Gilan fell silent.
Suddenly, he uttered a sentence:
"I killed Layton Lewis and all his children."
"?!"
Charles was startled.
The middle-aged man was startled and immediately jumped up from his chair as if his backside was on fire.
"Young Master?!" he exclaimed in astonishment.
Charles recalled the sudden chaos downstairs and connected the information he had gathered in his mind. Soon, he understood everything.
Young Master Gilan and the Louis Family must have an irreconcilable feud!
"I'm so sorry, young master, it's all my fault, my brain isn't what it used to be."
Charles wore a pained expression and kept shaking his head in apology.
"I even asked the Louis Family to help me find you... sigh! It's all my fault, all my fault! Thankfully you're safe and sound!"
"As for you killing them, well..."
He frowned, paced back and forth twice, and said in a deep voice:
"Although Layton Lewis was once a high-ranking member of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, he has retired and his influence is not what it used to be... In addition, he has been Seclusion in Black City for several years, and his former network of connections has also faded."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that the Louis Family is Baron family; they have actually been in decline for a long time."
"Please don't worry, young master. As long as you haven't left any evidence and haven't been discovered, Master Ramon has plenty of ways to cover this up for you..."
"Furthermore, war is imminent! It would be perfectly reasonable for the once-declining Louis Family to perish in the flames of war!"
After meeting Gilan, Charles immediately took on the role of an old butler, wholeheartedly offering advice and strategies to his young master.
But Gilan sensed something amiss in the other person's words.
"Is war coming?" He frowned.
"Yes, young master!" Charles's expression turned serious. "The family sent a secret telegram this morning. The Ovena Federation has developed new weapons and will attack the Empire soon. The defenses in the Great Forest Region simply cannot withstand them!"
"Please come with me quickly! Don't linger for even a moment!"
The middle-aged man gripped Gilan's wrist tightly with excitement and said in a deep voice:
"For this trip, Mr. Ramon specially arranged a 'car' for me. It's a new type of transportation developed by the Capital's ' Machinery Union, and it's faster than horse-drawn carriages, trains, and ferries!"
Gilan knew the seriousness of the matter, but she did not refuse.
He looked thoughtful, then slipped his hand inside his trench coat to conceal it, and took out a framed photograph of his mother holding her baby from his alchemical leather pocket, handing it to Charles.
"Young Master, what is this?"
"This is my mother's only photograph, old Charles, please keep it safe for me."
Gilan Road.
Holding the photo frame, Charles looked at the beautiful young woman and was immediately reminded of the scene from more than twenty years ago. At this moment, he was also 100% certain that the blond youth in front of him was the bloodline of Lord Ramon he was looking for.
"How many people can your car seat?" Gilan asked.
Charles was taken aback, but quickly understood what his young master meant.
But he didn't ask any further questions, and simply answered honestly:
"Besides you and me, there are three more seats, or four if we squeeze in a bit."
"Where are the five people?"
"That's... okay, but it would be a stretch."
"Give me some time." Gilan listened and nodded.
Charles smiled. As long as the young master agreed to leave with him, everything else was a minor issue.
"However, please hurry, young master."
Charles said solemnly.
"I'll be waiting for you on the main road outside the southern exit of Black City."
"Good."
*
*
*
The two agreed on a time and place, and then left Louis Apartments one after the other.
The sky was clear and cloudless.
As noon approached, the sun's warm rays shone on the city, as if draping it in a shimmering golden coat, creating a bright and dazzling scene.
Gilan walked briskly down Horst Second Avenue, pondering how to persuade the members of the Assembly to leave with him.
Mr. Stork and Miss Seagull should be fine, but Mr. Oystercatcher and Miss Sparrow might require a little more effort.
Previously, he worried that his crimes would implicate those around him, but now that he knows about his background and the impending war, Gilan no longer has that concern.
Perhaps I can use this identity to lend them a helping hand.
But just then...
Gilan suddenly realized that the bright sunlight was blocked by a large shadow, and she was also enveloped in it.
A cool breeze arrives, and the warmth vanishes.
He suddenly stopped and looked up—
His pupils then contracted sharply!
A huge, grayish-white oval-shaped vessel, seemingly blotting out the sky, floated overhead!
The enormous object was estimated to be 300 meters long, 40 meters in diameter, and 45 meters high, resembling a 100-meter-tall building floating in the sky!
Its tail had huge cross wings, and its bottom was hung with a large square container that shone with a metallic luster. With Gilan's sharp eyesight, he could see clearly that it was marked with the words "10" and " Golden Corps ".
Its composite rubber airbags, which bulge like loaves of bread, are also decorated with a long string of red lettering: " The Count Hesselden ".
On the right is a striking red circle with a diagonal line.
'The flag of the Ovena Federation!'
Gilan was startled.
'How did this giant airship bypass the fortifications and arrive here without the Empire's knowledge?!'
He quickly realized that it was very likely the "new weapon" that old Charles had mentioned, which was why the imperial border had not been able to transmit this terrible news back to the interior in a timely manner.
Or perhaps, they simply didn't detect Federation action!
But whatever the reason, Gilan didn't have time to think about it any further.
In addition to the giant airship, dozens or even hundreds of biplane turbo-engine bombers appeared, roaring deafeningly as they swept over the Black City!
Waaaaah!
Waaaaaah!!
The symmetrical scarlet circles and slashes on the wings left a mark on Gilan's retina.
Immediately afterwards.
One after another, the iron-clad shells rained down!
boom!
boom!!
Boom!!
The distant buildings that Gilan could see were instantly reduced to fragments and debris in the violent explosion, and flames erupted.
The earth trembled, and then the air raid siren blared through the sky.
Ugh--
Ugh--
Ugh--
Gilan stood frozen in place, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
An indescribable chill and fear welled up in my heart.
He had never experienced war before, but now he was in it.
Old Charles was saying that war was coming soon... but not in a week, not in the next few days, but right now! Right now!
The bombing came too quickly! Too suddenly!
He saw people screaming, crying, and fleeing in terror in the streets. Something called panic had suddenly descended upon the city, and then quickly erupted into chaos!
Gilan felt a chill run through her body, her heart was racing, and her breathing became rapid.
He had only one thought in mind: to escape!
Run for your life!
Live on!
Faced with the Federation's bombing raid, even though he is now a Tier 1 Spirit Mystic, with the help of familiars and the strength of a Master Fighter... he is like a small pebble in the tide, unable to cause much of a ripple.
Ding!
Gilan suddenly started running wildly, disappearing like a blur as she headed south.
The affluent area is located halfway up Fengdeng Mountain, and his escape route not only went downhill but also passed through the Third District.
Where is the Record Society's apartment?
Miss Seagull and Mr. Oystercatcher live in the Fourth District, Miss Sparrow lives in the fifth block, which is right on the way down the mountain.
Gilan's mind raced.
Faced with annihilation, Gilan wants to take the opportunity to save the members of the Record Society!
It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that, without even noticing, he had come to regard the members of the Assembly as friends, irreplaceable friends.
'Please, whatever you do, don't let anything happen!'