Chapter 3120 — Chapter 3120 Desolate Streets

On the other side of the drawbridge, a crowd of people — the last of the citizens to be led into the inner keep — were waiting for their turn to cross. The elderly were holding the smallest of children, while those who were old enough to stand on their own were hugging their legs, looking around with curious eyes.

These kids had grown up while looking at the distant, magnificent palace of the Mason King, but few had ever been inside. The adults were broken by the horrors of war, but children were far more resilient — since they barely remembered anything else, this was simply how the world was for them.

So, the light in their eyes had not been extinguished yet, and they were excited to see the castle up close.

To the side of the bridge, a crowd of children surrounded an unlikely babysitter, clamoring for his attention.

“Uncle, uncle! Tell us about the living ship!"

“Is it true that you fought a god once?"

“Uncle... what does stardust taste like? Is it sweet?"

Nightwalker chuckled, looking around with a helpless expression.

“Why are you guys pestering me? I am supposed to keep watch! Go, shoo. Find your grandmas... and for the record, I can never fight a god. After all, Storm God is my grandma. How can I disrespect my elders?"

Effie shook her head.

Nightwalker had been in charge of an important task before — he had been the only one who could bypass the blockade, so he often sailed away and returned with supplies to feed the people of the besieged city.

Even with how the harbor was now, littered with shipwrecks and utterly impossible to navigate, he could still do it. The problem was that all the ships of his fleet had sunk, so there was nothing for him to sail on. Now that Nightwalker was grounded, all he could do was join the defenders of the city on the wall.

His strength was greatly appreciated there, but without his perilous voyages, the city had no food source anymore. So, people had been slowly starving for a long while.

Effie knew a thing or two about starvation, so she felt their pain.

Noticing her, Nightwalker shooed the giggling children away and rose to greet her.

"It's a nice morning, isn't it?"

Effie looked up.

The sky was still dark, barely painted pale lilac in the east.

"I'd say it's still the middle of the night."

She spared him a look.

"Are you ready?"

Nightwalker chuckled.

"Me? I should be asking you instead."

He fell silent, mirth draining from his face. A few moments later, he said quietly:

“You can still change your mind, you know. You don't have to do it yourself."

Effie smiled.

"It's a little bit too late for that, I think."

There was already no way back. There had not been for some time.

She chuckled.

"Ah, but don't get me wrong. I'd gladly trade places with you. Sadly, you're not the one Azarax has developed an unhealthy fixation on."

She paused for a moment.

“What can I say? I guess you are not charming enough."

Nightwalker stared at her, aghast.

"What are you talking about? My charm has never failed me. That bastard just didn't have the chance to get to know me, since I was busy hunting for supplies most of the time. Otherwise, he wouldn't even look your way."

Effie grinned.

“Whatever you say, grandpa.”

Nightwalker's expression was quite amusing.

She looked back to the bridge, then asked:

“Everything has been prepared?"

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“The castle is secured. Kai and Morgan finished the preparations in the city, as well. Seishan... well, you'd know best. As for Soul Reaper, we won't know until it's done."

Effie sighed.

"I'll leave the civilians to you, then. Once the bridge rises... make sure that the keep stays safe."

Nightwalker remained silent for a short while.

Eventually, he nodded.

“The castle won't fall. I guarantee it.”

Effie left him behind, as well.

She passed through the crowd of civilians and reached the empty, desolate streets of the city. Since most of its inhabitants had been taken away to the stronghold, there were only soldiers left here, rushing as they made the last preparations before retreating into the keep, as well.

They stopped and bowed deeply when they saw Effie, an indescribable emotion hidden in the depths of their sunken, haunted eyes. Their expressions were solemn, and only grew more so when she greeted them with an easy smile.

At some point, however, her smile faltered.

‘What is that I'm seeing?’

Out there in front of her... were Morgan and Seishan.

The Princess of Valor and the Princess of Song were sitting on the ground among the rubble, having completely forgotten their sense of decorum.

They were... playing cards.

Effie blinked and rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was imagining things. But no, her eyes weren't lying to her. Morgan and Seishan were indeed sitting on the dusty cobblestones and playing cards, discussing something quietly amongst each other.

She could hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

“Another ace? How can this be?"

"That is called skill, Your Highness."

“Don't your highess me, wench. You're cheating!"

“How would I cheat? That doesn't even make sense."

“Five aces in a deck of cards is what doesn't make sense."

"Oh, so you have a pair of aces? Hmm... unfortunate."

“Of course I do. Or do I only want you to believe that I do?"

“I will believe anything you say, Your Highness. I wouldn't dare doubt your honesty."

"How are you so good at being infuriating?"

“It comes with practice."

“Stop practicing on me, then!"

Effie stared at them, dumbfounded.

“What are you doing, fools?"

Morgan and Seishan looked at her. Morgan shrugged.

“Waiting for you, obviously."

Seishan nodded.

“What, did you expect that we'll leave you all alone on this fine morning?"

Morgan threw one last glance at her cards, then grimaced and stood up.

"Let's go. We'll see you off to the gate."

Effie gave her a long look, then smiled.

“It's an honor... Your Highness."

Morgan's eye twitched, and she forced out a smile.

"Why, of course. Anything for our esteemed Steward of the East."

Seishan rose, then stretched and spoke in her husky, tantalizing voice.

“By the way, I always wanted to ask... in your case, wouldn't it be the Stewardess of the East? That would make more sense."

Effie could only stare at her blankly.

"Did the plague rot your brain?"

Seishan shrugged.

"Someone would have to split my skull open to find out."

Hearing that, Morgan livened up.

“If you want to, that can be arranged. I'll volunteer."

Ignoring them, Effie walked past.

“Fine, let's go. I appreciate it. Goodness gracious, it's still dark outside! A fine young lady like me shouldn't be walking the streets alone in the dark... who knows what terrible things might happen!"

To whoever was foolish enough to bother her, that was.

The three of them made their way to the city gate, sharing a lighthearted conversation. The mood was carefree and laidback, as if they were not passing through burned ruins and stepping over the blackened bones, circling around rotting corpses from time to time.

It was so carefree, in fact, that for a short while, Effie was distracted from the truth. From the fact that today, her life could very well come to an end.