move forward, unable to face the shocking truth she had just learned.

“The signet ring and the gold insignia. You’re close to royalty, aren’t you? I don’t understand why you’re hiding like this,” the young man ventured, trying to buy some time.

He glanced briefly behind him and noticed the girl standing there motionless, then looked at the only exit behind her. His attention then returned to the man standing in front of him.

“So it was you who took them... Who sent you? The Church? I imagine those scoundrels must have offered you a fortune to leave us that note and lead us here,” Hilde shouted.

“Wait a second. The clergy and the note? But do you mean that...”

“Wait, Hilde! I think we’re making a mistake,” Lena shouted across the room, interrupting Haruto.

Before another word could be exchanged, a dull thud shook the sanctuary like a clap of thunder. Moments later, the same sound rang out again, clearly coming from the wooden door. A deathly silence fell over the trio; then a powerful, authoritative voice was finally heard throughout the chapel.

“In the name of the Church, you are surrounded! Spare yourselves suffering and surrender immediately!”