"The city guards, the patrol bureau, and the police officers all have our people. There's a chance... there's a chance."

"Hah..." The Big Man sneered at the words.

"Nobility?"

"What will they do after the city falls?"

"They are not afraid of the city falling," Cesar spoke. "According to the pact set by the various countries, being a noble means that even if captured on the battlefield, they can be ransomed back to freedom. Moreover, after the city falls, they can still leave. This place, after all, is not the front lines. The number of Kolon soldiers coming in won't be too great. Every noble family has its own guards, and the general probably wouldn't bother with these tough nuts to crack."

The Big Man was speechless.

Today's nobility have already become corrupt. They don't care who wins or loses the war between nations, only about themselves. As long as there is sufficient benefit, they wouldn't hesitate to betray their country, or even sell their souls and their faith.

"Gando, once the Yao Ri Kingdom, the Empire's eldest son, has it truly decayed to this extent?" The Big Man narrowed his eyes, "Victory to Kolon!"

BOOM!

A loud noise came from within the city.

Looking towards the sound, under the cover of night, a building was ignited, flames blazing and soaring into the sky.

Arsonists!

Hidden within the city, arsonists began to strike, igniting fires everywhere, burning down buildings.

For a moment, the entire Sigerno City seemed engulfed in flames.

Chaos.

It obscured the fighting at the North City Gate and forced the reinforcements rushing from various locations to slow their pace.

...

Frank, the head of the Noble Council, wore a white robe and walked barefoot on the cold stone pavement. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance, his eyes flickering occasionally.

"The Church has already deployed the Night Watchers, Guardian Knights, and a Great Knight from the City Guard is also heading to the North City."

"Earl Barro has even ascended the city walls himself to personally manage the situation."

In the darkness, a person spoke softly, "Robert is dead, and the Divine Envoy hasn't made a move yet. Just relying on those arachne won't open the city gates."

"Hmm," Frank nodded. "Where is Cesar?"

"He's just a merchant. Although he holds leverage over many nobles, it might not be effective," the shadow spoke. "The one guarding the South City Gate might not obey orders either, and the arsonists in the city can't cause too much of a disturbance."

"My lord!"

"What do you plan to do?"

"Me?" Frank looked up towards the moon, half-hidden by clouds. "God's authority has been scattered for too long. It must be unified!"

The figure looked up, confusion filling his eyes. What does the war between two kingdoms have to do with God?

「Inside the carriage.」

Lady Annie, her clothes half-unbuttoned, nestled against Carl, revealing tantalizingly delicate skin beneath. However, likely due to her confinement and the abuse she had suffered, red marks crisscrossed her skin. They looked like scars! The red marks didn't mar her allure; instead, they added a peculiar charm, making one subconsciously want to protect her, yet simultaneously evoking a deep-seated, savage urge to ravage her.

Even Dana, a woman herself, had to admit that Lady Annie was immensely seductive at this moment. She even found herself drawn to her.

However... how long had it really been? Two people who had never met before were already clinging to each other. It seemed the rumors about Lady Annie were true after all. Carl...

Dana glanced at Carl, her gaze icy. Not long ago, she had started to develop some fondness for Carl, precisely because he didn't seem casual about relationships. Yet now, so soon after, he was holding a stunningly beautiful woman in his arms. The nascent fondness she had felt for him vanished completely.

"Commander." Looking at Dana, Carl spoke slowly, "Lady Annie isn't quite comfortable right now. If you have any questions, could you perhaps ask them another time?"

"Not comfortable?" Dana scoffed. "It seems like *you're* the one who's inconvenienced. Annoyed that I'm interrupting your little escapade? Lady Annie herself hasn't said a word."

"..." Carl shook his head. He had meant well, but she clearly didn't appreciate it.

"If you're unhappy, you can get out of the carriage yourself," Dana continued. "I'll take Lady Annie back."

"Oh?" Carl raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "Alright then!" With that, he made a show of getting up.

"Alright what?" Lady Annie's expression turned cold. She reached out, pressed Carl's arm, and shook her head. "You can't leave."

"Miss Dana, if you don't mind that it's late, you can ask whatever you want right here."

Hmm? Their attitudes made Dana suspicious. From the looks of it, this wasn't Carl infatuated with a beautiful woman; rather, it seemed Lady Annie was actively pursuing him. It even looked like she wouldn't take no for an answer!

"Alright then." Pushing aside her distracting thoughts, Dana's expression turned serious. "Just a short while ago, we found a ledger at the manor. It records all of Robert's income and expenses over these many years."

"Is that so?" Lady Annie blinked. "That's not surprising. Don't let Robert's ordinary appearance fool you; he was actually quite a studious person and had a habit of meticulously recording things."

"That's not the crucial part," Dana said, shaking her head. "According to the ledger, someone has been continuously providing Robert with funds and assistance. When Robert first arrived in Sigerno City a few years ago, he had some assets, but not many. Now, his wealth makes him practically the richest man in the city. This wouldn't have been possible without the person who supplied him with those funds."

"Lady Annie!" Her voice turned stern. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Miss Dana, are you suggesting that I was the one who gave Robert money?" Lady Annie blinked and shrugged. "Alright! It's true, that did happen. I'm a woman, not particularly skilled at managing finances. Isn't it perfectly normal to entrust my money to someone reliable to handle it for me?"

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