Chapter 1582: Bad News

Later on, another piece of breaking news spread across the continent: another Bael attack had occurred in another country, again. The reports came quickly and chaotically, flooding news channels, emergency broadcasts, and hurried whispers among officials. Cities were placed on high alert, borders were tightened, and military forces mobilized almost immediately.

More Baels began to appear, and the attacks grew increasingly frequent. What made the situation worse was that the creatures were no longer confined to remote outskirts or second cities, but instead, they had begun reaching major cities.

No one knew how these monsters were entering the heart of nations unnoticed, but at this point, that question hardly mattered.

No one had the luxury to dwell on it anymore.

People were far more concerned about their own safety and that of their loved ones. Many feared that this might be the beginning of something far worse than the Dark Age War.

A heavy sense of dread slowly spread across the world.

People began to wonder where the Bael would strike next. In countless homes, families sat in silence before their televisions, watching the news with growing fear, all asking the same unspoken question: would the next attack happen in their own city?

As the chaos escalated, Luxemborough became the first major power to respond. In a public announcement broadcast across multiple nations, the Luxemborough government declared its willingness to assist any country under Bael attack. ℓ.

Their statement was firm and solemn, presenting the offer as an act of humanitarian responsibility. They promised to deploy their elite military forces, including the feared Dragxtarn units, soldiers specially trained to combat powerful threats.

Alongside the troops, Luxemborough also offered to supply weapons blessed by the Saintess herself, a weapon that was known to possess sacred power capable of harming the monstrous Bael more effectively than ordinary weapons.

Such a generous offer left many world leaders uneasy.

A powerful nation extending its hand to defend the world from a growing calamity while asking for so little in return—it sounded almost too noble to be true. Suspicion lingered quietly in the minds of many officials.

But before anyone could dwell on those doubts for long, another crisis emerged.

Wherever the Bael had passed, the land itself began to wither. Fertile soil turned dark and barren, as though its very life had been drained away. A strange poison seeped deep into the earth, leaving it dry and lifeless. Crops withered within days, grass turned brittle and gray, and even the hardiest trees began to rot from their roots.

Entire farmlands were lost.

For many countries, the damage struck hardest in rural regions—the very heart of their food supply. Fields that had once fed thousands were reduced to vast stretches of poisoned earth. Fear spread swiftly across nations.

If the land could no longer produce food, the consequences would be far worse than simple destruction. It would mean famine... and perhaps the return of the nightmare people still whispered about from the Dark Age War, when the land had died, and food had become more precious than gold.

In truth, most governments already knew about the contamination. They had deliberately concealed the information to prevent public panic, aware that the trauma of the previous war still lingered vividly in people’s memories. And just as they had feared, panic began to stir beneath the surface, threatening to erupt into chaos.

That was when the Saintess appeared.

In a grand broadcast transmitted across multiple nations, she stood upon a magnificent podium in Elysium, her white robes flowing gently under the bright lights. Her presence alone seemed to calm the restless air.

She reassured the people that she would protect them and would never allow the world to fall back into the horrors of the Dark Age War. With a gentle yet resolute voice, the Saintess pleaded for their trust in her power, her determination, and above all, trust in the S.A.I.N.T. organization.

The next day, accompanied by a procession of Paladins, the Saintess traveled to the afflicted regions.

Before countless cameras and anxious crowds, she stepped onto the blighted soil and raised her hands in prayer. A soft, radiant light spread from her body, slowly washing over the poisoned land like a tide of quiet hope.

Amazingly, the blackened ground began to heal, the transformation unfolding dramatically as the darkened soil slowly regained its natural color. The entire miracle was perfectly captured by the cell phone cameras of those who witnessed it.

As a result, public trust in the Saintess and the S.A.I.N.T. organization soared to unprecedented heights. Their reputation had reach to new height, and in an instant, all the snide remarks and quiet criticisms that once followed the Saintess disappeared almost overnight.

No one dared question her legitimacy or her intentions anymore. Instead, people fell silent, clinging to hope that this new savior would guide them through the growing crisis and protect them in this time of fear.

"Hello, Luc... what are you doing?" Lory asked the moment the call connected.

"Watching the news," Lucas replied lazily. The faint sound of a television murmuring in the background was cut off as he reached for the remote and switched it off.

"Is bad, huh?" Lory let out a quiet, sarcastic chuckle. "By the way... are you alone?"

"I wish," Lucas scoffed, irritation slipping into his voice.

"Yo, Lory! We’re here too!" Jay’s excited voice suddenly burst through the line.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Fredhardt followed, his calm and gentle tone cutting cleanly through the noise.

"Hey, girl! How could you sell me out like that?!" Fargo’s loud complaint rang out next.

"Shut up, Fargy," Clift snapped without hesitation.

Hearing the familiar chaos on the other end of the call, Lory couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. "So... the whole gang’s there, huh?"

"Where are you, sis?" Lucas asked.

"Still at the hotel," Lory replied, her gaze drifting toward the wide window as she quietly took in the calm morning view outside. "But we’ll be leaving today."

"What did you get from Miss Rose?" Lucas asked, his tone sharpening slightly.

"There’s bad news... and worse news," Lory said over the phone, her voice deceptively casual, as though she were discussing the weather rather than something that could shake nations. "Which one do you want to hear first?"

Lucas let out a tired sigh on the other end. "I haven’t even had my coffee yet... so give me the bad news first."

"Okay then..." Lory plopped her butt on the couch and started with a heavy tone, "Abigail said, Anchora had worked with many countries to sell the new seed they made.

"Okay then..." Lory plopped down onto the sofa, leaning back as she let out a slow breath before speaking in a heavier tone.

"Abigail said Anchora has been traveling to several countries to sell seeds developed by their company. According to what she heard from Robert, these seeds can accelerate harvests up to five times faster than regular ones. They’re also pest-resistant and can produce three times the usual yield."

"Sounds impressive," Lucas sneered, crossing his arms. "So what’s the catch?"

"The catch is..." Lory paused for a moment, her expression turning more serious. "You all know that every seed produced by any company must obtain a safety certificate to ensure it’s high quality and free from harmful substances."

"The international seed health certificate," Fredhardt said calmly.

"Exactly." Lory nodded. "To get that certificate, the seeds have to go through multiple tests, purity tests, health assessments, quality verification, environmental impact evaluations, and so on. It’s a long and strict process." She paused, then added quietly, "But Anchora’s seeds never went through any of that."

Lucas frowned. "You mean their certificate is fake?"

"Not fake," Lory corrected, shaking her head slightly. "The certificate exists; it was issued officially. But it was granted without going through the proper testing process."

"They skipped it?" Fargo asked, leaning forward.

"Yup." Lory rested her elbow on the sofa arm. "And to sell those seeds in different countries, Anchora has been spending a huge amount of money bribing key officials. In Arwegian, that person is General Versen."

A brief silence fell over the room.

"Oh..." Fredhardt muttered under his breath. "The Defense General—and also the father of the Minister of Arwegian Investment."

"Exactly," Lory replied. "He’s the one who granted Orsus and Anchora permission to enter Arwegian in the first place. I guess that Anchora did the same in other countries that were attacked."

She paused briefly before adding in a quieter, heavier tone, "And we all know where they got the funding."

"Well, no country is ever short of corrupt officials," Lucas sneered.

"Yeah..." Lory sighed softly. "It’s not actually that hard when you know where to look." Her gaze drifted toward the window again. "I was just being naive, thinking people would become wiser after the Dark Age War."

"Good luck with that..." Fredhardt chimen in.

"So that’s the bad news, and the worse news is?" Lucas sighed heavily, his voice coming through the phone.

"The worst news is..." Lory replied from the other end of the line, her voice steady but noticeably heavier. "The seeds have already been distributed to several countries for trial use. And reportedly..." she paused briefly, faint static filling the silence, "...there’s a high chance they’ve already yielded and are now being distributed to local markets to observe public reaction to the new crops."

A tense silence settled over the call, heavy and suffocating, as the weight of her words slowly sank in.

"Wait a minute," Jay suddenly interrupted, leaning closer to the phone as his brows furrowed in thought. "How long does it take to yield? Two months?"

"Leafy vegetables only need less than a week, for fruit trees it takes two weeks at most, while corn, wheat, and rice will take four weeks at most," Lory answered.

"Whoa, that was indeed very fast," Fargo pursed his lips in contemplation.

"And that’s exactly the problem," Lucas said, worry evident in his voice,"That means people have probably already consumed it by now."

"We must obtain the seeds, like A.S.A.P" Fredhardt concluded firmly.

"It’s not going to be easy," Lory continued over the phone.

"According to Abigail, to protect their intellectual property, Anchora sends their own personnel to monitor how each client uses the seeds. They stay on-site and supervise the entire process."

Her voice turned colder through the phone. "So if we try to secretly examine them without Anchora’s permission, they can sue us for industrial espionage. But realistically..." she paused slightly, "...someone from Luxemborough or the S.A.I.N.T. organization would probably kill us first just to keep the seeds protected."

"And they’re okay with that?" Fargo sneered, disbelief laced with contempt.

"People become desperate," Lory replied calmly. "Remember how food became scarce during the Dark Age War?"

A brief silence followed. ⅇℓ.

"Oh... yeah," Fargo muttered, the sneer fading into grim understanding.

Suddenly, Clift’s steady voice cut through the tension. "I’ll handle it. I’ll get the seeds," he said simply, as if volunteering to retrieve probably the most guarded material by two powerful groups in the world was just another routine assignment.

Everyone turned toward him, though no one looked particularly surprised. Covert operations had always been his specialty, and if there was anyone suited for a mission like this, it was Clift.

Lucas pondered for a moment, weighing the risks and variables in silence before giving a slow, approving nod.

"Alright," he said in a calm, authoritative tone. "But take Jay with you. Security around the seeds will be extremely tight, and Anchora will not leave its assets unguarded. You’ll need reliable backup."

His gaze hardened slightly as he continued.

"Select your team carefully and prepare accordingly. This will not be a simple retrieval mission; it will require precision, discretion, and contingency planning at every step, and you cannot failed"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Clift and Jay answered in unison.

Lucas then shifted his attention back to the phone. "What about you, Lory? Are you coming back home?"

"Later..." Lory replied. "But first, I want to inspect the contaminated areas. I need to see the damage the Bael caused and test whether our power can purify it."

Lucas nodded even though she could not see him. "That’s a good decision. It’s better if you handle the testing."

A faint sigh escaped him.

"If I go, it will only attract attention. People will make a political issue out of it."

As king, every step he took carried weight. He could not simply enter another nation and release his power without consequences. If the purification succeeded, foreign governments might fear Harland’s growing influence. If it failed, it would spark panic and criticism.

Either outcome would stir unnecessary turbulence in a world already teetering on instability. So instead, he entrusted the task to the one person who could move freely where a king could not.

"As you wish, Your majesty," Lory teased.