A message suddenly came through the Mind Link. Theus froze for a moment, then immediately replied.
"Where are they? How many are there?"
"Near the dock district on the northern side of the island. They've been climbing out of the sea, and there are already several dozen of them. After coming ashore, they haven't moved. They've gathered together instead. It looks like they're waiting for more to arrive before launching an attack."
The dock district?
Theus immediately unfolded the map he carried with him. The northern dock district had originally been a densely populated area, but ever since Castel began preparing for war, no ships had come to dock on the island. Then Theus began the general mobilization, sending people into the factories, and the area gradually fell into disuse.
Although there were few people in the dock district, it was right next to the northern residential area.
Because construction time had been so tight, the residential area had not been included within the cathedral's boundaries. In other words, there were hardly any defensive fortifications there.
Theus had long realized this. He had reserved a large residential area in the newly built central cathedral—Castel Cathedral. Though it had yet to be completed, the cathedral itself was already finished. Castel Island was destined to become a battlefield, and Theus had long begun preparations to move the people inside.
"Notify Alexei. Have him move all the residents into the cathedral as quickly as possible!"
As the situation gradually grew more severe, the workers had begun staying at the factories. Every factory had its own worker dormitories and factory guard teams. Most of those still in the residential area were family members, the elderly, and children, watched over by dedicated patrol teams. Moving them now would not take much effort.
"They've already been