The black sun hangs high

Chapter 189 Food and Water
As an ordinary girl in Vaan, Malena had imagined countless times what might happen between her and the mage.

This situation is very common among commoners, and it is even prevalent in some minor noble circles.

Ordinary people always have many fantasies about spellcasters who can use the miracle of magic, and who can use invisible magic to create countless real wonders and directly change reality.

Although magic has long been inextricably linked to the operation of human society in Vaan, the existence of the Law Council and the status and privileges that mages once enjoyed in this world still make them a unique class independent of nobles and royalty.

The upheaval in Seren almost shattered all of Malena's illusions about spellcasters.

There are no spellcasters in folk tales and fairy tales who single-handedly quell disasters; no spellcasters who step forward to save ordinary people at critical moments; and no spellcasters who can easily deal with monsters and bring peace back to the world.

Since Malena began living a life of hiding in her old apartment, she has completely lost hope in the Legal Committee.

Because these spellcasters are completely unable to solve the city's predicament, they cannot even get the mages outside to open the sealed gates. As a result, people can only conclude from this situation that the people outside, whether they are powerful nations or the Magic Council that has always controlled the magical resources of the entire Vaan, do not want to lift the blockade of Seren City.

They only wanted to completely seal off the people of Seren and those terrible monsters they couldn't deal with forever.

“We heard that the mages at the Seren City Legal Committee branch… they and the soldiers of the Independent Government divided up all the relief supplies provided to us from the outside… weapons, food, and warm clothing… everything was piled up in the embassy and the Legal Committee buildings.”

The girl rode on the back of the running rat, adjusting to the terrifying speed of this strange magical mount, while quietly recounting her experiences in the city to the young mage sitting behind her.

She has gradually come to believe what the other person said.

The young spellcaster, who called himself "Alfred," did have a limited understanding of the current situation in Seren, but he was able to recount some important events that had occurred in the city, which was consistent with his previous account of his identity and experiences.

However, he was fundamentally different from the refugees in Seren.

He was very clean. Although his clothes looked a bit old and were covered in dust, his appearance and mental state were very good. Despite his slightly pale complexion, he gave people a very comfortable feeling.

Malena rightfully attributed this special quality to the magic and magical power he possessed.

In the past, this would have been a figure that young girls would secretly talk about behind their backs.

Unfortunately, nowadays, people's eyes and minds can no longer accommodate any extra thoughts.

"Have you heard anyone else mention the Legislative Affairs Commission sending supplies to the city? I mean, someone who actually witnessed the Legislative Affairs Commission's actions."

"Well……"

Faced with Hugh's question, Malena thought about it carefully for a moment, and then she said softly, "Mr. Felix went to the vicinity of the city gate before, and he seemed to have seen it... but he was not very willing to discuss these things with us."

"Felix?"

When Hugh heard the name, it sounded somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it before.

Marlena quickly confirmed Hugh's guess, replying, "Yes! Mr. Felix is ​​a celebrity in Seren! Before the disaster, he was the head of the Aid Society, and many people in the city received his help!"

Upon hearing this, Hugh's memories finally became clear.

He recalled that a few days before the upheaval in Seren, he had witnessed two clashes between the Seren Mutual Aid Society and the Tricolor Brotherhood, and the "Felix" that Malena mentioned seemed to be among the people involved in the clashes.

So he tentatively asked, "Is this Mr. Felix you mentioned... very young?"

"Yes, sir, just as young as you! You are both very kind people!"

Marlena responded quickly, still very worried that the young mage behind her might harm her companions. Therefore, she wouldn't miss any opportunity to praise and compliment Hugh. This little scheme hidden in her words was quite amusing, but Hugh, of course, couldn't laugh at the moment.

He knew very well that the reason this girl was willing to lead the way for him was not because she trusted him, but because she simply didn't have the courage to refuse, and that her companions, who depended on her for survival, were indeed in dire straits.

"Don't worry, Malena, I won't do anything bad to you or your friends..."

Hughes offered a soft reassurance, and to make his assurance more credible, he added, "I swear to the goddess Mel."

Sure enough, the moment Hughes said those words, Malena visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

In her understanding, although the "goodness" of spellcasters was a huge unknown, the mages' faith in the goddess of magic was incredibly sincere, and swearing an oath based on this was at least more convincing than other forms of assurance.

……

The speed of a running rat goes without saying.

Although its appearance and running directly alarmed the Dark Abyss offspring hidden in the surrounding buildings, the blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess contained within Sniggy now posed a very obvious threat to these incomplete creations from the Dark Abyss.

As a clan "certified" by the Earth Mother Goddess, the status of the Running Rats is extremely disparate from that of these flawed individuals who barely have a power connection with the "Dark Abyss Court".

Therefore, despite the attention Sniggy's existence has garnered, they ultimately lack the courage to leave their hiding place and launch an attack, and even if they had the idea, they would not be able to catch up with it.

During this process, Hugh inevitably attracted the attention of some other survivors. Among these survivors who had already begun to move around were small teams of ten to fifteen people, carrying crystal guns, flamethrowers, and alchemical bombs.

Based on their clothing and appearance, as well as Elena's attitude, Hugh could roughly determine their origins. They were likely members of the Tricolor Brotherhood.

Aside from the soldiers of the independent government and the Legal Committee, the Tricolor Brotherhood should be considered the third force that can continue to be active in Seren, since there are many "talented individuals" among the members of the Brotherhood.

Today, Seren has become a paradise where they can fully display their talents and abilities.

The passing of the scurrying rat filled the Tricolor Brotherhood members with immense horror, and when they discovered that a person was riding on the back of this magical creature, they became even more vigilant, perhaps also harboring some greed and covetousness.

Hughes had absolutely no sympathy for these guys. As he rode by on his sprinting rat, he snapped his fingers, and Magehand immediately appeared beside the tricolor Brotherhood members, delivering a vicious punch to one of them who dared to aim his crystal gun.

Although Hugh did not inject any corrosive poison into the mage's hand, judging from the magical feedback generated when the target was hit, the guy's nose was probably broken on the spot.

The reactions of these Tricolor Brotherhood members served as a wake-up call for Hugh.

In the city of Seren today, there is probably no longer any identity that can serve as a "universal pass." Everyone's status has been brought to a level by this disaster, and only tangible military force and survival supplies are the real prerequisites for dialogue.

Perhaps because of Felix, Malena also didn't have a good impression of the Tricolor Brotherhood. After seeing the warning given by Hugh, she couldn't help but let out a soft gasp and cheer.

Before long, Hugh arrived at his destination, guided by Malena.

This is a somewhat old apartment building located on the western part of the central axis of Seren. It is a very typical Waterloo-style building, with a dark gray-black color throughout and sharp spires. Although the style is old, it is still very solid overall.

At least the terrible earthquake didn't destroy it; it only left some rather frightening cracks on its walls.

Along the way, Hugh had seen far too many collapsed houses.

According to Malena, they originally lived in another apartment building not far away, but after the major earthquake, that building was also on the verge of collapse, so they finally moved here for safety reasons.

Hugh noticed that, except for some of the higher floors, almost all the windows in the apartment building had been completely nailed shut, which should be a countermeasure to avoid the "death tide" of the Dark Abyss offspring.

The two entered the apartment building one after the other. With the trustworthy mage Hugh by her side, Malena was visibly more relaxed. However, she still cautiously observed her surroundings before entering the building. Only after confirming that there were no dangerous individuals or offspring of the Dark Abyss hiding inside did she boldly lead Hugh upstairs.

“Mr. Alfred, please come with me… The people living here are all good people, but they’ve all been terrified by what’s happening in the city, so they’re all very…”

"I see."

In Hugh's magical perception, he sensed that someone was observing and spying on him through the cracks and holes in the door. When he looked over, those eyes would quickly look away. Clearly, the "residents" here were very nervous about a stranger like Hugh.

And so, Malena led Hugh to the room where she and her "companions" were staying. It was on the third floor, just high enough to avoid the "dead tide." There were many discarded items piled up outside the door. Hugh saw many empty cans, each one licked clean.

Clearly, in this environment, wasting food is the most shameful behavior.

Malena raised her hand and knocked rhythmically on the door, once, then three times, then twice.

The door opened quickly, and what appeared before Hugh was two extremely young faces—they looked only seven or eight years old. Their hair was messy, and their faces were dirty, making it impossible to tell whether they were boys or girls.

"Sister Malena!"

One of the children cried out in surprise, but then he saw Hugh standing behind Malena, carrying her heavy backpack, and tension and fear immediately filled his face.

Seeing this, Malena quickly comforted him, while Hugh could only stand there quietly with a smile on his face, watching the girl who had led the way introduce her background and identity.

After the residents calmed down a bit, Hugh said, "I know some healing magic, and perhaps I can heal Mr. Felix... but only if you trust me and let me in."

As he spoke, he gently moved his fingers, forming simple magic patterns. To the children's surprise, clean water slowly appeared in the empty cup on the table beside them, and several pieces of somewhat rough bread appeared out of nowhere in the dish.

Sometimes, winning a child's trust is that easy.

The sudden appearance of the food drew everyone's attention, and it was then that Hughes realized there were as many as eight children gathered in the house. Each of them was more childlike than Malena, and the youngest was probably only four years old. She was a girl, and she was staring longingly at the bread on the table, seemingly hoping to get some.

This purest and most primal longing stirred something within Hughes. He sighed and cast another spell, doubling the amount of magical bread in the dish. The hungry children snapped out of their daze and, with a mixture of envy and wariness, made way for the unfamiliar young mage to enter the room.

"The bread is delicious! The water is sweet too!"

The older child, who had tasted water and bread under the guise of "testing poison," happily announced the results of his "experiment," which made Hugh feel even worse.

As a spellcaster, he knew very well what the drinking water and food he created tasted like. Virin had even commented on them before, saying that they were "tears mixed with toothpaste powder" and "wood chips with grass leaves added."

While the children were busy sharing the rare food, Hugh, led by Malena, went to the innermost room. On the only bed with an old mattress, he saw an unconscious man with a wounded face and brown hair.

This is Felix.

Hugh was right; this was the young man who led the members of the Mutual Aid Society in a protest in front of the Peace Newspaper before the upheaval in Seren City, and was eventually taken away by the police.

(End of this chapter)