"Hmph~"
Vane hummed a little tune and walked briskly ahead. Behind him, the four men followed in silence, the atmosphere heavy.
Ulpianus frowned.
The Fourth Calamity – this means there are at least three more similar entities.
The pressure of this information made Aegir's internal troubles seem insignificant, even though the other side had nipped that worst-case scenario in the bud.
Glancing at their companions, the two Inquisitor also wore somber expressions, clearly processing this extraordinary information.
Skadi... she was lost in thought.
Ulpianus silently withdrew his gaze.
Oh well, I wasn't really expecting her to come up with any strategies anyway.
Looking at Vane's back in front of him, his seemingly unguarded leaps now appeared unfathomable.
[Finally, their attention has been diverted!]
Vane was in a good mood; the somber atmosphere in the group of four was something he had deliberately created.
When you die, you might think it would be better if the world ended.
But when a real global crisis occurs, your social death becomes insignificant.
In high spirits, Vane abandoned his plan to settle scores with the Bloodline Heir and opened the Group Chat directly.
[Vane: @Everyone, I have an announcement to make!]
[Gregor: What's up?]
[Vera: You'd better really be in trouble.]
[Gorth: I'm in class, can't you wait a bit?]
[Vane: Oh, never mind then.]
[Vera: Sarkaz swearing!]
[Gregor:... You've gone astray.]
[Vane: The second brother's saying is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," while the eldest brother can't even bring himself to say it.]
[Gregor: Are you asking for it?]
[Vane: Ahem! Boss, is your armor finished yet? Show it to me!]
[Gregor: Image JPG]
The image shows a menacing black suit of armor, utterly devoid of aesthetic appeal, yet many Sakazuki would call it handsome.
The only flaw is the incongruous television set above my head...
[Vane: Who made this?! Look at this aesthetic! It's simply...]
[Gregor: I did it.]
[Vane: A perfect work of art!]
[Gorth:6]
Wiping away his sweat, Vane immediately changed the subject.
[Vane: Boss, have you entered Kazimierz yet? Have you found any wanderers or anything?]
[Gregor: I've seen him, what's wrong?]
[Vane: Let's grab one as a compass, otherwise we'll all be under Kazdel by the time we get lost.]
[Vera: I didn't.]
[Three people:???]
[Gregor: Isn't this a joke?]
[Vera:... I'm going to get busy now.]
Kazimierz, an unnamed wasteland
[...]
Looking at the messages in the group, Gregor couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
The second child seems a bit too engrossed; has he already been assimilated...?
"Boss, there's another staged accident scam ahead!"
Ifrit patted Gregor's head, and Gregor reluctantly pulled her off, looking ahead in her direction.
This is the fourth homeless person they've encountered...
The wanderer, watching the two approaching, couldn't help but feel moved. Finally...
They changed their forms four times in succession, finally finding one that interested the other party.
The Shapeshifters were somewhat helpless; they chased each other all the way from Columbia to Kazimierz.
Several times during this period, I tried to talk to the other person, but each time I was burned to ashes before I could even get close.
When they saw the other party heading towards Sami, they initially thought that the other party was going to settle scores with the Cyclops first.
They even went so far as to seek out the Cyclops and warn him.
However, the Cyclops seemed to have foretold something, as many of them went mad, and the cyclops had to be knocked unconscious by the cyclops themselves.
As Gregor drew ever closer, the Shapeshifters began to consider how to travel with him.
Although they don't usually do much, it was still too difficult for them to watch Kazdel be razed to the ground.
He had thought the Flame Demon was quite kind, so he even prepared several different versions of himself.
First time: A noblewoman in distress.
"Help me! I can give you a lot of money!"
The other person glanced at it and left...
Second: The injured little boy
"Waaaaah! Someone help me!"
The other party didn't even look at it this time...
The third time: The grandfather and grandson were besieged by bandits.
This time, there was a response; the entire group posing as bandits was gloriously sacrificed.
Then they left again...
Back in the present, the Shapeshifter looked at his current body.
A Sarkaz girl.
Looking up at Ifrit on Gregor's head, the Shapeshifter felt he had discovered the truth.
"Boss, is this the same as the previous one?"
Ifrit suddenly spoke, leaving the Shapeshifter bewildered.
Same as before? Did they recognize me?
The cluster discusses the issue amongst themselves, and then collectively rejects it.
They are perfect Shapeshifters, their simulations are seamless from the genetic level to their behavioral patterns; how could they possibly be seen through at a glance?
"Do you know the way?" (Ten Percent Off)
The electronic voice came through, Shapeshifter immediately regained its composure.
"I know them, I can lead the way, please take me with you..."
"Direction."
"That..."
"Direction."
Faced with Gregor's silent commentary, the Shapeshifters, not wanting to lose any more units, honestly revealed the location of the nearest city.
Gregor turned and left, but the Shapeshifter couldn't help but ask a question.
How did you figure that out?
Gregor stopped and looked back.
From this unique perspective, the energy emanating from the girl in front of him was higher than that of the powered mechs he had fought before.
[Your disguise is indeed flawless, but my perspective is different from others. Your energy isn't concealed well enough; please refine it further.]
"If you're bad at cooking, practice more." (Ten Percent Off)
Shapeshifter: "..."
Am I being mocked?
Ignoring the other person, Gregor held Ifrit tighter, flames gathering beneath his feet.
Boom--!
The explosion occurred below, and the two were propelled into the air amidst Ifrit's cheers.
The Shapeshifter sighed and continued the chase.
"They clearly pointed out the directions, so how could I still go the wrong way...?"
"That place... is a wasteland that even wanderers wouldn't go to."
"Enciodes, do you really have to go down this path?"
Inside the swaying carriage, a dark-haired Liberi man gripped the handrail tightly, his face pale.
The man opposite him, whom he addressed by his Feline name, was equally uncomfortable.
He closed his eyes, suppressing the dizziness in his head, and his voice remained relatively steady:
"Be patient for now, Gnosis. This road may be bumpy, but it will keep us away from bandits. Getting there safely is the priority."
"Safety?"
Gnosis laughed in exasperation, but unfortunately, he was now so disgusted that even his energy for anger had been greatly diminished.
"We have enough funds to hire a decent escort team on the main road, but you insist on skimping on this budget. You... ugh!"
"Should we open a window, Mr. Gnosis?"
The Courier in the front driver's seat asked at the opportune moment, having already deftly rolled down the car window.
Thank you...
The cold, dry air of the wasteland rushed in, and Gnosis's expression finally softened.
Enciodes took the opportunity to move closer to the window and take a few breaths before continuing:
"Hang in there a little longer. These hardships are a necessary investment for the future of Kjerag. Besides,"
He glanced at his disheveled best friend, a rare hint of mockery in his expression.
"Haven't I been suffering alongside you?"
"I shouldn't have gotten on your pirate ship."
Gnosis snorted irritably, unscrewed the kettle, and carefully took a sip.
After regaining some strength, he turned his gaze to the goods inside the vehicle.
"Are you so certain that these furs can find a market in Kazimierz?"
"Certainly."
When the topic turned to business plans, Enciodes's spirits lifted somewhat.
"It's the dead of winter now, and the northern part of Kazimierz is especially cold."
"The Business Federation control mainstream trade and look down on these 'scattered' goods, but the needs of ordinary citizens and small vendors are very real."
"We have high-quality goods at reasonable prices, so there's no reason why they shouldn't be popular. This is just the first step: building channels and credibility."
"Oh."
Gnosis crossed his arms and looked sharply at his friend.
"Enciodes, put away those rhetoric you learned in Victoria."
Enciodes was silent for a moment, then said frankly:
"Sorry, it's just a habit. I didn't mean to hide it."
Looking out the window at the desolate scenery rushing by, his gaze deepened.
"Gnosis, do you know what we lack more than money?"
Without waiting for the other party's reply, he asked and answered his own question:
"It is power."
"In Victoria, I have personally witnessed too many wealthy businessmen whose wealth and businesses are nothing more than a numbers game that can be redistributed at any time in the eyes of those who truly hold power."
"Without sufficient power to protect it, wealth is merely a source of trouble."
"Kjerag needs to change. We can't rely solely on money; we must have our own reliable armed forces."
"So what does this have to do with the trip to Kazimierz?" Gnosis pressed.
"Go buy weapons? You should go to Columbia."
"They're going to buy 'people'."
Enciodes turned his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his gray eyes.
"You know about the knightly tournament in Kazimierz, right?"
"Of course," Gnosis raised an eyebrow.
"Anyone who knows even a little about Kazimierz knows about that grand 'performance'."
"The Business Federation is dumping those 'worthless' or 'disobedient' knights as commodities." Enciodes's lips curled into a smile.
"However, the criteria for judging 'value' are in the hands of the Federation, and are only concerned with commercial interests, not the knight's true strength and potential."
"This means that we may be able to find hidden gems at prices far below their true value."
"Using funds to exchange for combat power?"
Gnosis understood his intentions, but remained skeptical.
"The idea is good. But how can you guarantee that these proud knights will truly pledge allegiance to an outsider, and to Kjerag?"
"Naturally, we should treat them with sincerity, give them the respect they deserve, a suitable platform, and... shared interests," Enciodes said firmly.
"Ha," Gnosis scoffed.
"'Treat each other with sincerity'? Enciodes, that's probably the biggest joke I've heard all year."
SilverAsh was about to say something Courier suddenly let out a short gasp.
The sudden braking caused the car to lurch forward!
Gnosis and Enciodes were caught off guard and nearly collided.
"What happened?!"
Enciodes quickly regained his balance, his hand already on his weapon.
The Courier's voice, tinged with surprise and doubt, came from ahead:
"Boss! Something's falling from the sky! No, it's flying over! It's on fire!"