The black sun hangs high

Chapter 273 "Friends"

"So this document was sent to tell me that the emergency committee might abandon the original plan at any time and evacuate all personnel and teams?"

Inside the compound right next to the south gate of Seren, Verin Ernst looked up from a brand-new magical document in her hand.

Inside the makeshift tent, none of the monks dared to make a sound.

She glanced at the people, then turned and went to the table. With a casual wave of her hand, the Mage's Hand appeared, sweeping away all the clutter and documents piled on the table. As Vilin activated the crystal button on the magic sandbox, a three-dimensional magic map was immediately projected onto the table.

Inside this map, the situation inside and outside the city of Seren is clearly displayed. Not only can everyone see the defensive line set up around the survivors' camp, but also the temporary emergency committee checkpoints and various facilities outside the south gate. Even in the central area of ​​Seren, there are many patterns and flags, which represent the headquarters and defense line of the Brotherhood of Three Colors.

"Valerian, you just communicated with the Emergency Committee via cryptic means. Tell me, what adjustments are they making?"

With a casual gesture, Verin picked out the mage Valery, who had the most honest and steady appearance.

She had already learned from Felix and the others about the things this mage had done in the past, and Verin felt very at ease with such a person. Especially after hearing that even Hugh trusted Valery, she was even more convinced that Valery was the most trustworthy among this group of mages.

Valery then approached the table displaying the magical map and said, “Just now, the Black Sun Society officially announced to Vaan that they have seized control of the government of the Kingdom of Saint Steel and openly declared war on all of Vaan’s believers. Therefore, the committee is conducting an emergency screening to prevent any Black Sun Society spies from appearing within the committee.”

He then pointed to the temporary checkpoints and settlements under construction outside Seren: "The construction of the detection devices and defensive barriers is still ongoing. Although the number of people involved has been reduced, with the help of the golems, it should be completed by tomorrow morning... At that time, the Emergency Committee will be able to take partial control of the sealing ceremony in Seren."

Hearing this, Vera's expression didn't change much. She asked, "So, theoretically, the evacuation of these survivors can proceed normally starting tomorrow morning?"

"Only in theory, ma'am."

Valery sighed: "The bigger problem is the fissures in the rugged hills. The emergency committee has made it clear that all members stationed in the fissure camps must be evacuated immediately, the entire rugged hills area will be under martial law, and residents of nearby villages must also evacuate with the army. Only a very small number of volunteers will remain in the vicinity to ensure final monitoring."

Upon hearing this, the committee mages participating in the meeting inside the tent couldn't help but look at each other.

They knew something about the rift and were aware that the previous magical disturbances were related to it. Now that the Black Sun Society was no longer hiding itself, their public appearance and announcement was a very clear signal.

Furthermore, the sudden issuance of a retreat order by the Seren City Emergency Committee at this delicate juncture gave everyone a sense that a storm was brewing.

"According to the original plan, all survivors evacuated from Seren City were to undergo a thorough check-up to ensure they were healthy before being transferred towards Brown Hill Town..."

Vera pointed to the pattern of the settlement set up outside Seren City and said, "But now it sounds like we can only complete the first step, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

Valery nodded with difficulty: "Brownhill is located on the edge of the rugged hills. The troops stationed there and the residents have begun to evacuate, including the trains."

After hearing these words, Verine went to the other end of the table. A mage's hand floated out and quickly added several patterns and flags to the magic sandbox. Everyone immediately saw that what Verine had marked was the location of Brown Hill Town and the great rift.

“City of Seren is closer to the rift than Town of Brownhill. If the Emergency Committee deems Town to be outside the safe zone, then our situation will likely be even more dangerous.”

At this point, Vera sighed, took off her glasses, and gently wiped them twice with the sleeve of her robe.

With her movement, a sense of oppression seemed to fill the tent.

As members who volunteered to enter the city of Seren to guide the evacuation and conduct inspections, the mages present were among the most courageous and responsible of the elites. However, they now sensed a chilling premonition from the drastic changes in the situation and the series of orders issued by the emergency committee.

The omen is called "Giving Up".

But just then, Violet suddenly chuckled softly. After everyone's attention returned, she put her glasses back on, quickly concealing the disappointment and weariness that had been on her face. Then she pointed her finger heavily above the survivor camp: "Let's get things done in the camp first, especially the camp's defenses. Since the monsters in the city have begun to mutate and are moving in our direction, we must first ensure the stability and safety of this place."

As she spoke, a sharp aura gradually emanated from Verin, a quality not found in ordinary mages and scholars: "Prioritize ensuring the stability of the defensive line ritual and sealing all cracks and pipes within the camp. Use the permanent consolidation ritual directly... Be sure to guard against a second and third magical anomaly!"

"Don't think of what we're fighting as mindless monsters. Think of them as an all-pervasive and intelligent army. I'm not trying to scare you, but you should know that they've already started trying to disguise themselves as survivors and infiltrate human settlements."

"No additional construction is needed for the general buildings in the camp. Everything is geared towards the defense line. All the magical resources mobilized by the emergency committee, especially the alchemical potions used to build permanent fortifications, are to be prioritized for the defense line. Prepare the soldiers with crystal cannons and shells. We can't take these things with us. Either we leave them to die with us, or we let them fulfill their inherent value."

As orders were issued one after another, the number of people in the tents began to dwindle. At the same time, the survivors in the camp saw thick smoke rising again at the edge of the central city of Seren, clearly indicating that it had also been attacked by the advancing Dark Abyss Spawns.

In the end, only Valery remained inside the tent.

Vera breathed a sigh of relief, her previously serious expression finally easing slightly. She asked, "Valery, besides what you mentioned before, you must have learned something else, right? Could you tell me?"

"of course."

Valery did not deny it, a hint of surprise flashing across his face: "Even if you hadn't asked, Ms. Verin, I would have told you... But how did you figure it out? Was it too obvious?"

“Because I, like you, also delivered letters for people,” Verin said calmly. “However, I was imprisoned for a period of time because of this, while you have never been investigated by the Legal Committee and the Council. Not only that, you have also been able to find ways to bring more intelligence and information to my student… This can only mean that you, Master Valery, have more reliable sources and methods of information transmission. Am I right?”

"..."

Valery was slightly taken aback, but he quickly nodded: "When I tried to deliver the letter last time, I was actually discovered, but the people who discovered me did not report me to the Legal Committee. Instead, they helped me cover up those things... Some of them seem to be my fellow countrymen in Saint Steel. They are very concerned about these matters."

"The Saint Steele".

A fleeting smile vanished from Veraine's eyes as she asked, "Do these people know Professor Frey Meyer?"

Valery shook his head: "I don't know, but I have a feeling they must know each other."

He then said, "In short, they transmitted some additional intelligence to me through the secret ritual... They said that after the Black Sun Society issued a formal notice, the attitudes of various countries towards foreign countries began to become more conservative, because no one could predict what consequences the rise of the 'Black Sun' would bring. Therefore, everyone now hopes to preserve their own strength, and Water and Delan are no exception. The military refused to invest too many manpower in this 'land of certain death'."

Vera listened quietly to this demoralizing intelligence, and asked in a low voice, "So how many of the men left outside Seren to meet us are still around?"

"We expect to lack enough vehicles, less than one-tenth, or even less than one-tenth, and even if we do have vehicles, we won't have enough drivers... Another piece of news is that the Emergency Committee has already deployed a large number of magic airships, and a large amount of high magic ammunition is also being transported. If things go as expected, once the evacuation plan is abandoned, they will turn Seren into a second 'scorched city'."

Even though he already knew this information, Valery's voice still trembled slightly when he spoke it aloud.

Vera's fingers gripped the table tightly as she bit her lip hard before asking, "Besides that, there can't be only bad news, right?"

"The good news is that another team is on its way. Their numbers are not comparable to those of the Water and Delan military, but they are enough to support our evacuation... According to them, we need to head southeast after leaving Seren. They are preparing enough vehicles and are ready to meet us at the Far Sea Town on the border of the Duchy of Burt."

After listening to these words, Vera silently calculated the time, then she stood up and said, "This information cannot be revealed to the outside world for the time being. Let these survivors maintain their fighting spirit and hope... Everything is proceeding according to the original plan. Valery, do you still have a way to find your 'friends'?"

"Of course, the next esoteric communication will take place at sunset."

"I'll go with you then."

……

It was like a meteorite falling from the sky and crashing into a lake.

Even though the lake was already turbulent due to wind and rain, when the scorching meteorite broke through the water, the huge waves surged and covered all the ripples on the surface of the water.

After the Black Sun Society announced its existence to the entire Vaan and proclaimed the imminent rise of the Black Sun, even the most ambitious and greedy politicians for foreign territories fell silent. At such a moment, conservatism and prudence were the most important goals.

No one wants to be the first person swept away by the tide in a raging storm.

But at this very moment, another special group of people are also heading towards their destination.

Shortly after the Black Sun Society publicly extinguished its flame of life, the name "Dawn Society" also appeared openly in newspapers and magazines.

At this time, the fleet of the Kingdom of Hein had basically withdrawn from the southern waters of the Duchy of Bult, but another special fleet was sailing in the opposite direction in a surprising manner.

This fleet is considered special because of its highly complex composition.

There are antique armored ships that can only be considered large collectibles, as well as large fishing boats used by Vaan fishermen for deep-sea fishing and hunting. In addition, there are cruise ships specifically designed to carry large numbers of tourists, and many smaller civilian vessels with different functions.

At the very front of this fleet, the most eye-catching sight was a massive, meticulously repaired vessel.

It was a crystal armored cruiser that had been retired from the Kingdom of Hein. However, many parts of it had been refurbished. Some parts that could only be maintained and operated through magic crystals and rituals had been replaced with new parts that were more versatile and easier to maintain.

The ciphers on the giant ship operated continuously, sending out new magical messages to the surrounding area. As a result, all ships and magical strongholds along the way could receive notifications from this ship named "Aurora Goddess".

From these notices, people learned that this special fleet belonging to the Dawn Society would not be hostile to any country or organization other than Saint Steel and the Black Sun Society.

Their voyage had only one purpose.

That was to lend a helping hand to the survivors in the city of Seren.

"We should not abandon a group of people who have already been abandoned once."

Accompanied by the navy of the Duchy of Burt, and with repeated magical messages being transmitted, this special fleet moved swiftly across the sea. Magical steam formed a long, straight line in the air, looking like a sharp sword constantly slicing through the sea.

(End of this chapter)