Chapter 743: Chaos

“Oh God… Dear God…”

Philip, Terence, Edith, Jane, Albert.

Amid the group of five, someone muttered weakly, calling for a god.

It was a reaction to the horrific scene before them, but in truth, it didn’t matter who said it.

Because anyone would have called for a god under circumstances like these.

The scene before them was just that overwhelming.

How could one describe it?

Yes, kindling.

The capital city of the United Kingdom was now like kindling, the flames just beginning to spread.

It wasn’t something minor—far from it.

Though Randa is the first city that comes to mind when thinking of the United Kingdom, many people overlook the fact that its capital is also a world-class city.

Yet this grand city was burning like logs in a fire.

The gravity of this moment would surely go down in history.

But the reason they were calling for God wasn’t simply because of the fire.

They had witnessed a scene of madness born from the flames, causing them to reach out for divinity.

“There’s an orphan here! He tried to start a fire!!”

“Catch him!!”

“Waaaaahhhh…!!”

A man holding a torch shouted as he pointed at a poorly clothed boy in an alley, followed by a crowd of people who swarmed around the child like a herd.

Their eyes shimmered with wrath, madness, and perverse glee, wielding crude tools that could only be called weapons.

Terrified, the child collapsed right where he stood.

But the crowd did not even allow him that.

“Get him up right now! We need to find out who told him to start the fire! Was it really the prince?! Did he set the fires for some demonic ritual?!”

Following the voice’s command, two burly men grabbed the boy by the arms, lifting him like a limp log.

The boy stammered in tears, denying the claims.

“N-no… I didn’t… I didn’t start it…”

“Liar! There’s your unlit torch! It’s still warm! Proof you just put it out!”

“No… Please, believe me. It’s dark… it was too dark, so I only used the torch…”

“Then why did you put it out?! Were you trying to hide?! If you were innocent, you wouldn’t need to hide!! Everyone, he’s basically confessed to his crime!!”

“That’s right! That’s right!”

At this leap in logic, the crowd roared in agreement, and those holding the boy dragged him somewhere.

Most likely, they were taking him to the courthouse.

Where they would execute the orphans and prostitutes who were suspected of starting the fire.

Albert and his group had seen that execution site on their way here, along with the horrors taking place there.

“Urgh…!”

Remembering the sight, Albert gagged. The captured child also flailed about desperately in a bid to escape.

“Heeek! Heeek!”

But it didn’t end well for the boy.

Thud!

As the boy struggled violently, someone casually swung a club, striking him in the temple and knocking him unconscious.

His head snapped to one side, and his body went limp. Seeing this, Albert couldn’t hold it in any longer and vomited on the spot.

“Blerrrgh!”

With that, the group had to stop for a moment. They couldn’t very well walk with someone who was violently sick.

When they stopped, some citizens turned to look at them. Some, in particular, stared closely at the vomiting Albert.

As if to check if he was another orphan.

“There’s another orphan over there! Get him!”

Coincidentally, someone shouted that they had spotted another orphan, and the people who had been watching Albert turned away and ran toward the shout.

“It was a stroke of luck that we changed your clothes,” said Philip with a sigh of relief.

The reason the mob had taken no particular notice of them was due to their ordinary, unremarkable attire.

Had they been wearing rags like orphans or suspiciously fine clothing, they would certainly have attracted attention and become targets.

Of course, with Philip and Terence here, they could likely handle dozens of rioters without issue. But considering that their current goal was to escape, avoiding conflict was the best option.

“Did you plan all of this?”

Philip asked Edith, who replied as if it were obvious.

“Being prepared is key. But still, this place really is a madhouse… no, it’s like a living hell.”

As they paused, Edith surveyed the capital streets and made a cold assessment.

Philip and Terence nodded. Despite this being their home, they couldn’t disagree.

What was happening in the capital was indeed horrific.

Even for seasoned soldiers like Philip and Terence, who had seen the horrors of war.

The fire tearing through the city was spreading, devouring everything in its path, but instead of trying to extinguish it, the people were more focused on hunting down orphans.

Some were even rallying others to attack the royal palace, and from beyond the buildings, the sounds of screams and gunfire rang out, evidence that clashes had already begun.

This was indiscriminate carnage. In some ways, it was even worse than a battlefield, more hellish than war itself.

“C-can’t we help?”

Looking pale and sickly from having vomited not only food but even stomach acid, Albert asked.

Though he hadn’t finished his sentence, it wasn’t hard to guess what he wanted.

There was little doubt that he was asking them to rescue the orphan.

After all, Albert had just seen for himself what happened to children taken into those courts.

And of course, everyone in his group had seen it too. They also knew how Albert had reacted to what took place in the court.

He had been thoroughly shaken. The prince who had thought he understood the world had been completely blindsided by the unfiltered truth.

However, Philip firmly refused the prince’s request.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but our priority right now is getting you out of here.”

It was a cold but necessary decision.

Just as Philip said, their top objective was evacuating Prince Albert, and for that, escaping took precedence over rescue.

If they did something unexpected like attempting a rescue, it would only derail their primary mission.

“Besides, even if we did help, we could only save a handful at most. You leaving the capital and foiling the ritual would save far more lives than trying to rescue a few.”

Albert nodded weakly at Philip’s irrefutable logic.

Part of him knew that escape was the right choice.

Perhaps, in truth, his earlier plea had only been to soothe the guilt gnawing at his conscience.

Because fleeing while others suffered was unbearably shameful and painful.

“Everyone, listen up! I’ve got a new announcement!!”

Just as Albert finished vomiting and prepared to move again, a man’s voice, piercing through the air against the backdrop of flames, rang out.

The immense flames cast large shadows over the man’s figure, making him appear strangely imposing.

He held a radio high above his head, resembling a prophet with a stone tablet.

“Listen to this! It’s important!!”

By the time he announced this, the rioters, clutching weapons, had already turned their attention toward the words coming from the radio.

Naturally, Albert and his companions, too, listened to what the radio broadcast.

But what they heard was far from pleasant.

[Citizens, we have new information. Prince Albert, younger brother of King Edward X, has fled the palace. Find him! To stop the royal family’s vile schemes, we must capture him. We can’t stop them head-on while the Royal Army guards the palace, so we need Prince Albert. Find him, and stop the royal family’s evil plans!!]

The radio, responsible for turning the city into a living hell, now spread news of Albert’s escape, urging the citizens to capture him, stating that only by doing so could they stop the royal family’s sinister plots.

For a moment, the streets, overflowing with people, fell silent. It was almost as though everyone was looking at Albert.

***

Thankfully, it was just a feeling.

The pause after the radio broadcast made it seem like everyone was staring at Albert, but it had merely been a trick of the mind.

Which was only natural.

Under the blackened sky, with the city illuminated only by the spreading fires, it would have been nearly impossible to spot Albert among the crowd.

It was just their own paranoid nerves making them think they had been exposed.

“Still, the fact that we’re feeling that way is a problem.”

Edith spoke first as they slipped into a hidden alleyway.

“If we think everyone’s hunting us, we’ll be more on edge and end up standing out even more.”

Her theory, while not exactly scientific, was born from personal experience.

If someone has something to hide, they inevitably get caught.

What Edith said made sense, even if it seemed like nonsense. Philip and Terence agreed; her words echoed their own thoughts.

It was like a jinx. Like how traffic always slows during important moments or how crucial information always seems to leak.

Moreover, there was another issue.

“Now the rioters will hunt down any and all children in the city.”

Jane brought up a new concern.

Until now, the reason they hadn’t been attacked was that Albert didn’t look like one of the orphans.

Their unhinged focus had been solely on the orphans.

But now, their target had expanded to include Prince Albert, which meant their simple disguises no longer guaranteed safety.

As Jane suggested, these mobs would likely start checking the faces of all young boys around Albert’s age.

So, while exposure wasn’t guaranteed, the chances of being discovered had skyrocketed.

“Could this have been the plan from the start?”

Terence muttered.

He suspected that they had turned the city into a living hell just because they couldn’t catch Prince Albert. However, he soon shook his head, rejecting the thought.

Burning down an entire city to catch one person was madness. The cost far outweighed the benefit.

No matter how vital it was to catch a fleeing prince, it was difficult to justify exposing their own disgrace to the world. Unless there was some hidden ulterior motive.

But Terence and the rest pushed those doubts aside and focused on the immediate challenge: figuring out a new way to safely escape the city.

“If anyone has any bright ideas, now’s the time to share. It’s too dangerous to stay here.”

Edith urged them for suggestions, sensing that time was running out.

Staying hidden in this empty alley, where the crazed crowds had just passed, was an unwise decision.

Though those hunting orphans had already swept through the area, there was no telling when more might show up. They had to act before then.

“By car… that’s not an option.”

Philip was the first to suggest something but quickly dismissed it himself.

The streets were clogged with fallen buildings and masses of people, making vehicular movement impossible.

Even Philip’s sturdy vehicle, which was practically a tank, was useless. To make matters worse, driving any car at this point would only raise suspicion.

“At this rate, it won’t be possible to escape the capital on our own. We need reinforcements. People who can protect the prince.”

After some thought, Terence gave his opinion.

It wasn’t a bad idea, but the problem lay in how to summon them.

Then, as if remembering something, Philip spoke.

“Are you talking about the Holy Knights?”

“Yes.”

Terence nodded.

By some stroke of luck or divine fate, the nearest branch of the United Kingdom’s Holy Knights Order was nearby.

And naturally, being the capital’s branch, it was quite large.

Though the number fluctuated from year to year, there were about 300 knights, and if you included all the attendants, it made a small regiment.

“With that many, it should be easy to hide the prince’s identity. And if worse comes to worst, they’ll be able to force our way out.”

“Do you think they’ll help?”

Edith’s comment cut through the hopeful atmosphere like a cold wind.

It wasn’t meant to be antagonistic, just a reasonable doubt.

The Holy Knights had once wielded divine power with church-sanctioned authority, but in a matter of days, their fall had been rapid and undeniable.

Stripped of their main weapon, Holy Power, the Holy Knights, along with the Parer Church, had once maintained stability across the world. Now, their very existence was on the line.

“Even so, their numbers remain.”

“But what good is manpower without the will to fight? They’ve lost their divine powers and are now little more than empty suits of armor. Do you really think they’ll stick their necks out for Prince Albert? I wouldn’t bet on it.”

“They will help.”

For the first time, Prince Albert spoke up after quietly listening to the conversation.

Faced with Albert’s serious tone, Edith didn’t mock him but instead asked why.

The prince’s answer caught them off guard.

“…She’ll probably be there. The Child of Angels.”

“Templar Joanna?”

Philip called her by her true name, the one she used before becoming known as the Child of Angels. He had briefly met her in the New Continent.

“I’m not certain, but there’s a chance that she’s there at the knights’ branch. If she is, she’ll help us.”

Albert thought back to his previous conversations with Joanna.

She had warned him about Crown Prince Edward’s suspicious actions, risking her own safety to inform him of the impending danger.

If she was now at the headquarters of the United Kingdom’s Holy Knights, the odds of receiving aid were significantly higher.

“Well, that changes things. If the Child of Angels is willing to help, the other knights will support us too. After all, if they don’t, it would mean admitting they really are nothing but empty armor.”

Edith, who a moment ago had been the most skeptical, was now the quickest to agree.

“So, now the only problem left is how we safely get the prince there.”

“It’s a short distance, so maybe we can just go.”

“If we have no other option, then yes. But it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.”

“This may sound strange, but how about this?”

Jane brought over a half-burnt tarp she found lying in a corner of the alley and made a suggestion.

Philip immediately understood.

“You’re saying we cover the prince in that and carry him like luggage?”

“Exactly. It’s a bit unorthodox, but I think it’s safer.”

Nobody could find fault with Jane’s idea.

Though they would be sacrificing one of their strongest members, concealing the prince this way seemed much better than exposing him as they moved.

The only concern was—

“—I’m fine with it, Sir Philip.”

Before anyone could ask, Albert had already voiced his consent.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. In fact, I’m sorry to trouble you with this. But I’ll be alright.”

Upon hearing the prince’s approval, Philip bowed his head in gratitude, then wasted no time. He gently wrapped Albert in the half-burnt tarp, disguising him as a simple luggage roll.

Luckily, at just over thirteen years old, the prince’s slight body posed no burden for Philip, a man standing over two meters tall and built like a mountain.

With everything ready, the group resumed their escape.

“Terence, take the lead. Miss Jane, stay by my side. Edith, watch our rear.”

“Hmm… alright.”

“Is something wrong?”

“There’s something bothering me, but now’s not the time to talk about it.”

Philip peered at Terence, puzzled by his cryptic comment but decided to let it go. The immediate priority was evacuating the prince.

With the fire lighting their path through the darkness, Albert’s group pressed on, making their way toward the Holy Knights’ branch.

“We’re almost there.”

Leading the way, Terence whispered softly.

True to his word, all they needed to do was pass through this alley, and the knights’ headquarters would be in sight. It was almost over.

“Eh…?”

But as they exited the alley, instead of joy at having reached their destination, confusion filled Terence’s voice.

And understandably so. Instead of the Holy Knights’ branch, they found themselves in an unfamiliar part of the city.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Where are we…?”

“Something’s wrong… what is this?!”

Beyond the sound of flames devouring the city, distant voices echoed sporadically.

Coincidentally, the confused voices matched exactly what Terence’s group felt.

What is going on?

Where are we?

Something feels off…

Philip tightened his grip around the prince as he asked.

“Did we take a wrong turn?”

“N-no… this is… this is the right way.”

Despite finding themselves in the wrong place, Terence insisted they hadn’t made a mistake.

And he was right. Edith, who normally had little patience for nonsense, didn’t call him out on it, proving it to be true.

Yet here they were, in an unfamiliar area with no sign of the knights’ branch.

Despite going the correct route, they ended up somewhere completely different. There was only one logical explanation for this.

“Philip, remember when I said something was bothering me earlier?”

“Yes… I remember.”

“Do you have the time?”

“It’s 3:00 PM.”

Philip checked his watch before answering.

With a grim chuckle, Edith looked up toward the sky.

The sky, so dark, it seemed more like night than day.

“Well, I can’t see the sun at all. It’s more like nightfall, isn’t it?”

“What’s your point?”

“The ritual may have already started. That would explain how space is distorting. It sounds crazy, I know, but that’s the only way to make sense of all this madness.”

Edith claimed that they had entered the worst-case scenario, the very thing they had been trying to avoid.

Just as Philip was about to say something in response, his attention was drawn toward a nearby burning building.

Terence seemed to notice it too. He quickly deployed a magical barrier, shielding them with his body.

Boom━━━!!

The roar of an explosion tore through the air as the flames spiraled upward, smothering everything in their path.

This was no ordinary blast.

Had it been a mere fire, Terence’s barrier would have held.

But this was an attack, disguised as a fire—a carefully constructed explosion made to kill.

“Pinkman…!”

Philip called out the name of the one responsible for the explosion, drawing a compact longsword from his coat. From the other side of the flaming wall, a man shouted.

Though he was dressed like one of the rioters, he was unmistakably a skilled magic user. Pointing toward Philip, he shouted for all to hear.

“There he is! Prince Albert! It’s the prince who wants to sacrifice us!”