James's voice sounded hesitant through the Communication Magic.
"It can't be said to be true, but it's not entirely wrong, either. Lady Ginerva often provides incomplete information. The other sentinels often complain about it because it makes the Order of the Grand Archive inefficient."
William, listening to the conversation through his silver butterfly, could only slowly shake his head.
Even after fifteen years, they were still incompetent.
However, he wasn't entirely cruel. The Royal Order, to which he once belonged, had value. Beneath its glory, though, there was always corruption that tarnished their reputation, whether through negligence or deliberate intent. Sadly, after all this time, nothing had changed.
William had never been particularly close to Lady Ginerva. His relationship with the Order of the Grand Archive was strictly professional. The only people he was truly close to were Louis and Elizabeth, but that was before everything fell apart.
"Louis," James said softly, his voice full of the authority of an older brother. "If you're uncomfortable or have any concerns, let me convey them to Lady Ginerva. You don't have to bear it all alone."
Louis took a deep breath, his voice heavy but firm.
"No, Brother. Let me ask Lady Ginerva directly. I don't want to continue troubling you."
The light of the crystal ball in Louis's hand slowly dimmed, returning to its normal state. The conversation was over. For William, there was no longer any reason to continue eavesdropping. He intended to withdraw his silver butterfly.
However, something held him back.
The crystal ball in Louis's hand slowly dimmed, returning to its normal state. The conversation was over. William no longer had any reason to continue eavesdropping. He intended to withdraw his silver butterfly.
However, something held him back.
A few moments later, Louis returned to the group. His face was serious and his voice was urgent.
"We should continue our journey," he said.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and looked at Louis in surprise.
"Why don't you wait a little longer? The sun is still blazing overhead, and Sir Roster and his entourage need a few more minutes to rest."
Louis shook his head quickly.
"No way. We have to go now. I think I see a large shadow to the west. And that doesn't bode well."
William immediately sat up straighter, his gaze sharpening. Louis's words matched what he saw.
Meanwhile, Jones frowned when he heard this.
"A large shadow?" he muttered suspiciously. "Then let me go check it out myself. What exactly is going on in the western desert?"
William trailed behind Louis, Elizabeth, and Jones. In the distance, in the direction where Sir Roster's caravan had stopped, a large shadow loomed on the horizon. Black and pitch black, it stood out sharply against the usually clear desert sky. As time went on, the wind grew stronger—first a gentle breeze, then a powerful gust that ruffled their robes and hair.
"It's a massive typhoon, and it's headed our way," Jones said, narrowing his eyes as he tried to discern the distance. "Young Master Louis is right. We must move quickly before it engulfs us. Besides..." He took a shallow breath and continued in a low voice, "I don't like the feeling I'm getting from this storm."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and spoke in a wary voice. ""A typhoon? The Dunness Desert is harsh, but I've never heard of a storm this big in this region. This kind of phenomenon has only appeared in recent years." She turned to Jones. "But, Sir Jones, do you mean that ominous feeling is about the storm itself?"
Jones shook his head doubtfully. "I don't know for sure. The longer we remain silent, the closer the shadow draws. We can't wait."
William remained silent, though his piercing red eyes swept sharply ahead. His vision could penetrate the dust and glare, surpassing even that of the sentinels. From within the storm's shadow, he saw something no one else could.
Louis, the leader of the escort, immediately reported to Sir Roster. At first, the wealthy, stocky man was reluctant to move; his face was flushed with exhaustion and a reluctance to leave his resting place. However, as the enormous storm became more visible, his hesitation vanished. Pale-faced, he could only nod in agreement.
The caravan moved quickly. Louis and Elizabeth were already on their horses and leading the way. Meanwhile, William climbed into the open carriage with Jones. A strong wind rustled the fabrics, and Jones quickly helped the vendors cover their wares with tarps and tie them tightly to prevent them from being blown away.
The horses' hooves sounded chaotic. The animals neighed, uneasy in the increasingly wild wind. Sand began to fly, hitting their skin and eyes. But the journey was still manageable.
Amidst the chaos, five or seven silver butterflies shot into the air. Their tiny wings shimmered faintly as they flapped unwaveringly in the fierce wind. No one realized that William had quietly unleashed his magic—the Spirit Butterflies. Spirit butterflies.
At first, the strong winds were manageable. The caravan continued moving despite the desert dust obscuring its vision. Suddenly, however, the gusts turned into a furious onslaught. The wind roared like a wild beast released from its pen. The horses halted abruptly, neighing loudly and looking wild with fear as if they sensed an unseen danger.
"My hunch was right," Jones shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm's roar. "This storm is moving faster than I expected! I've seen something similar before when escorting merchants to Dunness, but never this strong!"
Louis and Elizabeth quickly dismounted, and Jones jumped out of the carriage. Meanwhile, William remained seated upright, as if the storm couldn't shake him. He narrowed his eyes, watching Louis's every movement as he raised his hand high.
A translucent blue light flashed and formed a protective dome around the caravan. It wasn't large, but it was big enough to envelop the carriage, horses, and people inside. The wind roared from all directions, but the magical wall held steady, shuddering slightly, like a giant glass shield being battered by a thousand invisible hammers.
William watched carefully. It was better to stop and defend behind the shield than to press forward blindly into the storm. Indeed, the wind intensified. The view outside was almost completely obscured; it was as if a giant, invisible hand were ripping away the sunlight. It was dark and oppressive, with only swirling sand and howling wind.
The cyclone battered their path with fury. From behind Louis's shield, the outside world looked like a hellish desert: swirling sand formed a giant vortex, the sky rolled in darkness, and every scream was drowned out by the howling wind. Sir Roster and the merchants huddled in the carriage. Their pale faces were clearly visible from the window, their eyes wide with fear. Without Louis's protection, they would surely perish.
The journey came to a complete standstill. The only option was to wait for the storm to pass. But time continued to tick by. One hour passed. Two hours. The storm only grew fiercer.
Jones, who had been standing with his fists clenched, finally spoke again. His breathing was heavy, and he stared suspiciously at the storm. "This doesn't make sense. Desert storms usually last only an hour before shifting course. But this…" He shook his head violently, his jaw tensing. "This storm isn't moving. It's as if it's deliberately staying above us."
His words trailed off. Louis and Elizabeth looked at each other, their faces tense. William stared with his red eyes, probing the swirling winds as if he could penetrate the storm's depths.
As Sentinels, they could sense something different. This wasn't just nature's fury. There was a subtle vibration, a strange rhythm—like someone's breath merging with the storm.
"Sentinel..." William muttered to himself, clenching his fingers in his lap.
Yes, Sentinel. And not just any Sentinel. Lower-tier sentinels couldn't create a storm this big. Even mid-tier ones could only create small eddies that quickly dissipated. But this? This was a massive desert storm that lasted for hours.
Only Upper-Level Sentinels could create something like this. If that's true, then they are not trapped by nature, but by someone's will.