Chapter 58 – Accident (2)

The atmosphere of the nameless ember was unusual.

Even though they had welcomed their first day off in a long time after spending a work week without holidays to prepare for the snowstorm.

That was definitely due to the mutants.

In the tavern, ‘Night’s Haven,’ which had before long returned to its original state from being a mutant research center, conversations of anxious citizens continued.

“The leadership says it will be fine… but is this really okay? I heard that as many as six people died.”

“Don’t even mention it. Six people died, and the injured are said to be more than ten.”

“What? At that rate, it is a level where hunting should be banned. What are we supposed to do about the food supply in the future?”

“Can’t we just resolve that with the supplies sent by the Immortal Embers?”

“Tsk, man! Would hunting be the only thing affected? It means that all exchanges with other embers will be severed in the future.”

“…!”

The appearance of mutants and the resulting occurrence of multiple casualties in the hunting squad.

Like fog rising over a lake, there was doubt and anxiety blooming among the citizens.

Although there was an emergency statement release by the Magic Engineering Department and the leadership who immediately went into research to cope, that alone could not calm the citizens’ anxiety.

Therefore, the leadership opened the tavern starting from midday in order to prevent confusion from aggravating.

However, they were not doing business because food procurement had become uncertain due to the mutant incident.

They had merely prepared a place for conversation so that the citizens could share their anxiety and comfort one another.

However.

“Won’t we all die at this rate?”

“No way… that can’t be. Since Lord Demian and Lord Yan are also here.”

“It’s true they are great people, but they aren’t gods. It’s not like they can create food that doesn’t exist…!”

As one could see, it was not effective.

Even though Leader Yan Casselos and the entire leadership were situated in the tavern.

Above all, the reason the confusion was aggravated was also not solely due to the mutants.

“When on earth are the Wayne brothers coming?”

“I don’t know. I heard they would arrive today at the latest, though…”

“Exactly my point! The sun is about to set at this rate.”

The elite Wayne brothers, who were said to have abstained from eating and drinking since childhood to dedicate themselves to magic engineering for the sake of the ember.

The entire ember was waiting day and night for the return of those who were no different from the hope of the ember.

Yet, one day, two days, three days, four days… their return was being delayed.

According to the leadership’s announcement, unless there was some accident, they were those who should have returned at least a few days ago.

However, to put it differently, their failure to appear meant that some accident had indeed occurred.

“Surely they aren’t deliberately not coming because they failed the exam?”

In a moment of silence, someone raised a question.

However, there was no way the Wayne brothers, recognized by Demian Vale, would have failed the exam.

The people glared at the man who threw the question with one mind, but the man, as if asking what he said wrong, even kicked back his seat, stood up, and continued speaking.

“Why not? They could have failed the exam because it was too difficult, or because the format changed.”

“Hey, watch your mouth—”

“It’s not about watching my mouth; at this point, we have to keep the possibilities open! Whether the Wayne brothers, having failed the exam, are staying in the Immortal Embers because they are ashamed to return, or whether they became ghosts while crossing the boundless great snow. Who here knows!”

The man who pointed his finger and shouted looked around, but there were none who replied.

Of course, it was still difficult to imagine the Wayne brothers failing the exam, but even if they passed and came in an off-roader, whether they were raided by plunderers or killed by mutants.

Because just as he said, the boundless great snow was a place where one never knew what would happen.

Soon, the man who lowered his head spoke while his clenched hands trembled.

“I… I waited too. Working, eating, taking care of my child, going to sleep, and going out to work again, every second, every moment, I only waited for them to come! Why don’t you know that I am also a person living in this ember just like you…”

“…”

“If hope has disappeared, we have to make another hope. We have to go out and look. We cannot wait forever for a hope that doesn’t come.”

When the man’s appeal, which started with complaint and ended with a scream, was finished, a sticky silence flowed through the tavern.

Although they denied it in their hearts because letting go of hope was not easy, the scheduled arrival date had already passed by a long time.

At the moment when everyone fell into sorrow at the thought that they might now have to accept the death of the Wayne brothers.

Slam!

There was someone who appeared, throwing open the tavern door as if to break it.

Panting with disheveled hair, he was the hunter Rick.

“O-outside! Outside!”

From where on earth had he run, holding onto a pillar with both hands, he could not even speak properly as he caught his breath.

When Hunting Captain Archer Fordham, who happened to be present, pressed him, he only barely spat out the words ’12 o’clock’ and ‘above the ice wall.’

“Lord Yan, I will go verify and return!”

Taking out a telescope from his waist, Archer exited the tavern with a swift movement unlike his age and headed toward the northern ice wall.

“…!”

He discovered them.

The two dark figures stopped on top of the ice wall and the things standing around them.

Although they were not clearly visible due to the raging blizzard, those were definitely an off-roader and people.

‘I have to let them know. I have to let them know even a bit faster…!’

Patter, patter!

Convinced that they were people from the Immortal Embers, Archer ran at full speed toward the tavern.

Because, just like the words of the man who screamed, the citizens had waited endlessly for the news of the Wayne brothers’ return.

Slam!

He, who similarly threw open the tavern door with force,

“It’s an off-roader! The off-roader sent from the Immortal Embers has arrived!”

shouted as if to shake the world.

“A-an off-roader?! Does that mean the Wayne brothers have come!”

“Let’s go out, let’s go out quickly! The hope of the ember has returned!”

“The Wayne brothers have returned! The Wayne brothers who became magic engineers have returned!”

The people who had been sitting with gloomy expressions began to rush out of the tavern in a swarm, shouting cheers.

“Everyone, come outside! The Wayne brothers have returned!”

As the procession of hundreds marched through the streets and began to sing of the Wayne brothers’ return, those who had been resting at home began to join the ranks.

The news spread to the entire ember in an instant, to the extent that by the time they reached in front of the iron ladder of the northern ice wall, everyone in the ember was together.

“…”

However, everyone who had been noisily chatting until just now fell silent.

This was the case even though the mouths had multiplied several times.

“Is it really… really the Wayne brothers? They returned alive, right?”

There was no guarantee that the Wayne brothers were among those standing on that ice wall.

No, since the only reason an off-roader would come to their humble ember was that, the Wayne brothers would be among them as everyone wished, but…”

‘I cannot believe it until I see it with my own eyes!’

At this moment, the entire crowd standing in front of the ladder was thinking the same thing.

They did not know how disappointed they would be if they were soaked in vain expectations when they might have come to deliver sad news.

Instead, what consumed them was not endless expectation, but endless tension and suspicion.

“…”

Soon, in the suffocating tension, someone came down.

On the middle-aged man’s chest, the flame of the sacred fire symbolizing the Immortal Embers was embroidered in gold.

“Hello. I am Jenkins, the driver dispatched from the Immortal Embers.”

Along with his introduction, the remaining two who had the same embroidery came down afterward and lined up behind him, and a suspicious person who covered his face with a hood also went and stood behind them.

Although the reason for hiding the identity was unknown, there was no reason to suspect since no one among the people of the Immortal Embers thought he was strange.

“Welcome. I am…”

Just as Yan Casselos, who had composed himself late, tried to welcome them, one more person came down.

“Heave-ho.”

It was not the person they were expecting.

It was a boy they saw for the first time.

“As expected… did it turn out like that.”

Expectation cooled and despair only grew.

Because people kept coming down, yet the Wayne brothers whom they waited for so much were not in sight.

However, following the nameless boy, two people with familiar backs descending the iron ladder were seen.

“Thomas, Willus!”

Finally, it was them.

They, who would reignite the embers of hope, had finally returned home.

“Waaah!”

At the moment the Wayne brothers’ feet touched the ground of the ember and they turned toward them, a thunderous cheer erupted.

The Eternal Embers badge, which meant they had become magic engineers, was proudly pinned to the Wayne brothers’ chests!

However, as if this surprise was not the end, the Wayne brothers held their tongues.

Clatter, clatter!

As if explaining the reason, something connected to a chain pulley began to descend from above.

It was magic engineering equipment and gold coins, and the amount was massive, as it repeated going up and down several times.

Yan Casselos, who was dazed by it, asked with a lukewarm expression.

“What are all of those?”

“Are you the leader?”

“Yes, my introduction is late. I am Yan Casselos, the leader of the nameless ember.”

Jenkins, who shook hands with Yan Casselos, spoke with a good-natured smile.

“Congratulations. These are rewards bestowed by Lord Odin Arcadius and Lord Herman Melville to commend the ember that produced the top-scoring magic engineer. To have raised such talent even in a difficult environment. You must be proud as the leader.”

“…!”

Everyone gasped.

Odin, Herman Melville, top-scoring magic engineer… what on earth were all of these?

They had definitely said that the competition for the top scorer in this exam would explode.

Because talents gathered from all kinds of embers due to the development of the off-roader, and they said even Leona Melville, the granddaughter of Herman Melville, would participate in the exam.

Yet, the top scorer.

To think that the Wayne brothers, whom they had only hoped would become magic engineers and return safely, were the top scorers.

“Top scorer! The Wayne brothers took top honors!”

The top scorer; this brought a tremendous shock to the citizens, incomparable to simply becoming a magic engineer.

The top scorer, symbolizing the best rookie magic engineer of the year born once a year, possessed that much power.

Now, the crowd fell into a crucible of frenzy.

The Wayne brothers had just returned after achieving an unexpected great feat.

The gloomy atmosphere due to the mutants disappeared without a trace, and now their interest was solely on ‘so, which of the two is the top scorer?’

However, there were five people who could not rejoice.

Demian Vale, Renata Victoria, Jeremy Scott, Karen, and Daisy were those five, and they were all people who had been waiting for Aylen Vale.

They thought that if Aylen returned alive, he would come along with the Wayne brothers.

Since he had headed to the Immortal Embers to take the exam, they would have definitely met if he arrived safely.

However.

“Aylen, my son Aylen…”

“Aylen… did you really die?”

“I hope you went to a good place…”

His parents Demian and Rebecca, his friend Karen, and his former lover Daisy had guessed in the first place that he must have peacefully fallen asleep in the boundless great snow.

They had merely run out in a single breath just in case, but sure enough, he did not come.

With this, the death of Aylen Vale became a fact.

“Brother…”

The nine magic engineers standing behind Demian also kept their places in silent tribute.

Although they were ones who detested Aylen, at any rate, he was the son of the department head whom they faithfully believed and followed.

Even Caleb, who was responsible for the atmosphere of the Magic Engineering Department, could not easily open his mouth this time.

Just as the crowd fell into a crucible of enthusiasm, and the Magic Engineering Department and Aylen’s acquaintances were engulfed in endless despair while experiencing mixed emotions.

“…The delivery took quite long.”

Jeremy Scott, who was standing beside Demian with a distorted expression, suddenly smirked and muttered words of unknown meaning.

Clatter!

With those words, there was something descending on the pulley last.

“A-Aylen?”

Aylen Vale, holding a young girl in his arms with one hand and holding a bottle of whiskey in the other.

He, whom everyone thought was dead, was slowly revealing himself.

Once again, silence flowed.