The Driven-Out Dragon

"Everyone not involved, get out!"

John looked up with a piece of grilled meat in his mouth and saw a group of burly men in black suits standing at the restaurant entrance. Some carried long blades, while others held flintlock guns, glaring viciously at the diners.

Under those fierce stares, the restaurant's customers immediately scattered like startled birds, rising to their feet and hurrying toward the exit.

The burly men did not make things difficult for them. They deliberately split to either side, clearing a path for the guests to leave.

As the customers departed, a middle-aged man in a white suit, who appeared to be the restaurant owner, emerged from the kitchen with a group of chefs carrying clubs and batons.

The man in the white suit glared furiously at the young man leading the black-suited group and demanded sharply:

"We're conducting legitimate business. What exactly do you want?!"

"Of course we're driving you out. Leon Kingdom doesn't welcome rats like you!"

With both hands in his pockets, the young man in black stepped forward, arrogantly raising his chin as he confronted the man in white.

Suppressing his anger, the man in white reached into his inner pocket, pulled out a sheet of paper, unfolded it, and held it before the other man's eyes.

"We are now part of Leon Kingdom as well. We hold legal permanent residence permits!"

"You have neither the authority nor the right to drive us away!"

"Cut the crap!"

Rather than respond, the young man in black raised his hand and knocked away the thin sheet of paper held before him.

"If you refuse to leave, we'll keep visiting every business you run until you can't stay in business!"

"How dare you!"

In an instant, both sides surged forward, yet for some inexplicable reason, they restrained themselves and stopped three steps apart, raising their weapons at each other in a tense standoff.

They looked ready to fight, but neither side could actually start one.

"What's going on here?"

John swallowed his grilled meat and asked Reed in a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear.

In an instant, Reed felt countless eyes turn toward him. His mouth twitched as he silently cursed John.

Was this idiot incapable of considering the occasion before opening his mouth?!

But for the sake of his pride, and not wanting to look afraid, Reed had no choice but to answer at the same volume:

"The situation here is complicated. It can't be explained in just a sentence or two."

"We've got nothing better to do. Go ahead and explain it to me."

John picked up another piece of grilled meat and put it into his mouth, raising his chin to signal Reed to hurry up.

Perhaps he was nervous from being watched by so many people, or perhaps he simply did not want to appear afraid. Either way, he actually explained the situation right in front of those involved.

"The people in black suits are Shells Town's local gang. The group led by the restaurant owner consists of foreigners from the Feros Kingdom."

"Decades ago, when Shells Town was being built, there was a shortage of labor. Rather than spend a fortune buying slaves, they set their sights on the people from the Feros Kingdom."

"They said that if they worked for Leon Kingdom for free, building facilities and such, the Foreigners Act could be established to grant them permanent residence permits."

"But now that Shells Town has been built, the Felose Chamber of Commerce no longer has any value to the locals or the town mayor."

"They also believe the Felose Chamber of Commerce has taken away local jobs and resources, squeezing their living space."

"So the locals want to burn the bridge after crossing it and drive out the foreigners from the Felose Chamber of Commerce."

"But the Felose Chamber of Commerce holds legal residence permits, and there are more than a thousand of them. The mayor and the locals simply cannot drive them out by force."

"So the two sides have remained deadlocked..."

After saying all that, Reed picked up his glass and drained it in one gulp, but his heart still would not stop pounding.

Exposing someone's dirty laundry right in front of them was far too thrilling!

"Captain Reed, that's not how you should put it."

The young man in black walked over to their table with his hands in his pockets and stared down at Reed.

"You're a Marine. How can you speak up for them just because you've eaten a few free meals from the Felose Chamber of Commerce?"

"Are you threatening me?"

Reed's face immediately turned cold. He rose to his feet and stared intensely at the young man in black.

"Are you threatening a Marine?"

"I wouldn't dare."

The young man in black turned around and walked back toward where he had been standing, tossing out one final sentence.

"But you've ruined Colonel Burns's business."

At the mention of the name "Burns," Reed frowned deeply, snorted coldly, and sat back down.

John continued eating, but he had understood their entire exchange.

It seemed this "Colonel Burns" was the base commander of the 153rd Branch, and he was involved in this conflict as well.

A glint flashed through John's eyes as he asked curiously:

"Sir, why didn't the people from the Felose Chamber of Commerce stay peacefully in their homeland? Why did they come all the way to Leon Kingdom?"

"How would I know? Aren't the people involved right here? Go ask them!"

Reed shot John an irritated look, then lowered his head and began eating and drinking heavily.

It was all this guy's fault. Otherwise, how would he have gotten dragged into this damned mess?

"Didn't I say everyone uninvolved should get out? Why are you still sitting here, brat? Get lost!"

The young man in black had been angered by Reed, but he did not dare do anything to a Marine. So he took out his frustration on Dragon, who was sitting alone at a table.

Dragon, who had been sitting there blankly, raised his head. Facing the young man's hostile gaze, he blinked in confusion.

"Are you talking to me?"

"Obviously! Or are you planning to stand up for those Felose people?"

Thinking the other man was deliberately playing dumb, the young man in black had veins bulging on his forehead. His thumb pressed back the hammer of his flintlock gun.

Pulling back the hammer meant cocking the gun. It was a move he had not made even during the earlier confrontation with the Felose Chamber of Commerce.

It meant he really wanted to kill someone!

Yet Dragon paid no attention to it. Instead, he turned his head toward John's table.

The Marine captain in a justice coat was busy eating with his head down, while the sailor-uniformed Marine rested his chin on one hand and watched leisurely from the side.

Neither of them showed any intention of stepping in to uphold justice.

Dragon's expression darkened. Thoroughly disappointed in the Marines, he rose to his feet and walked out of the restaurant.

Having recovered his dignity by bullying an innocent person, the young man in black gave a smug snort and strode toward the man in white, preparing to continue giving him trouble.

Just then, a noisy commotion erupted outside the restaurant.

"Stop that brat!"

"Ah!!!"

"You little bastard, you actually dared attack us!"

"This brat is pretty strong! Quick, everyone attack him together!"

"Urgh! This brat has an accomplice..."

Hearing the noise, John immediately became interested and spread his Mantra to observe the situation outside.

The troublemaker was not Dragon, but another unfamiliar face. He seemed to have been trying to force his way into the restaurant when the gang members guarding outside stopped him.

The two sides clashed and began fighting. Dragon had merely stepped in to help when he saw an injustice.