"Yes, we don't have that much time to take things slowly. Take some people and get started first. I'll come over when the time comes as well. Judging by the current situation, the islanders are fairly accepting of you, so there's no need to worry too much."
Una nodded anxiously.
Theus then turned to Alexei ahead of him. "Tomorrow, I'll go with the Banshees to attend the Central Furnace's ignition ceremony. They'll also officially appear before the people of Castel."
For Theus, Castel's isolation from the outside world was not merely a crisis—it was also an opportunity.
No matter what problems arose from openly revealing the Banshees' identities now, they would remain confined to Castel and would not be affected by the outside world.
Theus no longer needed to consider anyone's opinions. Whether it was the Empire, the Candlelight Society, or the Silent Temple, none of them had anything to do with him. Castel was now simply Castel. By the time the fighting ended and they could come in, people would have long grown accustomed to the Banshees' existence.
The Banshees were an inseparable part of Castel. No matter what, Theus could not abandon the Banshees who followed him. All he could do was make the arrangements as thorough as possible. The rest depended on tomorrow.
Alexei accepted the order and left. The night passed without incident. The next day, Theus specifically gave all the workers a half-day of paid leave and organized everyone to come watch the Central Furnace's ignition ceremony.
The Central Furnace stood west of the former Candlelight Society church, near the center of Castel Island. What had once been an ordinary stretch of hills had become a vast pit. Roads spiraled downward in ring after ring, while people gathered around its edge. Though no one maintained