Chapter 43: Golden Cloud
The accumulation of magical energy in the sky continued to rotate, causing the magic to rage within. Eventually, the dense magical energies collided, creating sparks. Countless lights sparked within the accumulation of magical energy, becoming visible to all humans regardless of whether they possessed magic or not.
“Hey, what is that?”
Residents of Heartfield and Sumner pointed up at the sky. An unfamiliar golden cloud, shining brightly, swirled and slowly moved from Heartfield towards Sumner.
People finally caught a glimpse of the formidable enemy.
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Prince Eldred Argain Kholdar and three hundred soldiers led by Vice Commander Douglas Edwards were on the verge of panic.
In the forest, the hundred soldiers stationed there struggled to contain the birds and mice that were trying to escape from the baskets they held. Wild animals ran with bloodshot eyes, ignoring the soldiers or, in unfortunate cases, knocking them over.
As the animals ran on the ground, birds desperately flapped their wings and fled towards Sumner. Following them, a slow-moving golden tornado approached, but the soldiers without magic felt almost nothing as it passed through. Only a few of them felt as if a warm mass of air had passed by.
However, one soldier looked up, eyes widening and mouth agape. Floating in the previously clear sky were clusters of sparks resembling clouds, crackling with sparks.
Blowing a whistle, he pointed upwards to his distant comrades. The soldier who saw the direction also blew a whistle and pointed up. Prince Eldred and Vice Commander Douglas eventually noticed the clusters of sparks above their heads.
Douglas, the Vice Commander, was the first to regain his composure.
“Is that the main body? It’s convenient that we can see it now. Evacuate the residents with magical abilities immediately.”
The whistle used as a signal was blown twice in a predetermined rhythm, repeated again and again. Whistles sounded one after another, and the soldiers in the town went from house to house, conveying the message, “Evacuate if you have magical abilities! Or risk running out of magic!”
“Your Highness, please move away from that cloud! It’s dangerous!”
Prompted by Douglas, Prince Eldred tried to mount his horse, but the horse was agitated and impossible to ride. The horse reared up, threatening the soldier holding the reins, and finally broke free, running in a direction perpendicular to the cloud’s path.
“Arion! Wait! Arion!”
Eldred’s horse was usually loyal to him and was dumbfounded. Douglas shouted,
“Your Highness! Please run in the same direction! Hurry!”
Accompanied by two soldiers, Eldred ran through the forest towards the direction the horse had fled. However, the tornado, attracted by the prince’s strong magic, changed its course and slowly moved in that direction. In the difficult terrain of the forest, Eldred was eventually caught up.
“Kah.”
While running, Eldred let out a small breath and, still in motion, plunged headfirst into the ground.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The two soldiers who rushed over quickly lifted him up, but Eldred was unconscious.
“He’s still breathing. I’ll carry him. You support him so he doesn’t fall.”
The larger soldier carried Eldred on his back, and they hurriedly moved. Eldred, who was unconscious, was limp, so the other soldier had to support his body from behind, slowing their pace.
After absorbing the prince’s magic, the golden tornado returned to its original path and slowly moved south towards Sumner, much further south than the urban area of Heartfield.
Sumner was a territory that was almost square in shape, with the eastern side bordering a neighboring country, the south facing the sea, the west-northwest bordering the wildcat-inhabited Urtius territory, the northwest bordering Heartfield, and the north surrounded by mountains and forests. The capital city was adjacent to the north of Heartfield.
Vice Commander Douglas Edwards pondered the situation while looking up at the golden cloud. The plan was simply to manage the evacuation of the residents and prevent a depletion of magic.
“If it continues east or south, it will go beyond our borders. I can only hope it continues straight towards the border.”
In Sumner, soldiers with rosters in hand visited the homes of those with magical abilities, urging them to evacuate. Those called upon with magical abilities fled on horses, carriages, or on foot with only a few belongings. Everyone looked up at the golden cloud in the sky multiple times as they escaped. Many of them held positions such as district committee members or heads of trading companies due to their magical abilities.
“Vice Commander! The prince has collapsed!”
On the back of a soldier who had taken a long detour and finally returned to the unit, the prince remained unconscious.
“Did he get hit?”
“Yes. But he is unharmed. It seems he’s just sleeping.”
“He seems to have lost consciousness. This is bad. If such incidents happen frequently in the town. . . For now, let’s hurry the prince into the tent!”
Vice Commander Douglas realized that he had underestimated the seriousness of this incident.
He had thought that he didn’t need to personally intervene as the vice commander. However, he became aware of the danger if this matter became known to other countries.
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