Chapter 723: Sacrifices

"The ritual doesn’t require a separate sacrifice for every individual, as long as you don’t pass through individually," Albert explained. "There is a minimum number of souls needed to activate it. Once that requirement is met, the ritual can loosen the laws binding us here, and we can force it open the rest of the way using our strength, allowing our people to cross."

The elderly Saint’s brows drew together.

"Then the exchange applies to all of us?"

"Yes. The souls are offered together to fulfill the condition. We aren’t exchanging one outsider for each person below us."

"And you’re certain we can obtain enough souls?"

"If we find enough of the outsiders to use as sacrifices before their time here expires."

The old man clicked his tongue.

"Which brings us back to the people you allowed to leave."

Albert met his gaze without flinching.

"One of them had formed a contract with Kali."

"That troublesome arachnid?"

"Yes."

The old man dragged his fingers through his beard, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"That creature agreed to serve an outsider?"

"A bond between equals," Albert corrected. "She intends to use it to leave; otherwise, I doubt she would have agreed to such a thing."

"Of course not," the woman murmured.

"She would have intervened if I attacked them," he said. "Our settlement was still occupied, and we were preparing to leave. Fighting her there would have cost lives and delayed the departure."

"You could have called for us," the old man said.

"And risked them noticing something was wrong while I waited for you to arrive? I preferred to let them leave without giving them a reason to suspect us. I treated them respectfully, with good hospitality; they won’t suspect a thing until it’s too late, that is."

The woman nodded slowly.

"You did the right thing. And if the ritual only requires a minimum number, then there is no need to begin with the most troublesome group."

"Exactly."

The old man looked between them before letting out an irritated breath.

"As long as we reach that number."

"We still have people searching," Albert replied. "And the outsiders are moving between the ruins. Sooner or later, they will encounter our scouts."

"Some already have," the woman said quietly.

Albert glanced toward her, and she gave a small nod. There was no satisfaction in her expression, but neither did she appear willing to question what they had begun.

Below them, one of the enormous elephants trumpeted, its deep call rolling across the valley. Several children leaned out from beneath its awning, pointing toward a flock of flying beasts passing overhead.

The woman watched them for a moment, then folded her arms.

"We should gather what we need and finish this quickly. The longer our people remain on the road, the harder it will become to keep everyone fed."

Albert nodded. Moving so many people had already forced them to abandon much of what they possessed.

Every delay meant more provisions consumed, more exhaustion, and another night spent exposed beyond the safety of their settlements.

"And the group traveling with Kali?" the old man asked.

"Leave them for now. If we reach the required number without confronting her, there is nothing to gain by doing so. Our purpose is to leave this world."

He looked down at the countless people following the road beneath them.

"We have enough to lose already."

They were still speaking when movement drew Albert’s attention toward the flank of the procession. Four figures had appeared upon a ridge.

From a glance, it was easy enough to distinguish them from the rest of his people: They were outsiders.

They stopped near the crest, just as surprised by the immense gathering as Albert’s scouts were by their arrival.

One lowered his sword slightly, turning toward his companions before pointing at the endless line of wagons and lumbering beasts.

The green-haired woman followed Albert’s gaze.

"More of them."

The four began descending the slope, cautiously approaching the outer ranks. Several guards moved to intercept them, but before either group could get close, Albert raised a hand.

He closed his fist, and the space around the outsiders contracted abruptly.

All four bodies were crushed into indistinguishable meat paste beneath the invisible pressure.

Their weapons struck the ground a moment later, the faint metallic clatter echoing through the sudden silence along that stretch of the procession.

Albert hadn’t moved from where he hovered.

Below, the guards stopped. One raised an arm, directing the nearest wagons away from the bloodied patch of earth, while another hurried toward a family whose children had turned to look.

The elderly Saint watched without speaking.

Four small lights emerged from the remains, their pale brilliance wavering against the dusty ground.

They rose slowly, trembling as though caught between conflicting currents, before Albert extended his hand toward them.

A ripple passed through the air.

The lights drifted upward with great speed, leaving the hillside behind as they crossed the distance to his outstretched palm. Up close, each orb held a faint, restless glow, its edges flickering as it hovered above his fingers.

Albert studied them, and a small smile appeared on his face.

"That’s four more souls," he said.

The old man gave a quiet grunt of approval.

"At least these ones had the courtesy to find us."

The woman glanced toward him, but whatever response she might have offered remained unspoken.

She looked back to the four hovering lights, and her expression became considerably harder to read.

Below them, the procession had begun moving again. Those nearest the flank kept their eyes on the road, while farther along, people continued talking, adjusting their burdens, and tending to the beasts that carried their possessions.

Most had never noticed the interruption.

Albert looked past the souls toward the ridge where the outsiders had first appeared.

"Have the scouts search the surrounding area," he said. "There may be others nearby."

The woman nodded and turned away to relay the instruction.

He remained above the valley, four pale lights gathered before him, while the people beneath his feet continued their journey toward freedom.

...

From a concealed vantage point overlooking the valley, five figures watched the immense procession make its way across the land.

Xavier stood nearest the edge of the rocky outcropping, his body hidden within its deep shadow.

Ezra and Julian remained a short distance behind him, while the other two second-years crouched beside a narrow opening between the stones.

None of them had moved since the four had descended from the opposite ridge.

They had watched the strangers approach the procession, cautiously lowering their weapons as though hoping to speak with someone. Then the young man floating above the multitude had closed his hand.

That was all it had taken.

Now, four pale lights hovered beside him, while the procession continued past the place where those people had been standing.

"They were killed, just as you said," Julian murmured.

He glanced toward Xavier, though the sight of his companion’s face offered little comfort. There was no satisfaction at having been proven right.

He simply stood there, looking through the narrow gap in the stone with the same blank expression he had worn throughout most of their journey.

The rest of them had paled considerably.