Let us turn back the clock ten minutes.
The mysterious figure grabbed Arthur and rushed out of South Los, heading straight for the Inner River without slowing down.
South County and North County were separated by the Aeron Mountains. On the North County side, the peaks towered into the clouds, their slopes impossibly steep. On the South County side, the terrain was much gentler, and Pol VII had once dug a canal through it, known at the time as the Pol Canal.
When the empire fell apart, several battles broke out along the Pol Canal, widening its course until it resembled a chain of rivers and lakes.
After the Sacred Empire was established, the Pol Canal, which ran through almost all of South County, was renamed the Sacred Canal.
In the early Silver Age, local lords began repairing the stretches of river within their own territories. From then on, the so-called Sacred Canal was collectively referred to as the Inner River, with, at most, the name of the local territory added as a prefix.
For example, the stretch in South Los was called the South Los Inner River.
Clearly, the mysterious figure had hidden a boat on the Inner River outside the city.
Realizing this, Arthur began to struggle.
The young Medium knew perfectly well that once he boarded the boat and it left South Los, he would be nothing more than a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Stop moving!"
The mysterious figure delivered a heavy punch to the young Medium.
The blow struck his lower abdomen, where no ribs protected him.
Thud!
The dull impact left the young Medium doubled over and motionless.
At the sight, the mysterious figure gave two cold chuckles and immediately quickened their pace.
Before long, the roar of the Inner River reached their ears.
A small