Daisyland was only a two-day carriage ride from Cloverland, so the atmosphere wasn’t all that different. Even the fashion trends seemed similar—people on the streets were dressed in ways that felt familiar.
‘Which one’s the trendsetter, I wonder? Yikes.’
As Satin glanced around, nearly bumping into a passerby, Cain casually pulled him closer to his side.
“Two steps,” Cain murmured curtly, almost like a warning. Satin muttered with a huff of disbelief.
“It’s not even dangerous here…”
Cain didn’t even pretend to hear his complaint.
As they followed behind Edward, the differences from Cloverland gradually began to show. Though the weather wasn’t particularly cool, there were many people in long robes like Cain and Edward. Most likely, travelers.
“There seem to be a lot of travelers here,” Satin commented. Cain nodded, his brows faintly furrowed as he swept his gaze around.
“They either don’t know what happened in Cloverland, or they think it’s been exaggerated.”
Satin figured it was probably the latter.
Cloverland had only been isolated for two days due to the black mist. While those two days might have felt endlessly long to the people trapped inside, to outsiders, it wasn’t much at all. Two days could pass in the blink of an eye. Time always slows when you’re going through something difficult.
‘Like they say, time stops when you’re planking.’
Although the travelers who had been in Cloverland had all left, judging by how lively this place was, it likely wouldn’t take long for things to return to normal.
From the perspective of someone who had become a citizen of Cloverland, that was a relief—but it also raised a question.
‘The capital is even farther from here… Would they really know much about what happened in Cloverland?’
If people in the nearest city were this indifferent, it was hard to imagine the capital getting worked up over it. Was the Grand Temple genuinely concerned about the trials—and the greater trials—to come?
‘How do the oracles even come down from the gods?’
Cain had immediately distrusted them, but Satin couldn’t help his curiosity. Could they really hear the voice of a god? And if that were true…
‘Would I be able to talk to my sister again?’
The thought alone made his heart race. It felt like it might burst out of his chest.
‘No, don’t get your hopes up.’
Satin forced himself to calm down. Getting excited over uncertain possibilities only led to disappointment. For now, it was better to focus on what was right in front of him.
He focused on keeping a bit of distance from Cain as he walked.
Before long, the group arrived at the inn where Edward was staying. It was neither particularly good nor particularly bad—just average.
Rita didn’t seem thrilled with the exterior, giving it a once-over, but she didn’t suggest moving elsewhere. She only muttered to herself, “Part of the fun of traveling is dealing with stuff like this.”
Rita took a single room, and Cain rented a double. It was obvious Cain expected Satin to share the room with him. Rita no longer even commented on that level of clinginess—she didn’t bother teasing him for it anymore.
Edward led the group to the restaurant he’d mentioned earlier and said, “Shall we talk over dinner? I’m quite curious how you all ended up back together again.”
It was only then that Satin realized—Edward had no idea why this group had reunited.
He might not even know about the rumors involving the Grand Temple. Apparently, Rita had simply told him to wait without explaining why.
Satin looked at Rita in disbelief, then turned to Edward, realizing he was even more ridiculous.
‘So he’s just been waiting around because Rita told him to, without even knowing the reason?’
This so-called pilgrimage had completely taken a back seat.
***
Edward’s expression turned grave upon hearing that the rumor had started at the Grand Temple.
“It seems… there’s an agenda behind this.”
“An agenda?” Rita asked, prompting Edward to nod right away.
“Don’t you think the rumor spread far too quickly? Considering the distance from the capital to Cloverland, it doesn’t feel natural. It would make more sense if someone deliberately sent people out to spread it.”
Satin, who had entertained the same suspicion, nodded silently in agreement.
Edward continued.
“The people here don’t take what happened in Cloverland very seriously.”
“Aren’t there people here who came from Cloverland? Even when they’ve heard it from first hand witnesses, they still don’t believe it?”
Rita asked, unable to hide her disbelief, and Edward shook his head.
“It’s not that they don’t believe it. They just think it’s been blown out of proportion. That the Bureau of Order exaggerated something minor to stir up public sentiment.”
“So the Cloverland Bureau of Order has a bad reputation even out here?”
“That’s true, but the bigger factor is the infamy surrounding the blackmailer.”
“Blackmailer?”
Cain picked up on the term before Rita could respond.
Just then, their ordered food arrived, and the conversation paused briefly. Once the server laid out the dishes and left, Edward resumed.
“Did you know the Cloverland Bureau of Order has been receiving continuous threatening letters?”
It wasn’t a statement—it was a question. Rita shook her head, and Cain remained silent. Satin, after glancing at the others, gave a small nod.
He had heard about the threatening letters the very first day he arrived in Cloverland and had been shocked. The frequency of patrols and random inspections had apparently increased because of them. But the locals didn’t seem fazed at all, treating it as something that happened now and then.
Edward explained further for the two who weren’t familiar with the situation.
“From what I’ve heard, letters threatening to kill everyone in Cloverland have been sent regularly for several years.”
“Probably just some coward trying to mess with people,” Rita scoffed, clicking her tongue.
Cain let out a quiet laugh—so faint that only Satin, seated right next to him, heard it. Satin’s eyes widened.
‘Don’t tell me… You’re the one who sent those letters? The protagonist was making terrorist threats this whole time?’
If that were true, it would be utterly tragic.
“They say none have come recently, but the rumors have already spread as far as Daisyland.”
At that, Satin let out a silent sigh of relief. Sending those letters had definitely been a serious matter, but if he had truly stopped, then that was a small mercy. Everyone had done things they were ashamed of as kids. Cain’s actions deserved some leniency too.
‘Classic case of eighth-grader syndrome, huh? He’s tall now, but they said he used to be shorter than me. It’s not like a kid can’t act out a little.’
With that thought, Satin continued listening to Edward while trying to justify Cain’s behavior.
“And recently, there’s been a string of kidnappings here in Daisyland. The targets have mostly been wealthy travelers, so the atmosphere isn’t great right now.”
‘I guess I’d rather be threatened than kidnapped? Maybe?’
Satin imagined what it would be like to be kidnapped versus receiving a threat. Neither seemed likely to happen to him, but if he had to go through one, he’d prefer the threats. At least, probably.
“Seems like they’re too busy putting out their own fires to worry about the Demon King’s Castle. People here think the Bureau of Order just exaggerated a minor incident to improve its image. That they’re trying to deceive the citizens.”
“Didn’t they actually have that kind of motive?” Cain remarked nonchalantly. Edward gave a faint smile and nodded.
“That victory parade after the subjugation of the Demon King definitely gave off that impression.”
After Edward’s comment, silence fell over the table for a moment. But since they were eating, the pause didn’t feel awkward.
Once they’d each had a few bites, the conversation resumed, circling back to the earlier topic.
“If the Grand Temple really did spread the rumor on purpose, what would be the goal?”
Surprisingly, Edward didn’t seem to dismiss the idea that the Grand Temple might do something like that. Quite a pragmatic outlook for a priest.
Rita, chewing a piece of roasted pork leg, answered casually.
“Usually, rumors are spread to stir people up.”
“So… were they hoping people would do something?” Edward asked.
Satin recalled the first time the Demon King’s Castle had appeared.
The Cloverland Bureau of Order had announced it via the newspapers—and at the same time, offered a reward. People responded more to the money than to fear. Instead of being scared of the Demon King, they’d rushed in for the bounty.
But the rumor spread by the Grand Temple felt different. There wasn’t any incentive—noble or selfish—for people to take action. It only left behind a vague sense of unease.
‘Then maybe stirring people up wasn’t the goal?’
Satin voiced his thoughts.
“Maybe they’re laying the groundwork in advance.”
“Groundwork?” Edward tilted his head, and Rita, cheeks puffed out with food, glanced at Satin. Only Cain drank his water without reacting. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, so Satin continued without hesitation.
“The Cloverland Bureau of Order dangled money to mess with people’s judgment. They got so focused on the reward that they didn’t even feel fear. Just rushed in headfirst. Luckily, nothing happened—but if the Demon King had been truly dangerous, it could’ve been a catastrophe.”
If that had happened, every citizen of Cloverland other than Cain would’ve been mourning.
No one objected, so Satin went on.
“On the other hand, the Grand Temple might be trying to make people anxious and alert. So that when something does happen, they’re not caught off guard.”
Like disaster preparedness drills. Spreading ominous rumors plants anxiety in people’s minds. It’s a warning not to get complacent—because who knows when something big might strike. And if nothing happens, that’s great. But if it does… at least people won’t be completely helpless.
Edward nodded, seeming to find Satin’s theory plausible. After a brief pause, Rita spoke.
“Then we don’t need to rush off to fight some demon god just yet, do we?”
Before Satin could respond, Edward cut in.
“Demon god? Rita, do you actually believe one’s going to appear?”
“No, they said it would be a greater trial than the Demon King. So obviously, after the Demon King comes a demon god.”
Rita laid out her logic in her own way, but Edward wasn’t convinced. He simply frowned and shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“It could be something like a flood or a drought—a natural disaster. When people talk about trials that humans can’t control, isn’t it usually something like that?”
“Oh… yeah, that’s true.”
Rita looked caught off guard and smacked her forehead in realization.
‘But it has to be a demon god.’
Satin, having read Dark Age, believed a demon god was far more likely than a natural disaster. But he couldn’t use Dark Age as a legitimate source, so he started thinking of a different reason to speak up.
