Soon, they set out for Meida Holy City.
The journey was far from peaceful. The Demon Emperor found that they were robbed at least three times along the way, and each time, the robbers acted openly and without shame. Verus, however, thought nothing of it. He was used to it.
"These are local bandit forces, powerful gangs formed by Lone Wanderers who lost their homes. To put it bluntly, they're the local snakes. Give them something, and they let you through. Give them nothing, and they harass you."
"These people are individually powerful and have strength in numbers. Our Lineage has always tried to keep the peace with them."
"There's no helping it. Even the authorities can't wipe them out, so they just let them be."
The Demon Emperor frowned. "There must be other powers backing them! Otherwise, they couldn't possibly act so brazenly."
Verus nodded. "They're controlled by some of the major powers in Meida Holy City. Basically, they rake in money for those powers. There's nothing we can do. They're strong and have far-reaching influence. Small Lineages like ours can only endure their oppression."
"Fortunately, they still have some limits. Usually, they won't resort to outright robbery on a large scale. As long as you pay a little protection money, you can pass through safely."
"Actually, compared to Meida Holy City's taxes, this is already very cheap."
The Demon Emperor frowned. "There are at least three factions here. Don't they ever clash?"
Verus laughed. "When they clash, it probably means civil war has broken out in Meida Holy City. When was the last civil war? It must have been three thousand years ago!"
"No one can control that sort of thing. Personally, I hope they start fighting. Then we could fish in troubled waters. If only we could