During these days, Lightning had the hardest task of all of them, she had to constantly fly patrol under the scorching sun high up in the sky. Especially for concealing her body, Lightning had to wear a special coat with “sky camouflage”, which tightly wrapped itself around her body, and even covered her head. This clothes with their strange name were apparently not designed as beautiful clothes by His Highness. Its surface was coated with a mixed pattern of gray and blue, allowing her to almost integrate with the background as she flew. As long as someone didn’t directly look at her, it would be hard to detect her.
After landing, the first thing the little girl did was to take off the coat, then grab a water pouch to quell her thirst. Nightingale discovered that her clothes were wet from the sweat inside and that her forehead and nose were also covered with sweat, while her windproof glasses had left marks on her white cheeks.
“It had been hard on you,” Nightingale said and crouched down in front of her, beginning to wipe the sweat away.
“Fortunately, these people aren’t endlessly rushing over from the east,” Lightning stick out her tongue, “Or else I would really have passed out from this sun.”
“Will you be able to go home tomorrow?” Lily went dispirited and downcast to Lightning’s side. “I haven’t taken a shower for several days; by now, I feel uncomfortable from head to foot.”
Nightingale could not help but laugh aloud. Obviously, during their time in the Witch Cooperation Association; there had been times where they hadn’t bathed for half a month, and no one had complained about it back then, but now they did it already after a little more than a week. She suddenly had the thought that the development of the bathroom and soap was in truth His Royal Highness “conspiracy,” and after they had all become attached to those strange and useful things of his, it had become difficult for the witches to make a firm resolution to ever leave Border Town.
However, the calm did not last until the end of the shipment project, after lunch, His Highness’ man who was responsible for gathering news in King’s City, Theo, brought back some bad news.
“You mean that… Dreamland is gathering their forces, with the intention of surrounding the pier?” Iron Axed asked with a frown.
“Yes, they ‘might be’ preparing to encircle the pier.” Theo correct him, “The first part was determined to be true, while the latter part instead seems a bit bizarre, so my informants are not sure about it. At present, all other black street organizations have already begun to act, they are preparing themselves in case Dreamland unexpectedly attacks them. However, compared to ‘encircling the pier’ this news can just be seen as deliberately sending out some smoke, I believe that this news was leaked by themselves midway, which could be seen as quite common thing for the rats to do. After all, most members of the black street organization are nothing more than bullies or dregs, making it fundamentally impossible for them to be a tightly-knit group. If my intelligence is correct, then Dreamland must be subjected to another force’s command, otherwise wanting to depart from their own territory would be a very challenging affair for them.”
“They are just a gang of scoundrels,” it seemed Iron Axe wasn’t the least concerned, “If these people scatter in all direction, will it affect your plan of selling the medicine?”
“It shouldn’t,” Theo said, “They are unable to get their hands on the patrol, so it is unlikely that they can hinder me from entering and leaving through the side door. As for after we entered the city, the skeleton fingers will provide a force to protect the transport of the medicine. The only thing I’m worried about is you, because tonight I will have to stay in the city and supervising the sale of the purified water, so I’m afraid that it is impossible for me to see you off tomorrow morning.”
“It won’t matter,” Iron Axe patted his arm reassuringly, “In the future, His Highness will come in person to King’s City, we will see you again then.”
Just like Nightingale had predicted at with the arrival of dusk, the last ship carrying refugees set sail into the direction of Silver City. And the rest of the more than 300 who weren’t willing to leave King’s City, were ordered to disperse by Iron Axe.
Then they all evacuated to the other side of the canal, waiting for the curtain of night to descend.
Before the sun had completely gone down, Faceless quietly swam through the canal, circling the mercenary camp and nearing it from behind.
Her real name was not really Faceless, but rather Aphra a name she liked very much, because it meant ‘dust’ and had been given to her in the New Holy City by Archbishop Heater. She loved this name, because dust was plain and not flowery. As long as it fell on the ground, one piece wasn’t distinguishable from another, just like she wasn’t generally.
