The moment Osian saw Martinez, he intuitively sensed that something had happened. These kinds of urgent meetings that always came suddenly were usually negative.
And indeed, Martinez's expression was considerably serious. Naturally, Loraine, Diolan, and Mist saw this scene. Ena, who had been in the kitchen, also peeked out and widened her eyes when she saw Martinez.
There were too many watching eyes here.
"Let's talk while going out."
Osian left Violet Fox together with Martinez. He could feel his colleagues' gazes following from behind, but he deliberately ignored them. Now wasn't the time to worry about that.
"So, what brings you to me? Seeing you move directly like this, it doesn't seem like a small problem."
In one corner of his heart, he hoped it would be nothing serious. But reality wouldn't be that easy.
"The outer god we encountered last time. I found traces of that guy."
So it seemed they had found traces of the clown.
"It's a monster that devours children. It must be eliminated as the top priority above all else."
That was something Osian also agreed with. The guy devours children. The reason is probably because children are the weakest. Because they're weak, he torments them and uses that as a toy to play with. It was truly nothing but evil.
'He's too low-grade to be called an outer god.'
So he probably submitted to the Star Devourer and serves as a vanguard under him. Even so, the clown's power is real. There aren't many who could face him in a direct confrontation, but the clown never fights the battle his opponent wants.
'That's the most vicious part of him.'
He must have sustained considerable injuries after that concert that day. But you shouldn't treat an outer god's injuries the same as an ordinary person's. The total amount of power in his incarnated body has decreased, but he would still have no trouble being active.
He would move while being cautious, but conversely, he would also plot some conspiracy to recover his strength.
Click click. The puzzle pieces fit together in his head. They clicked into place like meshing gears. It was flowing toward a completely unwanted result.
"Don't tell me those traces were flowing toward District 44."
"......Yes, that's right."
Martinez nodded obediently. Though still young and inexperienced in worldly affairs, Martinez could also sense how the current atmosphere was flowing.
"I see."
This is going to drive me crazy. If not just cultists but an outer god himself flows into District 44, that would be a big problem. Right now, inside District 44, mercenaries employed by the redevelopment union and construction companies were secretly lurking.
The moment they find traces related to the clown and report it to the city government as evidence.
'District 44 will officially become a zone that can be disposed of.'
Regardless of Plimene’s efforts, that's the conclusion the higher-ups would reach.
-Tick tick.
The sound of a clock hand turning rang fiercely in Osian's head. It was the sound of the clock announcing the catastrophe he had barely managed to stop.
'Was this the source of the uneasiness I'd been feeling all along?'
The strange discomfort he felt while wandering around District 44. It wasn't the dirty atmosphere full of only losers that pervaded the entire area. Because a future called destruction was spread throughout the entire district, his knight's intuition had cried out like that.
And now in District 44...
'Greta and her siblings are living there.'
Osian looked at Martinez.
"Brother?"
"......No. It's nothing. So, the clown is heading that way, right?"
Right. There should still be time left. At minimum, he could extract Greta and her siblings, and if there was room, he could also convey the situation to Lukai. To do that, he had to act immediately.
"Martinez. Thank you for telling me."
"Ah, if there's anything I can help with......"
"That's fine. I'll buy you a meal next time."
After leaving his thanks to Martinez, Osian immediately moved. His destination was District 44.
On his way to District 44, Osian organized his thoughts. First, he would find Greta and extract her and her siblings from that cesspit. Since he couldn't take them alone, he could request help from the Zero Ground agents who should still be on site. If not that, he could directly escape District 44 with the children.
'Regarding Lukai...'
He should probably inform Lukai that the redevelopment union and construction companies were involved. Well, actually, even without being told, Lukai would probably have roughly caught on. He was a very smart man.
However, there's a considerable difference between knowing a clear target and not knowing one. Even just a few hints from this side would be of great help to the liberation army.
'How absurd. Until recently, we were fighting each other and were targets for extracting information from. Now I'm trying to cooperate.'
Just because you fought once doesn't mean you remain enemies for life. Life is unpredictable even one step ahead. Yesterday's ally becomes today's enemy, and today's enemy becomes tomorrow's ally. Especially in this kind of industry, you can't trust anyone while simultaneously being able to trust anyone.
It's utterly confusing. Rationally, Osian had no particular need to warn Lukai.
Though they had exchanged some conversation, their relationship was still awkward. They just weren't completely hostile, but there was no reason to become friendly. Right, there was no justification for that.
'I have no obligation to help them. They probably don't expect my help either.'
That was 'natural.' Though they had become familiar faces a few times, they were ultimately complete strangers. The same went for Greta. Though it was a cooperative relationship and he had made a promise, there was no need to grit his teeth and keep it to that extent. No one would point fingers if he didn't.
Abandoning a bit of conscience was a common occurrence in Tirna.
'Nevertheless, I didn't do that.'
Right now, he was heading to District 44 to help Greta and others. Why?
'Because that's just the kind of person I am.'
In the past, he would have thought that the chivalry possessed by his body, that righteous character, wouldn't tolerate such things.
But that was wrong. If anything, it was closer to an excuse deliberately turning away from reality.
'If I truly wanted to act righteously because of a knight's body, I wouldn't have committed meaningless killings for money either.'
Though chivalry pursues romance, it's not to the extent of upholding modern morality and conscience. Stepping forward to help someone meaninglessly isn't because of chivalry or because of a knight's body.
'I just want to help.'
There's no meaning or reason to it. Making grand reasons for everything was exhausting. He just couldn't stand by and watch when a child who likes fairy tale books with pictures of princes on white horses was left in a dangerous area.
Right. If he had to give a reason, this was all of it.
'This is enough.'
Finally arriving at District 44, Osian discovered that there were more people on the streets than before. A considerable crowd had gathered. They were all people who had come to meet the liberation army.
People wounded and abandoned by the world. Osian quietly observed them and then moved by stepping on building rooftops.
His destination was the abandoned train station in District 44. When he reached the entrance to the place full of rusted and abandoned trains, someone who had been crouching there spotted Osian and jumped to their feet.
"You came early."
It was one of Zero Ground's intelligence agents.
"You've been keeping watch well."
"Not at all. It's naturally what I should do since it's Sir Osian's request."
"The children?"
"They're fine. The eldest sister has left her post, but she should return soon."
"That's fortunate to hear."
"Um, but......"
The intelligence agent trailed off. Osian noticed that he was hesitating to say something.
"If you have something you want to say, go ahead."
"......It's fortunate that Sir Osian came early, but actually, orders came from above just a while ago."
"From above?"
"Yes. They ordered all field agents in District 44 to return."
Osian's gaze narrowed. He too read something ominous from these words.
"We're also reading the situation from the field, but since last night, the atmosphere has been strangely flowing in an odd direction. And now seeing the return order from above, it seems......"
"Stop. That explanation is sufficient."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Go ahead and leave."
"Will you be alright, Sir Osian?"
"You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself well enough."
"Understood."
The agent bowed his head and quickly left the scene. Originally, he should have left long ago, but he had endured to the end because of Osian's request. It was Osian who should be grateful.
'Zero Ground has withdrawn from here.'
Zero Ground possessed excellent intelligence capabilities. There's no way they would suddenly pull out from District 44. It means something serious enough is happening.
Something serious enough to make all field agents return. That is, it meant the feared situation was unfolding.
'But how?'
There should still be time left. At least, that's how Osian calculated it. To say Zero Ground was wrong, the atmosphere he was feeling now was definitely not false.
'Something is happening.'
It felt like things he didn't know were progressing step by step in places he couldn't see. Osian immediately moved toward the train.
-Thump thump.
He deliberately knocked on the door so the children inside could hear. There was no answer, but he could sense the presence of someone holding their breath.
"It's me. The man who visited last time."
When Osian spoke, he could feel someone moving inside, seeming hesitant. Creak. A small iron door for checking outside opened, and the child's and Osian's eyes met.
"Are you the brother we saw that time?"
"It's been a while... though we're meeting again sooner than expected."
"Sister is out right now."
"I actually came because your sister asked me to."
"......Really?"
At those words, the child showed considerable wariness. No matter how much they had met once, the trust between them wasn't great enough to believe immediately.
Rather, Osian would have been worried if they had believed blindly. Even without Greta's help, there was good reason these children had survived in District 44.
However, now wasn't the time to praise the children's wariness.
"Pack your things. I made a promise with Greta. That I would safely get you all out of District 44."
"......Sister promised that?"
"Yes."
Even saying this, the children wouldn't believe it. Just from the murmuring sounds among themselves inside, he could tell. However, the child who met his gaze seemed to have the second-most authority after Greta, and answered instead.
"......Alright. I'll believe you."
The lock was released and the door opened.
"Thank you for believing me. Everyone get ready. We need to get out of this place as soon as possible."
"What about Sister Greta?"
"I heard she went out. Do you know when she'll return?"
"......I'm not sure. Sister always came back only after the sun set."
Osian fell into brief contemplation. Whether he should immediately extract just these children and send them back, or find Greta too and send them together.
At that moment, the communicator Osian was carrying rang.
'This is.'
It was the device Plimene had given him. The device he had received for exchanging contact was flashing red.
Not good. Osian felt that way. Anyone could see it was an urgent call. And most of these urgent calls happened for bad reasons.
But since he couldn't ignore it, Osian immediately answered the contact.
"I didn't expect we'd be talking again so soon."
[I didn't hope for that either. It's such an urgent matter that I thought I needed to inform you.]
"What happened?"
[......The order to seal off District 44 has been issued.]
Osian frowned.
"A sudden sealing order?"
[Yes. It's an urgent telegram from the higher-ups. Along with the sealing of District 44, the military is moving.]
Was this the reason for the uneasiness?
[I'm sorry. It's my oversight. I never thought the opposition faction would have prepared this far......]
"Apologies are unnecessary. How much time is left?"
[At most, all areas leading to District 44 will be closed within half a day. Are you alright by the way?]
"I guess I need to move quickly too."
[Wait...... When you say move, you're not in District 44 right now, are you? Why on earth?]
"I had made a promise. Right now, I don't know if I can keep it. For now, depending on the situation, if you learn any facts, could you continue to relay them to me?"
[......Understood. I'll also do my best to try to buy time.]
Plimene would be able to do that sufficiently. If nothing else, the authority she possessed was definitely not weak.
'However, if there's a problem......'
The fact that a sealing order was issued means that administrative orders were given from somewhere higher than Plimene. And naturally, the military, the district defense forces, would move too.
He could smell the thick smell of gunpowder, blood and screams.
Something similar to war was approaching.