For the residents of Twilight Town, this was likely the most unforgettable and harrowing night of their lives.
Though Blake had given them generous compensation, most of the townsfolk felt a pang of reluctance as they left Twilight Forest. Even though they'd been told they could return the next day to resume their lives, they couldn't help but doubt the credibility of their lord's words. This wasn't because they harbored any deep-seated resentment toward the nobility—in fact, in such small rural villages, awe of noble authority was deeply ingrained in their bones. Still, these lands and homes had once been their property, and the thought of losing them filled them with unease. As a result, many of them didn't leave the forest entirely, but lingered near the entrance, staring into the depths at the dark castle, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
What unfolded next left everyone utterly bewildered and terrified.
Streaks of brilliant white light tore through the darkness, their glare so intense it nearly blinded the onlookers. A rumble like distant thunder echoed through the forest, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and the roar of a violent storm mingled with the cacophony of destruction. Though they were far away, the sheer scale of the spectacle before them sent shivers down their spines. They even began to wonder if the apocalypse was upon them—if the entire continent was about to split apart.
The chaos raged on for half the night before finally falling silent. By then, the townsfolk were beside themselves with anxiety. They'd been fretting over their homes all along, and now they had no idea what had become of their town. Impetuous young men immediately tried to rush back to see for themselves, but were stopped by Judy and the others guarding the forest entrance. Of course, they weren't about to give up that easily—but the natural barriers shrouding Twilight Forest were more than capable of making the youths waste their energy on fruitless attempts to breach them. Helpless, the crowd could only pace anxiously outside the forest, waiting for dawn to break.
When the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, Judy and her companions turned and departed. Seeing them leave, the townsfolk wasted no more time, hurrying back into the forest and toward their beloved home.
The closer they drew to Twilight Town, the more tense their mood became. They exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale, lips clamped tight between their teeth. In truth, they'd been speculating about what had transpired ever since the night before, but almost none of them dared to entertain optimistic thoughts. The terrifying rumbling and trembling had left too deep an impression on their minds, and their simple village imaginations couldn't begin to fathom what had really happened. Their only plausible explanation was that their lord had ordered them to leave so he could blow up the entire town. Already, vivid images of a shattered, rubble-strewn wasteland filled many of their minds. Even the old mayor walked silently among the crowd, his face ashen. Though he'd heard the young lord's plans for rebuilding the town and had been genuinely convinced by his words, now he wasn't so sure. After all, a commotion of that magnitude could never be explained by a mere "reconstruction."
Just then, the old mayor noticed that the people ahead had come to a halt, clustering together and staring dumbfounded at something ahead, all thoughts of moving forward forgotten.
What's going on?
A sinking feeling gripped the old mayor's heart. He knew they were almost at Twilight Town—so why had they stopped? They must have caught sight of it by now… What state was the town in?
With a sigh, the old mayor gritted his teeth and shuffled forward as quickly as his aged legs would carry him.
"What's the matter? Why have you all stopped?"
He pushed his way through the crowd and asked in a low voice, but the townsfolk didn't answer. Instead, they just stared wide-eyed ahead. Puzzled, the old mayor frowned and followed their gaze—and promptly froze where he stood, unable to utter a single word.
The ramshackle little town they'd known was gone without a trace. But far from the scene of utter devastation they'd feared, what lay before them was a tall, magnificent city. Dark black walls stretched out before them, and a colossal, wide gate—large enough to accommodate three carriages passing through abreast—stood open in the center. The gleaming silver metal gates were carved with reliefs of winged maidens, their details catching the sunlight perfectly. A smooth, well-paved cobblestone road led straight into the city, and through the open gates, they could faintly make out the silhouettes of houses and trees—bathed in the morning sun, looking so bright, beautiful, and serene.
"What in the name of…?"
Even the old mayor, who'd lived a long life and thought he'd seen everything, had never beheld such a wondrous sight. He wasn't alone—none of the townsfolk could believe their eyes. They even began to suspect they were dreaming—this was nothing short of a miracle, a scene that could never exist in the waking world.
It wasn't until a slender, graceful figure appeared at the city gate that everyone was jolted out of their stunned reverie.
"Welcome home, everyone," said the figure.
Ophelia stepped slowly out of the gate, a stack of documents clutched in her arms. At the sound of her voice, the crowd stirred, and the old mayor immediately strode forward.
"Lady Ophelia! Please, tell us—what is this place?"
"This is the new city built by our lord on the site of old Twilight Town," Ophelia replied with a smile. "The City of Heroes, Valhalla. From now on, this is your home."
She paused, taking in the dumbfounded expressions of the townsfolk before her, and had to suppress a chuckle. In truth, her own reaction when she'd first laid eyes on the city had been much the same. Now, watching others follow in her footsteps, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement.
"Now, if you'll all follow me."
The townsfolk were in no mood to argue. Their minds were still reeling from the shock, struggling to process what had just happened. At Ophelia's words, most of them followed her on pure instinct, shuffling numbly into the city gates.
What greeted them inside left them breathless all over again. Once, Twilight Town had been nothing more than a humble village nestled at the foot of a mountain. But now, it was unrecognizable. Elegant houses of all styles were arranged in neat, orderly rows. Lush green trees and beautiful stone carvings lined the wide streets. Crystal-clear water gushed from ornate fountains, flowing into narrow channels that ran along both sides of the roads, carrying a refreshing coolness to every corner of the city. Most striking of all was the lighthouse towering over the central square—the dilapidated old tower that had once stood there had been completely transformed, rebuilt in a grand new style. At the top of its intricate spire, a bright, flickering blue flame burned steadily, casting a soft, otherworldly glow over the entire city.
The old village's layout had been completely overhauled. As per Blake's instructions, the City of Heroes was now divided into two districts. The Upper District stretched from the mountainside down to the base of the hill, adjacent to Twilight Castle, while the Lower District occupied the land below the hill. In total, the city could comfortably accommodate eighteen hundred residents. The original inhabitants of Twilight Town would each receive a house in the Upper District to call their own. The Lower District, meanwhile, was designated for housing the incoming refugees—but even so, its buildings were just as beautiful, possessing a unique charm all their own, if not quite as ornate as those in the Upper District.
There was no denying it—the Source Converter was an utterly overpowered device. It had not only perfectly replicated the entire city's structure, but also every last detail of its interior decorations. Admittedly, the wood and stone used for these adornments might have differed slightly from the original city's materials, but to the townsfolk, who were used to living in ramshackle huts, it was nothing short of opulent beyond their wildest dreams.
Thus, when these people—still lost in the wonder of the city's beauty—heard Ophelia announce that each family would be given a house of their own, almost everyone thought they must still be dreaming. After all, Blake had already given them fifty gold coins in compensation. To these honest, hardworking townsfolk, that alone had seemed like more than they deserved. But now, not only had they received compensation—they were also being gifted such magnificent homes.
By the grace of the saints… were they really not dreaming?!
For a moment, the sound of slaps echoed through the air as almost every townsfolk resorted to this age-old, tried-and-true method to confirm they weren't hallucinating from exhaustion. In the end, however, they were forced to accept the incredible, yet undeniable truth.
"Lady Ophelia! Is this truly our lord's wish?" the old mayor asked, his voice trembling with emotion as he stared around in disbelief. The sorrow he'd felt at the loss of the old town, which had been his home for decades, was now completely overshadowed by overwhelming joy and astonishment. He simply couldn't believe that the young lord could be so generous, bestowing such a magnificent gift upon them—it was far beyond anything he could have ever imagined.
"Indeed it is, Mayor," Ophelia replied, pulling the documents from her arms and glancing over them. Admittedly, she'd initially harbored a touch of skepticism toward Blake's extraordinary generosity, but from her perspective, this was clearly an excellent way for their lord to win the people's hearts and minds, so she hadn't questioned it further. Of course, that didn't mean they were going to skip the necessary formalities. As agreed, each family would receive a house in the Upper District. For those townsfolk who had previously run shops or taverns in the old village, they could claim ownership of new storefronts in the city simply by providing proof of their former businesses.
"So far, everything is proceeding smoothly."
Blake raised his wineglass, watching the sunlight filter through the deep red liquid. The bright rays refracted inside the glass, casting a dazzling, intoxicating glow.
"Yes, smoothly indeed," Ophelia said, looking up from her desk and shooting him an exasperated glare.
"So, might I trouble you, my esteemed lord, to go lounge somewhere I can't see you? Otherwise, I can't guarantee I'll be able to maintain my composure."
Her irritation was perfectly understandable. Though she'd been greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm and gratitude by the townsfolk after announcing the new arrangements, her workload hadn't diminished in the slightest—in fact, it had only increased dramatically. Previously, her duties had been limited to managing the territory's affairs, but now, rebuilding the entire town was a task on par with organizing a full-scale migration. What frustrated her most was that there were far too few people to handle the administrative work within Twilight Forest. The old mayor at least had a handful of trusted aides to assist him, but Ophelia had almost no one to rely on. Little Irene was the only one who could run errands and help her carry documents. Charlotte's maids were occupied with managing the castle's daily operations, and while Judy's Wraith Warriors executed orders with unwavering precision, they were utterly useless when it came to paperwork and governance. As a result, Ophelia was worked to the bone, buried under a mountain of documents. Even she, with her legendary patience, couldn't help but feel her temper fraying. Especially when she caught sight of Blake, swanning into her study to lounge around and drink wine while she slaved away. A dangerous urge to grab a kitchen knife and stab him was slowly building up inside her. She had no doubt that if the lord didn't disappear from her sight soon, she would give in to that impulse.
Despite the danger looming over him, however, Blake seemed completely oblivious. At Ophelia's complaint, he merely shrugged his shoulders and set down his wineglass.
"You make a fair point—rest is just as important as work, Lady Ophelia. Why don't we go for a walk around the city? I think it would do us both good."
"If you're truly so inclined," Ophelia retorted acidly, "then by all means, go down to the city and accept the people's praise and adoration. Show a little of the dignity and grace befitting a lord, instead of hiding up here drinking wine. As for me… I'm afraid I have far too many documents to review, my lord. I'll have to take a rain check."
*Crack!*
The quill in Ophelia's hand snapped cleanly in two the moment she finished speaking.
"You might have a point there," Blake said, narrowing his eyes slightly before standing up.
"In that case, I'll take my leave. Enjoy your work, Lady Ophelia."
With that, he gave her a slight bow, then quickly slipped out of the study and vanished through the door before the princess could unleash any more of her wrath.
"Honestly…"
Ophelia looked up, glaring at the empty doorway where Blake had disappeared, and a helpless smile tugged at her lips. Her gaze then fell on her desk, where a glass of wine filled with ice cubes sat quietly, emitting an enticing clink. She paused for a moment, then picked up the glass with a smile and took a small sip.
"Terrible stuff," she murmured, a faint smile playing on her lips.
*Phew…*
Stepping out of the study, Blake pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. A moment later, a clear, sweet voice sounded beside him.
"How did it go, Master?" Charlotte asked.
"Scary," Blake replied with a shudder. "I'd always thought that as a being composed of condensed soul energy, the princess would be immune to… those kinds of moods. But it seems I still have a lot to learn about women."
*Pfft!*
Charlotte couldn't help but giggle, but quickly clamped her mouth shut when she felt Blake's gaze on her, smiling demurely.
"What's the situation?" Blake asked, his tone turning serious.
"Not ideal," Charlotte answered, her expression also growing solemn as she handed him a slip of paper. As the captain of the special combat unit, she had now also taken on the role of intelligence gatherer. Admittedly, the Wraith Warriors didn't venture far beyond Twilight Forest, but Charlotte had her own methods of collecting information from the local taverns and inns. Ordinary farmers might not know much, but travelers were a different story—they roamed far and wide, bringing with them all sorts of rumors and gossip. Sifting through these tales to extract valuable intelligence was Charlotte's specialty.
"According to reports from travelers, the Sith Empire has now completely surrounded the Oult royal capital and cut off all its contact with the outside world. It seems they're planning to lay siege without launching an attack, completely blockading the city. In particular, they've stationed three entire legions along the border with the Wester Kingdom. Clearly, this is going to be a major problem for us."
"This is indeed troubling news," Blake said, frowning deeply. It seemed the Sith Empire wasn't as foolish as he'd thought. Then again, any country that would betray its allies for a mere three-month truce was clearly up to something. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see—would Oult be lucky enough to hold out, or was the Sith Empire powerful enough to hunt down any who tried to escape?
"Furthermore, I've heard a rather strange rumor."
"A strange rumor?"
"Yes. According to the travelers, odd tales have been circulating lately in the Wester Kingdom, claiming that the Sith Empire has no intention of attacking Wester at all. On the contrary, they wish to extend a hand of friendship to this ancient empire, hoping to foster peaceful relations between the two nations."
"Did this rumor originate in the royal capital?" Blake asked. Charlotte shook her head, shaking off his assumption.
"No. From what I've gathered, these stories first began spreading in the various noble territories. There's no sign of similar rumors emerging from the royal capital itself."
"I see," Blake murmured, scanning the intelligence report carefully before tucking it back into his pocket.
"Keep gathering information. I need more details to determine the Sith Empire's true motives. And there's no need to inform Ophelia about this. I trust you understand what I mean."
"Yes, Master," Charlotte replied, casting a glance at the study door behind Blake before lowering her head and speaking softly.