In the final days of September, nearly half of southern Outer City in Starer City belonged to the Blade of Freedom.
Francois spent some time dealing with and absorbing every gang on the Sixteen Streets under his control. Then he handed out money and food and sent the Saltfish Gang to patrol day and night, creating a city within a city.
But they were nearing the limit of how far they could expand unnoticed—or, more precisely, the limit of Spencer's ability to protect them. These days, Spencer lived in fear. He often woke with a start in the middle of the night and spent his days watching the City Lord's Mansion and key intersections with the City Guard, afraid someone would inform on them and he would open his eyes to find a Kingdom Assassin beside his bed.
Francois had also recently come into conflict with Little Smo.
It began when the Saltfish Gang absorbed another gang and followed the trail to the Noble behind it. In the Noble's Bedroom, Little Smo found a Farmer's daughter who had been tortured to death. He snapped and spent dozens of minutes torturing the Noble the same way before Francois, alerted by a messenger, arrived and stopped him.
As the Blade of Freedom expanded, its members saw the Nobles' extravagant lives and more and more of their darker side. Many of them gradually changed, and Little Smo grew increasingly extreme... until he did this.
On a personal level, Francois understood Little Smo taking justice into his own hands. But for a member of the Blade of Freedom, sworn to uphold Free City's ideals, it was absolutely unacceptable.
"Remember our mission!"
The "Little" in Smo's name came from childhood malnutrition. He was even shorter than Annan, but now his gaze was resolute, as if