Evacuation

Warning: Minor gore scenes. Readers discretion advised.

***

Gray ran toward the direction where the Legendary Lord disappeared into a black mist. There was no door at the end of the aisle. As soon as he crossed the square, Gray grabbed the wall in a hurry.

“Gasp!”

It was a cliff in front of the door. Gray grabbed the doorpost in a hurry and looked around.

There was a very steep and narrow road with no safety on the cliff, but it was not intended for passage. It seemed to be a road designed for the ‘fast handling’ of prisoners.

The Legendary Lord was standing in the middle of the road.

“Your Excellency!”

He was holding something in the storm without a single stumble.

It was a torn blue cape.

“Your Grace, it’s.....”

What that meant was very clear, so Gray pauses his breath.

However, the Legend grabbed the cape like a man holding a victory flag.

[It’s a decoy. It’s nearby.]

“Yes?”

The face of the Legendary Lord was not visible due to her hair fluttering like a black willow leaf. He raised his head.

[Your sister wants to play hide-and-seek with me.]

It was so strange and alien to say so. A face that was too colorful and grand for humans to understand made Gray gasp.

Nathaniel handed him the cape as if it was none of his business.

[Hold it so that it doesn’t get wet. Precious. I’m sure you know that cape is more precious than you.]

Gray took off his coat and wrapped the? cape in silence. Nathaniel disappeared in a blink of an eye. When Gray found him again, he was at the top of Clementz Castle. Gray’s jaw opened.

‘That’s.. is he standing on the flagpole?’

Standing on the flagpole, he watched everything with fierce eyes that seemed to be able to cut the ground.

Gray snapped nervously at his teeth. He didn’t know, but if this is bait, Kyrie will be hiding somewhere in the castle and looking for a chance to escape.

‘Then why doesn’t she run away while he is distracted?’

Gray frowned on the snow-poking rain.

‘If it hadn’t been for the cape.. did she hold and run?’

Gray, who thought about it for a while, clicked his tongue. That should be a possibility somewhere.

Neveah, who came behind his back, said,

“Young Master, don’t speak .”

“Really? Neve, hold this.....”

Gray paused as he tried to hand over the cape.

“....No. I have to listen.”

Neveah roughly grasped the situation just by looking at Gray’s expression.

“Where is the Legendary Lord?”

“Above. Can you get the carriage ready now? The atmosphere is bad. I have to get out.”

“The Viscount Clementz blocked the front gates. The banquet was also called off, and I don’t know why, but they are going to send soldiers to the village. It’s difficult to get out right now.”

Gray distorted his face. It seems that the Legendary Lord had ordered the viscount to find Kyrie.

“Looks like a crazy old man. The land is also low, so why did it have to be built on a cape.. Is there any other way out?”

“I don’t think so. The one that fell down.....”

“He said it would be bait.”

“Shall I ask Viscount Clementz for a castle map?”

“He won’t listen. That old man has a bit of ambition, so if he finds out that Kyrie disappeared from inside the castle, he will probably try to find her and score points.”

Neveah nodded slowly and extended her head and looked up at the top of Clementz Castle. Perhaps because of thunder, lightning, rain, wind, and clouds that block her vision, the black shadow of the legendary lord, which has no movement in between, was creepy in her eyes.

“What do you think he is gonna do?”

As soon as Neveah murmured, there was movement on Nathaniel’s side. Gray saw Nathaniel lift the white sword slowly. The next moment Gray cried out.

“Crazy son of a bitch!”

Bang!

The Legendary Lord cut the only way out of the castle with a sword. When the land and the cape collapsed, Clementz Castle quickly became isolated like an island. People who were preparing to leave the castle were seen hanging around in a hurry in front of the collapsed road.

Gray, with his cape, opened his mouth wide.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me the Legend was crazy?”

It was clear that something unimaginable would happen unless Kyrie Buchanan was dedicated to the crazy Legendary Lord. He was the last person to do that.

“What the hell is going on in the capital city? I still can’t reach you!”

“More than that, I think he’s going to cut off the retreat and search the castle.”

“That’s natural....!”

It was when Gray, who was running wild, couldn’t contain his anger and looked toward the sea.

His face went blank. And for the state of saying something, he didn’t say anything for quite a while with his mouth open.

“Master?”

Neveah felt curious and turned around. Soon after, she, too, was so surprised.

Neveah stuttered long afterwards.

“It’s a tsunami.”

She added briefly.

“....Very high.”

The sea was rising from a distance. Even at a glance, the waves were enormous. Not only Clementz’s Castle, but also the entire Clásico was at a height that would not be strange if it were submerged. Gray panicked a beat late.

“..Evacuation! Evacuation....!”

“The road has already been cut off.”

“Ahhhhhhh! Fuck! Fuccckkk!”

Neveah left the mad owner alone and looked toward Clásico. Now it turned out that people had already evacuated from the city under the castle.

“What shall we do?”

“Darn it, damn it, damn it! Aahhh Wait a minute! Wait and see..!”

“I think we are about to be swept away.”

“No, no, no! There’s got to be some way!”

“I think it’s going to be difficult.”

“Do you think the words ‘give up’ are in Buchanan’s dictionary?”

Neveah admired him for a moment, and decided to remain silent. In this situation, he was a nobleman trying to find a way out.

Gray hung around like this for as long as the situation allowed. Then, he raised his head.

“It’s impossible to run away now anyway! In that case..!”

Gray turned his head hard enough to make a sound, shouting loudly that it would not be strange if his throat bled.

“Your Graceeee!, it’s a tsunami! You have to avoid it!”

The Legendary Lord was watching everywhere without moving from the stand, but Gray was sure he heard his voice.

“Your Grace!”

There was still no response. Gray gnashed his teeth. The only thing that could solve this situation was the Legend, and he needed bait to seduce him. Before long, one name flashed out of consciousness.

“You may even sweep away Kyrie!”

The blue eyes reached him immediately. It was a long way off, but Gray could see it.

‘Success!’

Gray’s head started to spin. He needed something more to provoke him. So let’s say, let’s say–

“If Kyrie is in the castle, we’ll have to find her, but we don’t know what will happen if the castle is flooded!”

Gray cried desperately. Blue eyes blinked once, but there was no response.

“Even if she had gone to the city, she wouldn’t have run far enough!”

Now the tsunami was just around the corner. He turned his back, but he could tell by the shadow. Gray squeezed out his whole body and shouted.

“I-, I think I know where Kyrie is headed!”

At that moment Gray heard the gruesome sound of water coming like a ghost from behind. Gray screamed and closed his eyes tightly.

It feels like forever has passed. Gray curled up and trembled.

‘....A, am I dead? Am I dead? It’s not as painful as I thought....? Is this breathing? Or it’s already heaven.....’

“Young Master.”

“....?”

“You can open your eyes.”

“Uh....?”

Gray opened his eyes to Neveah’s voice.

The whole world was white. They were standing under the cliff where they were originally located. This was where the sea fell and the floor was visible. Gray, who slowly looked around as he took a turn in his seat, smiled in vainly.

“....The floor is ice.”

The floor, which was supposed to be filled with seawater, was clearly visible because of the transparent ice. There was silence everywhere. He couldn’t hear the sound of waves that would be heard in the seaside village, and the surrounding area was dazzling because of the sky and sunlight reflected in the ice.

Looking around, Gray found the Legendary Lord standing not far away.

He wasn’t holding a sword. With his spine straightened and his cane held, he was just standing in an eye-catching yet neat posture. Gray and Neveah walked slowly to him. Nathaniel, feeling the presence, turned his head at a slow pace and looked at Gray.

“....!”

Gray clenched his teeth when his eyes met.

There was no focus in his eyes that were like a clear pond. He could tell at once. The Legend was hungrier now than before.

[You must have met Kyrie.]

He whispered in a dreary voice that made his heart tremble for no reason.

Gray didn’t want to answer. But if he doesn’t answer, he’ll cut his throat.

“....Yes.”

[Why only you?]

“Yes?”

[Why can’t I meet her?]

“....Your Grace.”

[You must have seen her.]

“Your Grace...”

[Watching, touching, talking?]

Gray felt his eyes water for no reason. It was strange. There was a more direct smell of death from the Legendary Lord in front of him than from the previous natural disaster. There was no emotion in the eyes of the Legend, only the deep emptiness could be seen.

[I want more too..]

He stared at Gray like a man who wanted to dig deep into Gray’s innermost self and scratch him.

Then suddenly he said,

[Your eyes resemble Kyrie.]

The Legendary Lord slowly reached out his hand.

[Can you give me one?]

Because those words were too plain, Gray doubted his ears for a moment. However, the expression on the Legend’s face was still. Now the void reflected in his beautiful face had receded like an ebb, but Gray was able to pick up a few shards of madness rolling in its place.

Gray narrowed his eyebrows for a few seconds, panting, then clenched his fist.

“Take it..”

The Legendary Lord lowered his eyes. His beautiful eyes trembled like the blue sky.

[Okay. It would be difficult to do it yourself....]

Immediately after his murmur, Gray screamed.

“Kuek!”

His left eye seemed to burn. Gray caught his breath and crouched down on his body. Unfortunately, there was no blood. The place where it should have been opened was full of ice. Above Gray’s panting head, the Legendary Lord said kindly.

[Thank you for your generosity. I’ve frozen your nerves, so do show it to the doctor right away.]

“Kuek, huek, haaaa...”

Gray lifted up a face that was completely distorted.

The Legendary Lord was looking at the pale, round eyes that were in his hand. Purple eyes, the only part of Kyrie’s likeness, the Legendary Lord looking down at it, made a very sad face. It was a sadness that felt so pure and clear.

[Yours don’t look much alike to hers.]

He looked back slowly at Gray again. And he reached out his hand as if he were tired. Purple eyes rolled over it and headed for Gray

[Do you need it?]

Gray replied with red bloodshot eyes.

“....No.”

[Okay.]

Nathaniel popped Gray’s eyeballs, which he had just taken, and dropped them to the floor.

Gray stared with indescribable emotion at the sight of his eyes being dumped on the floor in less than ten seconds, with great determination. Gray was silent, and Nathaniel began to move slowly.

[Let’s go.]

The voice was sweet, and somehow tears came out.

Gray realized. He was not a cruel man simply ‘to be cruel’. He didn’t really want to scare his opponent, he didn’t want to show off his strength, he didn’t enjoy slaughter at all.

He’s just so different, so.... so strong. There’s nothing crazy to speak of.

“Yes.... I’m coming.”

Gray nodded his head. Neveah, who remained silent, stood behind Gray without saying a word.

Gray Buchanan glanced over his shoulder, following Nathaniel who walked ahead. A huge tidal wave, just before it hit the city, glistened dizzyingly beautifully as ice walls rose to the sky. Clementz, who was about to be hit by the tsunami, was also unharmed.

Gray slowly turned away in fear.

The Legendary Lord was absolutely insane.

But, so, who would dare to say something? That crazy guy only wants Kyrie Buchanan.