When Iluna, Miss Green, the Sun Church's Tenth Ring Arcanist; Hogg Lundell, the Sun Church's Thirteenth Ring Arcanist, "Sunlight Greatsword"; old Mister Modrow, the Peace Church's Eleventh Ring Arcanist; and Franz Joseph, the Dawn Church's Twelve-Ring Arcanist, arrived at Saint Derain Square, half an hour had already passed since Doctor Schneider and the other three had left.
It was deep into the night. A thin mist drifted through the city, making each of the gas street lamps surrounding the square emit a strange halo. The stars and Moon were especially dim, as though they too had fallen asleep in this winter night.
The group of five had arrived so late not only because they had to wait for the Five Gods Church's main force, comfort the unconscious people at the Seer Association, and properly deal with the three Princesses who had seen everything. More importantly, no one had forgotten that Saint Derain Square was home to two beings whose names even Angel Level Relics could not speak.
Other incidents had also occurred in the city tonight, so as soon as "Sunlight Greatsword" arrived, they had immediately come here. On the way, they had already seen the corpses of Dark Stalkers lying in the streets. The bodies were now being sent to the church for examination.
But after Iluna and the High-Ring Arcanists entered Saint Derain Square together, they found nothing unusual.
The neighborhood was exceptionally peaceful. Most of the lights in the houses around the square had gone out, with only a few windows, such as those at 6 Saint Derain Square, still lit. Steam pipes and gas pipes crawled across the walls, and in the empty square, only the fountain in the shape of a girl holding a water bottle still stood beneath the Moon.
None of the five