Chapter 482

Chapter 482: Inquiry and Departure

When dawn broke, there were no standing halberd mercenaries left within the city.

The dark little town, with its scattered groups, provided Jena with opportunities to defeat them one by one. Her agile movements and sharp weaponry allowed her to swiftly eliminate these enemies before retreating and striking again.

After midnight, most of the halberd mercenaries began to flee from the town, and the remnants of the hunting bow faction took advantage of this opportunity to pursue them. With such a pincer attack, the town was once again under the control of the hunting bow faction.

“May I ask for your name?” several members of the hunting bow faction bowed in gratitude and asked.

“I’m afraid I cannot,” Jena replied, covering her face with a veil. Her father was still in the Smoky City.

They exchanged glances and then gathered a bag of gold coins, about fifty or so.

“Since you prefer not to disclose your name, please accept this token of our gratitude.”

Most of the hunting bow faction members were locals and had some roots in the area.

Jena shook her head and said, “There’s no need for payment. I wish to inquire about something from you.”

“Please go ahead.”

They invited the girl into a room and one of them fetched a new cloak.

“Do you need to change?” he asked.

At that moment, Jena noticed the bloodstains on her cloak. She nodded and accepted it, taking off the slightly heavy cloak and putting on the new black one.

“Could you tell me about the situation and plans of the hunting bow faction? I was away in Black Rock recently and just returned.”

“This… Normally, we wouldn’t disclose such information to outsiders, but since you asked, we can share some non-confidential matters.”

Jena nodded.

“The ‘Phantom Azure’ Lord Tevira of the hunting bow faction is currently gathering warriors in Valley City to prepare for a counterattack on the Smoky City. Additionally, elders from various regions are organizing militias to resist the invasion of the halberd faction.”

“Do you have confidence in capturing the Smoky City?” Jena asked again. She had been to the Smoky City and knew there were at least 80,000 halberd mercenaries there, though they were scattered under different leaders, they still formed a formidable force.

“Some of the higher-ups may be confident, but many of us here, including myself, have just escaped from the Smoky City and do not hold much hope,” one of them replied with a bitter smile.

“We are not afraid of the halberd mercenaries. Once we gather the hunters from the mountains, we will have skilled combatants on our side. However, that

The black steel weaponry is not something that a longbow can match.”

“Black steel?”

“Yes, you might not have seen it before. In fact, we are seeing it for the first time too. It is a special weapon provided by the Southern Frost Rose.”

“Just by triggering a mechanism, metal rounds will shoot out, piercing through steel armor. Moreover, there are even more special individuals among them.”

“The mercenaries call it a crystal gun; its power can even penetrate rock walls.”

“Although the quantity is not large, its deterrent effect on the battlefield is immense. Ordinary people don’t have the courage to fight with such weapons.”

Listening to their descriptions, Jena recalled visiting the Northern Tower Academy a long time ago. Among the alchemical creations displayed there were similar items. She hadn’t expected that they would now be widely implemented.

This world is changing just as Father said, and the Frost Rose, with such formidable power, certainly won’t remain content in a corner. As long as they push from behind, the Black Rock Duchy will not be peaceful.

They need this country to check Clancia, making it easier for their battles in the south.

Even if one could find a way to change this country, there is no environment for implementation now.

After further understanding, Jena gained more insight into the situation of the hunting bow faction.

“Why is there such a great conflict between the hunting bows and halberds?” she wanted to understand how the locals viewed this issue.

“It’s irreconcilable,” said a middle-aged man with gray hair beside her. He carried a large axe on his back, and his face was sharp, weathered by the elements.

“This place is where our ancestors have lived. Every lake, every field, is owned by someone. The returning mercenaries naturally do not want to keep paying us for food and other necessities. Moreover, they have lost their previous sources of income, so they naturally resort to violence and trouble.”

“It’s like hungry wolves in the mountains wanting to eat rabbits; there’s nothing to say about it.”

“You expect them to calm down? Impossible. They’re not stupid. With weapons capable of killing, they naturally gain courage.”

“These people are used to killing outside, having picked up many evil habits of burning, killing, and looting. There’s no point expecting them to have any conscience.”

“Why should we give them goodwill when dealing with such scum?”

Jena listened quietly, recalling asking the mercenaries under her father’s command a few days ago in the city. They gave different answers.

“We risk our lives to earn money outside, while they do nothing, overcharging us. Seeing us as a minority of ‘outsiders,’ they charge us exorbitant prices, robbing us of our hard-earned coins. Why should we… ”

These people were unacceptable.

And locally, they were the majority. Many returning mercenaries were not only unwelcome, but also faced various forms of exclusion and bullying.

Then there was that so-called Elders’ Council, a group of stubborn locals who constrained and extorted you with all sorts of rules and regulations. They acted entitled due to their age, demanding all sorts of service and benefits. Sometimes, they even coveted our wives and daughters. Any man would find this intolerable.

Although they came from the same source, the two sides had drifted far apart, making reconciliation nearly impossible. Mutual hostility had become the norm.

Within this town, the previous Elders’ Council had been slaughtered by the Halberd faction. Now, the main figures in charge of the town were the Fighting Bow faction, consisting of capable young adults. This led to a slightly better atmosphere.

After understanding the views of the Fighting Bow faction, Jiena felt somewhat disappointed, as she saw no hope for reconciliation between the two factions.

After packing her luggage, she bid farewell briefly and left the town once again.

As the girl walked away, several leading members of the Fighting Bow faction within the city began to discuss quietly.

“Where does this girl come from? She’s so powerful.”

“Is it really necessary to guess?” A man with a bow chuckled beside him.

“Of course, she comes from Emanas.”

“She’s so young yet so powerful. Based on her accent, she must have grown up domestically, then studied at school in recent years. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so unfamiliar with the current situation.”

“But I wonder which side she stands on.”

“Forget it. The higher-ups of our Fighting Bow faction aren’t exactly good people either. Some of their actions are truly unsightly.”

“But what can we do? Our relatives and friends are all bound to this ship. Could I really join the Halberd faction?”

“All of this has been slowly brewing for a long time. It’s just finally coming to a head now.”

“Forget it, let’s go drink. Don’t think about these things. Let’s relax today and leave here tomorrow. This place is too close to Smoky City.”

“Let the higher-ups worry about national affairs. We small fry just need to get by each day.”

“They won’t worry. They only care about their own comfort. How could they care about our insignificant lives?”

“But so what? Can you rebel?”

The group moved away and disappeared around the corner of the street.

Thank you, stupid Phoenix, for your dedicated daydreaming. Eevee Ivysaur, Dream Butterfly Listening to Rain Sleep, Book Friend 20200912211129474, Vikanya Furgarden, Pipi Xiao’s Zoo, Seele, and the 8 others for their generous tips~

(End of Chapter)