The fact that this was a bait operation was already obvious enough just from walking through rain-soaked Trifas City at night. But if the enemy's personality meant they would hesitate under such circumstances, they would never have stormed the castle alone to launch an attack yesterday.
"It's raining. Let's hurry back."
"Yeah, let's get going."
At that moment, the two of them brushed past a mother and daughter sharing an umbrella.
I feel like I've seen them somewhere before... Lin Yan studied them closely. They were the mother and daughter he had seen at the café during the day. Unlike earlier, the mother was carrying a shopping bag.
"Mom, they say monsters might appear."
"They do indeed. That's terrifying. Let's hurry home."
They walked away while exchanging such words. It was an utterly ordinary sight, enough to make one smile.
Perhaps precisely because of that, Lin Yan's thoughts descended into chaos when he heard the scream that came shortly afterward.
It was impossible. That mother and daughter, who had created such a peaceful scene, couldn't possibly have been caught up in some incident... Perhaps that was what he had been thinking.
When he turned around... a hazy fog was already rising there.
"Fog...!"
"What? How could this...?!"
"Ah... what is this...? It hurts, it hurts! It... hurts... ah!"
"Mom! It hurts! It hurts! No! Stop!"
The instant the mother and daughter's agonized screams rang out, Lin Yan rushed forward without a second thought.
He wrapped his face in the handkerchief he had prepared to ward off the fog and charged into it.
A splitting pain exploded through his head... He could hardly believe that he had endured such pain the day before. The fog was still thin enough for him to barely retain his vision... but he could no longer