I No Clown

A Voice in the Mind

"Only this area of the West Coast remains in the Land of Purbha," Edwar said. "The orders from the Svarnabhumi Empire are clear, all the nobles must be in the Central Continent to better strategize and plan the resistance. Admiral, what about the soldiers and warriors?"

Another middle-aged man stood up.

"Lord Blackwood," he said and then addressed the others, "Gentlemen... the remaining soldiers and warriors, they will remain here until the reinforcements from Svarnabhumi and Dakhsina arrive."

"I think it might be better to just let the Land of Purbha be occupied by them," said one of the officers on the left. "We can take the soldiers and warriors with us!"

"No, that won't happen!" argued another.

"He's right!" said the one in the center. "Letting the Demon Army take over the entire Land of Purbha is tantamount to driving humanity to extinction!"

"Don't you realize, huh?" said the man on the left. "Those few thousand soldiers and warriors left, they'll all die before the reinforcements arrive!"

And before things could get too heated, Edwar Blackwood raised his hand.

"Hey, hey!" he called out. "Enough, stop it!"

Everyone regained their composure, though their faces showed dissatisfaction.

"Listen," Edwar continued. "Right now, only the Svarnabhumi Empire has the greatest and strongest power. So, like it or not, we all have to rely on them!"

No more protests came out of the mouths of the others because that was the reality.

"In recent years," Edwar continued. "It was Svarnabhumi that came under attack in several major waves. However, they were able to survive and defeat every enemy force that came. All of you must know this."

"But, Edwar," said 50-year-old Demian Zircon, Cindy's father. "What about the rumors at the Southern Wall? We can't just leave it at all, can we? Well, you know what I mean."

"Lord Zircon," said a royal official in the center. "It's just a rumor. And sometimes, spreading a rumor amidst the desperation of soldiers and warriors is the right decision to lift their morale."

Demian Zircon chuckled. "You're taking it for granted, huh?"

The people in the center seemed to be grinning slightly as if laughing at Demian Zircon.

"No, it's not just a rumor," the admiral stood up. "Not just a hearsay."

"Admiral?" Edwar frowned.

"I saw for myself the mysterious mage they call a Great Mage, Lord Blackwood."

"You're sure?"

"I was probably only four feet away from that figure when he blocked a wyvern's blast at me," the admiral replied. "And in an instant, he slaughtered every creature in the Demon Army."

No one who wasn't stunned to hear the admiral's words.

"Is that so, huh?" Edwar nodded his head.

Demian Zircon smiled broadly as if returning the mocking laughter of those in the middle of him earlier.

"So," Edwar Blackwood continued, "the rumors about that figure who instantly disappeared and no one knows who he is―"

"Yes!" the admiral nodded. "That is also true, Lord Blackwood."

"Alright," Edwar took a deep breath. "Signal the other ships, now!"

The two soldiers standing near the entrance of the large room then went out to carry out the order the number one noble of Eastern Purbha had just given.

"Are we leaving now, My Lord?" asked the admiral.

"Yes!" said Edwar. "We are the last group to head to the Central Continent!"

That very night, the huge three-masted ship set sail, accompanied by dozens of other large ships. This left only a handful of warships on the West Coast, as well as the soldiers and warriors.

A small canoe moved toward the harbor. The man who sat rowing the canoe seemed unaffected by the big waves caused by the movement of the large ships leaving the coast.

He continued to paddle until the canoe docked.

"Hey!" a soldier called out to the figure on the canoe. "You can't moor your canoe at this dock, you idiot!"

The figure with the wide hood that only showed the lower part of his nose let out a deep breath.

"Then," he said flatly, "you can destroy my canoe, go ahead!"

The soldier fell silent at the mysterious figure's words and for a moment, he didn't know what to do but stay where he was.

Meanwhile, the mysterious man left the dock casually. In the blink of an eye, he was lost among the passing soldiers and warriors in the harbor.

"What a freak!" grumbled the soldier.

The figure with the wide hood stepped quietly among the busy people on the dock.

From under his hood, he watched everyone nearby, as if searching for something in the crowd.

However, he was not interested in asking this and that to the people there.

The man with the wide hood sat quietly on the edge of the bed, in a top room. There was only one window in the room, open, facing the sea. There was only one small lamp in the room for light.

He did nothing but watch his right hand and occasionally rubbed it as if it were not his hand.

And the voice that was far more mysterious than himself came back to him in his head. It was as if everything was happening in front of his face.

"Every creature has its alphas... like humans. This tribe, that race, so are they."

The mysterious man cupped his head, squeezing hard as if he wanted the voices inside his head to go away.

But it didn't.

"Every time you kill one of them―"

"No, stop. Just stop it, please!"

"―This is very important for you. You have activated a great power within you even though it was unintentional. You must understand this, young man!"

"I don't want to! I just want to find my sister!"

The hooded man squeezed his head harder, making him grimace.

"Every time you kill the alpha, the power inside you will absorb their soul and it will further strengthen your power!"

"Just go away, don't bother me. I don't want to listen to you!"

"Your destiny is set, young man. You will become the greatest mage ever!"

"Get away from me...!"