Windows shattered, furniture overturned, and both fighters stumbled as the floor buckled from under them. Noelle’s dagger slipped from his neck, and the Knight Captain did not let the opportunity go to waste.
He drove the back of his head into her mask, shattering part of her wolf’s snout and forcing her grip loose. Then, rather than continue fighting, he hurled himself out the nearest window.
Noelle recovered quickly and rushed after him, but by then, the man had already landed on the roof below. All she saw was a stain of blood, presumably where he landed, before the trail disappeared around a corner.
"Tch..."
She definitely was able to chase him, but with the Baron dead and the safe inside the burning study being the only evidence left...
Well, the answer was obvious.
RUMBLE—!
The mansion trembled again, but now that Noelle was leaning on the balcony railing, she could see what was happening clearly.
Rising from the Altaire river were some kind of constructs made entirely out of water. They were faceless, yet attacked mercilessly.
One emerged from inside the body of one of the crazed citizens Noct had told her about. The man’s skin suddenly dried up, like all the moisture had left, before he fell onto the floor, lifeless.
The creature simply continued, moving toward the other citizens like some kind of puppet that acted only on one command.
Suddenly, a streak of blue light passed above the mansion. Noelle raised her dagger, only for the light to circle around and fly directly toward her.
As it drew closer, she finally realized what it was.
’A broom?’
Lenia stood atop it with one hand gripping the handle, her dark-blue hair whipping violently behind her. Rather than sitting like Noelle expected a witch to, she balanced on the broom as though it were a sword under her feet.
"What are you standing around for?" Lenia shouted. "Get on!"
Noelle glanced back toward the burning study.
"The evidence."
"What?"
"There’s a safe inside."
Lenia followed her gaze. Flames had already spread across most of the ceiling, and another support beam collapsed into the room as they watched.
"You have thirty seconds!"
Though Noelle was already gone. She crossed the study and stopped at the metal safe. Its surface had become unbearably hot, but the locking mechanism remained intact.
There was no time to search the Baron’s body for a key, so Noelle reinforced her dagger with aura and jammed it straight into the gap.
KRRRKK—!
The lock gave way instantly, and Noelle grasped the door from its hinges and pulled it straight apart.
Inside were several letters, a ledger bound in black leather, and a collection of what looked like property deeds and tax documents with Baron Altaire’s crest. Normally, she would skim through them, but now was not the time.
Noelle shoved whatever she could fit into the bag under her dress before wrapping the ledger in what remained of her cloak. By the time she turned around, the fire had already swallowed the doorway.
She lowered herself and dashed forward.
CRASH—!
Noelle burst through the flames and leaped from the shattered window. Landing on the rear of the broom, both of them nearly slipped off as it dipped sharply from their combined weight.
"Warn me before doing that!" Lenia shouted.
"I apologize. I’ve never ridden a broom before, Lady Lenia."
"That much is obvious!"
The witch pulled the handle upward, and the broom shot above the mansion just as its burning roof collapsed. Noelle crouched low and grabbed the wooden shaft with one hand while holding the bundle of documents against her chest with the other.
But now that they were high above the city...the scale of disaster had become clear.
Water had somehow spilled from the river and flooded the lowest streets of Altaire, creating a path for the dozens of faceless creatures. They wandered between buildings, dragging citizens from their homes and sucked the water out of their bodies.
The garrison that had attacked Baron Altaire’s estate was now scattered throughout the city. Some attempted to fight the creatures while others abandoned their weapons and fled.
When the city really needed them the most, their true colors were shown as nothing more than just third-rate gate guards who only wanted to save their own skin.
"Are those the spirits you and Young Master Noct were talking about?"
"No..."
Lenia’s usual laziness had disappeared completely. Instead, she bore a serious expression as they hovered above the scene.
"Spirits possess will. Those things are little more than masses of mana following someone else’s intent."
"Do you know whose they belong to?"
"That’s what I would like to know."
Another water construct appeared in the street ahead of them. Seeing the coming broom, it extended both arms and sent a stream of pressurized water towards them.
Yet with a single gesture, Lenia froze the attack midair. And with another flick, the stream froze. Ice raced backwards along the attack and reached the construct below, freezing its entire body solid.
Then, with the last gesture, Lenia simply gripped her fingers together, causing the resulting statue to shatter into a million pieces.
’Thank god the Young Master didn’t make her angry...’
The broom descended toward Altaire’s central square. Unlike the streets surrounding the riverbanks, the plaza had not yet been completely overrun.
Merchant wagons had been turned to form barricades, creating a temporary refuge for hundreds of civilians. Amelia stood atop one of the wagons.
"Children and injured people inside the city hall, now!" she shouted. "Anyone capable of carrying supplies, move food and blankets away from the lower streets! Stop standing there and help someone!"
Her employees rushed throughout the square, guiding frightened citizens behind the barricades. Several merchants had even used their wagons to transport those unable to walk.
Another group of water constructs advanced from the eastern street, and a line of Rosenthal Crusaders met them at the barricade.
And at the center, stood Aurora de Rosenthal.
But instead of the dress Noelle remembered her wearing, she was now dressed in radiant silver armor with gold engravings, holding an arming sword in one hand and holy golden power in the other
"Hold the line! They can’t be allowed to enter!"