Tap! Tap!
Tap!
Suddenly, footsteps drew nearer...
It was night, so the city lord's office was dimly lit. A suffocating atmosphere filled the vast hall, as if the shadow of the apocalypse that hung over the world outside had seeped into this place as well.
Several oil paintings lined the walls, depicting the splendor of humanity's bygone age. They looked exquisite, but in this wretched world, those scenes of former glory seemed especially gaudy and ironic.
"..."
Fortunately, Sean didn't care much about any of that!
Amid the heavy footsteps, he strode into the city lord's council hall, his pace slightly hurried but utterly resolute.
His black combat suit was still stained with dirt and blood. The cuffs, elbows, knees, and other areas were torn in several places, and his face bore the fatigue, grime, and wear of a long journey and many days without a wash.
It was clear he hadn't had time to clean up or change.
Still, those were minor matters, and he didn't care much about them himself!
"!!"
At last, he reached the steps at the far end of the hall and stopped. He lifted his head and chest, met the gaze of City Lord Charles seated above, and saluted.
As he raised his head to salute, he saw that Charles looked even more haggard than he did. His once handsome face had been twisted by illness, and his only remaining left eye was sunken deep in its socket, with little life in it. His entire bearing radiated dejection and exhaustion, as if he were gravely ill and on the verge of death.
By comparison, the Lightbearer Fan Lü beside him was far more alluring and radiant.
She wore a tight-fitting black-and-red formal gown that accentuated her graceful figure. Her long, lustrous black hair fell