Rokea City.
"What!"
"Prey Town, Abu, Sua, Balami, Kabin, Haidara."
"All these towns have fallen?"
"This very morning?"
On the third floor of the Pyramid, inside a splendidly decorated restaurant.
Only Elrait, the city lord, sat at the long dining table.
He still held a skewer of roasted lamb threaded onto a branch.
Elrait had originally been enjoying his lavish and delicious lunch.
Then his secretary came in and told him that, over the past few hours,
more than half the towns in Waliwak County had fallen.
And they did not even know who the enemy was, how many there were, or anything at all.
That was because
the enemy had arrived too quickly.
They had advanced too quickly.
They had destroyed too quickly.
The cities under attack
had been unable to send out any information at all.
It was not until shortly before this that a Soldier had seen black smoke rising from the ground.
They then tried to contact the fallen cities.
When they could not get through,
they confirmed that those cities had been attacked.
Elrait shot to his feet. "Where is Datai? Wasn't he deploying troops at the border to receive the Invaders?"
"Those Invaders crossed the Sighing Wall. They must have spent a great deal of stamina. How could they possibly be a match for us?"
The secretary said quietly, "We have already contacted Commander Datai."
"He said there were no signs of the Invaders at the border. Everything there is calm."
The fat on Elrait's body trembled.
He sank back into his chair. "This is bad."
"So the Invaders entered through a 'shortcut.'"
"To accomplish that,"
"either Aik has been controlled, or he is already dead."
"Notify Datai immediately. Have him bring the army back at full speed!"
"Also,"
"prepare the horses!"
"This place