Before the announcement delivered by the priest had even finished, the area had already fallen into complete silence as the gathered citizens stood frozen in place, utterly stunned and completely lost for words.
It couldn't be helped.
A new city lord?
All the nobles and the church had submitted and pledged eternal loyalty to the new city lord?
How was that even possible?
Would those greedy, arrogant, untouchable nobles really accept something like that?
A massive wave of curiosity instantly swept through the hearts of the citizens as they wondered who this new city lord truly was, especially after learning that he had actually forced those demons, who devoured people without leaving even the slightest trace behind, to bow their heads in submission.
People whispered among themselves as discussions spread rapidly from one group to another, their faces filled with uncertainty, disbelief, and intense curiosity.
"Is it fake?"
"But a priest just announced it in public! How's it fake?"
"Hisss... just how strong is this new lord?"
"Could it be another big city-state trying to invade?"
Even though everyone was wondering who the new city lord was, the main focus of their attention was still the priest's final sentence, which instantly ignited everyone's emotions and left their hearts in turmoil.
How could it not?
A total of 2,733 individuals guilty of grave sins had actually been sentenced to hanging, with every single one of their corpses to be displayed on the city walls.
Hanging?
More than two thousand people?
All hung on the city walls?
And this even included the former city lord who had been flaunting his power just yesterday, the high priest, and a large number of nobles?
All of them had been wiped out overnight?
Killed by the new city lord?
And then hung up for public display?
As all these questions flooded the citizens' minds one after another, they couldn't help but wonder whether the new city lord was the reincarnation of a god of slaughter for carrying out something so merciless, so cruel, and so utterly ruthless.
"Talanton above! T-They killed every last one of 'em?"
"Two thousand seven hundred thirty-three? Not a single one left alive?"
"Hung up on the city walls? Oh god, that's gotta cover the whole damn wall!"
"...Who the hell is this new city lord? Why didn't they announce who he is?"
"Not gonna lie, that's way too ruthless..."
"So those man-eating nobles... they're really all gone?"
"I can't believe this! Just yesterday, I got whipped by one of the city lord's guards!"
"Ah, the church too... one of the priests took my family's last bit of food as an offering just last month."
"Hey, the way this new city lord handled things... is he a tyrant? Or..."
"Who fucking cares! Even a tyrant couldn't be more brutal than those damn nobles! They deserved to die! They had it coming!"
Just like that, as several priests announced the news throughout various areas of Dolos, the discussions continued without end.
Shock, confusion, excitement, and even wild joy intertwined across every citizen's face, making the entire city noisier than it had ever been before.
Who was the new city lord?
At this moment, that single question swept across the entire city of Dolos like a storm.
Cifera leaned against her windowsill, stretching her small head as far outside as possible with her cat ears perked high, trying her best to catch fragments of information from the countless noisy discussions drifting up from the streets below.
"Hmm, the new city lord killed so many people in one night... and even hung their bodies on the city walls...?"
After hearing the news, Cifera muttered in shock before she couldn't help but shiver, her small face gradually turning pale.
In her eyes, although those nobles were all bad people who had oppressed countless innocent citizens and deserved to die, the methods used were still far too terrifying and ruthless.
What kind of person was this mysterious new city lord?
Would he be even worse and more frightening than the previous city lord?
Would Dolos simply be exchanging one nightmare for another?
Cifera's small heart was inevitably filled with worry and unease.
In the end, she could only quietly pray that the new city lord would not be a bad person and hope that he could truly make Dolos a better place, just like what she had wished for while talking to Lucian yesterday.
Evidently, she did not connect this event to Lucian at all.
It was perfectly understandable.
He had bathed her just yesterday, personally tucked her into bed, and had even stayed by her bedside throughout the night. No matter how she looked at it, there was simply no way she could associate that gentle big brother with the ruthless new city lord everyone was talking about.
"Hahh..."
Feeling somewhat unsettled, Cifera let out a soft breath before deciding to stop dwelling on it.
A new day meant she should first greet her caretaker with a cheerful good morning, so with that thought in mind, she jumped down from the windowsill in her soft slippers and lightly padded toward the living room.
Soon enough, Cifera saw that Lucian was already standing in the kitchen, busy preparing breakfast.
As she approached, the rich aroma of freshly fried eggs drifted through the air, filling the small house with a warm, comforting atmosphere and easing a little of the uneasiness lingering in her heart.
"Cifera, are you getting used to this home now?"
Noticing the newcomer, Lucian, who was standing before the kitchen counter, smiled gently as he asked the question, his eyes still focused on the fried eggs sizzling in the pan.
Even though it was nothing more than a simple smile and an ordinary greeting, that warm smile and caring voice struck Cifera's heart like a heavy hammer, leaving a deep impression she couldn't quite describe.
"Mm... I like it here... It's much better than the sewers..."
Cifera had already thought Lucian's handsome appearance was almost unreal, but when she had still been wary of him, she had been able to restrain herself. Now that her guard had completely dropped, she found herself too embarrassed to look directly into his face for more than a brief moment.
"Lucian... can I take some food to share with the other kids today?"
"Of course, take as much as you want," Lucian said as he set the freshly made dishes on the table one by one. "You don't gotta ask me if it's something good. Whatever you wanna do, I'll support you."
"Mm... thank you..." Cifera said softly, giving a small nod before adding in an even quieter voice, "You're the best, best guy I've ever met."
A little while later, as the two of them sat together enjoying breakfast and Cifera casually chatted with Lucian between bites, she suddenly remembered the news about the new city lord and immediately looked up at him.
"Lucian, did you hear? Some nobles and priests are dead, and it looks like the city lord died too and got replaced."
Hearing that, Lucian deliberately put on a surprised expression.
"Oh? Really? Isn't that great news? I bet the new city lord's gotta be some handsome, charming guy everyone loves, the kinda guy who makes flowers bloom wherever he goes."
"Pffft—! Hahahaha—!"
Cifera couldn't help but burst into laughter, her shoulders trembling as the gloomy thoughts from earlier were instantly swept away.
"You're exaggerating! Sounds like you're talking about yourself."
===
On this day, throughout the streets and alleys, inside taverns and inns, and in every corner where people gathered, everyone was speculating about the identity of the new city lord.
Someone capable of uprooting the top ruling class that had dominated Dolos for hundreds of years in a single night, eliminating the vast majority of them down to the last one, and frightening the remaining nobles—who had always looked down on everyone else—into trembling in terror before publicly declaring their submission and loyalty... just what kind of figure could possibly accomplish something like that?
Some couldn't help but wonder whether the Trickery Titan had personally descended upon Dolos.
As the entire city buzzed with endless discussions, the news of the massacre of the majority of the nobles and the rise of the new city lord inevitably seemed to grow wings of its own, rapidly spreading beyond the city walls into the wilderness, the forests, abandoned settlements, and every place through which travelers passed.
Ultimately, the news reached the ears of those who had operated in the shadows year-round—the rogues who had always opposed the nobles and the church.
===
At dusk, within an abandoned temple not far from Dolos, stood a small camp hidden among the ruins.
At the center of the camp, a crackling campfire burned brightly, its dancing flames casting flickering shadows that stretched and twisted across the broken pillars and crumbling stone walls of the abandoned temple, making the entire place seem haunted by restless spirits.
More than a dozen figures, some tall and some short, dressed in different styles but all carrying an unmistakable air of hardship and fierceness, sat around the fire. As the firelight swayed back and forth, it illuminated their solemn, curious, and unruly faces.
Every one of them was a rogue active throughout Amphoreus.
After receiving the shocking news from Dolos, they had all gathered here without any prior arrangement, wanting to learn exactly what kind of storm had erupted within the city-state.
Ever since Dolos had issued the anti-fraud decrees, they had been forced to leave the city-state and carry out their work in other city-states, taking wealth from those who possessed riches without virtue and using it to aid refugees suffering from war, famine, and displacement.
As time passed, their deeds gradually spread across the land, earning them a growing reputation and eventually the title of the 'Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos.'
"Is the information accurate?"
A middle-aged man with a scar running across his face and eyes as sharp as an eagle spoke in a low, steady voice.
"Yeah, it's absolutely true. I went and saw it with my own eyes. Man, the city walls are straight-up covered in bodies! Packed so damn tight there ain't even any room left!"
A small, monkey-like man immediately responded, his face filled with excitement and amusement.
"I saw the corpses of the city lord and that fatty high priest, too! I swear, they're all up there! Every time the wind blows, they just sway back and forth... creepy as hell to look at."
"Right now, the whole city's going crazy, saying that some mysterious new city lord wiped them all out overnight."
"And get this—those leftover nobles and those church bastards are acting obedient as hell now, like scared little kids. When the priests announced the news, their legs were shaking like crazy! Hahahaha!"
As the monkey-like man spoke animatedly, spittle flying while he vividly described everything he had witnessed, a chorus of sharp inhales echoed around the campfire.
"Such nonsense..."
A cold and elegant woman dressed in tight leather armor, with two daggers hanging at her waist, frowned deeply.
"Just how strong must someone be to wipe out that group of scum in a single night? With defenses that tight, none of us could even carry out a successful assassination, let alone kill all of them and then turn around and become the city lord."
In response to the woman's words, an old man who looked like a down-and-out scholar adjusted his glasses before speaking with a thoughtful frown.
"You know, the real question is... who exactly is this mysterious new city lord? What's his goal? Does he really wanna change that awful city-state... or does he just wanna become the next guy to exploit it?"
Hearing the old man's words, the rogues looked at one another, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
"Who cares who he is!"
A hot-blooded youth with a streak of red hair suddenly jumped to his feet.
"We'll just wait and see for now."
"If that guy's just like those damned nobles from before, then..."
Pausing briefly, the youth raised a hand and made a throat-cutting gesture before continuing.
"We'll kill him... but well, if he really is a good guy, then we'll serve him. At least we won't have to hold back anymore."
At his words, a bald man with a severe burn scar covering his right eye let out a dismissive scoff.
"Tch, how naive. Someone who can kill that many high-ranking figures all by himself... if it's just us, we'd basically be walking to our deaths."
Upon hearing that, another youth with long hair tied into a ponytail spoke righteously.
"If we're gonna cower just 'cause the enemy's strong, then what kinda rogues are we? Learn to use your head! We ain't gotta take him on head-on!"
Just like that, after even more discussion around the campfire, the rogues ultimately decided to wait and observe the situation for the time being, wanting to determine whether this mysterious new city lord was a force of evil... or someone truly worthy of their loyalty.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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