Chapter 19: The Vanishing Children
One month had passed.
The Kingdom of Valenheart stood as majestic as ever beneath the golden light of the morning sun. Its towering walls stretched across the horizon like an unbreakable fortress, while countless banners bearing the silver lion of Valenheart fluttered proudly in the wind.
From the outside, everything appeared peaceful.
Merchants filled the streets with their lively chatter. Blacksmiths hammered glowing steel upon their anvils. Farmers carried carts overflowing with crops harvested from the fertile lands surrounding the kingdom.
Yet beneath that illusion of peace, fear had begun to spread.
A fear that no sword could cut apart.
A fear that no fortress wall could stop.
Children were disappearing.
At first, it had been only a few.
A young boy who never returned home after playing near the southern market.
A little girl who vanished while gathering flowers outside the city walls.
Then another.
And another.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks turned into a month.
The disappearances continued.
No bodies were found.
No clues were left behind.
It was as though the children had simply vanished from existence.
Families searched desperately through forests and villages. Adventurers accepted countless requests from the guild, hoping to uncover the truth. Patrols were increased throughout the kingdom, and guards stood watch day and night.
Yet despite all their efforts...
Nothing.
The missing children remained missing.
Inside the royal palace, a heavy atmosphere filled the grand throne room.
Massive marble pillars lined both sides of the hall, supporting a ceiling decorated with ancient paintings depicting the glorious history of Valenheart. Sunlight entered through towering stained-glass windows, casting colorful reflections across the polished floor.
At the end of the hall sat the ruler of the kingdom.
King Aldric Valenheart.
The king’s silver hair rested neatly upon his shoulders, while his sharp blue eyes observed the room with the calmness of a veteran ruler.
Despite his composed appearance, the recent reports had left him deeply troubled.
The kingdom had faced wars, monster invasions, and political conflicts throughout its history.
But this...
This was different.
An enemy could be fought.
A monster could be slain.
Yet how could one fight an invisible threat?
The large doors of the throne room suddenly opened.
A royal guard entered quickly before kneeling on one knee.
"Your Majesty."
King Aldric shifted his gaze toward the guard.
"Rise and speak."
The guard stood immediately.
His expression revealed obvious concern.
"The search operations have continued throughout the kingdom, Your Majesty. Additional patrols have been stationed near villages, city districts, and major roads."
King Aldric leaned slightly forward.
"And?"
The guard hesitated.
A brief silence filled the throne room.
"The results remain the same, Your Majesty."
The king’s eyes narrowed.
"No traces?"
"None."
"No witnesses?"
"None."
"No magical signatures?"
The guard lowered his head.
"Our court magicians have found nothing unusual."
A frown appeared on the king’s face.
That answer only made the situation more disturbing.
Even powerful mages had failed to discover anything.
The children were disappearing without leaving behind a single clue.
It was almost unnatural.
King Aldric remained silent for several moments.
The entire throne room felt tense.
Finally, he spoke.
"How many?"
The guard immediately understood the question.
"Two hundred and seventeen confirmed cases throughout Valenheart, Your Majesty."
A few nobles standing nearby visibly paled.
Two hundred and seventeen.
That number was far beyond what anyone could dismiss as coincidence.
The king slowly tightened his grip on the armrest of his throne.
"Have the adventurers discovered anything?"
"Unfortunately, no."
The guard continued carefully.
"Several silver-ranked adventurers have investigated the affected areas. A gold-ranked party was also dispatched last week."
"And?"
"They returned empty-handed."
The throne room fell silent once more.
Even experienced adventurers had failed.
Whatever was responsible for these disappearances was either extremely powerful...
Or incredibly careful.
King Aldric slowly stood from his throne.
The movement alone caused everyone present to straighten immediately.
His gaze moved across the room.
"The safety of our people is the foundation of this kingdom."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
"I will not allow fear to consume Valenheart."
The nobles nodded.
The guards stood even straighter.
King Aldric continued.
"Increase patrols along every major road. Double security around schools, orphanages, and residential districts."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Deploy additional scouts to every village within our borders."
"At once, Your Majesty."
"Inform the Adventurers Guild that any information regarding the disappearances will receive a royal reward."
The guard bowed deeply.
"It shall be done."
For a moment, silence returned.
Then the guard seemed to remember something.
His expression changed.
King Aldric immediately noticed.
"Speak."
The guard swallowed.
"There is one more report, Your Majesty."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
"What is it?"
The guard lowered his head.
"The information arrived this morning from our intelligence network."
King Aldric’s gaze sharpened.
"What information?"
The guard took a deep breath before answering.
"Also, Your Majesty..."
"The children are vanishing from other kingdoms as well."
The entire throne room froze.
Several nobles stared at the guard in disbelief.
King Aldric’s expression darkened.
"What kingdoms?"
The guard slowly raised his head.
"The Kingdom of Lunaris..."
His voice echoed throughout the silent hall.
"And others."
At that moment, an uneasy feeling settled over everyone present.
Because if the disappearances were occurring beyond Valenheart’s borders...
Then this was no longer a problem of one kingdom.
It was the beginning of something far greater.