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"I see, so you want me to let these people die, is that it?"

Christopher nodded.

"Okay, I'm good with that."

Miranda easily accepted it. The truth was… she didn't care if these people die. 

She doesn't give a fuck about them, all the things she did were for her job. She was tasked to protect the innocents and that's it. 

The Valkyries and Inquisitors worked with dirty jobs too, they were tainted. Seeing people dying was normal for them and sometimes they were the ones who did the killing. 

'Yeah, I know you will accept it. You are crazy just like the others.… I was hoping you will say no…'

Christopher clenched his fist, he knew this woman down to her core. Miranda's priority was always her sister, nothing else. The Temple of Weather? She was just working under them to find the cure. 

"A lot of Overseers do this anyway. Okay, we have a deal."

Miranda extended her hand, Christopher took it and made a handshake. He already prepared himself to let the citizens of Baudan died. 

"Christopher Mellwood, if I found that you are lying, then I will hunt you. I know your father, I will kill all of your relatives… if they are still alive."

Miranda chuckled. 

"You can now go."

She gestured them to leave. 

Christopher ran and the others followed him. They didn't want to waste their time. 

"Christopher what did you do? That woman is a Valkyrie, she won't let us leave easily. What transaction did you say?"

"Not now, let's go to the northern gate!"

Donovan kicked his tongue but he conceded. For now, they must stop the Duke. 

……………… 

"D- Duke!!!"

A soldier was on his horse, he traveled to the meeting place just to inform the Duke. He was breathing rough and his uniform was dirty. When he found that fire started to engulf the city, he immediately got his horse and dashed to the Duke. 

"What is it!?"

The Duke scowled, he was waiting for the artifact and he didn't want anyone to distract him. 

The soldier was trembling but he still said it.

"S- Sir, the city is burning!!"

"What!?"

Duke and his Knights were shocked. Duke Obata stood and grasped his neck. 

"What did you say?"

The soldier was stricken and he was gasping for air. 

"Gah, the city is burning… ack!"

The Duke broke his neck when he realized that he was not lying. The soldier fell, he didn't move. 

Duke Obata glanced at the sky, he saw smoke coming from his city. He was furious. 

"Half of you will stay here! Natan I will leave my men to you."

Natan stepped up.

"Yes, Duke!"

Duke Obata didn't listen to him, he rode his horse and yelled to his Knights. 

"Follow me!"

He galloped to the Baudan. His heart was erratically beating. He had something important in the basement, more important than his daughter. His Masterpiece was in the basement, he would save his Masterpiece no matter what. He wasted all of his life just to create it, no one would destroy it!

Duke Obata was agitated. He would return not to save his people but to save his Masterpiece. 

While they rode their horses fast. Obata felt a strong presence coming at them. 

Christopher and Donovan were surprised that they meet the Duke midway. 

The Duke didn't have time to dilly-dally, he must go to the basement. He found these people annoying. 

"Knights attack them!"

The Knights charged to them. The three Intermediate bandits faced the incoming Knights. Their spells and weapons clashed. 

Donovan saw the Duke running away, he took out his machetes and slashed him. Duke Obata parried the sword but Donovan rotated and cut his back. 

The Duke hissed, the burning sensation stabbed his back. Still, mana regulated inside him, it traveled into his back and the cut healed. 

Duke Obata was a Healing Mahikero. Any wound, he could heal it. 

The Duke glared but he didn't fight him. Instead, he escaped and went to the city, his Masterpiece was far more important than fighting these people. However, he remembered the face of Donovan, if he saw him again, he would kill him. 

Donovan pursued him. This civil war would end if the Duke died. They could focus all their attention on the invading kingdoms and the threat of coup would disappear if the Duke die here. 

"Donovan let him leave."

But Christopher stopped him, no one could fight Natan if Donovan followed the Duke. Donovan stared at Christopher, his eyes widened to discern his intention. 

"What is it, now?"

"The artifact is more important than the Duke. Let the army (Yuusha) defeat him. "

Christopher believed that the Stolen Soul was more dangerous than the Duke. Besides, Yuusha would defeat the Duke so Christopher was not afraid to let him ran away. 

"... Okay."

Donovan understood it so he dashed to help his men. In just two minutes all of the Knights died, the Duke was not here so nobody could heal them. Donovan didn't hold back, he killed all of them swiftly. 

They ran again and dashed into the meeting place. They began to see the silhouettes of people who were waiting for the artifact. They readied their weapons to ambush them. 

Christopher saw a carriage from afar which means the artifact was now coming here. They dashed with killing intent. 

Natan detected a group of people coming to them. He wore his new pair of gauntlets. 

"Three Intermediate, one Master, and a normal person. Five people are coming, Knights prepare to fight."

Just after Natan finished his sentence, Donovan jumped and clashed with him. Donovan determined that Natan was the strongest so he chose to face him. 

While the Knights and bandits were busy fighting each other, Christopher sprinted to the carriage. 

The coachman who was riding the carriage saw him but he didn't have time to stop the horses, Christopher leaped and stabbed the coachman with his dagger. He cut the ropes that connect from the horses and the animals ran in different directions. 

Christopher destroyed the carriage, he did it haphazardly. When he got inside, he saw two men wearing black robes. 

"Eh?"

Christopher was surprised when he saw them, they were not part of volume two… but now they are. 

"I think something happened."

Zeta flicked his fingers and Christopher quickly jumped down the carriage. An explosion almost hit his face. 

He fell out of the carriage and roll on the ground. 

"I thought this job will be easy…"

Zera sighed. 

"Shut up, Zeta."

Zeta and Omicron got out of the destroyed carriage. Omicron was holding a casket, the Stolen Soul was inside of it. 

Christopher grunted, he never thought he would see the followers of True Apostle here. 

"Oh Fuck."

Christopher thought the carriage didn't have strong guards but he was wrong. 

Zeta snapped his fingers, Christopher felt a surge of heat under him. He tried to dodge the explosion but his left foot had been hit. 

"Aarrggghh!!"

His left foot disappeared and blood gushed out. 

(Surprise modafucka!!)