The Frontier District was still under the command of Ulšulah.
It formed a straight path leading toward the very heart of Kazdel, heavily guarded and fortified.
Watching the Sarkaz mercenaries patrolling the ramparts, Scout couldn't help but feel a strange dissonance.
"Boss, are you seriously telling me those neatly lined-up soldiers are Sarkaz mercs? They look more like Victoria's regular troops!"
Felix sighed, raising a finger and tapping Scout lightly on the forehead.
"Who decided that Sarkaz must all be savages? Who said Sarkaz can't be educated? Only by changing the present can we change the future."
Scout fell silent, unable to argue. Seeing that, Felix didn't press further. He led the group toward the Frontier District's new administration office, where they could see plenty of Tomorrow's Development mercenaries and players moving busily through the corridors.
The uniforms of the Frontier District staff resembled those of Tomorrow's Development, though with different base colors—enough to tell the two groups apart. And if that failed, the insignias on their shoulders made identification easy.
As they walked, Logos suddenly froze in place, eyes wide as if he'd just seen a ghost. His voice came out dry and strained.
"Pioneer… that woman over there…"
Felix followed the direction of the finger Logos awkwardly pointed from behind Scout, then let out a quiet, knowing "ah."
"Oh, her? Your charming kin 'Banshee Sister,' right? She joined Tomorrow's Development after we took control of Kazdel's mobile city. She's head of HRD now. Why? You know her?"
"Did… did you just call her sister?" Logos croaked, his throat dry.
"What?" Scout asked, confused. "What's wrong?"
"Call her Auntie!" Logos snapped, voice shaking the walls.
"Why the hell are you yelling?!" Felix flinched, looking genuinely aggrieved.
"Isn't that kind of rude? She looks young enough! Calling her 'Auntie' feels disrespectful."
Scout nodded wordlessly in agreement.
The woman in question turned her head at the sudden noise—but saw nothing. Beneath her veil, her lips curved into a faint smile before she walked away, clearly in good spirits.
In the nearby alley, Scout eyed Logos, who was sweating bullets as he struggled to maintain a suppression spell.
"Wait… don't tell me you know that… uh, Auntie?"
"I do not," Logos said firmly, shutting his eyes tight.
If that "Banshee Sister" had noticed him just now, she would've walked right over, all affectionate smiles and motherly concern—and that, Logos thought grimly, would be far worse than storming Kazdel's mobile city or fighting the Vampire Lord himself.
Worse yet, if Scout and Felix ever found out about his connection to her…
It'd be like going out with your buddies and suddenly running into your mom on the street. She rushes up to hug you, fussing over you in front of everyone—while your friends stare daggers into your back. You can practically feel your toes clawing through the pavement in sheer embarrassment.
What? Don't you people have moms?!
Scout: "My mom's gone."
Felix: "I'm an orphan."
Logos: "…No comment."
Only after "Auntie Banshee" left did the trio emerge from hiding. Felix, unfazed, led them toward the landing pad.
He tilted his head up toward the sky, as if waiting for something.
Less than five minutes later, a massive transport aircraft descended, its engines roaring as it touched down smoothly on the tarmac. When the ramp lowered, more than fifty people stepped out.
The moment they saw Felix standing there to greet them, their composure broke—tears streaming down their faces.
Meteorite stepped forward first, giving a crisp mercenary's salute. And behind her—good god—the rest looked like they had walked straight out of a futuristic sci-fi war film.
Logos and Scout stood frozen, jaws slack.
What… what were these people?!
"Pioneer, sir," Meteorite reported, voice steady. "Mission accomplished. We did not fail your trust."
"Well done, Captain Meteorite," Felix replied with a warm smile.
At that, Meteorite's face turned slightly red.
Scout sneaked a sideways glance at Felix and muttered under his breath,
"Damn it… what kind of Sankta succubus charm is this guy using?"
"Take a good rest while you can," Felix said calmly, his voice carrying over the hum of the aircraft engines. "From here on, you'll be facing even greater challenges and longer missions… I hope you're ready to make the name of Kazdel's mercenaries echo across the world."
Meteor tightened her legs together, bowing deeply in respect. Behind her, the Sarkaz mercenaries' eyes burned with wild fervor, like wolves spotting a rabbit. The adventurers clenched their fists, their faces full of zeal — they only wanted to fight under Felix's banner, to earn contribution points and experience through blood and glory.
Felix stepped forward, offering a few words of praise. The mercenaries were visibly moved; Sorlesar and Dandao Dantart had tears welling up in their eyes, their hearts swelling with pride.
Once the tired but satisfied mercenary corps had departed to rest, Felix turned back to find Logos and Scout staring blankly at him.
"Well?" Felix smiled faintly. "How do you like my Kazdel elites?"
Scout nearly choked on his own breath. My Kazdel elites?
Excuse me?! Since when was Kazdel yours—
Wait… actually… he does have a point.
Logos propped his chin thoughtfully. "That uniform… it's quite resistant to Originium Arts. Even Luna's blood-based Originium techniques would have trouble piercing it. Though…" his eyes flickered, "my Curses could still shatter it easily."
Scout glared at him. Damn it, could you stop acting cool and aura farming just for one second? Who made you the 'Kazdel King of Showing Off'?
"They're indeed elites," Scout admitted after a pause, his tone serious now. "Their morale and discipline are far above most Sarkaz mercenaries. That woman earlier—the captain—you could have made her an Elite Operator in the old Babel days."
"Guess high-tech uniforms make a difference," he muttered, then added, "Most Sarkaz mercenaries used to scavenge rags off the dead just to have something to wear. They lived from one meal to the next. But now… Kazdel's looking good."
Felix grinned. "Say two more compliments and I'll get you one of those uniforms yourself."
Scout inhaled sharply. Is he that kind of person? Of course not!
He was loyal to the Princessss! His heart belonged to Kazdel!
He wasn't going to sell out his pride for a fancy uniform like some of these mercenaries...
———
Damn, it was a really good-looking uniform.
"Looks good on you, Scout," Logos said deadpan.
The compliment hit like an insult. Scout's expression darkened. "Saying a few nice words just to get yourself some fancy protective gear—doesn't that sound like a profitable deal to you? Any Sarkaz mercenary would do the same."
Logos frowned slightly, and his words began to shimmer faintly with the rhythm of a curse.
"Oh! Tomorrow's Developments must be a wonderful organization!" Scout's voice twisted unnaturally under the art. "Surely Kazdel's future rulers will bless us all!"
"Oi—!" Scout lunged forward, pointing his trembling Desolate Heaven Finger at Logos. "You use your Curses like that?!"
Logos only smiled faintly. "Heh."
Scout grabbed Logos by the collar of his Tomorrow's Developments uniform. "Damn it, what's with this outfit?! If it weren't because of you, I wouldn't have said any of that!"
"On the contrary," Logos replied coolly, "I only told the truth." He tilted his head and muttered with a sly grin, "Man."
Scout's face flushed red. "What can I say?"
The two of them waited outside the office for nearly an hour. When Felix finally emerged after handling the administrative work of the Frontier District, Logos pointed toward his neck. Felix took a mirror, caught sight of a red lipstick mark, and quietly wiped it away.
"All done," he said smoothly. "Let's head back to Rhodes Island."
Once aboard the transport aircraft, they finalized the list of those heading to Lungmen. Logos would remain behind to deal with matters involving the "Banshee," operating between Kazdel and Leithanien for the time being. Scout would infiltrate the underground black market, gathering intelligence from the local informants.
In the end, the team bound for Lungmen was the same quartet as before — the catgirl, ACE, Amiya, and Felix himself.
"So we're Rhodes Island's F4, huh?" Felix stretched back in the pilot's seat, switching the plane to autopilot mode. "Ah… unbeatable, the four of us."
ACE hesitated. "I know you started out in Lungmen, but with who you are now… will entering Lungmen be a problem?"
"What problem could there be? What could Wei Yenwu do to me?" Felix scoffed. "Tomorrow's Developments are only temporarily filling in for the late Princess's duties — I'm not the Princess's designated successor."
ACE's mouth twitched. Acting dumb now? Everyone knows you already pull the strings in Kazdel. You're the uncrowned king; people know who's in charge even if you won't admit it.
"Relax. Wei won't start a war over this."
———
"Lord Wei, let's talk like a civilized person. Must you be so… dramatic with that drawn sword? I'm cold — could you sheathe it? That blade is too well kept; it radiates frost!"
Wei Yenwu snorted, slid his sword back into its scabbard, and flopped into a chair, looking down at Felix. "Speak. What do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?" Felix asked, feigning innocence.
"You motherfucker, don't keep pretending!" Wei slammed the table. "Do you think the world's stupid? With all the upheaval in Kazdel, do you really think everyone is in the dark?"
"Columbia, Bolivar and Leithanien might be clueless — my informants there still think Kazdel stays under General Theresis's control."
Wei's fists tightened.
Felix stayed calm. "I only want to give them a better way of life. Lord Wei, you should understand. You built Lungmen from a small fishing village into the prosperity it is today… I only want to follow your example."
Wei's mustache twitched; a reluctant smile creased his face. The old man's anger peeked through, then softened. When did this kid start affecting me like this?
"Kazdel has always been beset by war. Once there was a combined force that crushed it; that history bred anger and mistrust toward Terra's peoples. Now those Sarkaz have become part of the royal court." Felix's tone was earnest. "I have always stood for the ordinary Sarkaz. Lord Wei, which is better — Kazdel as an ungoverned chaotic wasteland, Kazdel as a munitions factory under General Theresis, or Kazdel reintegrated into Terra with Tomorrow's Developments' help?"
Wei's eyes narrowed.
Felix's goal was simple: peace. He didn't want to ignite new conflicts now — Kazdel needed time to recover, and war would destroy everything they'd painstakingly built.
"So you mean… you want to represent Kazdel in dealings with other countries—"
"Not… every country." Felix looked Wei straight in the eye. "Right now I only want to sign a trade agreement with Lungmen."
"Why not Yan?" Wei asked, amusement and expectation in his voice. He looked at Felix with a hint of pride; this kid was catching up fast.
"No matter, we'll talk cooperation later," Wei said, sipping his tea; the formal mood relaxed.
Then his eyebrows rose again. "And what about you and Ch'en? Isn't it time to settle that?"
"What—Lord Wei, are you matchmaking Ch'en and me?" Felix blurted.
"Everyone already knows." Wei's face was calm. "You have many childhood friends and confidantes, but Ch'en Hui-chieh has special feelings for you; I believe you can see that."
Felix nodded.
Wei sighed. "It's partly my failing as a mentor and my parenting—past events shaped Little Ch'en. She's chosen a path and walked it straight." He looked at Felix. "Please, help her."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "So Lord Wei is arranging a betrothal? Then can I get a twenty percent discount on the trade deal, uncle?"
"Get out!" Wei barked, and Felix beat a quick retreat. Once Fumizuki returned from the parlor, she noticed Wei's relaxed expression.
"I thought you'd make things hard for that kid."
"That… kid." Wei's mouth twitched. He's become some Sarkaz king of Kazdel and we still calling him "kid."
"He's just like me in some ways," Wei murmured. "Stabilizing Kazdel helps Lungmen and the entire Yan nation. But this is huge — it touches diplomacy and could lead to war if mishandled. Start from Lungmen, take it step by step. Patience will build something great."
He snorted softly. "If you hurt Ch'en, I'll cut you down, cement you and throw you in Lungmen bay"