80. Gray Bowler Hat / 81. Broadcast ...

"The initial work must be completed before the dukes enter the city, otherwise they may use the pretext of disaster relief to seal off various plots of land and take the opportunity to classify you all as infected and isolate you, thereby depriving you of your freedom and voice."

Krolovsia nodded after hearing this.

Clearly, she agreed with Bai Ye's point of view.

"The Squad Five from Little Hill District is on its way and will arrive soon. The other support teams are still on their way and should be here soon as well. This is all I can do," Bai Ye sighed.

"That's enough..." Krolovsia said gratefully.

Bai Ye glanced at the area outside the city and shook his head:

"I just hope the chaos here will end soon."

Chapter Eighty: The Gray Hat

Krolovsia left in a hurry. The rescue Squad Five that Bai Ye mentioned had already arrived in Little Hill District, and she had to go to coordinate various disaster relief matters.

The crowd gradually dispersed. Most of them were ordinary citizens who had gathered together out of hatred. Now that Bai Ye had stopped their revenge and made a promise to them, they had to go back.

As Bai Ye said, there has been far too much bloodshed, fire, death, and tears in Londinium over the years... People need time to adjust and move on from this terrible memory. It's difficult for them to return to normal life immediately; they need to lick their wounds from time to time.

However, they can at least avoid being consumed by the flames of hatred.

"Phew..." Bai Ye let out a long sigh of relief.

At least, he has achieved part of his goal.

Then, Bai Ye remembered Mandragora and the others who had been following him all along, and said with a strange expression:

"I didn't expect it to be so complicated... At first, it seemed like we were just planning to bring you in safely."

"..." Mandragora was speechless.

"Well, at least you're safe now, aren't you?" Bai Ye blinked. Just as he said, although the process was somewhat complicated, everyone returned safely to the city of Londinium.

Mandragora also breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, her feelings were extremely complicated, and her gaze towards Bai Ye was filled with various emotions.

She never imagined that the one who would ultimately save them was the enemy she had once hated so deeply. And the leader she had once regarded as her pillar of support and whom she had admired so much, had coldly abandoned her at the crucial moment.

Seeing Mandragora, Bai Ye suddenly joked again:

"Now that you're safe, you shouldn't go back on your word and forget our agreement, right?"

"How could that be? Don't lump me in with those liars!" Mandragora immediately bristled, clearly still valuing her reputation.

Bai Ye nodded noncommittally, then looked at the area where the Duke Alliance were assembled and slowly said:

"I still have some things to take care of. You should leave here as soon as possible..."

Mandragora and the others nodded.

Then, after a sonic boom, Bai Ye's figure disappeared from the spot.

After Bai Ye left, the surviving Deepsea soldiers looked at Mandragora and asked:

"Sir, where do we go next?"

Mandragora, who had been standing there somewhat dazed, gradually came to her senses after hearing her subordinate's question. She glanced at everyone and then spoke:

"We're going to the disaster area to help."

"Huh?!" The Deepsea soldiers were stunned. They hadn't expected Mandragora to make such a decision.

"We're really going to help those Victoria?!" They looked at Mandragora with some doubt; this didn't align with their usual principles and practices. After all, they were Tara people, relegated to second-class citizen status by the other Victoria. Now, they were actually going to actively help these Londinium people.

"..."

Mandragora paused for a moment, then said softly:

"Blood and fire alone will only bring destruction; enemies will only be afraid temporarily, but will not submit forever."

Even Mandragora's old friend, the secret agent Kilian of Tara, had a look of surprise in his eyes. He had not expected that Mandragora, who was originally crazy and hostile to other Victoria, would have such an awareness.

Mandragora continued:

"Perhaps our actions are meaningless, and they will still despise us and drive us away. But from the eyes of those Londinium just now, I could see that many of them still have a conscience. Therefore, we will definitely gain friends, friends who are willing to stand behind us and speak up for us. This is the path and direction that Bai Ye just taught us."

This transformation made Mandragora seem like a stranger to everyone. They never expected that these words would come from her mouth.

Mandragora was getting annoyed by the stares from everyone, as if she had always been a madwoman. She waved her hand impatiently and said in a self-deprecating tone:

"Ahem... that's how it is for now! Yeah, if we can't make it here, we'll head to the Core City!"

Kilian, standing to the side, looked at his old friend and couldn't help but laugh.

In the past Mandragora blindly followed Eblana, the leader who saved her, without ever thinking independently. As Bai Ye and Outcast said, loyalty and dependence are not so different.

Now, after learning that she has been abandoned by the person she trusted most, Bai Ye suddenly reappears, giving her new hope and becoming her pillar of support. The difference is that this time, she has learned to think independently.

After Bai Ye left, he saw Gray Hat by the roadside.

However, he was wearing Gray Hat that he had already changed into. Obviously, he didn't dare to appear openly in front of the citizens of Londinium, after all, he had almost been hanged by angry citizens just now.

Although it was the same way the king would die, he declined, as he needed to continue serving the Duke Caster.

"You didn't leave?" Bai Ye blinked, looking at the spy in front of him with some curiosity.

"I inspected the Western Hall of the Holy King's Council, the underground Resting Place of Kings, and the nearly destroyed area near the Shard," the Gray Hat replied with a smile.

Putting aside his status, he is actually a very charming gentleman from Londinium, although his current attire is indeed rather inappropriate.

What was the result?

"... I can only answer that every legend, every tale, every story passed down by word of mouth around the campfire has a reasonable explanation." The Gray Hat squinted at Bai Ye.

"You can fool ordinary people, but you can't fool me, and that little girl certainly won't believe it either. She's just pretending not to know."

Bai Ye nodded:

"Because she needs a banner to unite everyone. Without the Sarkaz as an external enemy, the Self-Salvation Army could easily collapse on its own and might not be able to hold out until the Grand Dukes enter Londinium."

As he spoke, Bai Ye glanced at the Gray Hat:

"What's more, there are people like you in Squad Five."

The man in the Gray Hat gave Bai Ye a deep look:

"This land is becoming more and more interesting... But have you ever thought that you, who possess the national sword 'Breath of Kings', may already have an influence far beyond your imagination?"

Chapter 81 Broadcast

"Thank you for your advice." Bai Ye knew that what the Gray Hat said was true.

Now the Breath of Kings is in his hands; it is the national sword of Victoria, a symbol of great royal power. Although strength is the sole criterion for becoming king, this sword can, to a certain extent, represent legitimacy and inheritance.

This is the only thing that can represent royal power in Victoria, which has been without a king for too long, apart from the remaining royal bloodline.

"To be honest, one of my missions in infiltrating Londinium was to find the Breath of Kings for Duke Caster." Although the mission had essentially failed, the Gray Hat remained calm and showed no sign of resentment.

"But there's no need to keep it a secret anymore, since those dukes will definitely come looking for you."

Bai Ye looked at his empty hands; the Breath of Kings had vanished from his grasp at some point.

"I think they'll offer a good price, but whether I buy it or not depends on my mood."

Upon hearing this, the Gray Hat shook his head.

"The key issue isn't the sword itself, but rather who possesses it. If it were just some nameless street beggar who found the 'Breath of Kings,' no one would care, and they might even completely deny that it is the national sword."

"But now this sword is in your hands, and it is so important because you are Bai Ye. Moreover, you have held this sword up and displayed it before the citizens of Londinium. They have convinced you and are willing to stand behind you."

Although Bai Ye was not afraid of the dukes, he still smiled and said:

"Thank you for telling me this."

"I just wanted to express my goodwill in advance. If the dukes do have some unpleasantness with you later, then I need to leave myself an escape route before that happens," the Gray Hat said honestly.

He paused for a moment, then laughed:

"Although my identity and position keep me loyal to the Duke Caster, I personally find the current situation quite interesting. If it were you, you might indeed be able to create a completely new future."

"Victoria with only the Duke is indeed too boring. We have been decadent for too long, and we didn't even realize that we were being overtaken by our rebellious 'son' Columbia."

The man in the Gray Hat gestured towards Bai Ye before leaving. Clearly, he would report what had happened in Londinium to the dukes. Of course, Londinium couldn't have only one spy like this; even Kal'tsit had infiltrated the area, let alone the dukes.

Bai Ye let them leave.

He then headed back towards the exit of Londinium, which was surrounded by the Duke Alliance...

The matter here is finally coming to an end.

"Mingjiao, you run first, we can still hold on."

"Team leader..."

"Run! You're still young; you shouldn't die here—"

Within Londinium, there are many Sarkaz scattered throughout the area, most of whom are mercenaries, though some are soldiers belonging to the Royal Court Army's army.

At this moment, however, their identities were no different. They were surrounded by Londinium hunting them. The enemy outnumbered them far, and they were lacking ammunition, constantly being surrounded and whittled down.

Mingjiao is a young Sarkaz girl whose mercenary squad is currently in dire straits, surrounded by the Londinium. This is a true reflection of the fate of the Sarkaz who didn't have time to evacuate to the exit.

These are two kinds of despair: one is knowing you are about to lose something but being unable to do anything and can only wait to die; the other is being killed immediately.

It's hard to say which one is more torturous.

"No, Captain, it's too late." Mingjiao looked to the other side; the gap from before had now been blocked by another group of Londinium civilian militia. They held shields and advanced slowly, step by step.

"Call--"

The old mercenary, lying injured on the ground, sat up and, with trembling hands, took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Mingjiao noticed that the red woolen finger cot she had knitted for him was in his cigarette case.

"Wait, we're about to launch our final raid. Mingjiao, take this opportunity and run!" The mercenary squad leader glanced at the Victoria approaching slowly.

They were not ordinary mobs blinded by anger and hatred, but trained and organized militia. They were not simply seeking revenge, but systematically and deliberately wiping out all the Sarkaz within Londinium.

Just as this Sarkaz squad was preparing for their final moments, creating a possibility of survival for the youngest girl in the Squad Five, the Londinium suddenly stopped advancing.

At this moment, all broadcast channels in Londinium, all communication channels, and even the various drones hovering in the sky were constantly broadcasting the latest command:

"I am Krolovsia, citizens of Londinium, stop hunting down the Sarkaz and let them go."

Some Londinium residents took off their headphones, only to hear the same broadcast being broadcast by drones overhead.

The Londinium people, who hadn't gathered outside the port because they were chasing the Sarkaz, were completely bewildered. Had their commander suddenly fallen ill? They'd come this far, and now they were suddenly being told to release all these demons?

It's like you've knocked someone down, and you're just one hit away from sending them to a restart, but they just say, "Hey, can we settle this?" And you actually agree?

This is a relapse of a medical condition.

After all, these people had never been outside the port with Krolovsia, had never heard Bai Ye's splendid sermons, nor had they seen the national sword "Breath of Kings," which represented royal power, so they could not understand the meaning of this order.

However... they ultimately chose to obey orders. After all, as the commander, Krolovsia held considerable prestige, and although they were unwilling, they would not openly disobey her orders.

Moreover, the legendary story of Bai Ye wielding the Breath of Kings to cleave through the Catastrophe and save all of Londinium has begun to spread. Since this is the hero's suggestion, let's do as he says.

"Get out of here, you demons!" The Londinium man, weapons in hand, looked warily at the Sarkaz, but instead of continuing his attack, he made way for them.

"Get out of Londinium!"

Chapter 82 To Be or Not to Be

This is an incredibly magical scene.

The Victoria, who had been chasing the Sarkaz, suddenly stopped, and broadcasts throughout Londinium were playing Krolovsia's orders.

For a moment, even the Sarkaz were caught off guard; this unexpected turn of events left them somewhat bewildered.

Of course, not everything is as futuristic as what's unfolding before us; after all, there are always those who lose control. Not everyone obeyed Krolovsia's orders. They either chose to kill the Sarkaz before them or were killed by the Sarkaz in return.

After all, even with the advantage, some untrained Londinium, lacking even decent weaponry, were no match for the Sarkaz regular army. Some Sarkaz had already given up on survival; they were simply killing in a self-destructive frenzy, immersed in the destruction of blood and fire, until they too were consumed by the flames.