"May the Goddess bless you." Akara smiled and nodded, then turned to Elizabeth Franton. "I heard you made contact with someone inside the Anomalies Bureau?"
Elizabeth Franton hurried to explain. "I wouldn't call him an insider. I just happen to know the current director of the Anomalies Bureau in Landon City. I thought I'd ask him to find out how things are progressing from within. If he gets useful information, great. If not, no harm done."
"That's fine. There's no need to rush. Control of a Void World won't be settled easily. We need patience, or things could get dangerous," Miss Akara said calmly. "And be careful for the time being. I received a Divine Oracle from Her Holiness. The message was vague, but I'm certain a major upheaval may be coming soon."
"Yes, Eldest Sister. We'll be careful," Elizabeth Franton replied. Unease churned inside her. What kind of upheaval could alarm even Akara? Could it threaten her life? Was it connected to the Void World, or something else...
Around the same time, two thousand kilometers from Northwest Province, lay Wolfers City, a major city at the southernmost end of the border between the Lorenzo Kingdom and the Rune Federation.
Originally a military fortress, it had gradually grown through border trade. A century ago, when relations between the Lorenzo Kingdom and the Rune Federation were better, trade between them had flourished, turning Wolfers City into a metropolis of more than half a million people.
Relations had soured over the past few decades, badly hurting legitimate border trade. But that had given rise to a host of smugglers. The enormous profits drew in powerful nobles and capitalists, leaving Wolfers City more prosperous than ever.
Situated in the southeastern Lorenzo Kingdom, Wolfers City had a mild climate and humid air. It was