KENSHI
"As much as we want to help you search for the artifact, we have a duty to fulfill in this city. But in case you need some help, take this," Greygor apologized and handed two unfamiliar spherical objects. "It's a beacon pearl. Just crush it and I will come to help you."
I nodded upon receiving the object from Greygor's hand. After that, one by one, they left and went their separate ways to go to their guarding spots.
Greygor took the northern side of the city, while Soreas volunteered to guard the south. Poreito was assigned to the east, and Drogin to the west. Varsia would stay at the hideout to rest and guard it from intruders.
When we could no longer see them, I faced the three and the two wolves to assign them their searching areas.
We had decided to split into two groups since there were only two beacon pearls. Shino and Fo teamed up along with the wolves and they would be searching the noble district, which we kind of just passed through yesterday, while Kana and I comprised the second team and would search the castle. I handed Shino one of the pearls before we departed to our assigned areas.
The path leading to the castle was no different from the paths we took yesterday. However, I did notice an increased volume of shed blood based on the bloodstains left on the ground and on the walls. I speculated that most of the fights happened here more than anywhere else—a sign that these people really wanted to bring down their king.
Normally, city guards or sentries usually protected this place, but right now, no sight of their presence could be seen. Instead, it was the residents whom we saw going in and out of it.
"Never in my life would I see an abandoned castle, much more an abandoned kingdom," Kana suddenly said while wearing a sad and worried look.
I could understand her. She was sad not because of the death of the king. She was sad because of the people who suffered during the reign of the tyrant monarch and after his death. Yes, they might've escaped the cruelty of their leader, but they were still shackled by the unfairness of life. Still, I would rather suffer by my own decision than suffer due to the wrong decision of others.
Kana and I successfully entered the castle, and in here, the marks of the previous war remained. Broken vases, ripped paintings, and ragged carpets. Bloodstains painted the walls, leaving either an abstract mark or a distinctive impression of a hand.
The smell was also awful as if something was rotting. No longer able to stand the smell, Kana and I agreed to start the search in the bedrooms.
We searched every nook and cranny, every drawer, every potential hidden compartment, every cabinet, and even under the bed cushions and sheets. We moved onto the next room if we found nothing in the previous one. We repeated this cycle for who knows how many times until we converged at the staircase that we took earlier to reach the bedroom floors.
Since we found nothing on the second floor, we climbed back down to the first floor and began searching again. I went to the king's study while Kana went to the dining room and the kitchen.
As I'd expected, the study was filled with books and papers. Some of them were removed from their spot on the shelf, while others had their pages ripped out. I started my search on the table only to find a quill and its ink, a few documents meant to be signed by the king, and other unnecessary stuff. The drawers hid no significant or relevant contents as well.
I scanned through the shelves next, hoping to find a trigger of a mechanism that would open a hidden passage into a hidden room. But just like when we first started the search, it was fruitless.
Just as my heart sank in disappointment, a bark of a dog echoed from the outside of the room, instantly catching my curiosity. I quickly stepped out of the room and followed the source of the noise.
Kana arrived as well, as if she and I thought of the same thing—locate the noise and find out what it was. When we reached the castle's entrance, a familiar wolf sat on it as if it was waiting for us.
"That's Fo's wolf. Is it Sayu?" The wolf didn't react, instead proceeding to lick his paw and his body. "Or is it Suya?"
"Arf!" the wolf barked along with a wagging tail.
"It's Suya. What brings you here, Suya? Why are you here and not with Fo?"
The dog stood on his four legs and turned his rear against us. Suya looked at us, barked for the second time, before returning his head to look at something far away.
"It's telling us to follow," I speculated. Suya barked twice and started descending the stairs. But then he stopped and looked at us when he realized that we were not following him. For the last time, he barked.
"Is it really telling us to follow him?" Kana asked.
"Not sure, but let's just go with him. To think that he left his owner just to meet us tells me that something is going on and we are needed."
Following my assumption, Kana and I followed the wolf, which I believed would lead us back to his owner. After a few trots and brisk walking, we finally arrived at a group of people with familiar faces.
It was Shino and Fo, and also Poreito. Suya instantly went to his owner and received praises and pets. Sayu got jealous and jumped in as well.
"Your wolves are indeed dependable, Fo," Shino complimented when she saw us.
"What is it? Did you find the artifact?" I asked, only to receive a gesture of disapproval.
"Instead, we found this," Shino handed me a few pages of paper. When I read it, it was a handwritten journal. "Fo mentioned a film-viewing once happened here when she was still a child, and only one person came into mind when it comes to films. So I asked Fo if her wolves can track a scent and she said yes.
"I used the film ticket that we got from Tanshiro and had Sayu track its scent. We arrived at this house and immediately searched for the artifact. However, we failed to locate the artifact but we did find that.
"It's a log journal. It stated the day-to-day progress of their plan to overthrow the king by making the people hate him. Turned out, the writer of that journal, who was also an accomplice of the Dark Order and an acquaintance of Akihiko, was a trusted advisor of the king.
"He was the one who gave the king the idea to commit corrupted deeds and become a tyrant. All of this just to shake the hearts of the citizens—"
"Which will leave them vulnerable to corruption," I interjected and continued. "They don't just want the artifact here. They're also planning to corrupt the people of this place."
"Not just this place, Kenshi. Read the last one," Shino suggested, and so I placed the last paper on top to read it.
"The people of Suttoh are furious. Tomorrow, a civil war will break out. Unfortunately, I won't be around to see when that happens. I have to go to Thorn Kingdom to fulfill my second mission there. Once that kingdom falls into ruins, the revival of our Dark God will be inevitable. The reign of the Dark Empire will be here soon."
At first, my brain failed to comprehend the thought of the journal. I had to read it twice to fully grasp what it meant. And when my mind finally absorbed it, my eyes instantly gaped upon remembering the people we left behind in that city.
Daku, Shiro, Grosi... not to mention my family as well—Mother, Gresa, and Kenshiro.
"It's been two years already since the coup happened. Does that mean that Thorn has already been infiltrated two years ago?" Fo asked.
"Most likely. We have to tell Grosi about it so he could warn the king," Poreito suggested. "But the fastest way to deliver a message is through a communicating orb. But we don't have that here. If the message has to be delivered by land, it would take half a month to reach the city."
"Mister Kenshi," Kana mumbled worriedly.
"We have to find that artifact as soon as possible so that we can go back to Thorn," I instructed. But instead of receiving a nod of determination from them, a look of discouragement was plastered on their faces. Because of this, I couldn't help but feel discouraged as well.
"Hey, look!" Fo suddenly alerted while pointing at something in the sky.
I followed Fo's pointing finger and my vision caught something peculiar. A red glowing light was hovering above the entrance of the city.
"That's a beacon pearl," Poreito announced.
"Why did Greygor use the pearl?" Shino asked.
"Is it the Dark Order? Are they here already?" Kana guessed, her voice in a panic.
"Only one way to find out. I'll go check while you keep looking for the artifact."
Poreito was about to leave when I stopped him. "If it's really the Dark Order, please spare the life of Akihiko. We made a promise with someone that we will keep him alive."
"I'll take note of that. I'll be leaving now." Poreito swiftly left.
Meanwhile, I faced the group and showed them a determined face. We couldn't afford to lose hope now.
"I know we're worried about our families and friends back at Thorn. The best we can do now is pray for their safety. For now, we have to find that artifact. It's one way to save them by stopping the revival of the God of Darkness. We can rest, but we can't stop. I know it sounds selfish, but that's just how it is. It's a matter of doing something rather than doing nothing. I hope you all understand," I lectured.
Shino smiled. "I understand you clearly, Kenshi."
"You're not doing this alone, Mister Kenshi."
"So, shall we start looking again?" Fo inquired.