Chapter 422 423-On the Brink

Chapter 422 423-On the Brink

At this time, all three of them were out, hence their absence from the inn.

"These three days, although there seems to be no change on the surface in Lorinda, and the situation appears to be improving after the support from Breeze City... in reality, things have gotten worse."

Vivia paused before saying, "The news of Lilianne's disappearance hasn't spread yet, that's what Sister Antalya told me. Harry can no longer be trusted."

"In order to ensure Lilianne's safety, he has completely sided with Red Eye. The mana collapse you triggered is one of the catalysts. Although he wasn't aware of the situation at the time, to an outsider, it signifies our inability to confront Red Eye. Sadly, the reality is indeed such; if we were to face Red Eye and his group again, our chances of victory are indeed very slim."

With nearly half of our actual combat strength lost, the full extent of our opponent's capabilities still unclear, and the strength that has been revealed already difficult to counter, coupled with distrust and even defection among our own ranks... there couldn't be a worse situation.

After laying out the situation, Vivia's focus shifted to Howard.

"Howard, where have you been these past few days? How did you survive a mana collapse of that magnitude?"

Unless one distances themselves in advance, no one could survive a mana collapse caused by a magus of the same level.

This is almost a consensus among all magi.

Although others might not know, Antalya is very familiar with Howard's mana fluctuations, which is why she could confirm that the mana collapse was triggered by Howard, leading to Ali and Jelia nearly going berserk.

Howard's chance of survival was zero, a fact known to all.

It was only because no one had seen his body that they refused to believe it.

But now, Howard was standing alive and well in front of Vivia.

"I'm not entirely sure myself; I was unconscious at the time. When I woke up, I found that I had been rescued. It was a girl who saved me, probably around your age, likely a magus too... but she didn't leave her name."

Howard recounted his movements over the past three days.

There wasn't much to tell, really; after waking up, he had stayed in that room the whole time, and when he finally left, he hadn't picked up any useful clues...

Wait... maybe that wasn't entirely true.

Howard thought back to the girl's last words.

Although not entirely certain, Howard felt seventy to eighty percent sure that the girl had specifically come for him.

And it wasn't because of his royal status, but more likely because of him being a visitor from another world.

The other party might be aware of his identity.

"A girl?" Vivia frowned slightly but didn't say much.

Her expression didn't show much joy either.

"Then I really should thank her... Anyway, the best outcome is that you've safely returned, although it's a pity Antalya and the others aren't here right now."

"Right, you mentioned that support from Breeze City has arrived?" Howard asked.

"Yes, that's information Antalya herself confirmed. Breeze City has dispatched three squads of city guards to support Lorinda, led by two knights, one of whom is a level 3 magus."

This is probably the best news Howard has heard so far.

"My plan is simple, just to warn them.

People can infer; provide a detail, and they'll fill in the rest themselves.

Rescuing Lilianne is necessary, but we can't let Harry become an obstacle for us anymore." Howard halted the conversation there.

After understanding Howard's intentions, Vivia abandoned the idea of stopping him.

She provided the likely location of Antalya and the others.

"The management quartet is meeting there today, and the three knights from Breeze City should be there as well.

Even though they're just knights, in Lorinda, they're considered quite significant nobility, not to mention one of them is a level 3 magus," Vivia said.

"Getting in shouldn't be difficult, but if you want to approach those three knights without revealing your identity, you'll need a careful plan."

Howard nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't suddenly disappear again."

"Um..." Looking at the faint swelling at the corner of Vivia's eyes, Howard opened his mouth but didn't know how to start.

He could probably guess the reason, but he didn't have the right to ask, and bringing it up would only make things awkward.

After a pause, under Vivia's puzzled gaze, Howard waved his hand, "Never mind, I'm off now."

"Be careful on the road."

Following the address Vivia provided, Howard had little trouble locating the place.

Lorinda, neither particularly small nor large, is essentially a congregation of a few thousand people, hardly even a town but rather a cluster of villages united for warmth.

Including a portion of the forest, a few thousand people don't occupy much space—perhaps just the size of two districts in Breeze City.

However, due to its complex terrain, those not well-acquainted with the area could easily find themselves lost.

With some cunning, hiding here wouldn't pose much of a challenge.

The management quartet clearly understood this well.

To maintain secrecy and concealment, the meeting place was chosen at the edge of the settlement, in a seemingly ordinary two-story building.

Being a detached structure made it easier to ensure privacy and security.

Surrounded by numerous roads, it allowed for a quick departure.

It was evident that, even on their own turf, the quartet felt little sense of security.

The mana collapse three days prior had been terrifying.

Only a preparatory-level magus or higher could trigger such a collapse, and opting to do so indicated they were driven to desperation.

Unbeknownst to them, a preparatory-level magus in Lorinda had reached a breaking point, and now might already be dead...

This realization made these not-so-worldly leaders understand that ordinary people are essentially powerless in the face of a magus.

Thus, the threat posed by Red Eye seemed even more precarious.