Ten Years Later

"Noah, someone's causing trouble!" A childish voice rang out as a little girl with a ponytail stood beneath the building and shouted.

Noah, who had been sitting on the second-floor windowsill reading, closed his book with one hand and raised his head.

Ten-year-old Noah looked exceptionally sturdy. His neat clothes and meticulous bearing had made him the leader of the local Kexi Youth Organization.

Setting the book on a table beside him, Noah leaped down from the window and smoothed his black hair. He did not look like a ten-year-old boy at all.

"Tell me what happened. Who would dare cause trouble around here?" Noah narrowed his eyes. This was no longer the little village it had been ten years ago.

Ever since the great Negary had sent down a miracle eight years ago and driven back the Kente People, this once-tiny village had been called Reastmia by others—the place watched over by greatness. Here, "greatness" could refer to things beyond humanity, such as devils or gods.

Gradually, the Kexi People accepted the name Reastmia as well. After all, before that, this little village had not even had a name.

Later, the Kente People launched a second retaliatory attack, but beneath Negary's glory, they were once again driven back. Reastmia entered a period of rapid growth, with large numbers of scattered Kexi People coming to seek refuge there. After all, Negary belonged to the legends of the Kexi People. Whether he was an Orthodox God or an evil god, the Kexi People felt a far stronger sense of belonging toward him.

Over ten years, Reastmia had become the largest trade hub in the surrounding area, and its population had grown exceedingly complicated.

The Kexi People formed its main body. They worshipped Negary and established the Crow Men Organization to maintain order in Reastmia. Then there were merchants from both countries—though none of them were particularly legitimate merchants. With relations between Roas and Interkami now tense, the two nations had nominally cut off trade.

But before profit, trade bans were nothing more than a joke. Plenty of people still carried on trade, and the ever-growing Reastmia was the perfect place for it.

A great many smugglers brought enormous wealth to Reastmia, and wealth naturally drew even more people. Mercenaries came seeking jobs; work as bodyguards, black-on-black robberies, and all manner of commissions were too numerous to count.

Besides mercenaries, pickpockets, assassins, prostitutes, and the like gradually gathered in Reastmia because there was wealth here. Of course, some people came for reasons other than wealth, such as fugitives, deserters, or intelligence agents.

Geographically, Reastmia still belonged to the Interkami Kingdom. But this place had originally been remote and worthless, inhabited only by a group of Kexi People barely clinging to life. Thus, the Interkami Kingdom had paid it no attention, nor had anyone come to govern it.

Even if Interkami wanted to govern it now, it lacked the strength. The nation had grown weaker and weaker. The royal civil strife of those years had drained Interkami's national power, and that was also why relations between the two countries had become so tense.

It was said that the Kingdom of Roas had already begun mobilizing its nobles for war. Before long, a war between the two nations would be unavoidable.

Thus, all of Reastmia was gradually becoming unsettled. The Interkami Kingdom not only wanted to become its nominal ruler, but also wanted to truly occupy it and turn it into a defensive line against the Kingdom of Roas.

Roas, meanwhile, also wanted control of Reastmia. That way, Interkami would find it difficult to establish a defensive line against Roas.

Between the two nations, Reastmia's rulers leaned more toward aiding the Interkami Kingdom.

For one, unlike the Interkami Kingdom, the Kingdom of Roas was a standard ethnic-class kingdom. Its nobles were all Roas people, while other races in Roas were second-class citizens at best—perhaps even third-class citizens or slaves.

For another, Roas was currently far too powerful. If they truly threw in their lot with Roas, they would very likely be swallowed whole in the end.

Noah walked through the chaotic yet strangely orderly Reastmia, and a large number of Kexi youths gradually gathered behind him.

The surrounding merchants watched the group of youths with wary eyes. Unlike the Crow Men Organization, which maintained local order for the Kexi People, the Kexi Youth Organization formed by these youths also possessed considerable fighting strength.

At first, this organization had merely been regarded as children fooling around without knowing better. Yet not long after its establishment, it absorbed a great number of Reastmia's pickpockets and became the maker of the underground order here.

These Kexi youths—especially those born after Negary had manifested—surpassed their peers in physical ability, temperament, and intelligence. They were not much inferior even to adults.

"There's a lone wolf. He only arrived in Rea today. After Las made his move, he was chased back to the nest." The little girl explained what had happened to Noah. By "lone wolf," she meant a mercenary who worked alone rather than in a team.

"So that lone wolf wants an explanation from us? What does he want?" Noah was not surprised. Pickpockets always had times when they failed. Those who came to Reastmia always included some skilled people. They generally dealt with matters according to the victim's circumstances. If the other party had backing and means, they would apologize and send them off; for the Kexi People's sake, the other party would not make too much of it.

But if the other party had neither power nor influence, nor any means to speak of, they could only accept their bad luck. If they failed to recognize the times, they would very likely become food for the crows. The crow flocks did not mind an extra meal.

"No. That man detained some of our companions and hopes to get our help. It seems he's looking for someone." The little girl wore a very strange expression. "He seems to be looking for Mad Girl's family."

Noah stopped walking. The Mad Girl the little girl spoke of was named Nara, one of the few Kexi youths who refused to obey him. Of course, even if she had chosen obedience, Noah would not have accepted her. She was, after all, descended from sinners.

"Let's go meet that lone wolf first." Noah headed toward the pickpockets' nest.

Meanwhile, atop a great tree deep within Reastmia, Wang Yuan opened his eyes. A mass of black suddenly burst from the tree as hundreds upon hundreds of crows flew out, forming a vast flock.

"Someone is looking for Nara and Isabella?" Noah was Wang Yuan's righteous man; whatever Noah knew, Wang Yuan could know as well.

"It isn't someone from the Interkami royal family, but a mercenary." Wang Yuan found it slightly strange, though only slightly. Research concerning Nara was still at a crucial stage. Wang Yuan had no intention of letting anyone take Nara away, at least not yet.

Thus, although Isabella had attempted several times over the years to leave Reastmia by various means, Wang Yuan had stopped her every time.

It would be better to let Noah gather more information first, Wang Yuan silently thought.

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