The white light from the explosion was so intense that even with the glasses on, everyone had to shut their eyes. Along with the light came a powerful shockwave, but Zaya was already prepared. The moment she felt it approaching, she calmly flicked her brush. The shockwave struck the brush and changed direction, as if it had never been heading toward them at all.
A few moments later, the light faded.
One by one, they removed their glasses and rubbed their eyes. Their vision was still slightly blurred. When they finally looked ahead, no one spoke at first.
The monster was completely gone.
In its place was a massive crater. It was wide enough that the far edge was difficult to see clearly, and so deep that the bottom disappeared into darkness. The ground around the rim was blackened and cracked, still releasing thin trails of heat and smoke. Small rocks occasionally broke off from the edges and fell in, the sound fading before it could reach the bottom.
Silence hung over the group for a few seconds.
Shivali stepped closer to the edge and looked down.
"It's gone," she said quietly. "I can't sense its presence anymore."
Benjin stood beside her, his eyes still on the crater.
"…I don't say this often," he said after a moment, "but that was an impressive attack. Larger scale than I expected."
Aerstrone slowly let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His hands were still slightly tense. When his gaze drifted toward Mira, who was smiling as if waiting for praise, a complicated thought crossed his mind.
*(She looks about my age… but an attack like that isn't normal.)*
Only then did the tension loosen. Quiet relief spread through the researchers and workers.
Shivali turned toward Zaya and Mira with a small smile.
"You two always handle everything in the most flashy way possible."
Zaya and Mira both looked pleased, taking it as a compliment.
Then Shivali's expression cooled slightly.
"And because of those same habits… someone usually ends up dealing with the consequences."
Zaya and Mira immediately hugged each other. Shivali walked closer.
"I'm not going to punish you. What you did was necessary. But…" She glanced at the destroyed surroundings. "There were a lot of important supplies here. Most of them are gone now."
She exhaled quietly, a hint of disappointment on her face.
"I thought we would recover more than this. Now who is going to fix this mess?"
Zaya and Mira both nodded quickly and agreed to take responsibility. At that, Shivali's expression brightened again.
"Good. Fixing your own mess is the right attitude."
She turned to the rest of the group.
"Is there anything left that can still be salvaged?"
Silcha stepped forward, still looking a little shaken.
"N-no, ma'am. Everything that could be recovered is already packed and ready to move. But… there's one problem."
Shivali frowned slightly.
"What kind of problem?"
Silcha pressed her fingers together.
"Well… the carriage horses ran off. We don't have anything left to pull the supplies with."
Shivali sighed. Before she could say anything, Benjin stepped forward.
"That's not a problem. There's a village nearby. We should be able to get horses there."
Shivali smiled at that.
"Prince Benjin is being quite generous. He'll help us get horses. Once they arrive, load everything onto the ship. I have something to discuss with the Prince for a moment."
Everyone nodded. Shivali then looked back at Zaya and Mira.
"And you two — you're not going anywhere until that crater is dealt with. After that, take the supplies safely to the ship and load them."
Both of them saluted.
"Yes, Lieutenant Shivali!"
Aerstrone was still glancing at Mira, still a little surprised. Zaya noticed and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Mira's face turned slightly red.
Shivali walked over to Benjin and spoke quietly.
"We need to go take care of that matter now."
Benjin gave a small nod and gestured for her to lead. He placed a hand on Aerstrone's shoulder and brought him along as they started walking away from the crater.
Evening was approaching in the North.
A carriage moved along the snow-covered roads, followed by several knights on horseback. Inside, Shakky sat reading a book out of boredom, while Ameria looked out the window.
"Looks like we've arrived," Ameria said. "Armond City."
Shakky closed the book and looked outside. Thick stone walls covered in layers of snow surrounded the city. After a short while, the carriage stopped in front of the main gate.
A knight in a black sweater standing on the wall called down.
"Open the gate. The princess has arrived."
The heavy gate slowly rose, and the carriage entered. As they passed through the streets, Shakky noticed the people watching them. Their faces carried a strange tension — not simple curiosity, but something closer to fear.
She turned to Ameria.
"From the looks of it, something bad has happened here."
Ameria kept her eyes on the street.
"Lord Manice should be able to explain."
The carriage continued toward a large golden castle at the center of the city. When it stopped in front of the gate, Ameria stepped out first.
"Princess."
Shakky was about to step down when a familiar hand reached into the carriage. She looked up and smiled.
"Uncle Derland."
Derland helped her down.
"You took your time getting here, Princess."
From behind, Ameria puffed her cheeks.
"That's rich coming from the person who left us halfway."
Derland glanced at her with a small smile.
"Someone's in a bad mood. Not that it bothers me."
He looked back at Shakky.
"Come. Why don't we take a look around the city first?"
Shakky frowned slightly.
"Why? After such a long journey, shouldn't we go straight to the castle?"
Derland gave a slightly awkward smile, as if he had been caught.
"No point hiding it from you. Lord Manice asked that you not enter just yet."
Ameria's expression sharpened.
"We came all this way, and he won't even come out to receive a princess? Is he doing this on purpose?"
Derland raised a hand to calm her.
"Just listen first. He's currently in the middle of a trial. He told me to take you to your rooms, but I thought it would be better to show you the city first."
Shakky's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What kind of trial would make him stop me from entering?"
Derland hesitated for a moment.
"…It's a sensitive case. A trial involving a serious crime. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to be there."
Shakky's expression shifted into a small smirk.
"If Lord Manice doesn't want me there, then that's exactly where I'm going."
Derland let out a quiet breath. He already knew she would say that.
Shakky called over a nearby knight.
"Take my belongings to wherever I'll be staying."
Then she looked toward the castle.
"There's no point in waiting. Let's go."
Derland didn't argue. Ameria followed without hesitation. As they passed through the gate, Derland glanced back once, already knowing there was no real way to stop her.