Chapter 390.1
The first sliver of dawn painted the sky a bruised purple, the darkest moment before light. Unease gnawed at Eugene all day, a disquiet born from the strange encounter with Alber in her dreams. Had something happened to the elder?
Alber’s abrupt disappearance likely stemmed from magical interference, and Eugene harbored a chilling suspicion of Sang-je’s involvement. The rogue mage’s cruelty was a constant worry, a shadow over her thoughts.
Lost in her anxieties, Eugene barely registered the maid’s announcement of lunch. Time had slipped by unnoticed, stolen by her worry for Alber.
“Enough,” she muttered, forcing her thoughts away. Stewing wouldn’t help Alber, nor would it bring news. “Focus on what you can control. That’s how you help her.”
A solution simmered in Eugene’s mind, a way to breach the Holy City’s protective spell. But it wasn’t a simple choice. Should Mara risk direct confrontation, venturing into the heart of the city to dismantle the barrier? Or could Flora manipulate magic, subtly diverting the watchful larks? Both options felt precarious, leaving Eugene hesitant.
“Mara or Flora…” she murmured, tracing the lines on Aldrit’s spellbook with a restless finger. Picking up her pen, she hovered it over the page, then let it fall back down. “Get a hold of yourself, Eugene.”
Eugene carefully opened yet another spell notebook, brimming with anticipation. True to her expectations, she found a fresh set of sentences penned by Kasser. Today’s entry was more substantial than usual, nearly filling an entire page. As Eugene delved into the text, her astonishment grew with each passing word.
He attempted to breach the Holy City barrier using a lark seed? Remarkable. How did he think of it?
Kasser recalled his own futile attempts at capturing larks by scattering seeds throughout the night, only to meet disappointment. Yet, as Kasser succinctly put it, the endeavor was not without its complexities. Hunting proved to be a task fraught with challenges, despite the ease with which it was portrayed by the kings. Determined, Kasser resolved to try again come nightfall.