"Enter the other 'seasons'? Explain!" Miss Gwen pressed the Dawnsilver Sword closer to the artery in High Priest Enbuliou's neck.
The black-haired young man showed no fear, but he answered with a smile:
"You must have felt it. This town lies under my lord's gaze, forever locked in the hottest days of summer.
"In summer, my lord rejects all Beyonder powers he has not approved. That's why your strength has faded so quickly that you can barely stand."
He glanced at Lydia, who lay on the bed without even the strength to turn over, and continued with a smile. "And you aren't the first. Even a so-called Saint once failed to withstand my lord's divine might. In the end, my lord brought him to heel, and he became a devout believer.
"What I didn't expect was that the leader of your little team would be an ordinary person—and a skilled knight at that. Had I known, I would have given you special attention."
As his words grew more brazen, Miss Gwen wanted nothing more than to finish him off. But she needed more information. Otherwise, forget rescuing anyone—her own team might be trapped here. "Watch your mouth!" she snapped, then pressed him further:
"You said Lansell Town is always in summer, but after entering town, I saw areas that clearly looked like spring, autumn, and winter. Are those the 'other seasons' that make people disappear?"
Fervor lit Enbuliou's face. "You guessed right. Those different 'seasons' are all gifts from my lord!
"Spring is the season when life returns. In its region, plants and animals reproduce at the fastest possible rate, providing all kinds of materials, meat, eggs, and milk. Of course, it can also help increase the population quickly...
"Autumn is the season of harvest. Grain and most other crops