It's Cancelling Time... - Tumblr Posts
Chapter 28:
It's a party at the castle and everyone's gossiping. Orcelito comes out to do some politcking only to return to his room with Kiliko in tow, exhausted with people's bullshit. Kiliko then gives him a report from the Private Guards telling Orcelito that Count Meteola of the Third Brigade has been making deals with the Mana Guild (a clan of slave-dealing merchants) who oppose the creation of concentration camps for the Hokulea. Kiliko then tells him the Third Brigade wants to join the search for Belca. Orcelito is scared that they'll try to hunt the Hokulea and Kiliko says that's a strong possibility because of the proposed ban on hunting them.
The guards are already at the Sacred Place and have already taken down several attendants, already bragging about conquering the place. Then one begins to complain about the area being a bit hot...
Back with the Shaman, she tells those gathered that the guards have invaded and are armed with poisoned arrows. They need to follow her to Iwaya. An attendant protests because Belca and Eco are from the Stone Capital but the Shaman says the High Priestess have recognized them. The siblings leave to hold off the guards and Belca wants to help, saying the guards are there because of him but Shingetsu tells him he needs to stay behind to protect the High Priestess. She doesn't trust Eco so it's up to him. Belca, absolutely picking up what she's putting down, leaves with the others, thinking he wants to trust Eco but...
On the way to the Iwaya, the group is cut off by the guards who are prepared to shoot the Hokulea down. Belca runs in front and orders them to put their weapons down at once but a guard denies it's him since he's dressed in the clothes of the Hokulea, saying it's one disguised as him. It's back to razing! Belca is forced to fend them off with a knife as the siblings discover the passed out guards from earlier, thinking the cold got to them. The gatekeeper comes down to inform them that the other guards are falling to the same fate; they might be able to win! He runs off to tell the others but Tenrou is distracted by something...
At the bridge to Iwaya, Belca notices the guards' moves are getting more sluggish and predictable. At first, he thinks they're making fun of him before he suspects they have fallen under a curse of some kind. The guards blame the shaman for cursing them and break through Belca's guard to kill her. Eco protects her with his body and the guard is prepared to kill him for allying with the Hokulea before the Gatekeeper throws his spear, knocking his dagger out of his hand. Oh yeah, the Gatekeeper is a girl (take a shot!) and she is another High Priestess. And the Hokulea besides her is wearing the same outfit that the one who accompanied Hector into the kingdom was wearing. Then the guards pass out...but the Hokulea didn't do anything to them. The attendant to the Gatekeeper High Priestess checks one of them, saying he has the "illness"...
The chapter ends with Shingetsu chasing Izayoi, one of the Hokulea who accompanied them, and says that he led the guards here...
