"It all began about a week ago—if we're talking about the very first case," the King said. "It was a woman who had gone into the nearby forest to gather vegetables…or so they said. She never came back. We found nothing—no tracks, no belongings, nothing at all. At first, it was just her. But then dozens vanished… and now, the number has climbed into the hundreds. At first, we assumed it was the work of a mana beast."
"Was it?" Viessa asked, leaning forward slightly.
The Olphean King shook his head. "No. If it had been a beast, we would have found signs—tracks, blood, claw marks. There was nothing. People are simply… vanishing, as if they're being swallowed by the air itself. And with no trace left behind, we've begun to suspect that someone—someone dangerous—is behind this."
"I see," Viessa murmured. "And Natulen wouldn't have been targeted unless their real aim was the Prophetess."
