An unbearable silence hung over the gathering, but no one wanted to be the one to break it. With the situation at hand, Ozhemians had to make a decision quickly.
Miles, who could no longer hold back, asked the question gnawing at him. "Why aren't Julian Ultras and his family here?"
Edmund, who had prepared himself to answer this, replied, "This has happened to their family before, so they have no desire to be part of this meeting."
Mr. Roman turned to his son, Adrian. "Go fetch the Ultras family. They need to be here."
Edmund, who had warned Julian the day before, secretly hoped they had gotten far enough away.
Aware of this, Adrian gave Edmund a meaningful look and set off. The plan was for Adrian to buy time, allowing the Ultras to get as far away as possible. With the five-day darkness, this would be easier. Still, they couldn't underestimate the shadow army or the Ozhemians' will to survive. Moreover, if they entered the Sunless Realm, they'd also have to protect themselves from Griffin, and indeed they would fail.
Edmund began speaking to distract them. "We don't have much time. We need to prepare to face the wizard."
Edmund's tone suggested that their decision to not surrender Will was final, but this only angered the townsfolk.
Mr. Nature stood up angrily. "Priest, have you lost your mind? How do you propose we fight a wizard?"
Mr. Nature was an ordinary farmer, around sixty years old. While it was understandable that the elderly feared war more than others, this fear deeply rooted itself in the townspeople's hearts.
Roman said, "The people of Ozhem are peaceful, and our realm doesn't have a proper army. Even if we did, we wouldn't be prepared to fight a wizard and his shadow army."
Mrs. Abram, a staunch supporter of Edmund and known for her sharp tongue, retorted, "I'm sure if it were your son's name on the coffin, you wouldn't be talking like this, Mr. Roman."
Roman frowned. "Alright then, Mrs. Abram, why don't you tell us what we should do?"
Mrs. Abram didn't have a plan; she had simply voiced her opinion, which seemed reasonable.
Mr. Kidman grumbled from within the crowd, "That's why I always say every realm needs an army."
No one knew if Mr. Kidman was against sacrificing someone or was just taking this opportunity to chastise those who had repeatedly denied his requests for an army.
Edmund's anxiety grew with each passing moment. If the argument continued like this, the townspeople's minds would become disordered, and fear and panic would strip them of their ability to make rational decisions. They might act hastily.
Edmund said, "The wizard has never harmed anyone else throughout history, so it's best we keep our composure first and foremost."
Roman replied, "That's because we've always delivered the chosen sacrifice to the wizard. No one knows what he'll do to the others if we resist."
Mr. Heater supported him. "Roman's right. Sacrificing one is better than all of us being killed."
Mr. Collins clenched his fists in anger and shouted, "You idiots talk about sacrifice as if you're slaughtering a sheep. This is a young person's life we're discussing. When did you become so heartless?"
Edmund seized the opportunity. "Ozhem indeed has no army, but God has always watched over the people of Ozhem, and his guardians have never abandoned us."
Hearing the mention of God and his guardians, Roman's opposition flared again. "Where is this God you've been preaching about your whole life? It's a good time for him to show up."
Silence fell over the room for a moment until they heard footsteps approaching. Everyone turned to see Adrian returning. He hadn't been able to delay any longer.
Worry etched itself onto Roman's face. "Where are Julian and his family?"
Adrian glanced at Edmund, lowered his head, and said nothing. Murmurs spread through the crowd, and Roman fixed his gaze on Edmund, who was muttering something under his breath. Roman smirked and said, "You warned them to flee, didn't you, old man?"
Edmund lifted his head but said nothing. Roman was enraged and beyond control. He strode over to Daniel Kidman, Rex Kidman's son, a novice fighter, drew the sword from his waist and looked at the others. "I will find the Ultras and save my family's lives. Whoever's with me, follow."
A few people, friends, and supporters of Edmund and the Ultras stepped aside. Kidman and his son, the Heater family, the Nature family, and dozens of others stepped forward to follow Roman.
Roman stood in front of Edmund and stared into his eyes. "Tell your God to come and spill my blood while I'm laying him in the coffin."
He mounted his horse, and the others set off in search of the Ultras.