The commercial district was once the most prestigious and invaluable area in the royal city.
It thrived with busy trade and exceptionally lively commercial activity.
But now, it had fallen into a desolate, silent dead zone.
Under the vast sky, fragments of metal drifted slowly.
Thick, gray dust shattered and layered over itself, forming a dense fog.
Carried by faint winds, it rolled and drifted endlessly across the ground.
The heavy dark clouds that once covered the sky had completely disappeared.
Even the twinkling of the stars had vanished into the endless darkness.
That bright moon hung alone in the pitch-black night sky.
It quietly cast a faint glow, illuminating the destroyed land below.
The surrounding buildings had turned to dust, leaving only silence wandering aimlessly across the barren ground.
This once-busy stretch of land now seemed immersed in post-disaster stillness and decay.
All vitality and life had been wiped away.
Farther in the distance, tall tower structures still faintly retained half of their forms.
They swayed constantly in the howling wind, loose stones trembling as they fell.
Only a single broken golden wall remained standing silently on the land.
The candlelight of the past had been replaced by moonlight, passing through the shattered dome and quietly falling onto the abandoned venue.
The nobles slowly opened their eyes, trembling fingers gripping the armrests or backs of their chairs.
They cautiously peeked their heads out from behind their seats.
All the nobles present had eyes filled with doubt about survival and stunned fear.
"Is it… gone?"
They widened their eyes, at a loss as they looked around.
Their gazes passed through the massive hole in the golden wall, across the ruined hall beyond the doors, staring at the flattened world outside.
Across the entire land, aside from dust stirred by the wind, nothing else remained.
The once-bustling streets, the shops full of life, had all vanished without a trace.
Even the towering ruins had failed to leave any mark on this land.
Only dust swirled in the air, dancing wildly.
Everything that once made up the commercial district seemed to have been completely wiped off the earth by a giant hand.
The faint silver moonlight replaced the flickering candle flames, and the golden walls looked especially dim under this weak light.
The only relatively intact structure was, unexpectedly, the auction hall that had just been smashed into ruins by the demi-humans.
This was the commercial district, the most valuable land in the royal city.
If everything had to be rebuilt...
How much damn money would that take?
The noble lords, who had just survived the disaster, once again felt that overwhelming sense of helplessness.
They slumped into their chairs, their minds filled with frantic calculations of financial losses.
Since everything needed rebuilding, the lords present would naturally have to share the burden.
They had guarded against everything, yet in the end, they still got blown up by Viktor.
What? Compensation?
Although every noble present knew this explosion was caused by Viktor... after witnessing his terrifying magic, which noble would be foolish enough to go ask him for compensation?
Chaotic waves of magic had overturned the earth, the deep soil and rubble all swallowed by light.
Scorching air currents swept through the once-glorious golden hall, the broken walls shaking even more violently.
The magical surge shot straight into the sky, accompanied by a deep, furious roar that tore apart the cloud-covered heavens.
A massive blue wave dozens of meters high poured toward the auction hall and its surroundings like a raging flood.
Black steel-like towers rose from the ground like a dense, silent forest.
In an instant, that dark forest was illuminated by bright blue light, as if briefly lit by moonlight, shimmering.
Those towering peaks that pierced the clouds were completely swallowed by the surging waves.
Everyone present, after witnessing that terrifying magic, felt as if they had been struck heavily.
Their thoughts completely stalled, their eyes hollow, their minds blank as if shaken empty.
That was undoubtedly a disaster.
Just recalling that magic alone was enough to make everyone present tremble all over, their hearts filled with deep fear.
At this moment, Viktor stood calmly on the already cracked ground.
The coat behind him swayed lightly in the wind. Dust tried to cling to it but was blocked by a faint magical barrier.
In front of him, the two once-imposing orange tiger-men had already collapsed on the ground, completely motionless.
Their fur had turned into a charred black color, a miserable sight.
The nobles also noticed the tiger-men. They stood up and hurriedly pointed at them, "Y-you… look…"
"Those two tiger-men are lying on the ground…"
The two scorched tiger-men lay stiffly on the ground, their bodies covered in burns, seemingly unconscious.
Seeing these once-arrogant tiger-men defeated so easily, the tightly stretched nerves of everyone present finally relaxed a little.
At least, in this demi-human uprising, they had survived... and that was all thanks to Viktor.
August also leaned out from the second floor, his gaze blankly sweeping over the destroyed surroundings.
This young king had clearly suffered an indescribable shock.
"This… this is… a mage?"
His voice trembled uncontrollably with shock.
"Yes, this is a mage.", Aurelian softly answered beside him.
She stood up from her seat, her eyes shining as she gave August a gentle smile.
"Your Majesty, next time you go out, perhaps bringing a few more guards would be safer."
"If something like this happens again and we aren't here, wouldn't your safety be at risk?", After speaking, Aurelian gave him an elegant nod.
Her skirt swayed lightly with her steps as she gradually walked down the already destroyed stairs.
Gwen sheathed her red blade and followed closely behind.
Only Vanilla politely bowed to August, then quickly followed the princess.
August remained crouched on the ground with Hilda beside him, both silent.
Hearing the crisp sound of footsteps, Viktor turned his head slightly.
Aurelian walked gracefully to his side, her steps light and elegant.
"Teacher."
Viktor glanced at her, then raised his head to look at August on the second floor, speaking calmly, "Your Majesty."
Hearing Viktor's calm voice, August's body suddenly trembled.
That voice entered his ears like a devil's whisper.
"The aftermath doesn't need me to handle it, right?"
August hurriedly stood up, even his hands trembling unconsciously, "No problem, Councilor Viktor."
"Our kingdom will handle everything properly."
Viktor nodded in understanding, then turned around.
His gaze fell on the female auctioneer who was curled up in fear in the corner behind him.
She was wrapped in the heavy robe Viktor had given her.
Her hair was soaked, draped over her shoulders, revealing only a pair of fair, slender legs.
Perhaps she was still shaken by the fear from the two tiger-men.
Or perhaps Viktor's magic had terrified her completely.
At this moment, her hands tightly clutched the red curtain, her body trembling.
Only after sensing Viktor's gaze did she slowly come back to her senses.
She raised her head timidly, forcing out a strained smile.
"Don't forget my two items."
"When the time comes, send them together to the Grand Duke Barlow's territory."
"And don't forget the compensation I want."
Viktor's voice entered the auctioneer's ears. She nodded frantically, not daring to say a single word to him.
Seeing that she had agreed, Viktor turned away. Crimson magic patterns flowed across his coat like slow-moving lava.
A giant hand formed from lava and flames slowly extended from behind him, lifting the two tiger-men off the ground.
"As for these two, I'll take them with me first."
As soon as he finished speaking, the space in front of Viktor began to distort.
Overflowing magic flowed through the space, slowly tearing open a hollow rift.
Flowing blue magic arrays covered the fluctuating space, twisted patterns decorating the edges.
A glowing blue light filled the deep black rift, bursting outward.
It illuminated the ruined remains of the auction hall brightly.
A chaotic aura surged from the portal, brushing past Viktor's crimson coat and striking the faces of everyone present.
Gwen and Aurelian's silver hair danced in the wind, their clothes and the nobles' garments flapping loudly.
The foreign ministers followed closely behind Aurelian, entering the glowing blue teleportation array together.
The next second, Viktor and his group vanished instantly.
The light of the portal turned into scattered points of starlight, gradually fading in the air.
The nobles stared at where the portal had been, completely stunned.
Watching such an incredible scene, they couldn't utter a single word.
Step! Step! Step!
Only when the chaotic sound of iron hooves echoed not far from the auction hall did the nobles snap back to their senses.
They followed the sound and looked outside.
Countless warhorses and armored soldiers galloped across the flat land toward them.
Dust waves more than ten meters high rose with every hoofbeat, almost covering the night sky behind them.
That was the kingdom's army.
Reinforcements had finally arrived.
Yet, there was not a trace of joy on the faces of these noble lords.
The battle was already over. What was the point of the army arriving now?
Leading the army was Count Laurien. Before his horse had even fully stopped, he jumped down and rushed into the ruins.
As soon as he entered, he shouted loudly, "Where is His Majesty!? Is His Majesty safe!?"
The nobles present remained silent.
They all knew Count Laurien was a loyal count and a trusted subordinate of Grand Duke Barlow.
Although he was only a count, he already possessed territory and military strength not inferior to a marquis.
Seeing Count Laurien standing on the cracked ground, the other noble lords calmly turned their gazes toward August.
Laurien followed their gaze and looked up to the second floor.
August stood there, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Count Laurien, it's fortunate you arrived a bit late."
"If you had come earlier, you probably would've been blown up along with everything else."
Laurien froze, looking at the barren, flattened land around him... and, together with the other nobles, fell into silence.
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