[Czarny surrendered]
The astonishing news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Grand Knight Territory, and even the current competition failed to attract people's attention.
The public finds it hard to believe that the "big shot" who usually speaks so eloquently on screen would end up in prison.
Some speculate that the Business Federation was dissatisfied with the Honor Championship it was in charge of.
Some speculate that the tax loopholes of his company were exposed by competitors.
Even worse, some believe that this confession was a fabricated case forced upon them by the Adeptus Sprawiedliwy.
But before everyone could finish discussing it, even more bombshell news was released.
Like a trend, after Czarny surrendered, a large number of company spokespeople also surrendered.
Taxes, shady dealings, murder.
They solemnly admitted to their various crimes, seemingly unafraid of the consequences of their actions.
Numerous companies were shut down, and the initially enthusiastic atmosphere surrounding the competition gradually turned chaotic and unsettling.
However, after the Adeptus Sprawiedliwy repeatedly assured them that there would be no problems with daily operations, the Kazimierz people, who were good at self-management, quickly threw their enthusiasm back into the competition.
The reason the spokesperson surrendered? We can think about that tomorrow; the competition is only a couple of days away.
Unlike the relaxed crowd, Gregor and his companions were filled with doubt.
In his haste to finish casting the armor, Gregor was unsure whether his appearance had been discovered.
But no one mentioned it, so he felt relieved.
However, as the group returned to the city, Russell's call came.
"You haven't taken any action?"
[No, Czarny and the others did indeed surrender.]
Russell sounded somewhat helpless, which Gregor could understand.
The knights were already fully prepared and waiting for night to fall.
However, the fact that Czarny and others surrendered in advance made their arrest easier, but it also made the subsequent takeover much more difficult.
If they arrest you, the charges Adeptus Sprawiedliwy.
A confession coupled with a public announcement is tantamount to putting the facts out in the open.
"So, shall we continue with tonight's plans?"
Gregor waited, and there was a long silence on the other end of the communication.
[Continue... It has come to this point; Kazimierz must break free from the constraints of the Business Federation.]
The arrow is on the bowstring, and it must be released.
Perhaps it was Cyril's recovery that gave Russell the courage to finally make up his mind.
"If you need our help... contact us immediately."
Haha, thank you for your kindness.
The call ended, and for a moment, the group didn't know what to do.
Apart from Saria, who was waiting for Jeston to finish the match, the rest of the group left after receiving the communication. Mace and Margaret didn't even change out of their armor.
Even though there were fewer people on the street due to the competition, the large number of people quickly attracted attention.
Glancing at the approaching crowd, Mlynar was the first to suggest leaving.
"I will also assist the Silverlances with the cleanup. If none of you are planning to, the Nearl Family Manor is always ready to serve you."
After exchanging pleasantries, Mlynar prepared to leave, but paused again before turning into the alleyway.
Margaret.
"Yes!"
"... Well done."
Without giving the others a chance to tease her, Mlynar quickly disappeared from sight.
Maria was a little stunned, and shook Zofia beside her.
"Aunt, did Uncle just compliment someone?"
"I guess so."
Zofia was also quite shocked, and even forgot to correct her way of addressing Maria.
Having no idea about the Nearl Family's situation, Gregor simply assumed she was a tsundere from the world of anime.
The Courier stopped the excited crowd, and Maria, realizing what was happening, said warmly:
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go, or are you going back to watch the game?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison. The previous matches had already disappointed them, not to mention the impending purge.
Seeing this, Maria eagerly said:
"How about... we all have a party together?"
"Reunion?"
"Okay! Let's go to Uncle Martin's tavern. Master and the others are all ready and waiting for everyone to arrive and celebrate!"
"You've already made the arrangements..."
Feeling somewhat helpless at the enthusiasm of the people in the tavern, Gregor nodded first.
I have no objection.
With a leader taking the lead, the rest will naturally follow suit.
Just as the group was about to flag down several taxis to leave, a commotion broke out nearby.
"Get back! Get back now! Infected has self-destructed!"
With screams of panic, the gathered crowd fled in terror.
Squads of mounted police rode toward the scene of the commotion. Margaret instinctively stepped forward to help, but was pulled back by Zofia.
"There are professionals handling this; you don't need to help."
"But..."
"No buts! Didn't you hear what they said? What if we get infected by Originium dust?"
"..."
Seeing that her niece was still somewhat unwilling to give up, Zofia simply stopped a mounted police officer to ask her questions.
"Don't worry! A special cleaning team has already gone there to handle this. Radiant Knight, you can focus on preparing for the competition!"
Satisfied, he put away the signature, but as if still uneasy, the mounted police officer warned him again.
"This time, more than one Infected has reported it. Originium dust has been found in many places in the commercial district. In short, this area will be locked down for a period of time. Please leave now."
The mounted police officer left amidst the envious whispers of his colleagues, while the others boarded their vehicles with heavy hearts.
"Do you think this was the work of the Business Federation?"
Curled up and crawled into the car, Gregor instinctively turned to SilverAsh for an answer.
"That's possible," SilverAsh, not confirming.
"But there are too many strange things."
From Roy, who was taken away, we learned that the Armorless Union had planted bombs in many places.
But those places were all the same as before, in deserted suburbs, and the inhabited areas weren't important hubs.
The commercial street is indeed the core area, but it is also the territory of the Business Federation.
"Why would someone cause trouble on their own turf?" Gregor continued, following his train of thought.
"That's the problem." SilverAsh tapped his cane.
"If the intention was to frame the Adeptus Sprawiedliwy, the timing was wrong. If the intention was to create panic, the effort was too weak."
The vehicle moved slowly, and the street scene outside the window gradually changed from the neon lights of the commercial district to the cobblestone streets of the old town.
"It's practically like deliberately dispersing the crowd..."
Seeing that SilverAsh was deep in thought, Gregor didn't disturb him any further.
The vehicle drove through the city and finally arrived at everyone's destination.
As Maria had said, the people in the tavern had been waiting for a long time. The moment the vehicle stopped, a group of people surrounded it.
"Hurry! Hurry! Our knights are back!"
"Haha, come in quickly, the wine and food are ready!"
The tavern staff greeted them warmly, and as soon as they entered, everyone inside raised their bottles.
"Homage to our knights!"
Suppressing her shyness, Margaret put on a serious face and thanked everyone earnestly, which drew another round of good-natured laughter.
Someone was about to offer a toast to the group when an angry Zofia grabbed their ear and pulled them aside.
"Margaret and the others are still children, why would they drink alcohol!?"
"Hey? But Margaret shouldn't be an adult yet... Ouch! Fine, I won't drink it then!"
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Gregor returned to his familiar corner.
Martin, the bald boss, walked over and put down a large pile of drinks.
Gregor was somewhat puzzled, but before he could ask, Martin snorted coldly.
"Was it you who left the Pure Gold last time?"
Gregor nodded hesitantly.
"Tsk, I already said it would be free."
Martin, looking annoyed, pushed the drink forward.
"These are the best wines in my shop. You're not allowed to leave until you've finished them."
Gregor stared at the mountain of bottles of liquor piled up in front of him and remained silent for a moment.
"Is it okay to bring it with you?"
"No! I can give you something else if you want to take it with you, but you have to finish these on the spot!"
Gregor: "..."
Drink it right there? I dare to drink it, but do you dare to watch?
Sighing inwardly, Gregor was about to refuse.
"I'll take his place."
Silence fell over the tavern as the Black Knight took a seat to one side.
Seeing Martin's stunned expression, Jian took off his helmet and raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"Great, absolutely great!"
Before Martin could answer, the crowd in the tavern began to shout.
They stared intently at Gregor and his companion; after having some melon to eat, even the wine tasted sweeter.
But as they drank bottle after bottle of alcohol, their excitement turned to shock, and finally to worry.
"Stop drinking." Gregor snatched the bottle from his hand.
"You shouldn't drink this much plain water. Can your stomach handle it?"
"You can't handle this? You're still a long way from my limit."
Despite saying that, Jian didn't actually resist.
Martin tactfully left, leaving the two of them alone.
After a moment of silence, Gregor spoke first.
"Did you see that?"
"What do you see? Your appearance?"
Jian subconsciously picked up his wine glass, then put it down again under Gregor's gaze.
"That's not what I heard. Didn't you say you were disfigured?"
"What's the difference between that appearance and disfigurement?"
"Be more confident, who knows, you might be a handsome guy among the Sarkaz?"
"... I'll take that as a compliment."
Gregor fell silent again, and with nothing to do, he tapped his fingers on the table.
Tap... tap... tap...
The rhythmic, soft sounds soothed Gregor's mood.
Seeing that the two hadn't made a move, the onlookers, who had nothing else to say, also turned their attention away.
Are all Flame Demon like you?
The mace suddenly spoke, its voice not loud.
"...I don't know." Gregor shook his head.
He truly did not know, not to mention that he himself could not strictly be considered Flame Demon.
But Mace seems to have another understanding.
"Hmph... it seems we do have quite a few similarities."
"Similarities?"
"Isn't that right? Despite possessing immense power, you've always maintained excessive restraint."
Jian swirled the wine glass between his fingers, maintaining an astonishing balance as he held it upright on his fingertips.
"All of Terra knows what kind of race the Flame Demon are: tyrannical, powerful, and hostile to other races."
But you are different.
"Excessive restraint, as if afraid of hurting something, and an overabundance of goodwill that's almost an eyesore."
Jian put down the wine glass and let it spin on the table.
"He doesn't seem like a real Flame Demon at all."
Gregor wasn't angry about the comment; instead, he was preoccupied with the previous question.
"... So what are our similarities?"
"Isn't it obvious? We are all outcasts within our species."
Mace propped his head up and looked at Gregor, a glint of light flickering in his narrowed golden eyes.
"Caprinae, who can't use magic, Flame Demon, who excessively suppresses his power—don't you think we're similar in some ways?"
"... You're drunk."
Seeing the other person's slightly flushed cheeks, Gregor handed them a glass of water.
He didn't take the mace, but kept staring at Gregor, making the latter feel uneasy.
Do you have ideals?
Jian suddenly asked a question, then continued on his own.
"To survive and have a good meal was once my greatest dream."
"For this goal, I came to Kazimierz from Leithanien."
"But after achieving this goal, I felt somewhat empty."
"So I tried many of what others call ideals—those decadent, drunken, dreamlike lives, I tried them all."
Gregor was taken aback by this sudden self-narration and subconsciously asked:
"Have you found what you're looking for?"
No.
Jian shook his head, seemingly feeling the effects of the alcohol, and simply slumped onto the table.
"It was somewhat interesting at first, but it got too boring after a while. Fishing for scales was much more fun."
So you chose to leave this country?
"Yes, this country doesn't have the answers I'm looking for..."
Upon hearing this, Gregor realized what was happening.
"You want to find answers in me? Why?"
Jian shook his head, his curved horns sweeping away the wine glass.
"Why... I've seen too many greedy people drown in their desires, and countless upright people die tragically simply trying to survive."
"There are quite a few people who have achieved happiness by fulfilling their desires and living their ideal lives, but I've never met anyone like you before."
"You possess the power to crush everything, yet you bind your own hands and feet... What are you so afraid of?"
Jian raised his hand and pressed it against Gregor's shoulder, pulling the other man's gaze to be level with his own.
I'm very curious.
Seeing the hazy look in Jiang's eyes, Gregor was somewhat tempted.
Is it okay to confide in a drunkard...?
After a brief silence, he spoke.
There is a child.
He was taller and stronger than others from a young age. When playing games with his friends, he always managed to win first place based on his physical abilities.
Over time, the child came to be known as the "eldest" among the children.
Because of this title, the growing child became fascinated with some movies.
He idolized the plot and recognized some people who were considered "bad" by others as his leaders.
But the gang leaders didn't include him like in the movies—whether it was fighting or parties, the kids were never included.
The child was very angry, thinking that they were all incompetent leaders.
So at school, he used his physical abilities to act arrogantly and domineeringly, leading his gang to cause trouble outside.
Finally—someone came looking for me.
The little kid was terrified, realizing for the first time that his "power" was utterly insignificant.
He couldn't protect his underlings, and he couldn't even protect himself.
But the kids' leaders stepped forward, took responsibility, and raised money to compensate the kids.
Then, the little brat got a good beating.
"By whom?"
The sound of the mace was softer than before, and the alcohol seemed to be getting stronger.
"Those bosses."
Gregor picked up the water glass in front of him, paused briefly, and then put it down.
They told the little brat—
What kind of skill is it to bully others? A top-notch leader is one who can protect all his underlings.
Jian didn't reply, but just listened quietly.
"From then on, the kid took the bosses' words to heart and gained a few followers again."
"But due to an accident, the little kid gained immense power, and because of this power, he hurt many people."
Gregor clenched his fist so tightly that the water glass vanished in an instant.
"He's become so strong, so strong that... if he makes a mistake, no one can correct him anymore."
After saying this, Gregor let out a long sigh of relief.
"Isn't it ridiculous to be bothered by something like this..."
"No, it sounds quite interesting."
Seemingly intrigued by Gregor's words, Jian straightened his body and perked up.
"The little kid you mentioned reminds me of the fairy tales I read as a child."
"Fairy tale books?"
"Yes, it's also related to your race; it's the story of a hero who defeated the Sarkaz Demon King."
"... What does it matter?"
Jian shook his head helplessly.
"It's a very easy concept to understand, isn't it?"
"Power itself is innocent; yielding to desire makes one a demon; Protect principles makes one a hero."
"Besides, instead of worrying about how powerful it is, why not think about how to tame this beast? What do you say, kid?"
After a brief silence, Gregor covered his head.
He was quite certain that Jian had drunk too much; otherwise, she would never have said such a thing under normal circumstances.
But...
"Taming power..."
Gregor covered his chest, feeling the rhythm of his core.
Give it a try.
[Vane: Why didn't you just do it earlier? Why think so much?]
Um!?
[Gregor: Why are you still here?]
[Vane: What do you mean, "Why am I still here?" Boss, you didn't turn off perspective sharing after you turned it on, okay?]
[Gregor:... You saw it all?]
[Gorth: No, I just arrived.]
[Vera: What are you talking about?]
[Vane: Screen recording completed.]
[Vane:???]
[Vane: Wait, didn't we agree to go together?]
[Gregor:... Deleted.]
[Vane: No! I filmed these embarrassing moments with my own skills, why should I delete them?]
[Gregor: Don't push me...]
[Vane: Wow~ This little brat is so tough, he's not afraid of hurting anyone now~]
"Hmm... why do I suddenly feel hot?"
"Didn't you drink too much?"
"But why do I only feel heat on one side of my body?"
Inside the tavern, everyone who noticed the unusual temperature simultaneously turned their attention away.
In the corner, the black knight turned crimson.
The temperature was so high that it was visible to the naked eye, and even the air itself seemed to distort.
Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Gregor let out a tremendous, unintelligible roar.
[The Raging Flame Demon Roar!] (You're fucking dead!!!)
"Wow! It's on fire! Put it out, put it out quickly!"
"Idiot! Who gave you permission to put out the fire with alcohol!?"
"Hahaha, boss, look, I can get fired up too!"
Ifrit!
"My tavern! You bunch of bastards!!!"
Gregor...
Absolutely amazing red warm medium-sized