"Ah," Eugene murmured, his voice tinged with an overt display of frailty as he shivered. 0

Molon was standing a few steps ahead of Eugene. He turned around, his voice filled with considerable tension, and asked, "What's the matter?”0

It was a situation tense enough to stiffen even Molon's movements. It wasn’t only Molon who reacted to Eugene’s sudden exclamation. Sienna had been gripping her staff tightly and focusing intently when Eugene made the sound, causing her to jump in surprise as well.0

She opened her eyes wide as she asked, "What? What's suddenly gotten into you?"0

Instead of replying, Eugene remained silent, embarrassed by the fervent reaction his involuntary response had elicited. Seeing Eugene falter, Molon looked back, puzzled.0

"Hamel, why suddenly—" he began to inquire.0

"Dismiss it," Anise instructed from behind, sighing deeply as she raised her hand and smacked Eugene's back hard. "He was about to spout nonsense without reading the room."0

"It's not that I couldn't read the mood. That’s not it. In fact, I was compelled by the atmosphere to speak nonsense," Eugene retorted, his justification neither a lie nor an excuse.0

He truly felt that way. He could feel that everyone was overwhelmed by suffocating pressure. They could all sense the tension of an impending end, and that constricted everyone’s breath.0

"And it's the stares from behind,...0