#CHAPTER 131: Power Surge

FELIX We traversed the countryside for days. In every village and small town, it was the same story. Villagers were extremely wary of the royal guards, some even outright refusing to speak to our little brigade. Christopher and the other guards tried hard to be as upbeat and cheerful as possible, but things were definitely looking bad. Reports from other groups of guards had similar tones. No one had found even the slightest trace of Mila. There were no sightings of a woman who fit her description, and all of our interviews of castle staff did not reveal any strange activity around Esmeralda’s chambers that day. Fresonia had very few big cities–outside of Fresia and Carnea, all other civilization was mainly confined to small towns and villages. We combed through those small towns for days on end, and with each passing hour I became more and more discouraged. I returned to the castle feeling more despondent than ever. Just as I reached the edge of ou