Inside the moving carriage—
Saito leaned comfortably against the seat while smiling slightly.
"…I can't wait to tell Takashi about this news."
Bomb looked toward him quietly.
"You really think negotiation solved everything?"
Saito nodded.
"At least nobody needed to fight."
Beside him, Kaito stretched slightly.
"…Well."
"I can't wait to drink Pyvi's wine again."
Takeru suddenly frowned while looking outside the window.
"…Hey."
His ears twitched slightly.
"This road…"
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
"…It's unusual."
Saito blinked.
"…Huh?"
Takeru narrowed his eyes toward the passing scenery.
"…We're getting farther from the village."
Kaito instantly straightened up.
"…What?"
Saito quickly leaned toward the front.
"Hey!"
"I think we're on the wrong road!"
The young driver stiffened.
"…W-What?"
"This is the right path…"
But his voice shook badly.
Kaito's eyes narrowed sharply.
He slowly looked around the inside of the carriage.
Then toward the floor.
Then toward the driver.
The young man's hands trembled violently on the reins.
"…I'm sorry…"
Saito frowned.
"…What's wrong?"
The driver wiped tears from his face desperately.
"…I'm sorry…"
"…For Ash Rat."
CLICK.
He pressed something hidden beneath the seat.
Bomb's eyes widened instantly.
"…CRAP—"
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted in the middle of nowhere.
The entire carriage exploded into flames and shattered wood.
Back at Lorum Village—
A large crowd had gathered in front of the mansion.
Villagers whispered nervously while guards stood alert around the area.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Fein crossed his arms impatiently.
"…What now?"
"That kid wants to give another speech or something?"
Rick laughed lightly beside him.
"…Since when does Saito even prepare speeches?"
Takashi however stayed silent.
His eyes remained fixed toward the mansion balcony.
Then—
A figure slowly stepped outside.
"…Citizens of Lorum."
The voice echoed across the village square.
Immediately—
Everyone looked upward.
Then froze.
It wasn't Saito.
A man wearing a dark hoodie calmly stood at the balcony railing.
"…I am Joshua."
"Leader of Ash Rat."
The entire crowd erupted into panic and shock.
"What?!"
"How did he get there?!"
"Where's sir Saito?!"
Feina instantly stepped forward protectively.
"All wolfbeasts!"
"Protect the civilians!"
Around the square, wolfbeasts immediately moved into formation around the villagers.
The five mayors quickly gathered together while guards drew their weapons.
Joshua simply watched calmly from above.
Then raised one hand slightly.
"…No."
"I'm not here to fight."
The crowd stayed tense anyway.
Joshua smiled faintly.
"…I'm only here…"
"…to deliver a message."
Feina said you will regret coming here...Saito will be back in a moment and Joshua said oh is he.....how idiot are you people and Takashi said what do you mean and Joshua throw a paper and Takashi grab it and frown and John said what's wrong Takashi and look at it and also frown said no way..and Joshua said yes it is true and Fein said what's going on here and Joshua explain your precious protector had just abandoned you and all people then said you lying, Sir Saito won't leave us and Joshua said oh yes he does...he already stole all your money and all people gasped saying it's impossible and Takashi said but...why...his hand trembling the paper show the transition of money from Lorum and other village and Rick said no no this is a fake one and Joshua said mayor of Lorum...you know this paper is real right
Takashi stay silent because at the top is Lorum and Blue Scarf symbol
Murmurs slowly spread across the crowd.
Then louder.
Then louder.
"…So he scammed us…?"
"Our protector…"
"No…"
Joshua watched the confusion calmly from above.
Then softly spoke again—
"…See?"
"Even now you're already doubting him."
He slowly turned away from the balcony.
"…Well."
"I'll leave you all to handle this matter yourselves."
Then paused slightly.
"…Or…"
"…perhaps you need my help getting rid of him."
Feina's eyes widened in anger.
"How dare you!"
"You're just spreading lies about him!"
Several villagers looked down uncertainly.
Others looked toward Takashi.
Toward the mayors.
Toward each other.
Fear slowly began replacing trust.
Then suddenly—
A wolfbeast guard rushed through the crowd.
"…I-It's true!"
"The money inside the storage is gone!"
The entire square exploded into panic.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Sir Saito stole it?!"
Feina immediately turned toward the wolfbeasts.
"…What's wrong with all of you?!"
"You're doubting sir Saito now?!"
"…Shame on all of you!"
But—
The wolfbeasts stayed silent.
Some lowered their heads.
Others hesitated.
Even they didn't know what to believe anymore.
Fein immediately stepped forward loudly.
"All of you calm down!"
"This is fake!"
"He's trying to frame Saito!"
"Our protector would never—"
But his words no longer carried certainty through the crowd.
The villagers looked shaken.
Confused.
Afraid.
Then one man slowly spoke from the back.
"…Maybe he's telling the truth…"
Everyone looked toward him.
The villager clenched his fists nervously.
"…Maybe Saito really did abandon us…"
Silence.
Then another voice joined.
"…The money really is gone…"
"And now sir Saito disappeared too…"
More villagers slowly began agreeing.
Fear spread faster than reason.
Feina looked around in disbelief as even loyal villagers started stepping backward uncertainly.
And above them—
Joshua quietly smiled from the balcony while Lorum Village slowly began tearing itself apart from doubt alone.
Takashi's voice cut through the panic in the square like a blade.
"…How dare you."
"You spread rumors about him…"
"He has protected us for years."
His hands trembled slightly, but his tone stayed firm.
"…Because of him, we are still alive today."
Above them, Joshua simply smiled.
Not reacting.
Not rushing.
Just watching.
Takashi clenched his fists tighter.
"…You will pay for this."
He stepped forward.
Immediately—
Several village guards moved in front of him.
"…Mayor… please stop."
Takashi's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…Out of my way."
One of the guards hesitated.
"…But sir… didn't you remember the deal with Blue Scarf?"
"The truce was broken…"
Takashi snapped back instantly.
"…And you believe him?"
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
"…We… we already have evidence…"
Feina turned toward them sharply.
"…So you're going to believe Sir Saito is untrustworthy just because of that?!"
A guard lowered his head.
"…We have to…"
The tension in the square tightened even further.
Takashi took another step forward.
"…Move."
His voice was colder now.
The guards still didn't move.
Behind them, villagers whispered nervously.
"…Maybe it's true…"
"…What if he really left us…"
Takashi's jaw tightened.
Then his gaze shifted upward.
Straight toward Joshua.
His eyes sharpened—full of anger, frustration, and disbelief.
"…You…"
Joshua met his stare calmly from the balcony, still wearing that faint, controlled smile.
Takashi clenched his fist so hard it trembled.
"…I'm going to make you regret standing here."
The chaos in Lorum Village didn't stay confined to the central square.
It spread.
Fast.
A group of guards rushed in through the outer gates, breathless and panicked.
"Sir!"
They stopped in front of the mayors.
"The villages… they've heard the news about Sir Saito!"
Takashi's expression tightened instantly.
"…What news?"
The guard swallowed hard.
"…Many of them are burning his flags."
"…They're calling it a rebellion."
The words landed like a stone.
Fein went completely silent.
John stepped back slightly.
"…No… no way…"
Rick's usual calm expression cracked for the first time.
"…This can't be happening…"
Another guard ran forward, this time toward Rick specifically.
"Sir Mayor!"
"Miss Fiona is trying to control the villagers, but—"
He hesitated.
"…They're not listening anymore."
Rick's eyes widened slightly.
"…Fiona…"
Outside, distant shouting echoed through the village.
Flags being torn down.
Wood burning.
People arguing in panic and anger.
The situation was no longer just confusion—
It had become division.
Takashi looked toward the square again, where Joshua still stood on the balcony.
Then slowly spoke, voice low.
"…This has spread to all Sir Saito's territory."
A pause.
"…And almost all of them believe it."
Silence followed.
For the first time, the idea of Lorum without Saito didn't feel impossible.
It felt real enough to fear