Thirty kilometers south of the City of Darkness.
“Halt! You are entering the territory of the Kingdom of Clear.”
After trekking through the dangerous forest and losing more than a dozen people, the crowd of hundreds of refugees finally reached the kingdom’s border.
However, they were met with a blockade of soldiers.
They had fled toward the Kingdom of Clear, dragging their families along in search of sanctuary.
Because the battle had erupted so suddenly, many had fled their homes with nothing but the meager supplies they could carry in their hands.
By the time they reached this point, many had gone several meals without food.
“These poor souls,” the guard captain muttered, watching the growing crowd of displaced people. “What on earth happened? Did the City of Darkness actually fall? Who would even attack that place?”
“Magic beasts, maybe? Could it be a beast tide from deep within the forest?” The vice-captain beside him shook his head. “No, that’s impossible. If that were the case, we would be suffering the same fate right now.”
Just then, a modest caravan of horse-drawn carriages emerged from a small path in the forest.
As the vehicles came to a stop, a Tier 3 warrior jumped down from the rear and approached the soldiers in a few quick strides.
“We are a diplomatic team from the City of Darkness. We need to see your Northern Count. Please let us through.”
“A diplomatic team? You people...”
The City of Darkness had never sent a diplomatic team anywhere.
In fact, the last time the two sides had communicated was over a hundred years ago when they signed the Trade Cooperation Treaty.
Coming here so urgently now, combined with the refugees gathering nearby, made the guard captain feel that something was very wrong.
“Was your City of Darkness really attacked by magic beasts?”
“What do you think? It’s all the work of your nobles, suddenly sending a swarm of beasts to raid us.”
The guard captain was stunned. “???”
Utterly bewildered, he allowed them to pass. The caravan drove through under the dazed gazes of the crowd.
“I have a feeling we’re going to take the blame for this,” one soldier whispered.
“Did the Count really attack them in secret? There’s no reason for it. If he had, we would have known. This road is the only shortcut to the City of Darkness.”
The guard captain shook his head, a sense of unease blooming in his heart.
...
Half a day later, in the kingdom’s border city, Tate.
This was the capital city of Count Amelo’s territory, home to approximately 200,000 people.
When the diplomatic official entered the hall, Amelo, who was seated at the head, smiled warmly. “Lady Eves, what brings you to my humble abode?”
“Respected Lord, I’m afraid I should be asking you that very question.”
The stunning woman standing in the center of the hall was one of the three powerhouses of the City of Darkness.
If Xia Jin had seen her, she would have been quite surprised. During the attack on the City of Darkness, she had encountered several Tier 4 experts and assumed that Eves and the Thunder King were among those who had been killed.
“Oh? My apologies, but I don’t understand. Is there an issue with our trade?” Amelo invited her to a seat nearby, his aged face showing a look of confusion.
“Do you truly not know? A noble from the kingdom led a swarm of magic beasts to invade my city. Because the attack was so sudden, we were unprepared and the city fell. However, after several hours of fierce fighting, the enemy retreated, though they seized the majority of our resources. The City Guard was almost completely decimated; our losses are catastrophic.”
Eves’s tone carried a hint of suppressed rage as she spoke.
“I apologize, but I knew nothing of this. Clearly, it was not my doing.”
Amelo frowned.
His first thought was that he was being framed. If such a thing had truly happened, Eves and the other hidden powerhouses of the City of Darkness would certainly hunt him down relentlessly.
The prospect of having several experts at Tier 4 or higher as mortal enemies was a terrifying thought.
“I am only here to confirm something. The commander who appeared that day was a member of your royal family. She had silver hair—a very rare bloodline—and only your nobles would have the capability to stand against my City of Darkness. Not to mention, her guards used the orthodox Blazing Vitality, which is a secret art known only to your royal court.”
Amelo subconsciously glanced at his own hair.
He had white hair as well, but it was the white of old age, weathered and thin—very different from the beautiful, shimmering silver-white hair she described.
“Regrettably, we truly know nothing. In fact, I have no reason to raid you. Although supplies have been a bit tight lately... I have already reached agreements with other lords. There is no need for me to risk starting a war.”
Eves fell silent.
After a moment, she stood up and gave a slight bow. “I understand. I shall take my leave.”
Amelo watched her figure until it vanished from sight, at which point his expression turned livid. “Go investigate. I want to know exactly what happened in the City of Darkness.”
“Yes, sir!” a subordinate immediately responded.
With thousands of guards dead and Eves still alive, and considering the connections that city had built over centuries, it would be endless trouble if his territory was framed as the culprit.
The Kingdom was certainly much stronger than the City of Darkness, but Amelo was merely a minor Count; he could not afford such a headache.
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