“Are you sure they are willing to leave?”

“I need the power of that wizard.” I admitted. “The grand magus? He’d be instrumental. Plus, there should still be soldiers there as well. I can resurrect anyone they’ve lost in the last month, and overall it’d be a fresh beginning for all of them.”

“Yeah, but they’d be abandoning their home to Bandits.”

“So? It’d be logical that they join forces with us.” They’ve been surrounded by Bandits and cut off for ages. Deeksville, on the other hand, is backed by the forces at Chalm. If they even tried to get around, we could crush them.

“Even so… not everyone is willing to make logical choices.” Miki spoke uncertainly.

I wasn’t sure what she meant. This was life or death here. They had to be able to see that staying there was suicide. They were desperate weeks ago, and now the city was about to fall. Anyone who stayed would die.

“Weren’t the Bandits trying to get into the city to find something?” Celeste asked.

“We don’t know that for certain.” Terra shrugged. “They seemed to want to defeat the city, but it could be because it was the last stronghold of the west. Once it falls, then the Bandits have complete control.”

“It’s fine.” I shrugged. “If they are looking for something in Regency, then, we’ll just have to make sure they don’t get it.”

“We’re going to find it?” Miki asked.

“Meteor.”

“Oh…” She lowered her head, looking a bit regretful she asked.

Before I left, I would summon a Meteor down and wipe Regency off the map. That should do the job of destroying any artifact they’re trying to get.

Either way, we needed to return to Regency. It might even fall tonight, so there was no waiting. I lifted my arm and began to chant, opening a Portal. The girls went in ahead of me and I followed behind. As soon I stepped through, I began coughing. There was a thick scent of smoke in the air. Looking around at the situation now, my mouth fell open.

Half the city had already burned to the ground. There were still fires going in various parts, complete with people desperately trying to put them out. The walls were still up, but at least in one spot the wall had collapsed, and they had shoved seemingly anything they could find in order to create a barrier. The people that I could see were sitting on the ground, looking haggard and starved. Their eyes had deep black circles from many sleepless nights.

“I take back what I said.” Miki looked over at me with tear filled eyes. “You’re right, we need to get these people out of here.”

Miki was someone who had a strange relationship with death. Seeing these people who were so close to dying, it naturally hit her harder than everyone else. This was a place filled with despair. It was like a graveyard for a Spiritualist like her.

I gave her a nod, and then lifted my hand. “Alright! Everyone in Regency! Load up! We’re getting you all out of here!”