The black sun hangs high

Chapter 197 Departure
This kind of conversation is very mentally taxing. Felix had just recovered from his illness and his body was not yet fully healed, so he quickly began to feel tired and sleepy after the conversation ended.

At Hugh's urging, Felix finally went to the bed made of old clothes and sheets and lay down to sleep. He was indeed a little weak, so he soon fell asleep and his breathing gradually became steady.

Hugh sat alone at the dining table, turning off the crystal lamp on it, and the last glimmer of light disappeared from the enclosed room.

In the darkness, Hugh's senses became even sharper, and he was now in control of every subtle fluctuation in his surroundings.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and his fingers moved quickly and nimbly as he played with the pocket watch cipher that he had seized from the Brotherhood of the Three Colors during the day.

The faint sound of crystal cannons could be heard in the distance, but it was only a few scattered shots...

Tonight, the city of Seren is unusually peaceful.

In other rooms of the same apartment building, it sounded like someone was sobbing softly.

A stray cat ran past the apartment building, showing some interest in the discarded empty food cans, but after rummaging through them for a bit, it left with little interest—the cans were all spotless, with absolutely nothing left to satisfy its needs.

The perceptive countess noticed the subtle emotional fluctuations in Hughes, so she softly asked in Hughes's mind, "So... Hughes, what exactly is your plan?"

"Before finalizing the plan, I need to see what other people in the city are thinking, and what the Legislative Council outside is really thinking."

Hugh gently wiggled his fingers, the cold touch of the metal pocket watch constantly stimulating his skin. He said, "If we really want to save Seren City and all the ordinary people trapped in this city, individual strength is absolutely not enough. Even if I know how to deal with those monsters, I can't confront them head-on by myself, let alone eradicate them completely."

"Gather the survivors, collect all the resources we can, do everything possible to gain the support of the Legal Committee, and unite various forces in the city... These goals are not easy to achieve."

“If you only want to persuade the survivors in the city, there should still be quite a few opportunities... No one wants to be trapped in a place like this forever.”

Alexandra said slowly, "But it will be difficult to persuade the Legal Committee, since they have even given up on their own members."

“I also have no confidence in the Legislative Affairs Commission.”

Hughes replied, "However... I have confidence in some of them."

Alexandra was somewhat surprised: "Some people? You mean the kind mage Felix mentioned?"

"It's not just him."

Hughes put down his pocket watch, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table as if playing a silent melody: "And those people who tried to send out the silver warning in Seren City... Madam, what do you think these mages were thinking, knowing they had been abandoned, yet still making that seemingly useless effort to try and send a warning to the outside world?"

Hearing Hugh's words, the Countess fell into thought, and Hugh continued, "As you said, the people in this city should all want to survive, and it should be relatively easy to unite their forces."

"Therefore, what I really want to do now is to contact those countries and organizations outside Seren City, tell them that there is still hope for the residents of Seren City, and make them realize that blockade will never solve the threat of the Dark Abyss Offspring, but will only deepen the hidden dangers."

Hearing this, the Countess asked, "Then, have you considered the most complete break and confrontation? I mean, using the power of those monsters to threaten and impact the outside world..."

"Of course I've thought about it."

Hugh calmly responded in his mind.

Alexandra, an invisible soul, suddenly trembled slightly at that moment, sensing a terrifying chill from Hugh's brief words.

At this moment, Hugh opened his eyes, his gaze falling into the heavy and dense darkness before him: "However, that is ultimately the most extreme choice... and the results may even contradict my original intentions."

"However, if the situation really gets that serious..."

Hugh smiled but didn't say anything more.

Seeing this, Alexandra and the rest of the family also fell silent.

After spending this time together, these former Ernst family members have gained a deeper understanding of their young "host".

Although they were important members and leaders of the family in the past, now, as beings who have merged with the Running Rat and the Metal Disc in terms of power, the stance of these souls and wills is also changing in a subtle way.

They all noticed many unusual aspects of Hugh's thoughts, habits, and behavioral tendencies. Although they did not understand what kind of experiences could lead to such a result, they could only offer opinions and suggestions on Hugh's choices, but could not interfere in any way.

For these people who care deeply about their family, in the current unpredictable situation, they would be very satisfied as long as Hugh continues to show some favor to the Ernst family, does not harm the family's interests, and gives them some attention when appropriate.

As for the strange thoughts and ideas that Hughes inadvertently revealed, they could only pretend not to know them.

After all, these ideas seem far too fragmented.

They are like specks of starlight falling from the night sky, elusive and hard to grasp or pursue.

……

In a near-meditative state, Hugh spent his first night back in Serenity.

After a full night's rest, his spirits were refreshed, his magic reserves were restored to normal, and the remaining traces of the death magic within his body had been thoroughly cleansed and eliminated.

To keep himself in top condition, Hugh pinched his nose and drank a large glass of magical water he had made himself.

He had to admit that Verine's previous assessment was indeed accurate. The water he created did indeed have a strange taste, and coupled with the refreshing vitality that the "Walking Forest" added to the magic, it made Hugh feel as if he were drinking "mouthwash" from another world.

but……

It's very effective at energizing people.

After a full night's rest, Felix was in excellent condition. After drinking a glass of strangely flavored magic water, his thin face showed a new vitality and fighting spirit.

Hugh's appearance gave special significance to the upcoming journey to the south gate of Seren.

In the past, it wasn't that no one in Seren had tried to contact the outside world, but for various reasons, these attempts never yielded the desired results.

But through last night's conversation, Felix inexplicably developed a special confidence in the young mage in front of him who was already prepared to set off. He felt that this meeting would bring about important changes to the survivors in Seren.

"There are no monsters nearby, you can open the window now."

Hughes watched the children moving cautiously in the darkness and whispered a suggestion.

Malena immediately took action, and soon the thick wooden planks were removed. After opening the windows, fresh air from the outside rushed in with the cold wind, making everyone inside shiver.

"Put on your coat, or you'll catch a cold."

Felix was clearly very good at taking care of children; he easily caught a mischievous boy and wrapped a heavy, ill-fitting coat around his body.

To conserve resources, the children did not eat breakfast. Hugh and Felix, who were about to risk going out, each received a can of food and two pieces of bread that were as hard as rocks. These could only be eaten by soaking them in water or dipping them in the broth inside the can.

Even so, many eyes still lingered on that dining table.

Left with no other choice, Hugh took an empty plate and made a huge pile of magical bread for the hungry children. Although these breads were not very filling, they at least satisfied their immediate physiological needs.

The quiet breakfast time quickly came to an end. Under the worried gazes of the older children, including Marlena, Felix stepped forward and gently kissed each child's forehead and cheek.

Meanwhile, Hugh checked the protective rituals set up in the apartment building. After confirming that they were working properly, he and Felix picked up the tools and weapons they needed and left the small shelter as the children watched them go.

Downstairs, the two encountered another survivor who was also hiding in the apartment building. She was a rather thin woman who had wrapped her face and hair with a headscarf, making it impossible to tell her age or appearance.

She recognized Felix and nodded to the two of them in a friendly manner. Then, carrying her huge empty sack and a very crude short-barreled crystal gun, the woman walked toward the still very dark end of the street.

"This way."

Traveling alongside a powerful mage emboldened Felix, who pointed in a direction and led Hugh forward.

Hugh did not rush to summon the Rampage Rat. After being "intercepted" by the Dark Abyss Spawns beneath Seren City the previous day, he became more cautious in his spellcasting.

Given that the magical fluctuations caused by summoning the raging rats were far more pronounced than those caused by ordinary magic, Hugh did not perform the summoning until he had completely left the area and arrived at a relatively desolate site of building ruins.

Felix was utterly astonished by the enormous rat that had suddenly appeared before him.

After all, in the legends about mages in Vann, the mounts were usually horses, dragons, or lizards; he had never heard of riding a mouse.

Sniggy's senses were still very sharp, and coupled with the long-term "indoctrination" of the Ernst family's will, it was already able to understand human emotional expressions very skillfully and accurately. Therefore, it looked directly in Felix's direction, its green eyes filled with ferocity and dissatisfaction.

"Uh……"

Felix was startled; he then realized that the strange rat with huge horns seemed more terrifying than he had imagined.

"Don't mind it, it just has a bit of a temper."

Hugh was amused by his summoned creature's behavior, so he raised his hand and patted Snitch's cheek twice, then smoothed the fur on its forehead, finally calming down the obviously sulking rat.

Immediately afterwards, Hugh took the scattered tools and weapons from Felix and placed them directly on the back of the running rat. During this time, Sniggy even cooperated by using one of its tails as a hook and rope to help secure it. Its performance left Felix dumbfounded, refreshing Felix's understanding of mages and magical creatures as an ordinary person.

Once everything was ready, Hugh immediately flipped over and climbed onto the back of the running rat. Urged on by Hugh, Felix finally climbed up, trembling, despite the rat's hostile gaze.

Since Hugh hadn't prepared a saddle for his summoned creature to ride, Felix didn't know how to steady himself. So, the running rat impatiently curled up its tail, wrapped it around Felix's waist twice, and forcibly fixed him to its back.

Before Felix could react further, Sniggy darted out following Hugh's guidance, instantly displaying his astonishing explosive power.

Felix, sitting in the back, had never experienced such speed before. He instinctively opened his mouth wide, but the cold wind immediately rushed in, so Felix had to close his mouth again. He just stared at the buildings rushing past them with unease.

Sniggy learned of Felix's performance, and the clever magical creature immediately used its magical connection with Hugh to send Hugh a series of mocking remarks about Felix, feeling that the adult was not as good as the girl from before.

Of course, Hugh wouldn't tell Felix about Sniggy's thoughts. As Sniggy ran, Hugh said, "We won't be long before we reach the vicinity of the south gate. There's still a long time before the noon you agreed on... You can search for some supplies before then, but don't go too far."

These words blew into Felix's ears on the cold wind. He opened his mouth with difficulty, but could not utter a complete sentence. He could only mumble two dry sounds in response.

And so, the two of them quickly headed south towards the city of Seren...

(End of this chapter)