Annan and Evelyn exchanged a glance. He stood and said:
"Slow down. Tell us exactly what happened. Where's the Rat Tide coming? The Empire's Great Wall? The Rikaner Kingdom? The northern Fortress of the Dimon Kingdom? Or has it invaded Middle Earth?"
"Free City!"
"How is that possible?" Annan frowned.
Evelyn said, "None of my intelligence sources reported Ratfolk approaching... Did you fall asleep on watch and have a nightmare?"
The news was so absurd that neither Annan nor Evelyn believed it at first.
Normally, Lilith would have warned them if enemies were approaching. Luoxi shouldn't have been the one to—
"He's telling the truth."
Just as Lilith crossed his mind, her phantom appeared in the Lounge. "A Rat Tide has appeared thirty miles north of Gem Bay."
"Where did they come from?"
"They tunneled up from underground."
No wonder their neighbors hadn't spotted them.
Annan continued, "How many Ratfolk? Which Clan?"
"An estimated five hundred thousand to five million. The Clan is unknown. They're mostly Slave Rats, with a small number of Elite Rats."
"Why such a wide range?"
Whether there were five hundred thousand or five million, they couldn't have wandered into Gem Bay by accident.
"They're still pouring out of the ground."
"...Understood. Luoxi."
"Yes, sir!"
Luoxi shouted and straightened his chest.
"Put the Guard Legion on alert and secure the area around Free City. Notify the Hellfire Legion to prepare for deployment."
Luoxi hated that the Guard Legion couldn't go to the battlefield, but all he could do now was obey. He accepted the order and hurried to Camp.
Annan went on, "Lilith, sorry for the trouble, but could you bring Maria and Gale here?"
"They're already here."
Annan went to the window and saw the two of them entering the City Lord's Mansion.
"Do you