Klaus did not answer.
He looked up at the sky.
"Wait a little longer."
Klaus walked to the center of the square.
The Copper Plate lay half a step from his feet. A finger-width gap separated the newly laid metal edge from the old stone paving.
He swept his gaze around.
"Let's go over the plan first."
Adrian turned around, his staff planted at his side. Arthur raised his eyes, his gaze fixed on Klaus. The Great Ascendant remained where he was, his silver-gray pupils slowly turning toward him.
"Three Fourth Orders will lead the descent." Klaus's voice was not loud, but everyone in the square could hear it clearly.
"Three are enough."
He paused.
"If three Fourth Orders can't hold it down underground, five won't either. Any more would be a waste. We need to leave reserves on the surface."
No one objected.
"On the Night Watcher side, Leike goes down."
Leike gave a slight nod from the shadows at the edge of the square. He had not spoken until now. His short brown hair was tucked beneath his coat collar, making his presence easy to overlook.
"For the church, Bishop Adrian goes down."
Adrian smiled.
"Only fitting."
The old bishop turned his head, his gaze falling on Leike in the distance.
"There are only a few mutated Fourth Orders who can withstand Carrion Fungus. In a place like that, he can last half a day longer than the rest of us."
Adrian did not elaborate further.
"For the Ascension Society, the Great Ascendant goes down."
When Klaus said this, there was an indescribable undertone in his voice.
The silver-gray pupils turned toward him.
"Only three Fourth Orders?"
The Great Ascendant's voice came from his metal chest cavity. No clear emotion could be heard in it, but his wording