They reached the city of Ardenfall. Though it wasn't as large as the primary capital, it was evident that it stood out as one of the key cities of the kingdom.
"So, where is he? Should we split up and look around the main street? Maybe ask around? Luca inquired while glancing at the others.
"Did you even read the files?" The voice emerged from Kaia, as if she were caught in a moment of disbelief.
"Don't worry, I will go with Luca and explain everything. You go with Zara." Leon asserted, wrapping his arm around Lucas's shoulder and guiding him away before anyone else could react.
"Fine then," Kaia whispered to seemingly no one as she cast a sidelong glance at Zara.
She really didn't want to be alone with her, yet she figured it would be easier than having to clarify all the details of the file to an idiotic mental patient.
"Now, girl, explain the mission to me in simple terms." Zara had expressed this even after witnessing the earlier scene.
Kaia's shoulders drooped instantly.
Of course, they are all idiots
Eventually, she resolved to just accept it and began to explain the situation.
"""
As Leon led him along the street, he began to tell him the details of the mission.
"As you know, we are going after the sin of ignorance. In the past, he was an extremely overpowered being that could erase his presence even while standing right in front of you." His voice deepened as he spoke, taking on a more solemn tone.
"In his prime, he could even erase entire people from your memory, making it as if they had never existed. This made teaming up against him impossible. However, now that he is weakened, he no longer has this ability. That does not mean he is weak though, but right now he is the weakest of the fragments."
Then a slight smile appeared on his lips, slicing through the tension.
"And we will bring him down."
He then placed his hand on Lucas's shoulder again, saying,
"Just remember this, the one power he still has is that you can only remember him as you look at him. Therefore, do not look away, or you may forget that he is even there, the next thing you know, a knife is lodged in your throat." Leon grinned as he spoke.
That felt way too specific to only being a hypothetical, Luca thought as they kept walking.
Luca did not know where they were going, yet he found himself placing an unusual amount of trust in Leon, despite having only just met him.
He wondered if it stemmed from his echo, perhaps it could even influence him.
As he contemplated this, it felt as though they had reached their destination, as Leon made a complete stop and turned to confront an old rundown door.
They found themselves amidst a scene that resembled a slum. The ground was covered in dirt, and the people appeared on the brink of falling apart at any second.
It reminded Luca of the sights he had encountered upon his initial arrival in this realm.
Yet, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that it existed within one of the major cities of the kingdom.
"This is what a sin usually does." Leon explained, sensing Luca's unasked question.
"It runs people into darkness, and they themselves create slums." His voice bore a subtle trace of disgust, though he tried to mask it as he continued
"Well, they were corrupted, of course." He continued, "Anyways, it's our responsibility to put an end to that corruption, so let's go inside."
"""
Kaia just finished her briefing on the mission when they arrived at their destination.
They stood before a grand palace that appeared to be anticipating their arrival, adorned with banners proclaiming "welcome followers of light" in every direction.
"Isn't this a little excessive?" Kaia remarked
"Such a welcome is hardly surprising." Zera responded with a tone of confidence.
"This simply indicates that he has woven himself into the fabric of the administration of this small city." She explained as though it were nothing significant.
"Right, and that means that we will have to fight an entire government." Kaia replied, attempting to persuade her to understand.
"Governments are not difficult to fight; you simply lack abilities."
"Weren't you thrown out by the government, though?" Kaia inquired, prompting Zera to fix her with a piercing stare, yet before any further action could be taken, a knight from the kingdom approached to greet them.
"Welcome are you the followers of light that have come to kill our leader?" He exclaimed with a nearly enthusiastic smile.
What do we even answer to that?, Kaia pondered as her gaze fell upon the knight's sword resting at his side.
"Yes, we are. where can we find him?"
Zera inquired, making Kaia's eyes widen in disbelief.
"N-no, no, we are just here to meet him," Kaia said, attempting to ease the tension.
At those words, the knights' smiles dimmed a bit.
"Ah, you may not be the one he has been anticipating, then. I'm afraid I cannot grant you entry."
At his words, Kaia swiftly corrected her answer.
"No, actually, yes, we are here to kill him." At her words, the knight appeared to feel a surge of enthusiasm and exclaimed
"Wonderful! Then come with me. I'll take you to him."
He then started guiding them toward his leader.