Ⅳ
Grindelwald was in a camp in dense woods beside the river, roughly twenty kilometers from Dordot Harbor.
Calling it a camp was generous. It was really just a temporary stopping place with a few basic arrangements around two fire pits.
Because of his special status, Grindelwald had a tent all to himself.
When Grindelwald woke, he heard a hushed argument outside the tent-
"Toran! What are you doing?
Are you still refusing to see reason, even now?
There is no River God!
None!
It's all a lie!"
The somewhat shrill voice made everyone who heard it frown, even though its owner was keeping it low.
It was truly grating.
"Exactly!
What we need to do now is get away from Dordot Harbor!"
"That's right!
The Marquis of West Berlin has already declared us wanted criminals!"
Voices chimed in one after another.
They were chaotic and noisy.
And just as grating.
"When I gathered everyone, I said that anyone willing to follow me could wait here. Anyone who wasn't could leave on their own."
Toran spoke calmly, without any impatience.
He was different from before. Although he had always been cautious and earnest, he had also seemed impatient and not particularly dependable.
But after last night's "betrayal," Toran seemed to have grown up overnight.
Not only had he become composed, he was holding his ground alone against more than a dozen people.
"Leave on our own?"
The shrill voice let out an even more piercing laugh.
"You think we should just leave like that?"
An accusation.
That late-night accusation sounded even more piercing in the night wind.
The wind stirred the tent flap, allowing Grindelwald to see the speaker.
He was a tall, thin man with a long, narrow face, wearing overalls.
At that moment, he was glaring viciously at