Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 54: 2 weeks.

The air in the inn room felt heavy, not only from the salt humidity that seemed to devour the wooden walls, but from the electric tension bubbling in the atmosphere following the battle at the cove. Kai sat at the oak table, watching the grayish morning light filter through the frayed curtains. Around him, his team rested, but their eyes reflected the same restlessness as his own. The silence of the city, which had once been a heavy and constant slab, now felt fragile, like glass on the verge of shattering from a note held too high.

"I went down to the kitchen for some water, and people are talking, Kai. The rumor that the sea monsters are dead has spread through the docks very quickly."

Kai nodded.

"The evidence we distributed has done its job," commented Mira, who was leaning against the window frame, watching the street below with her bow within arm’s reach. "I’ve seen several stevedores gathered on the corners, showing the papers we left. The Church is losing control of the narrative. They can no longer claim the attacks are divine punishment when people have maps showing where the beasts are fed."

However, the success of their plan brought with it a renewed danger. Allice, who had remained quiet, took a step forward. Her expression was more serious than usual.

"Surveillance has tripled in the last six hours," she reported in a low voice. "I’ve counted at least five new patrols on this block alone. They aren’t the common guards we ran into when we arrived. They are the Church’s personal guard; they’re searching inn by inn, looking for any foreigner who doesn’t have a commercial permit stamped in the last twenty-four hours."

Lyla, who was sitting next to Kai, placed a hand on his shoulder. Her fingers were cold.

"Kai, it’s not just the guards. I’ve seen Syon’s direct subordinates. They are watching the gates, the markets, and especially the temples. Syon knows he has lost one of his most important pieces and is tightening his grip on the city."

Kai stood up and walked to the window beside Mira. In the street below, a patrol of three hooded figures moved forward with unsettling synchrony. People moved out of their way, bowing their heads, but Kai could see the tension in their shoulders. The city was a pressure cooker.

"We can no longer move with the same freedom," Kai analyzed. "If we stay here much longer, they’ll corner us through pure attrition. Terminus is no longer a place for investigation, it’s become a mousetrap. It’s time to plan our exit and the final blow."

At that moment, there was a soft knock at the door. Allice tensed, but Kai signaled for calm, recognizing the pattern of the knock. It was Lint. The merchant entered followed by Nick. Both looked exhausted, with deep bags under their eyes. Lint sank into a chair, sighing heavily as he wiped sweat from his forehead with a dust stained handkerchief.

"The situation at the port is chaos," Lint said. "The Church has confiscated half of the supplies from all the merchants to keep provisions under their control in case the people rebel. Nick and I have finished collecting the last promissory notes, but they’ve warned us there will be no more exit permits in the coming days."

Kai looked at Lint intently.

"Lint, Nick, this journey is coming to an end for us. We’ve seen what we needed to see and we’ve done the damage we needed to do. But what are you two going to do? Once we leave, it won’t be safe for anyone associated with us."

Lint looked at Nick and then at the members of the team. A long silence followed, broken only by the distant roar of the sea.

"You know, Kai?" Lint began with a sad smile. "Before starting this journey, I only thought about the weight of the sacks and the shine of silver. But the days we spent in your village, before leaving for here... that peace, that air... I’ve never been able to get it out of my head. Nick and I have talked about it."

Nick nodded with determination.

"We would like to live in your village, Kai. If you’ll accept us, of course. I have a pair of strong hands and Lint knows the trade routes better than anyone. We could help your home truly grow."

Kai felt a warmth he hadn’t expected.

"It would be an honor to have you there," Kai responded sincerely. "You’ve proven yourselves brave and loyal. Our village will always have room for people like you."

"So, when do we leave?" Thorne asked impatiently. "If surveillance is increasing, every hour we spend here is a risk."

Kai looked back at the map on the table.

"We can’t leave today. If we try to head out now, with surveillance at its peak, they’ll intercept us before we reach the border. We need the seeds we planted to fully germinate. Syon’s Silence is based on absolute control, if people keep talking, if the evidence keeps circulating, his power will weaken. Lyla, how long does it take for a god to grow weak?"

"Two weeks," she replied calmly. "In two weeks he will be quite weak, but we also have to account for all his followers who aren’t in the capital or within the kingdom’s territory."

"You’re right about that," he murmured, thinking. "Let’s hope they aren’t too many. Because when those two weeks are up, we attack. We aren’t going to attack a god at the height of his splendor. We are going to attack a god who is losing his source of power: faith. When the fear vanishes and people stop believing in his monsters, Syon will be exposed. It will be difficult, I know. He will have powerful subordinates and the terrain will always be in his favor. But if we work together, if we coordinate our strikes like we did at the cove, we can do it."

Thorne struck the table with his fist, but this time with a fierce smile.

"I like the plan. Two weeks to prepare the weapons and let this kingdom rot from the inside. Then, we cut the head off the problem."

"Exactly," Kai continued. "During these two weeks, we’ll keep a low profile. Lint, Nick, prepare the wagon for a long, fast trip. Get supplies discreetly, make it look like you’re preparing for a normal trade route. Allice, keep watching those subordinates. I need to know their patterns, their weaknesses, and how they move, I have no memory of them. Mira, look for an escape route that doesn’t go through the main gates, we might have to leave via the cliffs."

The group moved closer to Kai, forming a circle of trust in the middle of the room.

"In two weeks," Kai repeated. "We’ll leave knowing we’ve rid this kingdom of a parasite. Prepare yourselves well."

Lyla took Kai’s hand and squeezed it firmly with a small smile.

The hours passed and the atmosphere in the inn stabilized into a tense calm. Allice went in and out, bringing reports on the movement of the Church’s troops. Each report confirmed Kai’s suspicion, they were desperate. They had started interrogating citizens at random, looking for any information on those who had killed the beast at the cove. Surveillance at the docks was so strict that not even small fishing boats could move without being escorted.

Lyla spent much of her time with Kai, enjoying the company they provided each other even in a moment like this. Thorne, for his part, dedicated himself to cleaning and sharpening his axe over and over again. He knew that the fight against Syon would not be a matter of brute force, but of endurance and opportunity.

Mira spent the afternoons on the highest rooftops, mapping every corner of the port and the nearby cliffs. She had found a small path used by smugglers that led directly down to the sea, far from the main watchtowers. That would be their escape route once the confrontation ended.

Lint and Nick fulfilled their part with an efficiency that surprised Kai. Using their commercial contacts, they began buying travel rations, blankets, and spare parts for the wagon at different shops across the city to avoid raising suspicion about a massive departure. The idea of living in Kai’s village gave them an energy they had never shown before, they were no longer just salt haulers, they were future citizens of a real home. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Two weeks felt like an eternity in a city that watched your every step, but Kai knew that every day that passed, faith in Syon eroded a little more. People no longer bowed their heads out of respect, but out of precaution. The fear was still there, but it was no longer sacred. It was an earthly fear, a fear of the men in gray, not the monsters of the sea. And when fear ceases to be divine, gods begin to bleed.

The countdown had begun, and with it, the end of one era and the beginning of another. During the following days, the team maintained a routine of steel. They did not leave the port district more than necessary, and when they did, they always went in pairs, disguised as local workers or passing sailors. Discretion was their best weapon.

Lint brought interesting news on the fifth day.

"I heard that the High Priest of Syon has made a public appearance. He was pale, almost transparent. The people aren’t happy, Kai."

Kai nodded. The Church’s desperation was proof that their plan was working. The mood in the group was one of silent resolve. There was no bravado, only meticulous preparation for the inevitable. Lyla and Allice continued to feel the pressure from Syon’s subordinates, who were drawing closer to the port district every day.

The two weeks were drawing to a close. The capital pulsed with a heavy energy, a premonition of violence felt on every corner. The sea seemed to have calmed, but it was the calm of the eye of a hurricane. Kai spent the nights reviewing escape routes and coordinating timing with Thorne and Mira.

When the final day of the second week arrived, the group gathered one last time in the inn room. Lint and Nick had the wagon loaded and ready in a nearby alley.

"Tomorrow," Kai said, looking at each of his companions. "Tomorrow, we attack."

"And after that, home," Lyla added, taking Kai’s hand.

"Home," he confirmed.