Returning to the western Great Hollow, they made their way toward the northern plains' front lines.
Along the road, Shiomi and the others saw fairies and humans fleeing south from the northern war, their sheer numbers clogging the wilderness paths so badly that carts could no longer pass.
Manchester had already fallen. The fairies who doubted Mab's mercy fled southward—some dragging humans along, others abandoning them entirely. Their destination was Gloucester, the Wing Clan's territory, but that too was only a temporary refuge. By the time Shiomi's group arrived, even the fairies of the Wing Clan were already retreating further, toward the Wind Clan's territory in Salisbury.
"A complete rout."
Carrying Aesc and the others across the rooftops to avoid the chaos below, Shiomi, for once, spoke with a rare tone of condescension as he assessed the state of the fairies.
"Though each clan usually lives under its chieftain's rule, when war breaks out, chieftains without unifying strength can't control the situation," Aesc said, leaning over to observe the turmoil within Gloucester.
The streets were filled with frantic fairies, their panic overwhelming the calm composure they had shown just days before when danger loomed. The truth was simple—they had no real understanding of war and knew little about the Northern fairies' current power.
Even when word spread that the Northern fairies were preparing to march, most believed the fighting would never reach them, thinking the battles would remain near Manchester. But when Manchester fell and the remnants of the army retreated to Gloucester, chaos erupted.
"Didn't the Fang Clan go to reinforce them? How did they still lose?" Totorot asked, bewildered.
Baobhan Sith hesitated, then spoke cautiously. "Maybe the Fang Clan's reinforcements arrived just in time… and that's the only reason the frontline wasn't completely wiped out?"
The moment she finished, both Aesc and Shiomi turned to her in surprise.
Realizing she might have spoken out of turn, Baobhan Sith quickly lowered her head, falling silent.
"It's all right. We're not blaming you," Aesc said with a small, helpless smile, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You're quite sharp. You don't need to worry about saying the wrong thing around us."
"Yes…" Baobhan Sith replied softly, a hint of relief on her face.
Shiomi gave her an approving glance. "According to our latest intelligence, because they joined the war later and kept their forces mostly intact, the Fang Clan is currently stationed outside Gloucester."
"So that's why the city hasn't fallen into complete disorder—only some fairies are fleeing toward the Wind Clan's territory," Aesc mused. "But staying here won't help. We need to meet up with the Fang Clan and Grímr first."
Just then, Shiomi lifted his arm. A blue familiar bird fluttered down, landing gracefully on his forearm.
It wasn't one of Grímr's ravens, but a monitoring familiar created by Shiomi himself. With a tap of his finger, the jade-hued bird dispersed into light.
"Mab's army is already marching south. At this rate, she'll reach Gloucester by tomorrow," Shiomi said quietly. "She's moving fast."
"She must be trying to strike before the clans can organize," Baobhan Sith said after a moment's thought, encouraged by Aesc's earlier praise. "If everyone's still unsettled, she can crush them one by one."
Shiomi chuckled. "Correct again. You seem to be learning a lot."
"N-no, not really… It's just that the Sage, the Witch, and Totorot have been talking about these things for days. I've just heard enough to remember some of it."
Flushed with pride, Baobhan Sith smiled shyly.
Totorot, however, looked troubled. "Oh no… if Baobhan Sith ends up smarter than me, won't that make me the dumbest one here?"
"It's not too late to start worrying about that," Aesc teased.
They laughed lightly as they continued forward, too focused on their own conversation to notice how little attention the fairies around them paid to their presence. The fairies were too busy arguing—bickering over food, water, and supplies with others from their own or different clans.
…
Outside the city.
Within the camp—where disorder lingered beneath a thin veneer of control—Wryneck, chieftain of the Fang Clan, was deep in discussion with the leaders of the Wind and Wing Clans about how best to confront the enemy.
Wryneck insisted that the Fang Clan, whose forces remained largely intact, should take the initiative. Under his command, they would strike the Northern Fairies head-on and crush them completely.
The Wind and Wing Clans, however, having already suffered severe losses, argued that the Fang Clan should divide its strength to aid them. Without the Fang Clan's support, even a small detachment of Northern Fairies could annihilate what little fighting power the two clans had left.
Nearby, Grímr sat on a wooden stake, yawning lazily as he watched the fairies quarrel. Nominally, he was a companion of the Savior's group, serving as their messenger. But Grímr had little interest in the way fairies waged war—or in the wars of the Fairy Kingdom at all.
If he had to fight, he would. But he preferred not to.
Shiomi thought much the same. Over the years they had traveled together, Grímr had spent most of his time gathering intelligence across the land, rarely stepping onto the battlefield himself.
Now was no different. The fairies were well aware he was listening, yet none sought his opinion. They only intended for him to deliver their final decision to the Savior's party once their debate ended.
"Once we crush the Northern Fairies on the battlefield, the Wind and Wing Clans will have nothing more to fear!" Wryneck declared again, firm in his conviction.
It had been over two hundred years since he first appeared as a Sub-bell and rose to lead the Fang Clan. His confidence in his own strength was absolute.
Even after his defeat by the Sage, Wryneck had dismissed it as a matter of the opponent's uniqueness rather than his own weakness.
"Leading from the front is admirable," a calm voice interjected, "but have you considered why the Northern Fairies are so much stronger this time? Why they were able to seize Manchester—the front-line fortress—so easily?"
Shiomi's voice cut through the noise, drawing the attention of all three chieftains.
"No need to ask," Grímr muttered from his perch. "I already told them—the Northern Fairies' army this time is a special formation, a mix of humans and fairies. But they didn't listen to a word."
"It's just more humans," Wryneck scoffed. "How much difference could that make?"
"I am human too," Shiomi said plainly.
The camp stirred. The fairies shifted uneasily but did not dare speak. A human who could defeat even Wryneck could hardly be called human at all.
"What are your orders, Sage?" Wryneck asked quickly. Strength commanded respect, and Wryneck had long since accepted Shiomi's authority after his defeat.
"Don't be hasty. The Earth Clan will arrive soon. We'll talk once their supplies reach us."
As Shiomi spoke, a messenger fairy ran in, breathless, reporting the arrival of the Earth Clan's reinforcements.