Ethan reached out his hand to the mechanical locust. It seemed to understand his intention, folding its wings and landing on the ground, even nudging its head towards him.

Hmm, just as expected, cold and hard to the touch.

"Old Sen, let's put our cards on the table, was it you who orchestrated this?"

The small purple bat stood on the ground as well, its wings crossed in a chest-folding posture, forming a rather peculiar stance.

When the locusts invaded the Royal Capital like a natural disaster, they were all present. Rowena and the Other Shore were ready to cause a big commotion—the situations where the two Saints could act without any reservations were rare.

But then, an unexpected situation occurred.

These mechanical locusts avoided them one by one, and even the inn they were staying in remained unscathed, forming a peculiar "safe zone" within the city occupied by mechanical locusts.

In the subsequent investigation, the locusts didn't even bother to pretend, affectionately nuzzling Ethan's palm like pets.

This time, Ethan decided to stay silent until the lawyer arrived.

Because even he now found himself suspicious, and it was difficult for him to explain to others why this "natural disaster" that had taken over the entire city in an instant would follow his orders.

Could it be...

He was the true Witch Demon King?

He could only speculate that perhaps it was because he had seen Argos in a dream, and for some unknown reason, the Old Gods naturally had a fondness for him.

"Can you read a map?"

He looked down at the mechanical locust lying on the ground, which continued to nuzzle his palm without responding to his question.

It seemed these mutated creatures only had basic biological instincts and had lost their intelligence during the mutation process.

This was exactly like what he had found in his investigation. The citizens of the Royal Capital who were injured by the locusts didn't die—in fact, they could still move and wander around the city. The only problem was that their movements were eerily similar to zombies. They couldn't speak, and would make some indistinct sounds when approached.

"Who sent you here?"

It was still like talking to a wall. The mechanical locust leisurely shook its wings, and its body started to sway slightly. This attracted its companions, and more and more locusts began to gather towards Ethan. They folded their wings one by one and lined up neatly on the ground.

It seemed being patted on the head by Ethan was some kind of reward for the locusts.

This sudden phenomenon attracted others as well.

Not everyone had retreated underground after the first locust invasion; there was still a lone figure fighting in the city.

Long hours of combat had left Charlotte covered in dust, and after a sleepless night, she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

And just now, she sensed the movement of the mechanical locusts. She donned an invisible cloak and followed the trail of the locusts.

At the end of this path, she encountered a voice she'd been longing to hear.

But this meeting was far from what she had imagined.

"Sakaki—!"

Ethan heard the teeth-gnashing voice from a distance away. The blonde girl was glaring at him with an incredulous expression.

"Wait, hold on,"

Ethan blurted out, hastily scooping up a mechanical locust that was nuzzling his hand.

He felt that under these circumstances, he should use his eloquence to explain himself, but he didn't know how to begin.

"Charlotte, things aren't what you think."

Huh?

Why did that sound a bit strange, like being caught red-handed with one foot in two different boats?

Charlotte remained silent, still gazing at Ethan, waiting for him to continue.

"In any case, just hold on."