### Chapter 152: The Wind of Twilight Blows In
The night was warmly enveloping, the sky dotted with twinkling stars, while the bustling square of the town burst forth with unprecedented cheers.
Miss Meiser took the stage.
Step by step, she slowly walked to the center, surrounded by flickering bonfires, a pure white silk carpet rolled out beneath her feet. The glow of the flames complemented her flowing red dress, the lengthy hem gliding over the white carpet like the elegant fins of a dancing fish, swaying gently.
After a moment of anticipation, as the cheers began to fade, Miss Meiser raised both hands. Her fingers shaped into orchid blooms above her head, and she pointed her right toe, drawing an elegant arc in front of her.
Boom…
Intense drumbeats erupted from behind the stage.
One sound.
Boom—
With the drumbeat’s final crash, figures holding torches shot flames toward the bonfires, bursting crimson light around the stage like dazzling fireworks. The crowd’s cheers rose once more, sweeping through the town. Countless heads tilted back, toes standing on tiptoes, rooftop beer drinkers leapt to their feet, clinking mugs and shouting with arms raised. With the second drumbeat, the atmosphere vibrantly resonated—
Boom!
Behind the stage, four large drums stood in a line, four strong men braving the chill with bare arms, their muscular limbs flexing as they raised their drumsticks and struck down hard.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After three booming sounds, the melodious strings followed suit.
Bang—
Great flames erupted from all sides of the stage, lighting up the night sky, thick black smoke billowing upward. The crowd in the central square roared, and in the spotlight, Miss Meiser took a step forward — and began to dance.
Boom! Boom! Boom—
Her waist bent gracefully, arms moving like snakes, her body leaping in sync with the thunderous beat as her skirt fluttered like swallows nesting, soaring like startled magpies. The drumbeats crashed around her, flames glowed brightly, and beneath the night sky, the stunning beauty uniquely belonging to women was fully displayed for all to see.
Whoa—
The decibels of the crowd surged once again.
“Miss Meiser—”
“I love you, Miss Meiser—”
The crowd seemed to fall into a frenzy, loudly chanting the name of the woman. This cacophony mixed with the serenade of strings and drums echoed to the bell tower. I stood atop the tower, sipping juice, picking up a sweet pastry, blowing it gently before taking a small bite. Looking down at the surging crowd and the one-woman spectacle on stage, my face remained expressionless.
Black smoke rose from the square into the night sky as bonfires blazed fiercely around the stage, the bright light reflecting in my eyes, reminding me instead of the blazing fire in Alectine City and the heart-wrenching roars from the southern battlefield.
“Turn! Around! Back—”
“We lost… dead…”
“It’s alright…”
“Don’t be afraid…”
“Let’s charge one last time…”
“d*mn it, I could just eat them alive…”
“Ha, hahaha, ha…”
“First Knights Order—”
“Leave these demons… right here… on this land, ahhhhh—”
“k*ll them aaaaaahhhh—”
bl**d intertwined with flames, screams and guts bursting forth as a rancid wind swept across the plains. Countless corpses turned to ashes in the firelight.
What I got in return was this merry song and dance.
Below, the excited crowd shouted, their voices illuminated by the flames, calling out the false name of the woman on stage.
“Ugh…”
I raised a hand to cover half my face.
A headache…
…Enough of that.
No impulses, can’t be tricked by the enemy, control your emotions, focus on what’s in front of you…
The night breeze gently blew.
The woman known as Meiser twirled gracefully, her figure soft as a cloud. Her arms delicate and seemingly boneless, her light dance fluttering like butterflies among flowers, or like the bright moon hanging in the mountains. After a short moment, as the drumming intensified and the string music tightened, someone threw a sword towards the center of the stage.
Miss Meiser executed a side flip, and amidst the swirling red dress, she caught the sword. Immediately following, four or five men wielding long swords charged onto the stage—also performers—dancing and swinging long knives toward the woman. Miss Meiser met them with her own blade, her body as swift as thunder yet graceful, and the square erupted once more into tidal waves of cheers.
The crowd was immersed in her beauty; for them, tonight was an unforgettable moment.
And in corners they didn’t notice, the Golden Armored Knights stood solemnly, patrolling in the shadows. A man named Daniel leaned back in a chair, eyes closed, hiding in a dark old house like a seasoned hunter waiting for his prey to approach.
On the south side of the town, in an alley separated from the church by two walls, Karl took off his gold and white cleric robes and shouted to Olivia not far away, “Hey, throw my cloak over here.”
“I’m not ‘hey’.”
The woman replied softly, holding a fist-sized golden orb that shimmered in the moonlight. Behind her stood several clerics, their faces hidden in the shadows of the high walls, indistinguishable.
“And, don’t wear a cloak tonight.”
She added.
“Oh come on! She won’t remember anything; she wouldn’t even recognize us…” Karl shrugged nonchalantly, “You want me to do tasks in these glaring cleric robes? You’d be better off to let the jester spot me right away, right? Just toss it over!”
“No is no.”
“But these robes don’t suit us; it feels all wrong… how about switching for the Choir of Saints’ cloaks? Waterproof and fireproof, you know…”
“Just bear with it.” The woman seemed a bit impatient now.
“But…”
“Shut up, you’re so annoying.”
“Uh…”
The man named Karl rubbed his nose, “Olivia, don’t you love me anymore?”
“Get lost and love your Miss Silvya instead.”
“Eh… are you jealous?”
“Hehe.”
“Don’t be like that! You know I just think she’s cute, and it’s a fleeting thought… I was just joking! How could I actually get involved with that kind of monster? You’re my one true love, Olivia… After this score, let’s get married, okay…”
“…Annoying.”
Though she said so, the woman’s tone seemed less cold.
“Let’s focus on the task.”
She turned to the clerics behind her: “You all ready?”
In the darkness, someone nodded gently.
“Mm.”
The woman answered, taking a deep breath and looking back at the somewhat disinterested Karl, furrowing her brows. “Put on the robes; we’re leaving.”
…………
Outside Stag Town, at the foothills.
The thin moonlight spilled down.
“…Hey, hey, do you guys hear that sound?”
A man named Mr. J rode on a beast’s back, leaning against a towering hill, moving slowly under the moonlight. Soon, he spotted the distant town, lit up like a sea of stars, perked up his ears and grinned: “Looks like they’re having a blast.”
“Yeah.”
“Seems like a lot of fun.”
Someone chimed in behind Mr. J, followed by a “heh heh heh!” of laughter.
“Did we arrive too early? If we go over now, we might ruin Miss Ailna’s excitement, huh?”
Mr. J said, still grinning. Even as he casually asked if it would interrupt the fun, his expression clearly showed he didn’t care much: “Should we wait a bit longer? I remember the lady mentioned for us to wait until the show ends before looking for her… Hey, do you guys want to sit down and eat something? I still have half a roasted fish left…”
“Didn’t we finish that fish ages ago? This morning.” Someone said.
Mr. J froze for a moment, then came to an epiphany: “…Right, I think I ate it.”
“Yep, gone.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do.” Mr. J shrugged, “How can we wait without any roasted fish?”
“Two of us here are already dead…”
“Tsk…”
“Not even a fish to eat, and you want us to wait? Wait for what, huh?”
Disconnected, slightly neurotic voices echoed through the empty valley. Soon, cloaked figures riding Horned Horses emerged from the shadows of the hills, racing towards the town.
