Chapter 163 - Ashes of Deadbay
It took the team several long hours to reach the city.
The sandstorm was merciless, and the path they traveled was lined with haunting reminders of the devastation. Though many of the human bodies had already been buried or swept under layers of desert sand, the remains of monsters were impossible to miss.
At one point, they passed a grotesque hill of carcasses stacked together deliberately, like someone had gathered them on purpose. Tave could only wonder, who had the strength, or the will, to do something like that?
Along the way, Elincia quietly confirmed what Tave had been aching to know: his sister, Lily, was safe.
That single truth was enough to keep him grounded, to stop him from taking flight and racing to the city ahead of the others.
Despite being naturally reserved and reluctant to speak, Elincia found herself answering more questions than usual, largely because Tave kept funneling them through Vanya. And of course, Elincia couldn’t refuse the question from the Crowned Princess of the Vensalor Kingdom.
"That human knight division... most of them were killed, I think," Elincia explained evenly. "I saw many of their bodies on the battlefield. But the worst casualties came from the low-tier awakeners who chose to fight anyway."
"We’ve seen firsthand just how strong those monsters were," Vanya replied. "Anyone below Gaia Grand Master level... simply wouldn’t survive. Not even in small numbers, let alone when those monsters came flooding out together."
"I tried to stop them, Your Highness," Elincia said, then paused, clearly holding something back. For a moment, it seemed she’d swallow the next words. But then, in true Elincia fashion, she said it anyway.
"But they were stupid. The casualties wouldn’t have been this high if they had just let me finish off the remaining monsters." She scoffed lightly, without emotion. "They said things like, ’Who will protect my wife and children if I just hide too?’ So stupid."
After hours of pushing through wind and exhaustion, the towering outer walls of Deadbay City finally came into view.