Chapter 92

First, I need to gather information. The fact that I need to go there is purely my intuition, not a revelation from the Lord or an angel.

That means there’s also a possibility that I could be wrong.

I don’t have time to wait for Roka, who hasn’t returned, so I asked the nearby attendants to tell a beastkin child with blue hair looking for me that I’m at the gate in the Capital’s square.

Rowena also stood up and joined me. She said she wanted to see with her own eyes what was happening.

“Let’s go. I need to see for myself what kind of big event is unfolding.”

With her, there were no obstacles on the way. Near the gate, soldiers were already stationed, strictly controlling access, but they couldn’t easily block Rowena, who had pointed ears and held the status of Elvenheim’s ambassador.

Instead, one soldier even attached himself to us, offering to explain the situation.

“That’s the gate. Can you believe it? As you can see, what lies beyond is no different from hell.”

“That’s the gate? I can’t even see it clearly. Is there a fire or something?”

Rowena asked, and it was a valid question. Where exactly the gate was, all we could see was black smoke and gray ash swirling in the air.

The ash was so thick, almost like fog, completely obscuring our vision. If people weren’t running out from inside, we would’ve thought it was just a fire.

The sulfur smell stung our noses, and the ash was billowing out. If we didn’t know better, we’d think the gate led to hell, not the Citadel Republic.

“Over there… the situation in Valles City is very bad. According to the testimonies of those coming through, volcanic ash is spewing so much that it’s covering the sky and the ground. The ash keeps blowing over here through the air, and it’s killing us. Can you see we’re wearing winter clothes in this heat?”

Indeed, all the soldiers were bundled up in thick clothing, with scarves covering their mouths. Even though summer was in full swing, with nights no longer cold and days unbearably hot, they couldn’t dress lightly.

“That ash is highly toxic. Just touching it causes rashes. Soldiers who didn’t know and wore short sleeves are now being taken to the infirmary. We’re lucky we don’t have to come into contact with the ash unless we’re on duty, but what about the people coming from over there?”

Soldier Panton explained that blisters and rashes were common among those affected.

“Are there many patients?”

“Too many. Honestly, those with skin problems are the lucky ones. They don’t even need Divine Power to heal. Just washing off the ash and applying ointment helps a lot. But while skin wounds can be treated, internal illnesses caused by inhaling the ash and smoke can’t.”

If just touching the smoke causes such problems, inhaling it would surely make people sick, Panton added. Many were coughing up blood.

“And over there… the ground is so unstable that aftershocks happen several times a day. People are getting cut by broken glass, falling from the shaking, or being hit by falling objects. The number of injured is overwhelming.”

The only silver lining was that priests serving the Three Divine Gods had set up emergency clinics to care for the injured. But even with Divine Power, there was nothing they could do about the ash already inhaled through the nose, Panton said.

I offered to create a water source, and he was quite pleased.

“We were about to request water from the higher-ups since many refugees were complaining of thirst. This saves us the trouble.”

“If even those who escaped are like this, the people still over there must be in even worse shape.”

“Do you think they care about their bodies breaking down? They’re desperate, on the verge of madness. The higher-ups announced they’d charge refugees, but that’s not important now. People need to come first before money even matters.”

Currently, they’ve been ordered to create a list of refugees and collect fees. But even if someone can’t pay, they won’t be sent back through the gate. They’ll just owe a debt and be accepted for now.

The problem is, there aren’t many people coming through. This isn’t really anyone’s fault.

“That gate, though hard to see through the smoke, isn’t very big to begin with. It’s hard for even a single person on horseback to pass through, let alone a carriage. People have to line up single file, and even working all day, it’s doubtful even a tenth of the citizens could evacuate.”

Panton said a tenth, but from what I could see, even a hundredth wouldn’t make it out properly. How could an entire city’s population escape through such a small gate?

If we had a year, or even six months, it might be manageable, but six days would be a stretch. The explosion could happen anytime—it’s only a matter of time now.

“The people coming through the gate, with a few exceptions, aren’t the high-ranking ones. Those with money or power have already escaped on warships or secured spots on merchant ships.”

He whispered this to us. Of course, the Citadel Republic was a commercial hub, but even with many merchant and military ships, evacuating the entire population by sea was impossible.

Even the largest ship could only carry a few hundred people at most. If they started loading cargo instead of people, they might not even carry half that number.

By the time those ships reached safety and unloaded their passengers and goods, everything would already be over. So, sea evacuation was effectively done. Now, the remaining people had to escape through the long line at the gate or die there.

“There are rumors that the Aldehir Church is using airships to transport children, but not many. Over there, only those clinging to life or those who’ve given up remain.”

It’s a hopeless situation just hearing about it. But it only strengthened my resolve to go there.

What the Lord desires is for humans to overcome calamities they thought insurmountable on their own. But this seems beyond that kind of overcoming.

It’s a choice between saving a few more lives or not being able to save even those.

With no visible way for human effort to make a difference, the only option is to rely on the Lord’s help to overcome the crisis.

“Are you really planning to go over there?”

Rowena asked with concern.

“I thought it was crazy from the start, but let me correct that. This is properly insane. Anyone with sense wouldn’t go into a place like that.”

She looked wearily at the gate, hidden somewhere beyond the smoke.

“It only makes me want to go more.”

If I, this foolish me, am to follow the Lord, I must throw myself into danger. There are people there who need saving, people who are pleading for help.

If all I could do was pray, I’d be anxious, but I know that’s not the case. I have a way to save everyone.

So my resolve hasn’t wavered—it’s only grown stronger.

After finishing his explanation, Panton left, leaving only Rowena and me. She sighed.

“Even if I try to stop you, you won’t listen, will you?”

“There are people there hoping for salvation, and the Lord is there. If I don’t go, it’s not just a sin against God but against humanity and myself.”

Even as I make the decision to plunge myself into danger, my heart feels at peace.

I’ve made the choice I had to make, so there’s no worry or fear.

“Master.”

A familiar voice called from behind. It sounded a bit tired.

Turning around, I saw Roka walking toward me, her expression scrunched up. Even though we were a bit away from the volcanic ash, the sulfur smell was everywhere. For someone with a sharper nose like her, it must’ve been torture.

Still, her tail perked up brightly upon seeing me again.

“I’ve been looking for you forever. Why did you come to a place like this… And who’s that?”

Her tail was standing up a bit too much. Now, worry and fear crept in.

How do I convince Roka to stay here? I absolutely don’t want to take her over there, but will she listen to me?