A month was enough for panic to spread through Caran City like a fermenting plague.
On the streets, the once bustling crowds now hurried along, their faces mostly clouded by oppression and unease.
Low whispers flowed through the neighborhoods like a tide, yet the volume was suppressed by an invisible fear.
“Did you hear? Outside the city... the demons are increasing...”
“It seems all the demons from the canyon have moved here! My cousin is on the wall guard duty; he said he caught a glimpse downward when they changed shifts yesterday—it was a sea of black, so thick he couldn’t see the end!”
“The City Lord’s manor has long since ordered a media blackout and even forbidden the Adventurer’s Guild from issuing cleaning missions. Isn’t it obvious that something massive has happened?”
“What about those knight lords from the Royal Capital? Weren’t they supposed to go on a campaign against the demons? It’s been a month; why hasn’t there been any news?”
“I’m afraid... they all perished in the Black Forest, right? Sigh, I told them not to provoke those Legendary demons...”
“It’s over, it’s over... They must have made the demons furious, and now they’re here for revenge! What are we going to do?!”
Emotions of unease and despair loomed over this isolated city like heavy storm clouds, despite being protected by indestructible, giant city walls.
The residents within the city felt no sense of security whatsoever.
Everyone understood that a gathering of demons in such numbers would never simply “tour” the area and then leave.
Meanwhile, the impassioned speech given by the City Lord not long ago when he saw the knights off on their expedition had now become the ultimate irony.
It was repeatedly mentioned and spat upon by countless people in private.
The prestige of the City Lord’s manor had plummeted to the bottom of the abyss.
Inside the City Lord’s manor, the atmosphere was even more stagnant and heavy than on the streets.
The obese City Lord had long since lost his usual grandeur.
He paced back and forth across the meeting hall’s ornate carpet like an ant on a hot griddle.
Cold sweat was wiped from his forehead only to bead up again, soaking his magnificent silk robes.
“Ten thousand... over ten thousand... thousands of High Rank demons... how can we defend? How can we possibly hold?!”
He repeatedly muttered the latest reports sent from the city wall guards, his voice trembling with fear.
He knew very well that the walls of Caran City might block a tide of low-tier demons on the ground.
But for those sky demons capable of flight, as well as the Hero Rank demons with terrifying destructive power, these high walls were effectively nonexistent!
Furthermore, the top combat forces of Caran City had been depleted until not one in ten remained due to the previous conspiracy against the adventurers.
Relying solely on the ordinary Defense Force made it impossible to withstand the demon army outside, which moved like a prehistoric behemoth!
“What to do... what to do...” He was on the verge of a breakdown.
Just then, the heavy doors of the meeting hall were pushed open without the slightest hint of courtesy.
A young noble wearing the ornate armor of a defense official and an arrogant expression strode in.
He didn’t even bother to salute, simply throwing a letter onto the table in front of the City Lord.
“Lord City Lord.”
His voice carried undisguised contempt.
“This is my letter of resignation. My family has already decided to evacuate Caran City immediately, so as for the post of Deputy Commander of the Defense Force, I shall not be staying.”
The City Lord was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on as he lunged forward.
Disregarding all image, he actually grabbed the noble official’s leg, his voice filled with sobbing and pleading: “You can’t leave! You can’t leave! Commander Bob!”
“It was you! You were the ones who told me to find a way to weaken those mud-legged adventurers!”
“Now everyone who could threaten your status is dead! The Royal Capital Knights who were supposed to replace them are gone too!”
“The only thing that can protect this city now is your Defense Force! I beg you! Don’t leave!”
Tears and snot smeared the City Lord’s face and stained the officer’s polished greaves.
The official named Bob instantly displayed a look of extreme disgust.
He kicked the obese City Lord away with a sudden force, loathingly using a silk handkerchief to wipe the stains off his leg armor.
“Hmph! That’s none of our business!”
Bob’s voice was bone-chillingly cold; he stared at the pathetic City Lord on the ground with eyes full of hatred.
“Who was the one that took it upon themselves to invite the royal family’s power in?! Hmm?!”
He and the noble factions behind him had indeed requested the City Lord to weaken the growing power of the commoner adventurers to maintain the internal power balance of Caran City.
This year, there had been as many as nine Transcendent adventurers emerging from the commoners, while the Defense Force representing noble interests only had four.
This had already severely threatened their ruling status.
But they never imagined this idiot City Lord would invite the wolf into the house and summon the ambitious royal faction!
For local nobles, direct interference from the central royal power was a far greater threat than those “mud-legged” adventurers!
Fortunately, that knight order seemed to have the worst luck possible, being completely wiped out in the Black Demon Forest.
Unfortunately, the crusade of those fools had clearly and completely enraged the Legendary demon within the Black Forest.
This had led to the current terrifying situation where Caran City was on the brink of destruction!
The wealth, power, and foundation their noble families had accumulated over generations here were very likely to go down the drain along with the city’s annihilation!
At the thought of this, Bob wished he could draw his sword immediately and mince this good-for-nothing fat pig of a City Lord into meat paste!
By choosing to migrate the entire clan now across the crisis-ridden wilderness to reach other city-states, the losses along the way would be immeasurable even with the family’s private army for protection!
All of this was thanks to this fool!
The City Lord was kicked to the ground, but he crawled back trembling, clutching Bob’s leg tightly again and pleading in a sorrowful voice.
“Take me with you! Lord Bob, I beg you, take me with you! I have money! I have so much money! I’ll give it all to you! Just take me away from here!”
Looking down at this City Lord who lacked all dignity and was begging like a dog, Bob felt only utter disdain and revulsion.
He kicked him away once more.
“Go to hell with your money, you fat pig.”
He left those cold words behind and didn’t spare another glance at the City Lord, who was now slumped on the floor like mud, as he turned and strode away.
His armor clattered and clanked until it disappeared at the end of the corridor.
He left behind only the despairing City Lord lying on the cold floor, staring at the ornate ceiling with eyes filled with nothing but endless fear and darkness.
“No, no, no, it can’t be like this!”
“I—I still have—there’s still one more way.”
Recalling the royal family he had climbed up to reach, hope rose once more within the City Lord.
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