The autumn air was crisp and clear.
A cool breeze blew gently.
Compared with the normal seasons of a thousand years ago,
only two seasons remained a thousand years later.
A snowy winter and a sunny summer.
So,
when the temperature began to drop and the air took on an autumn chill,
everyone living on Storm Island knew the seasons were about to change.
"Sigh... I heard The Order is in complete chaos right now. I wonder why."
"I don't know why, either, but the weather's already cooling down and nobody from The Order has come to collect taxes. That alone says plenty."
In a certain village,
people with time to spare gathered in small groups at the village entrance to enjoy the cool air.
Soon, their conversation turned to The Order.
After all, The Order ruled all of Storm Island.
Even little villages like this one were no exception.
So when nobody came to collect taxes, everyone realized something was wrong.
"You haven't heard yet, have you? My cousin said something seems to have happened at The Order's headquarters."
"The cities are in chaos now. Who's got time to worry about little villages like ours?"
A young man who looked about twenty approached the people sitting beneath the tree, waving a Card in his hand.
"Your cousin? You mean the one who went to the city to work for those big shots in The Order?"
Someone asked out of curiosity.
"Yeah, that cousin."
"I see. Then the news must be reliable."
The young man's cousin had gone to a big city two and a half years ago to work for members of The Order.
So,
if the news had come from him,
it was certainly more credible than some young fellow shooting his mouth off.
"Something happened at The