Titanion Realm, the human kingdom, Soaring Bird City.
Torin was filled with unease. Part of Soaring Bird City's walls had collapsed under last night's onslaught by dark creatures.
Just when Torin thought his city was doomed, two Alpha-level powerhouses charged out from the city's tents and turned the tide. These two were Henrik and Mateo.
Torin remembered clearly—both men had arrived in Soaring Bird City with two separate merchant caravans. They were supposedly the guards and bodyguards of two other influential figures.
"Master, I've found out everything!"
Mike hurried into the makeshift tent, panting heavily, clearly having rushed all the way here.
"Speak quickly!"
Torin stepped forward, grabbed Mike by the collar, and fixed him with a piercing stare.
"Master, those two Alpha-level fighters serve Grand Duke Richard and Grand Duke William respectively. They're basically the two Grand Dukes' sworn retainers. This time, they came to Soaring Bird City to escort representatives of the Golden Apple Chamber of Commerce and the Holy Sword Mercenary Corps to giant territory."
"Master, behind them stand the two Grand Dukes of the kingdom, supporting them."
Torin let go. The news from Mike made him realize something in an instant.
"Two Grand Dukes, is it?"
"So that's why they're here—to divide up the spoils."
From the start of the defense until the wall collapsed, the two Alpha-levels sent by the Grand Dukes had not lifted a finger. It was only last night that Henrik and Mateo joined the fight.
This was both a signal and a show of intimidation. Although the Grand Dukes' representatives had yet to come forward, Torin knew full well that their delay simply meant the timing wasn't right.
"Do you know the names of those two representatives?"
"Sebastian and Oliver. They say they're heading to giant territory to do direct business with the Stoneheart Horde."
Mike related all he knew. Noticing Torin's frown, Mike hesitated, then added his own thoughts.
"Master, in my experience, it was a bit too easy to gather this information."
"What are you implying?"
Torin suddenly looked up, his pensive eyes showing a raw intensity.
Mike took a step back and shrank slightly.
"I suspect they wanted us to get this information. Normally, whether they're merchant caravan members or from a mercenary corps, their guard is always up when traveling."
"But this time, I just bought them a few pots of wine, and they gave me everything. Master, they're wolves, and they have bad intentions."
Torin didn't respond right away. Instead, he began pacing around the tent. A delayed understanding dawned on him: he'd thought that Princess Ava's support would guarantee his safety and let him reap all the benefits. But Torin had been too optimistic.
At most, Princess Ava's presence could keep him alive, ensuring the kingdom's high nobles couldn't simply kill him off with underhanded tricks. As for Soaring Bird City's profits, there was no way those nobles would just give them up.
Even if Prince Theodore himself were stationed here, the nobles would still carve out a hefty portion for themselves. Although Prince Theodore had already secured some gains for the two Grand Dukes, who would ever turn down more benefits? Especially these nobles, who were long accustomed to exploiting those beneath them.
Once Torin finally pieced it all together, Wyatt from the slaver team hurried into the tent as well.
"Master!"
Wyatt stopped before Torin, looking grim.
"Speak. What happened?"
Torin watched Wyatt, bracing himself for the worst.
"Master, those two powerhouses—Henrik and Mateo—took advantage of last night's chaos after the wall collapsed and seized control of the city walls' defenses. Just now, they reorganized the slaves on the walls, putting all the slaves under their command. Anyone who wants to survive has to follow their orders now."
It was over. That was the first thought in Torin's mind.
Soaring Bird City, still in the process of being rebuilt, had now lost control of its guard forces to the kingdom's nobles. Without a city guard under his command, managing and operating Soaring Bird City in the future would be like chasing an impossible dream.
"Damn it!"
Clang!
With a roar of anger, Torin shoved the nearby table and all the cups and kettles on it to the floor. The clattering chaos mirrored his own frustration and fury.
"Fuck them…damn pigs…a bunch of bastards…I'll kill you all…"
For the next half hour, the tent echoed with Torin's curses. Only when he finally ran out of steam did he calm down a bit.
He lifted the tent curtain and looked out at the slaves patrolling under the mercenaries' direction, his gaze growing more resolute by the moment.
"We anticipated this outcome right from the start, didn't we? Compared to ending up dead, at least we're still alive."
Torin's voice came out at a measured volume, tinged with a bit of rationality.
"Wyatt, from this moment onward, we'll completely abandon any attempt to control Soaring Bird City's defenses. If they want it, they can have it. Let them foot the bill for our safety. It's a perfect plan!"
His rational thoughts now drifted toward something more extreme. Torin's demeanor shifted from momentary calm to something darker.
"If they manage to hold Soaring Bird City, so be it—at least that means they haven't taken their benefits for nothing. If they fail to hold it, then let's all go down with the ship together."
At that, Torin's expression flashed cold with a hint of lethal intent.
"Wyatt, go pull our slaves off the walls right now. Anyone who won't cooperate—deal with them as you see fit."
…
A moment later, as he watched Wyatt and Mike leaving, Torin felt a wave of revulsion, as though he'd been brutally humiliated. Yet he forced himself to swallow this bitter taste.
"At the end of the day, I'm too weak. If I were Alpha-level or even Legendary, this never would've happened."
"Power. From now on, I'm going to devote my entire focus to getting stronger."
He had already paid dearly for his failures—so only now did Torin grasp that his own power was the single most reliable foundation he had in the human kingdom.
In the past, he'd tried relying on gold coins, women, and noble titles, but in the end, it led him nowhere.
After considering it all, Torin decided to temporarily abandon the right to manage Soaring Bird City. As long as he remained alive, he would still be a Baron of the kingdom, and Soaring Bird City would still be his territory. If he could hang on to that, once he grew stronger, all that had been lost could be recovered, piece by piece.