Wildfire Town.
"Phaethon, I really didn't expect that an accident would bring you all here."
"But since you're birds of a feather with old pal Billy, you're friends to us as well."
Caesar said to them with a smile.
"Ah, right, right, we've been in cahoots for a long time, haha."
Belle responded with an awkward smile while listening to Caesar.
"Let me introduce us formally: we are the Sons of Calydon."
"The Motorcycle Clan of the Outer Ring. I am the current leader, Caesar."
Caesar introduced herself.
"As for the reason we invited you today, old pal Billy should have mentioned it."
"Regarding Perlman, whom you're concerned about, his airship crashed into a million pieces when it landed in the Outer Ring."
"Though he's lucky to be alive, he's quite seriously injured and hasn't woken up yet."
Caesar explained.
"Perlman is really in your hands?!"
"Aya, it looks like your guess was quite spot on."
Belle said with some surprise; after all, she had been skeptical about this.
After all, he left in an airship; it seemed unrealistic for him to be caught.
She hadn't expected him to fall into the hands of the Sons of Calydon for such a reason.
"Of course. Don't you see who I am?"
"Don't think I'm actually stupid just because I don't look smart usually."
"I'm incredibly clever most of the time, okay?"
Saying that, Hoshimi Aya raised her chin proudly.
As if she had received a compliment.
"Aya, right?!"
"Can you spar with me in a bit?"
"I've been wanting to ask, but you were focused on the Proxy's situation earlier, so I didn't bring it up."
Caesar said excitedly; Hoshimi Aya's move earlier had given her a huge shock.
"Caesar!!"
"Can you be serious for once?!!"
"We're just about to start negotiations, why is your head always filled with fighting and stuff?!"
Lucy said angrily, looking at Caesar's obsessed expression.
The atmosphere was just right to start negotiating, yet she brought up a sparring request.
Hadn't she gone to all that trouble to find Phaethon just for this?
"Forget it, Phaethon, let's talk instead."
"If we leave it to Caesar, who knows what it'll turn into."
Lucy said with a bit of a headache.
"Hey, hey, Lucy."
"I was just joking."
"The guests just arrived, how could I make such an unreasonable request?"
Caesar laughed awkwardly.
But what were they supposed to talk about?
Oh, right, the matter of Perlman.
"Phaethon, don't worry, we'll take responsibility for treating him."
"Once he wakes up, we'll hand him over to you."
Caesar said with a smile.
Lucy:!!!
"Ah! W-Wait a minute!"
"Caesar, are you an idiot?!"
"The negotiations haven't even started, and you just handed over such an important bargaining chip?!"
Lucy looked at Caesar with an expression of disbelief.
"Negotiations? Bargaining chip?"
"Lucy, you're saying those petty things again."
"This practice of holding someone's weakness over them has none of the spirit of an overlord."
Caesar said to Lucy in a slightly blaming tone.
"Easy for you to say!"
"I worked so hard to block information before, all for today!"
"If things don't work out with Phaethon, where am I supposed to find a reliable Proxy to go on the Hellfire Ride with us?!"
Lucy said angrily.
"The Hellfire Ride is our own business; I never planned on betting everything on someone else from the start."
"Proxy, don't worry. The fact that you could come to the Outer Ring is giving us face."
"Even if you don't agree to help, my decision regarding Perlman won't change."
Caesar said in a serious tone.
"We appreciate your kindness, Caesar."
"But as the saying goes, one shouldn't accept rewards for work not done."
Wise interjected.
"Yeah, regarding the Hellfire Ride, we already decided when we were coming."
"We won't change our minds about what we've promised either."
Hoshimi Aya nodded in agreement.
Though, they hadn't refused in the original plot anyway.
"Exactly, but what exactly is this Hellfire Ride?"
Belle pondered.
"The Hellfire Ride is the single most important event in our Old Oil Well District."
"Only the recognized strongest motorcycle teams can participate; it's a contest of the strong within The Hollow!"
Caesar immediately got excited again at the mention of the Hellfire Ride.
"Hey, how could they understand if you put it like that?"
"I'll explain."
"The Hellfire Ride is, simply put, a motorcycle off-road race through The Hollow."
"Only two teams can participate in this event."
"The rules are also very simple: the first team to cross The Hollow and reach the finish line, the Lake of Burning Crystals, and throw the Firestone into the lake, wins."
Lucy briefly introduced it to them.
"You guys in the Outer Ring actually hold such dangerous competitions..."
Belle pondered.
"Holding the Hellfire Ride isn't for the sake of thrills."
"It's a way to periodically ensure the safety of oil resources in the form of a competition; after all, oil is the lifeblood of the Old Oil Well District."
"Of course, for us in the Motorcycle Clan, it has another meaning."
"Because the winner of the race will take the position of overlord of the Old Oil Well District's Biker Gang Alliance."
Lucy briefly introduced it to them.
Hoshimi Aya nodded upon hearing this; the plot was becoming clearer and clearer.
It seemed the Sons of Calydon ultimately won this race.
Anyway, the ones who eventually took the overlord position were the Sons of Calydon.
She didn't remember the specific details very clearly.
However, the Triumphant Ones were heavily scattered because their leader was killed by that traitor.
"That's right, Phaethon. The overlord is the recognized strongest in our Biker Gang Alliance."
"The current overlord faction is called the Triumphant Ones. Their leader, the old man, has been in that position for quite a few years."
"I've been looking forward to testing my strength against him."
Caesar narrowed her eyes, smiled, and put her hands on her hips.
"I see. It's quite a hot-blooded event."
Belle nodded, expressing understanding; after all, everyone has different pursuits.
"Heh, Caesar, if your head is only filled with such shallow things..."
"...it's only a matter of time before the Sons of Calydon become mine."
"How could the overlord position everyone fights so hard for be just for the title of'strongest'?!"
"We're not elementary schoolers obsessed with fighting manga."
"In every sense, the oil industry of the Old Oil Well District relies on the support of the Biker Gang Alliance to continue."
"And the overlord, as the leader of the Biker Gang Alliance, controls the power to allocate transport routes. In other words, they hold substantial interests."
"For the past six months, the Triumphant Ones have allocated all the worst routes to us, the Sons of Calydon. They're definitely pulling strings behind the scenes!"
"When I went to argue with them, their second-in-command, Lucius, who always has that fake smile, would only say, 'The overlord isn't in the Old Oil Well District right now, routes are decided by random draw.'"
Lucy sneered; she had been unhappy about this for a long time.
Hoshimi Aya was stunned upon hearing this. So his name was Lucius?
She only remembered him as the second-in-command of the Triumphant Ones; she had almost forgotten what he looked like.
Fortunately, she knew the name now, so she wouldn't end up cutting down the wrong person later.
...
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