Romulus pointed a finger to the map of North City. He circled his finger around the main gateway or entrance of the city.
"This is where you guys came from. Now usually, if this were a head to head, it wouldn't be bad but in this case— where we have to be stealthy and precise, unacceptable. Aurelian had already made procedures to attack other entrances and weak points." Romulus looked towards everyone present.
"The operation may have gone well. But we lost a member, Vanessa. Due to the irrationality of Cupiditas, we also lost the Reaper and his little group. On top of two North citizens."
Aurelian spoke—
"General Romulus, if I may?" He sat up from his chair.
Romulus nodded and returned to his seat.
Aurelian cleared his throat.
"I'd like to pose a question, to a certain person." He pointed at Adam.
"Adam, you haven't made a report, what occurred at North City, in your perspective of course…"
Adam looked at Aurelian—
"We went through the entrance, the Reaper and his clique showed up. We had a fight. We left."
"I wish that's what I could say. But no— there's more to it."
He looked towards Julius, pointing at him.
"Why were you bloody? What was the real purpose behind the mission..?!"
"Was it really necessary… to murder the entire city?" Adam's eyes were frustrated.
Julius looked at him, unfazed.
"It was under orders. Lord Emperor's words are just and right. His ultimate wisdom is what guided this nation to supreme glory!"
Adam shouted—
"SUPREME GLORY? Yeah! We're so dominant! The Empire of Laveton is so dominant that we took over the rest of the continent because of how glorious we are!" Adam scoffed. "Like, do you hear yourself? We can talk history. Like the Mavelian War of Independence! How we annihilated them-"
"Adam." Hughman looked at Adam.
"Adam… stop." Vinast grabbed his wrist.
Adam snatched his wrist back—
"I'm done with this meeting." Adam aggressively got out of his chair and slammed the door.
*Glorious my ass.* He thought to himself walking to his dormitory.
Choo choo!
A train stopped its tracks—
"We are now present at Greenwood Megacity!" The conductor shouted.
"Woah…." Falcon stepped off the train. "It's as beautiful as Monk Art said…" Falcon looked down as he remembered.
*Right… Artemis is dead.* He walked forward.
"Alright, now we get to his cathedral…" Marie looked at a map.
"We need a carriage more than anything…" Naomi scouted around.
whistle whistle! "Carriage!!" Marie screamed out.
A carriage driver came to the front of the train.
"20 copper to wherever you want to go.." He arrogantly said whilst he picked his nose.
"Uhmm, alright…" Marie said skeptically.
"A bit pricey but it'll do." Naomi nudged Marie.
The Deathslingers hopped into the crowded carriage space.
*Carrying Lloyd isn't as bad as I thought it would be… but damn! It's so crowded…* Marie was smudged between Falcon and Imaez's limp body.
A dozen minutes pass as the group finally reaches their destination—
"The Artemis Cathedral, it's been abandoned for a few years." The carriage driver spoke. "Alright, out!"
The Deathslingers hopped out of the carriage— entering the Cathedral.
"Woah.. he got money like this?!" Falcon blurted out. "All of North City could've been nobles if he wanted to spare some cash…"
"He's not wrong.. it would take hundreds of thousands to build this big thing."
The Cathedral was marvelous. Perfectly designed and built in Gothic aesthetic, as if it was from the Middle Ages.
Naomi and Marie had placed Imaez and Lloyd upon a wall as they prepared to check underneath the seats for a book.
"Alright, I'll handle the left side.. what about you?" Naomi looked at Marie.
"I got an idea…" Marie prepared her hands.
Wind burst through the door howling.
Marie had closed her eyes and concentrated her energy.
Outside the Cathedral—
"Hmm..?" A civil officer saw a group of teenagers inside of an abandoned cathedral. "Damn rascals..!"
Inside the Cathedral—
"Better yet…" Falcon whispered.
Falcon's body had began to crumble into light fragments, eventually, his entire body transfigured into light.
beaaammmm!
"Aha!" Falcon grabbed a book from underneath a seat.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Falcon smirked as he transformed back into a human.
The doors of the Cathedral burst open.
"Hey! You aren't supposed to be in there!" An officer shouted.
"Alright…! Let's go!!" Naomi screamed.
Picking up Imaez and Lloyd with Marie's Wind Soul Pact, the Deathslingers had burst out of one the doors near the back end of the Cathedral.
"Marie!" Falcon looked at Marie.
"I'm on it…!" Marie had begun concentrating wind energy under everybody's waist. "Hold tight.."
beaaam!
The Deathslingers flew off into the city.
*Time to find a hotel or something.."
Marie had navigated her way through the city, eventually finding the same inn they last were in from their previous time in the city.
She knocked on the door, hovering everyone back down to the ground.
"Excuse me! One room! We have Imaez with us!!"
A receptionist came to the door— "Ma'am, did you say Imaez?" She smiled.
Marie nodded— "Yeah, it's an emergency, we could really use a room."
The receptionist nodded.
"Alright, go to room 273. You can pay afterwards."
*Imaez…?* The receptionist thought.
Marie and the Deathslingers had leaped through the flight of stairs— reaching their room.
"Alright.. put those two on a couch or something." Naomi pointed at the living quarters.
"Let's read… this truth."