Weston (03)

So the curse of the flowers in that city was real. 

"After experiencing all that, are you sure you want to go back there?" 

Weston looked at us with a determined expression, not a hint of hesitation in his eyes. 

"Yes." 

Arion let out a quiet sigh before nodding. "Very well. Prepare yourself. I'll be waiting for you outside." 

Without waiting for a response, Arion stood up and walked out. Joshua and I exchanged glances before following behind him. 

As soon as we stepped outside the room, Joshua glanced at me, his tone more serious than usual. 

"Do you think he's doing this to avenge his comrades?" 

I thought for a moment before answering. "I don't think that's the reason." 

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Then why?" 

I looked ahead, watching Arion's back as he walked in front of us. 

"A man driven by revenge wouldn't be that calm when speaking. Weston was afraid, but he's not someone acting out of vengeance." 

I paused, choosing my words carefully. "I think he's trying to prove something." 

Joshua fell silent, digesting my words. "Prove something?" 

"I believe it has something to do with the city of Clementia before the mining fire incident." 

"I was thinking the same thing," Dante voiced his opinion. 

"And why is that?" 

"He mentioned that he knows what happened in that city both before and after the fire. That can only mean one thing—he used to live there." 

"But he could just be an outsider who heard a lot of rumors about the city, right?" Joshua asked again. 

"No. If he were just an outsider who only knew rumors about what happened there, he wouldn't have spoken with such confidence. His words implied that he knew or had seen it firsthand." 

"I see…" 

We continued walking toward the vehicle. Arion opened the door and got in first, followed by Joshua, who took the back seat. I followed and sat beside him, while Dante took the driver's seat. 

We waited in silence, the only sound being the faint rustling of the wind around us. 

"How much longer is he going to take?" Joshua finally spoke, glancing out the window with a bored expression. 

"He shouldn't take long," Arion replied, his gaze still fixed on the road ahead. 

Sure enough, moments later, Weston emerged from the shadows of the buildings, walking toward us at a steady pace. He had changed into a long coat, revealing a tactical vest underneath, along with sturdy leather boots. 

As he reached the car, he knocked on the window and peeked inside with his usual smirk. "You guys didn't leave me behind, did you?" 

Joshua scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself." 

Weston let out a small chuckle, then opened the door and took a seat in the back beside Joshua. 

Without further words, the car started moving, leaving the city of Cairnfall behind as we headed toward Clementia.

****

As we traveled, we passed by several abandoned villages. 

They seemed to have been affected by the flower curse. 

I had seen many villages like this in the northern lands. Unlike cities, which had their own security forces, villages could only rely on themselves. 

Of course, there were patrol units responsible for clearing and inspecting each village, but that only happened twice a month. If a Blightwalker appeared in between those times, it was almost certain that many lives would be lost.

I looked up at the sky, which was growing darker. The warm orange hues of the sunset slowly faded beyond the horizon. I pulled out my pocket watch and saw the hands pointing to five o'clock.

We had been traveling for three hours. If my calculations were correct, we would arrive in the city of Clementia around seven or eight in the evening.

"What time is it, Eira-chan?" Joshua asked casually, breaking the silence inside the vehicle.

"Five o'clock," I answered briefly.

Joshua sighed and glanced at Arion, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. "Arion, how much longer?"

"A little more. Be patient," Arion replied without taking his eyes off the road.

Weston, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "How about we stay outside the city for the night and enter Clementia in the morning?"

Arion didn't answer right away. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his usual cold expression unchanged. Then, after a brief pause, he finally said, "I understand your concern, but that won't be necessary. Besides, there's something I want to try."

Weston fell silent, seemingly unsatisfied with that response, but he didn't argue further.

We kept driving as the darkness thickened around us. The car's headlights became the only source of light illuminating the empty road. Weston shifted uneasily in his seat, occasionally glancing out the window, but nothing could change our course now.

As the car finally entered the city, the atmosphere felt different. The air was heavier, and the streets were eerily quiet. There were only a few streetlights, their dim glow barely illuminating the surroundings.

"Eight o'clock sharp," Arion said as he checked his pocket watch. "We've arrived."

We stepped out of the vehicle and took a look around.

The smoke from the mine fire continued to rise, reducing visibility. Even so, amid the thick scent of smoke, I caught a faint, sweet fragrance drifting from the direction of the city center.

"Oh? It looks like we have visitors."

An elderly man and a middle-aged woman were approaching us.

Weston stepped closer to Arion and whispered,

"They must be the residents Iros mentioned. Be careful. I was here for three days, yet I never saw them even once."

Arion gave a small nod before stepping forward to greet them.

Dante and Joshua subtly shifted their positions, readying themselves in case something happened.

I didn't sense any hostility from the two villagers.

However…

I couldn't feel any sign of life from them either.

Realizing that this wasn't the right time to bring it up, I chose to remain silent and keep the information to myself for now.

"Good evening, we are from the Eden Organization."

Arion stepped forward, displaying his emblem with a calm yet authoritative stance.

"Eden Organization? Ah, I see. Is there anything we can help you with?"

"There's no need to trouble yourselves," Arion replied smoothly. "We're simply here to inspect the state of the city."

"Very well. If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to let us know," the old man said.

"Oh, by the way, have you decided where you'll be staying? If not, you're welcome to use the empty house at the end of the street. Its owner just left the city recently."

He raised his hand, pointing toward a two-story house at the corner of the road. The building looked old, its windows partially covered by worn-out curtains.

We thanked them for their help and carried our belongings toward the abandoned house.