A month was more than enough time for panic to spread and fester like a plague within Caran City.
On the streets, the once bustling crowds now hurried along, their faces marked with gloom and anxiety.
Whispered discussions flowed through the streets like a tide, yet their volume was kept low by an invisible fear.
“Have you heard? Outside the city... the demons are multiplying...”
“It seems like all the demons from the canyon have come over! My cousin is in the Wall Defense Force. He said when he sneaked a peek down during yesterday's shift change, it was a sea of black as far as the eye could see!”
“The City Lord's mansion ordered a news blackout long ago and even banned the Adventurer's Guild from posting outside clearing missions. Isn't it obvious that something huge has happened?”
“What about those knight lords from the Royal Capital? Didn't they go to subjugate the demons? It's been a month, and there's not a peep of news.”
“They've probably... all perished in the Black Forest, right? Sigh, I told you not to provoke those Legendary demons...”
“We're doomed, we're doomed... They must have infuriated the demons, and now they've come for revenge! What are we going to do?!”
Anxiety and despair hung like thick, dark clouds over this isolated city, cut off by its high walls.
Even with the protection of the indestructible, massive city walls, the residents inside felt no sense of security whatsoever.
Everyone understood that with such a massive gathering of demons, there was no way they had only come for a 'sightseeing' trip outside the walls before leaving.
Meanwhile, the grand, passionate speech the City Lord had delivered not long ago when sending off the knights had now become the ultimate irony, repeatedly brought up and spat upon by countless people in private.
The prestige of the City Lord's mansion had completely plummeted to rock bottom.
Inside the City Lord's mansion, the atmosphere was even more stagnant and heavy than on the streets.
The obese City Lord had long lost his former grandeur.
Like an ant on a hot pan, he paced back and forth across the lavishly carpeted council chamber.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as fast as he could wipe it away, soaking through a large patch of his magnificent brocade robe.
“Ten thousand... more than ten thousand... thousands of High Rank demons... How do we defend against this? How can we possibly hold them off?!”
He repeatedly muttered the words from the latest report sent by the wall sentries, his voice trembling with fear.
He knew very well that while Caran City's walls might block the low-tier demon tide on the ground, against flying demons and Hero Rank demons with terrifying destructive power, the high walls were practically non-existent!
Furthermore, Caran City's top combat forces had already been decimated in the previous conspiracy against the adventurers, leaving barely one in ten alive.
Relying solely on the ordinary Defense Force, it was absolutely impossible to withstand the demonic army outside, which loomed like a prehistoric behemoth!
“What do I do... what do I do...” He was on the verge of a total breakdown.
Just then, the heavy doors of the council chamber were rudely pushed open.
A proud young noble wearing the splendid armor of a defense commander strode in.
He did not even bother to salute, tossing a letter directly onto the table in front of the City Lord.
“Lord City Lord,”
his voice carried undisguised contempt.
“this is my resignation. My family has decided to evacuate Caran City immediately, so I will no longer be accompanying you as the Deputy Commander of the Defense Force.”
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, the City Lord lunged forward.
Casting all dignity aside, he grabbed the noble defense commander's leg, his voice filled with tears and pleading:
“You can't leave! You can't leave, Commander Bob!”
“It was you! You guys were the ones who told me to find a way to weaken those dirt-poor adventurers!”
“Now, everyone who threatened your status is dead! The Royal Capital Knights who were supposed to replace them are gone too!”
“Now, the only ones who can save this city are your Defense Force! I beg you! Don't leave!”
Tears and snot smeared across the City Lord's face, rubbing onto the commander's polished greaves.
A look of extreme disgust instantly flashed across the face of the commander named Bob.
He kicked the obese City Lord away with a hard thrust, then disgustedly wiped the stains off his greaves with a silk handkerchief.
“Hmph! What does that have to do with us?!”
Bob's voice was ice-cold. He stared down at the pathetic City Lord on the floor, his eyes filled with hatred.
“Who told you to take it upon yourself to bring in the royal family's influence?! 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 balance of power within Caran City.
In the past year, as many as nine Transcendent adventurers had emerged among the commoners, while the Defense Force representing noble interests had only four, severely threatening their ruling status.
But they never expected this foolish City Lord to invite a wolf into the house by bringing in the ambitious royal faction!
For the local nobility, direct interference from the central royal authority was far more threatening than those 'dirt-poor' adventurers!
Fortunately, that order of knights seemed to have the worst luck imaginable, being completely wiped out in the Black Demon Forest.
But unfortunately, the campaign led by those fools had clearly enraged the Legendary demon in the Black Forest.
leading to the terrifying situation where Caran City now stood on the brink of destruction!
The wealth, power, and foundation their noble families had built over generations here were highly likely to go down the drain with the destruction of this city!
At this thought, Bob wished he could draw his sword immediately and hack this useless, fat pig of a City Lord into mincemeat!
Now, choosing to migrate with their entire clan across the perilous wilderness to other city-states would undoubtedly result in immeasurable losses along the way, even with their private family armies protecting them!
All of this was thanks to this idiot!
Kicked to the ground, the City Lord crawled back over, trembling.
He clung tightly to Bob's leg once more, pleading in a pitiful 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!”
Bob looked down at the begging City Lord who had cast away all dignity.
His eyes held nothing but utter contempt and disgust.
He kicked him away violently once more.
“Go to hell with your money, you fat pig.”
Leaving those cold words behind, he didn't spare another glance at the City Lord, who lay limp like mud on the floor, and strode away.
His armor clanked loudly as he vanished down the end of the corridor.
Leaving only the despairing City Lord lying alone on the cold floor.
Staring up at the ornate ceiling, his eyes held nothing but endless fear and darkness.
“No, no, no, it can't end like this!”
“I... I still have... one more way.”
Recalling the royal family he had aligned himself with, a glimmer of hope rose within the City Lord once more.
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