Kazdel, a boring wilderness.
After Vera left, the mercenary group rested on their own, and the once quiet wasteland became more lively.
It's not hard to understand.
With the addition of the Mudrock's Squad, the mercenary group's numbers have increased again.
A group of over 80 people, plus Beast Herd.
The sheer number of troops they made on the march was comparable to that of an army.
Those who have the most acute experience of the changes in numbers are...
"Damn it! Why am I the only one cooking when there are so many people here!?"
The cook waved his arms in agony, throwing skewers of grilled meat high into the air, only to have them caught by his companions.
"Hey! My skewer isn't cooked through!"
"Eat it or don't! Do you think you're the boss?!"
The mercenary, who had been yelled at, sheepishly ate his meat skewers, drawing a chorus of laughter.
As for the possibility that they themselves might eat raw meat...
These are demons who have survived in hell; the Sarkaz are not so delicate.
It's just raw meat, which is much better than those disgusting "snacks".
Turning his gaze away from the noisy crowd, Hedley examined the skewer of meat in his hand.
He doesn't dare to skimp on your food.
Ines sat down next to Hedley and handed him another skewer of meat.
"If you're really worried, mine is cooked through."
Looking at the gaps in the meat skewers, Hedley turned his head away.
"No..."
"Tsk."
"... Did you just click your tongue?"
You misheard me.
Ines couldn't help but sigh; Ines couldn't understand where Hedley's innocence came from.
I thought he had finally figured things out...
"Are you two ever going to stop? Can't you even have a quiet meal?"
"I should be the one saying that, W."
Looking at the two [Butcher] aimed at her, Ines couldn't help but rub her temples.
"Don't point your weapons at your comrades, what if they accidentally go off?"
"Huh? I just placed it on the ground normally."
W leaned against her mount, placing her feet on the Butcher.
"If you're scared, then stay away. Your lovey-dovey behavior is disgusting."
"It seems her departure has unleashed your true nature..."
Ines's face darkened.
"Do you need me to help her re-educate you?"
W was taken aback by the rebuttal, then put on his familiar smile.
"[Sarkaz profanity]"
(▼_▼#)
The long-absent argument echoed through the camp, and Hedley, caught between the two women, was forced to bear double the firepower.
"I'll go get some more food..."
Having found an excuse to leave the battlefield, Hedley did not go to the cook.
"Miss Mudrock."
"Ah... I'm here."
Mudrock, who was grooming his new companion, stopped what he was doing. The Berserk Boar, unperturbed, grunted twice and lay down.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I just have a few questions I'd like to ask."
Seeing the docile nature of the other person's mount, Hedley suddenly wanted to ask her about her horse-raising techniques.
"Lord Hedley?"
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Bringing his thoughts back, Hedley was somewhat annoyed at his distraction.
It seems we've indeed let our guard down a bit lately...
"You said earlier... General Theresis has issued a transfer order. Does this transfer order include Kazdel?"
"Kazdel..."
Mudrock was puzzled for a moment, then understood what the other person meant.
"You mean that Mobile City?"
Kazdel, as its name suggests, is the only Mobile City of the Sarkaz.
"Yes, do you know about it?"
"Yes, most of the members of the Military Commission have left, but some remain."
"How much is part of it?"
"Feel sorry..."
Mudrock shook his head.
"We didn't enter the city; we only got a general idea from the departing crowds."
"I see, thank you for the information."
No, it's nothing.
After exchanging a few polite words, Hedley lost all interest in asking for grooming tips.
Like many others, Hedley was now pondering the reasons for the Military Commission's departure.
The civil war has lasted for four years; there needs to be a reason to stop it.
Moreover, the Military Commission still holds the upper hand, so why would they suddenly leave?
Has the Babel Tower received a powerful external aid?
No...
Hedley silently disagreed.
If that's the case, the Military Commission's transfer order shouldn't have covered the entire Kazdel region.
If the Babel Tower prevails, they have no reason not to stop it.
Unless...
As he pondered the matter more deeply, Hedley's expression grew even more serious.
The Babel Tower was helping the Military Commission evacuate.
But why?
"That..."
Mudrock interrupted Hedley's thoughts, throwing out new intelligence.
"There's another piece of information, which might contain errors..."
Even rumors have some value.
Hedley's understanding relieved Mudrock.
"The mercenary who recruited us said something like that."
[All the Royal Court are leaving, what's the point of us staying here?]
"All?"
"Yes, that's what he said at the time."
"..."
In silence, Hedley returned to his position.
The argument between W and W continued, just as it had always been.
Accompanied by this familiar music, Hedley calmed himself and examined the intelligence.
Is the Babel Tower and the Military Commission about to reconcile?
After much deliberation, Hedley crossed this possibility out of his mind.
A reconciliation between the two parties is possible, but a sudden reconciliation is unlikely.
However, if the two sides do not reconcile, then Babel Tower will inevitably have to take action.
At least if it were him, he would never let go of ownership of a Mobile City.
The more Hedley thought about it, the more distressed he became.
But if the two sides truly haven't reconciled, why would the Royal Court withdraw?
Without the Royal Court, the remaining Military Commission was destined to be unable to withstand the attack from the Babel Tower.
This is clearly giving the city to the Babel Tower.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking so worried?"
Suddenly, Ines's golden eyes appeared before him.
"Nothing."
Seeing the worry in his eyes, Hedley shook his head dejectedly.
"How much time has passed?"
"It's been almost two hours."
A mercenary looked at the position of the sun.
"It's so late, why isn't our boss back yet?"
"How long have we walked? You're too impatient."
"That's true, but this time the boss left in far too much of a hurry."
The once noisy campsite fell silent instantly, and everyone recalled their parting not long ago.
Vera left in a hurry; unlike her previous careful explanations, this time she simply said goodbye and left.
W's expression was enigmatic. Unlike the others, she had been watching Vera intently and sensed something was amiss.
Although it was fleeting, she still caught that expression.
Enraged to the point of being ferocious...
"Tsk."
Wiping his new weapon clean, W tried to see if he could imbue it with his Originium Arts.
Although Ines told her that loyalty was her strength.
But what use is weak loyalty?
She's completely useless...
Unlike when she first met her, she now... has too many people around her.
Pulling a couple of tufts of his companion's mane elicited a grunt of displeasure from the Berserk Boar.
W looked at the Mudrock's Squad; these newcomers had completely integrated into the team.
Unlike mercenaries like her who only know how to kill, Mudrock's shield can protect everyone, and from their conversation, they learned that she is also skilled in construction.
Hedley can help Vera with various matters, Ines's Originium Arts are suitable for intelligence gathering.
As for that Confessarius... he not only knows medicine, but his martial arts skills are also superior to hers.
W's eyes darkened as he glanced at Liz in the corner of the camp.
The girl's lips opened and closed; she was probably practicing singing.
W tried to listen, but all he heard were the rough howls of the mercenaries.
The young woman, a doctor, had many more options, but the other party was completely unaware of them.
In order to get closer to others, the girl even gave herself the code name [Nightingale].
Oh...
She hasn't even been given a name yet, but others have already given her a code name.
Thinking about this made W even more agitated.
"So annoying!"
"What's wrong?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind, and the mercenaries' gleaming eyes revealed the identity of the newcomer.
"Boss! You're back!"
"Yes, I'm back."
After giving a brief reply, Vera looked at W beside her again.
"What's wrong? Are you in trouble?"
"No!"
W quickly denied it, of course, she couldn't openly reveal her own little thoughts.
As W shook his head, two crimson "tentacles" swayed in front of Vera's eyes, reminding her of that subtle connection once again.
"Pfft--"
Seeing Vera suddenly laugh, W subconsciously reached for the camera at his lower back, but stopped after realizing his current situation.
W wasn't the only one to see that smile; the mercenaries crowded around, asking curiously:
"The boss seems really happy, has something good happened?"
"A good thing... I guess it's a good thing."
Remembering Vane's embarrassing past in the group chat, Vera's smile, which she had just suppressed, popped out again.
"Ahem, we have a new member joining our team."
Another newcomer?
W's eyes widened, and he instinctively looked behind Vera, but naturally found nothing.
"A newcomer that the boss personally brought... could she be a member of the boss's family?"
Rice made a bold guess, which heightened everyone's anticipation.
Seeing this, Vera stopped hiding it.
"They're like pets at home, so be prepared."
Everyone looked at the outstretched hand, and as the palm opened, the lively atmosphere gradually quieted down.
"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, one of the mercenaries burst out laughing.
"Boss, you're really funny, keeping Originium Slug as pets."
The crowd watched him silently, and the laughter quickly subsided.
"... Isn't this a joke?"
After pushing this idiot out of the crowd, everyone began to offer their own comments.
"It looks so small. I thought the boss's pet would be much bigger."
"Is this really Originium Slug? It doesn't look like one."
"It doesn't really look like it, but why do I keep getting this feeling of déjà vu?"
The mercenary who was speaking stared intently at the Ancestral Bug, which shook its tentacles, and the former suddenly realized the truth.
"This guy looks just like W!"
W: "???"
A vein throbbed slightly on W's forehead, but with Vera present, he forced a stiff smile.
"How is it similar?"
After a long absence of sunlight, the Ancestral Bug spun endlessly in Vera's palm.
"They really do look alike."
Ines frowned and stepped back behind the crowd.
"His restless manner is exactly like someone else's."
Creak--
W stared intently at Ines, knowing she was retaliating.
Just as she was contemplating how to retaliate subtly, a warm hand covered the top of her head.
"I think it looks a lot like it too."
Vera rubbed W's head and placed the Ancestral Bug next to the antenna on its head.
Seeing the girl's stunned expression, she added.
"Don't worry, this guy isn't a creature in the conventional sense; he's perfectly clean."
"Um..."
W nodded stiffly, savoring the sensation from just now.
The Ancestral Bug on its head suddenly felt a heat beneath it, but fortunately it didn't care about the high temperature and simply tried to touch its "kin" with its tentacles.
Seeing the unexpected harmony between the two, Vera nodded in satisfaction.
"You should get along well."
Having found the owner of the Ancestral Bug, Vera turned her attention to finding Hedley.
"Um?"
With a wave of her hand, she dispersed the crowd. Vera asked, puzzled:
"What happened? You look so worried."
"... It's some speculation about the Babel Tower."
As Vera listened to Hedley's story, Vera expression gradually became serious.
"Are you worried... that their fighting will affect us?"
"I have that idea."
Hedley admitted it.
"The Military Commission's actions are too strange. Do you think the two sides can reconcile?"
"Impossible." Vera sighed.
Even if it's a civil war, it's still a war.
"Once war breaks out, hatred will drive the participants forward until one side is destroyed."
"Hate..."
Hedley felt a pang of sadness; he understood the horror of hatred.
Kazdel
That unique Mobile City is Miracle of Sarkaz unity.
Everything Sarkaz has is there.
Schools, hospitals, factories, and even libraries.
That was the work of the [Demon King], and even the infamous Vampire wouldn't dare to destroy them.
Hedley suddenly remembered where he had seen that smile before.
He had seen it in the city before.
At that time, the two siblings had not yet separated, and everyone agreed that Sarkaz's future would be better.
Under the Demon King's gentleness and the General's iron fist,
The Royal Court dared not act rashly, and the city enjoyed a precious peace.
Even with such precious peace, there are still those who want to destroy it.
A school was bombed simply because it conveyed the message of peace.
That was His Highness's attempt, and the results were clearly not very good.
Extremist warmongers are sanctioned, but precious smiles also vanish in the flames.
That was the last time Hedley saw a genuine smile on Sarkaz's face.
Before meeting Vera...
"Thank you."
Hedley's furrowed brows relaxed, and Vera asked in confusion:
"Weren't we discussing the reasons? Why are you suddenly thanking me?"
"Please just consider this my personal opinion."
He shook his head Hedley warned.
"While those are just my guesses, it's certain that the relationship between the two is currently strained."
"There is a high probability that war will break out in the near future, and it won't be a small-scale conflict."
"Do you... really want to contact the Babel Tower at this time?"
"I only contacted one of them; I had no intention of getting involved in that brother and sister's family drama."
Responding casually, Vera analyzed the details in Hedley's intelligence.
Kazdel... It's a bit hard to imagine, what would the Sarkaz's Mobile City be like?
No... maybe I'll have a chance to go and see for myself.
Vera squinted, thinking of another direction.
Since even the only Mobile City has begun to evacuate.
What about the Scar Market? The Military Commission won't let that opportunity pass.
But if they evacuated, why didn't Scar Eye send any information?
Is the intention to escape, or to resist with the help of the Military Commission?
How long until we reach the Scar Market?
"It should arrive by tomorrow at the latest."
Hedley responded instinctively, then realized what was happening.
Are you worried that Scar Eye will leave prematurely? Do you need to expedite the march?
"Hmph... Let him be, he wasn't the original target anyway."
Turning to the cook, Vera prepared to have her lunch ready.
"If all else fails, we'll head straight to Kazdel."
"Kazdel?"
Hedley, who had followed, was taken aback, while Vera nodded.
"Since Babel Tower can't possibly give up that city, then as long as we stay there, we'll run into it sooner or later."
"As for its location..." Vera looked at the Mudrock's Squad.
"We can find out by scouting the direction the mercenaries left in."
"Your will."
Hedley stopped trying to dissuade him; his caution hadn't been lost, but rather emboldened by his strength.
Hedley's gaze swept over the well-equipped mercenaries, and he sighed with admiration.
He had been recruited before, with some even promising him a private army to lead.
He refused at the time.
But after many twists and turns... he still managed to lead an army.
"Speaking of which..."
Vera seemed to remember something and asked with interest.
"There should have been another possibility behind your previous guess."
"There's another one?"
"Certainly."
Vera recalled the past, which was clearly recorded in history books.
"Perhaps it was external pressure that forced both sides in the civil war to put aside their differences and cooperate?"
"External enemies... It's hard to imagine which country would intervene at this time."
After careful consideration, Hedley shook his head.
"It's a thankless and exhausting endeavor."
"Indeed, quite a few of them are barely able to protect themselves."
Having learned about the intelligence from various countries from Vane, Vera had no choice but to agree.
What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener.
Although he denied this view, Hedley couldn't help but ponder it.
The last time that brother and sister teamed up was against a coalition of nations.
If someone could truly bring those brother and sister together again, what kind of formidable enemy would they be?
Those who have the ability don't have the inclination, and those who have the inclination lack the ability.
Looking up at the unusually clear sky, Hedley tried to clear his mind.
If we really want to find something with immense destructive power that doesn't consider any vested interests, then Catastrophe are the only option.
"..."
Rubbing his temples, Hedley was speechless at his own wild imagination.