Ch.166Arba (1)

Llewellyn’s selection of personnel had been meticulously calculated.

On the surface, it might appear as just an outing with his mother (temporary) and sister (real).

But in reality, thorough calculation had gone into it.

First, Orthemilia.

With her knowledge about drugs and various other matters, plus the insights she would possess about a place where she had conducted business herself, there was no reason for Llewellyn not to bring her along.

So it hardly needed explanation, but some people had expressed dissatisfaction about taking Lucilla.

However, it couldn’t be helped.

Among them, there were few individuals who were both powerful enough to intimidate mercenaries on sight and whose strength was clearly evident from their appearance.

One couldn’t bring Valterok as a “figurehead,” could they?

That would be like carrying a nuclear briefcase as a self-defense item.

In that sense, there weren’t many candidates.

Isla and Lorian weren’t well-known, and judging by appearances alone, they were just harmless beautiful women, so bringing them wouldn’t help.

Until recently, Isla had been a half-transformed shapeshifter unable to wield magic, unable to use a single skill, and thus not famous, until she wore the necklace made from her brother.

Lorian had a known name and appearance, but her armor had been shattered by Llewellyn, and her face and appearance had been permanently altered.

So that left Melody, the Mourner, and Lucilla.

Melody was disqualified in that sense. Her face was well-known and her reputation considerable, but her loss of sight was an issue.

Though she herself claimed it didn’t affect her combat ability, others might not think the same.

It would be troublesome if someone saw the blind Melody and charged at her thinking it was an opportunity. Melody could only slump her shoulders in resignation at that reasoning.

So it was Lucilla.

Lucilla was a known powerhouse.

She was widely regarded as comparable to the Three Pillars, the three legendary figures of the Old Continent.

In the Empire, she was known as Guardian Knight Lucilla.

But outside the Empire, those who had crossed swords with her during the Empire’s wars called her:

Annihilation, Lucilla.

When Llewellyn first heard that title, he wasn’t sure if it meant Red Annihilation or Enemy’s Annihilation.

But later, after seeing his sister’s unique weapon, he easily understood.

It was indeed Red Annihilation. Nuclear flames might appear somewhat red when viewed from a safe distance.

So bringing Lucilla was a rational choice.

For mercenaries, reputation and notoriety are very intuitive, and the mere presence of a powerful figure makes many things easier.

Especially when that person’s face is known and they’re renowned as one of the emerging Three Pillars of the Old Continent?

Nothing could be better. That’s why Llewellyn deliberately put his sister at the forefront.

They were approaching the city entrance. Considering that such cities typically close their gates after dark, it wasn’t strange that no one was there.

Rather, there were many tents near the entrance. People waiting for the gates to open at dawn so they could enter.

While none of them looked familiar to Llewellyn or Lucilla, it was different for Orthemilia.

“I see people who used to receive goods from me.”

“Business partners?”

“Not grand enough to call them business partners. More like drug dealers who sold my products a few connections down the line.”

Llewellyn looked at the drug dealers after hearing Orthemilia’s explanation.

The drug dealer didn’t match the typical image of one. For better or worse, he looked like an “ordinary merchant.”

With senses far beyond human capability enhancing his vision, Llewellyn noticed that most of the goods in their temporarily parked carts weren’t drugs.

‘Do they sell drugs as a side business?’

No, that’s not it. Llewellyn immediately corrected his thinking and voiced his thought.

“That makes sense. It’s possible.”

And Orthemilia lightly agreed with Llewellyn’s opinion. More accurately, it was closer to “it could be so.”

Orthemilia thought it noteworthy that Llewellyn’s limited intellect had managed to reach such a conclusion.

She patted down her skirt from the seat Llewellyn had provided and said:

“Arba is likely cracking down on drugs right now.”

*

“Sister, is this really the right decision?”

It was a shabby space. Inside were two beastkin.

One was a wolf beastkin. Though resembling a wolf standing on two legs, they were already accepted as a branch of humanity in the Empire.

Beastkin with completely animal forms. These not uncommon beings were descendants born after shapeshifters had transformed.

Sometimes they were born when bloodlines got tangled or something went wrong—or right—and they were essentially treated the same as humans.

But in the mercenary world, it was different. Though not shapeshifters themselves, they were as fierce as transformed shapeshifters.

Strength, exceptional vitality, survival skills stemming from animal instincts.

They were destined to excel as mercenaries. That’s why half the mercenaries in the Old Continent were beastkin with complete animal forms.

This “aide” was one such being, and so was the “sister.”

A woman with the appearance of a lioness, though lacking a lush mane, unmistakable to anyone who saw her.

She crossed her long legs and looked at her subordinate.

“Complaints are flooding in from across the city. Many mercenary groups are threatening to leave the city if drugs aren’t resupplied. Even now…”

“Let them be.”

“Sister.”

“Those guys will change their minds once they get burned outside.”

She appeared relaxed, but in reality, she was not.

She had reached this conclusion after trembling with anxiety, deep contemplation, and worry.

Therefore, her decision was unwavering.

Knowing her subordinate would also be steadfast, she rose from her seat.

“It’s been about two months. Are you aware of what’s happened during that time?”

The subordinate remained silent, and the “sister” paced around her office.

“The Cannibal Baron is dead. He was the only one keeping the cannibals in this area from engaging in ‘futile activities,’ but with his death, cannibals have appeared even within the city. The three who were arrested recently were caught eating people, weren’t they?”

Cannibals are not just cannibals. Those who initially ate human flesh to survive eventually become beings who cannot satisfy their hunger without cannibalism.

The recently arrested ones were like that. They were all sentenced to hanging but survived for a very long time.

Their limbs had grown beyond human proportions, and their tongues writhed outside their mouths, designed to suck marrow from deep within bones.

The executions were carried out in secret.

“Lord Ethan has… also passed away. May the stars punish that murderer.”

She couldn’t deeply mourn the death of someone she admired.

Not much time had passed, but the weight on her shoulders was too great.

The subordinate looked worriedly at his sister, and the woman commonly called “sister” looked at the weapon hanging on the wall.

It was an axe with an unusually long handle. A name was inscribed on the blade:

Arba.

The woman’s name was Arba, the ruler of the city.

“That’s not all. Servan has completely disappeared from the map, and Marsi has become a lawless zone. There’s no order anywhere, and monsters are running rampant in the gaps. Truly, this New Continent is becoming exactly what people in the Old Continent imagine it to be.”

It would be fortunate if that were all, but it wasn’t.

The woman recalled many things she couldn’t bring herself to mention.

The arrival of the Cradle, the Black Knights running wild.

The existence of the Star’s Blade and the murderer who killed the Cannibal Baron.

Even the mountain peak that had begun to move not far away.

That’s why the woman was convinced.

Now was the time to be cautious, prudent, and prioritize safety.

“Compared to what could happen… the prohibition of drugs is a trivial matter. So endure it. Drive out anyone who can’t.”

The woman was resolute. She slightly opened the window in the wall and looked outside.

People with light armaments were walking around the city.

Most were mercenaries, some were assassins, and others were criminals who had committed unspeakable sins.

But in this city, Arba, they were all residents. The woman clasped her hands behind her back and looked down at her city with tired eyes.

If only there were a way to solve everything at once.

How did she end up agreeing to manage such a city?

As the woman was about to sigh, there was a knock at the office door.

The subordinate glanced at the door and gave the woman a look, and the woman Arba instantly transformed into the deserter knight Arba and nodded.

“Enter.”

As the wolf beastkin rose from his seat, the door swung open.

“A-Arba, ma’am!”

A man who seemed flustered, out of breath, and greatly shocked entered.

He was one of her subordinates. Knowing the faces of all her subordinates, she recalled that he was stationed at the city gate.

“What’s the matter? Who has arrived?”

Arba was an excellent superior. Knowing her subordinate’s position, name, and face, she asked, making it easy for her subordinates to report.

So reports were immediate and swift, and there should be no hesitation in them, but…

The subordinate rarely hesitated. As Arba, equally rarely, considered whether to press him, the subordinate displayed clear signs of fear.

Fear?

Now?

Arba confirmed that she didn’t have her axe in hand. So there was no reason to be afraid…

That’s when it happened.

A flash of light erupting from afar.

Arba’s lioness face, recognizable only to other beastkin with complete animal forms, stiffened, and her gaze turned toward the open window.

The subordinate spoke:

“T-The Annihilation, the Annihilation has come!”

The Annihilation. Anyone from the Old Continent would irritably insist on calling her Guardian Knight and show their faith.

But for those who had rebelled against the Empire, failed, and been driven to the New Continent, it was a name synonymous with doom.

And as everyone present knew, Arba, the wolf beastkin subordinate, and the subordinate who had been the gatekeeper were all executives of the rebel army.

As Arba froze in place, the subordinate’s lament burst forth:

“Lucilla has come to finish us off!”

Arba growled and picked up her axe.