BOOM!!
Soldiers were blown apart into mangled limbs, crimson blood spraying everywhere. A wall burst apart like fragile paper, shards of stone and brick raining down in a violent cascade. The night wind howled as it poured into the room, carrying a biting chill.
With no time to hesitate, Nolan reacted instantly. He wrapped an arm tightly around Sellen and leapt straight out the window. They hit the ground with a heavy thud, crashing down from the second floor.
The explosion had already alerted the surrounding sentries. More Cuckoo Knights arrived, leading large numbers of soldiers who quickly sealed off the area. One impatient knight rushed to the breach first, leaning out to look down and see what had happened.
He never got the chance.
A Cannon of Haima round detonated directly in his face.
Another thunderous blast followed, the roar echoing across the night sky. The unlucky knight and the soldiers behind him were blown to pieces, shredded remains flung in every direction.
The rest broke immediately. Screams rang out as they scattered in terror.
The blazing light of magic and fire lit up the entire camp. Several Haima Sorcerers, still half-asleep moments before, were jolted awake by the chaos and scrambled up in confusion. Soon after, the sharp clang-clang-clang of alarm bells shattered the quiet of the night.
Even the town's residents and passing merchants were drawn by the uproar, turning curious eyes toward the disturbance. Under the moonlight, the scene dissolved into complete chaos.
Many people were dragged violently from their dreams, their sleep cut short without mercy, yet none of them had any idea what had caused the turmoil. Not that they cared. Whoever ended up ruling this place would surely be better than letting that pack of Cuckoos stay in charge.
"We head east!"
Nolan straightened up, gently setting the Witch Teacher down before turning to scan their surroundings.
She had just been about to raise her staff and unleash a high-tier spell, but at his words she quickly nodded instead. Lifting her head, she saw nothing but Cuckoos and mages swarming in every direction. Shouts echoed from distant watchtowers, while more figures poured in along the roads below.
Enemies everywhere. Nolan knew better than to wait. If they let the enemy strike first, they would only end up cornered.
Things were spiraling fast. Gatefront Town would know no peace tonight.
"Aren't we going to find Seluvis?"
Nolan slipped behind a half-collapsed wall and lowered his voice.
"From the moment he saw us, he had no other choice. He should know exactly what to do next."
As they spoke in whispers, an enraged shout suddenly rang out from the darkness:
"That's a Carian Knight! He infiltrated the camp with Sorcerer Karolos! Don't let them escape alive. Kill them both!"
The order carried clearly across the battlefield. A Haima instructor had taken command and issued a kill-on-sight decree.
"That armor of yours really stands out," the Witch Teacher said with a hint of amusement, keeping her voice low.
"Just look at them. The moment they spot you, they get so excited it's like they've lost their minds."
Nolan gave a faint smile.
"This is their territory, and Carian Knights are rare to begin with. Taking one down would be a huge merit."
He didn't believe this force had been assembled in advance. The original targets were just two Sorcerers. Under normal circumstances, they could have been eliminated quietly, without throwing the entire camp into chaos.
This was an unexpected turn of events. Whoever had been directing the operation likely never imagined that a five-man squad would be completely wiped out, let alone take an entire building with them in the process.
But Sellen didn't understand all that. She even frowned, opening her mouth to argue.
"Impossible. The Cuckoos are just a bunch of cowards."
"As the saying goes, people die for wealth, birds die for food," Nolan said, shaking his head. "When enormous profit is put in front of them, even cowards will take desperate risks. Blending into the crowd and stabbing me once could buy them a lifetime of comfort."
They only looked fearless because they were relying on sheer numbers. Once they realized that even numbers wouldn't help, who knew how fast they'd start running.
"Sorry, but now isn't the time for you to give up."
Behind the iron mask, Nolan looked toward the Cuckoos, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly into a cold smile.
He reached out swiftly, pressing down firmly on the Witch who was about to unleash a slaughter.
"There are too many troops stationed here. With just the two of us, there's no way we can wipe them all out. Do you remember the target I mentioned?"
The Witch nodded faintly. Of course she remembered. She didn't waste time asking pointless questions, and followed the Dark Moon Knight as she turned and sprinted east.
The night grew ever deeper, and the entire town had already been thrown into turmoil.
Residents and passing merchants hid inside their rooms, doors and windows shut tight, not daring to step outside.
Sorcerers, knights, and soldiers were drawn into the streets by the disturbance, gathering at elevated vantage points to watch.
Most were confused, guessing only that Carian infiltrators had caused the chaos.
Those who knew the truth were no less unsettled. The original plan should have gone off without a hitch, yet an unexpected complication had emerged.
Teacher Mandalyn and apprentice Anakin had not been captured in the lounge. Instead, every battlefield sorcerer sent to carry out the mission had been wiped out.
High atop a towering spire, Preceptor Seluvis listened to his subordinates' report with a grim expression.
After a long moment, he remained silent, his thoughts churning.
That sorcerer apprentice could not possibly have survived. But the Carian Knight might have.
Seluvis frowned deeply, beginning to reassess the situation and consider how to deal with this troublesome turn of events.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand how that unremarkable young man had grown into a knight revered as a hero.
According to the original plan devised by those in the Haima Conspectus, they were meant to first capture the two fake relatives, then bring the evidence back to the academy and thoroughly denounce this very Preceptor.
"Preceptor Seluvis, the enemy is fleeing east. They are very likely attempting to cross the bridge to the eastern bank. Should we dispatch reinforcements to continue the pursuit?"
The Cuckoo commander urged him from the side. Elite troops were already prepared, waiting only for the order. Such a great merit was practically within reach.
Capturing them alive would be ideal, but even if that failed, killing the Carian Knight alone would be enough to earn a generous reward.
Yet in response to the commander's eager inquiry, Preceptor Seluvis frowned, displeasure plain on his face as he demanded:
"Weren't they in the camp? Why didn't you block them?"
"It happened too suddenly. There weren't many people left behind in the camp. We couldn't react in time and they slipped away."