Officer Duan straightened up again and put on his hat.
Princess Ellen stepped forward."Lead us to a suitable place to sit and explain the situation to us."
Duan nodded."There is a hotel nearby, about a ten-minute walk... is that suitable for you?"
The princess nodded."Then lead the way, please."
He turned and started walking away from the train station, while Princess Ellen walked beside him, asking him some questions. We followed silently from behind.
"Are you the strongest person here?"Ellen asked, and Duan nodded in agreement, disappointment evident in his movements."Unfortunately, yes... the city security team was suppressed from growing by the previous mayor."
This man held a mid-level Rank 2, like us, but in the end, what could an old man do?
We walked through the streets in groups of three, keeping a proper distance between us to avoid unwanted attention.
I looked around at the dilapidated streets. There was a hole every few meters, yet the residents walked and acted normally.
Or at least that’s how it appeared.
If you focused, you could see the exhaustion and fatigue in their eyes, and even some fear.
Even the air here was heavy, making you feel suffocated.
Unlike the central districts where nobles live under strict regulation and high security, these small border towns were neglected, to the point that discovering corruption of this kind took them a long time.
This alone indicated that the state of the Solaria Empire was in decline... which it truly was.
In recent years, the empire faced a severe shortage of Awakened, causing heavy losses just to maintain security along the northern borders, let alone ensuring the welfare of the residents.
They had even recently started applying the mission system in other academies, compensating for the lack of Awakened strength by using military students.
My thoughts were interrupted when we arrived in front of a four-story building, with a sign above the entrance:[Hotel]
Even from the outside, it was clear it was nothing special—just a run-down hotel.
Duan stepped forward and opened the door for us."Please come in. I’ve reserved the entire hotel in advance to maintain your privacy."
We entered one by one and were greeted by a man in his thirties, who appeared to be the hotel owner.
He stood there in a neat suit."Welcome, my honored guests, to my humble hotel."
Duan approached him."Guide the guests to a place to rest."
The hotel owner smiled and nodded for us to follow."Please, this way."
After walking a bit, he led us to what appeared to be the hotel’s first floor, which had several tables scattered around, with a bar in the corner.
When we arrived, Duan addressed us."You might be tired from your journey... what do you think about going up to your rooms and resting a little first?"
I clicked my tongue at this shallow suggestion.
Then a furious roar came from nearby."Just do your job, old man, and tell us what we need to know!"Garon shouted at Duan, who seemed to grow more nervous with each passing minute.
"Yes, we’re here to carry out the mission, not to rest."Ellen spoke.
Duan nervously scratched the back of his head."Alright, then please have a seat; standing won’t be comfortable for you like this."He said, gesturing to a large rectangular table.
We all walked over and sat around it. The hotel owner stood there and asked,"Shall I bring you any drinks or food?"
Ellen refused on behalf of everyone."No need."
But I raised my hand to stop him from leaving."In fact, I’d like a glass of beer and some snacks here."
At that, I felt Ellen’s gaze burning the side of my face."Caius."
I smiled at her."Sorry, but I’m a little hungry, and it might affect my focus."I was lying—in reality, I already knew everything this old man would tell us, so I had no intention of listening.
"I’ll have one too," even Garon requested, ignoring the princess’s gaze.
Then another person with green eyes raised his hand."I want something to eat too."It was Ivan, with an innocent smile.
I felt the air grow heavy around the princess... it seemed she was truly annoyed at us ignoring her orders.
Before she could explode, another request came from Leona:"Um... can I have some cake here?"
In the end, everyone had ordered something, leaving Ellen with nothing but silence and suppressed annoyance.
After placing the last dish on the table, the hotel owner said,"Then I’ll excuse myself. If you need anything, just press that button at the bar, and I’ll come immediately to serve you."
Once the hotel owner left, Duan began explaining the state of the city, but I didn’t pay attention to what he was saying. Instead, I focused on finishing my food.
After all, I already knew what he would say.
In short:
Three gangs controlled Karthen.
One of them controlled the southern half of the city alone and was the strongest and largest of the three. They had about nine Rank 2 members, more than twenty-five Rank 1 members, and dozens of ordinary people.
Their activities included theft, murder, and assault... even trafficking in contraband.
The other two gangs controlled the northern half of the city together, having an agreement to cooperate against the large gang, with a total of ten Rank 2 members and twenty-one Rank 1 members.
In fact, they had names, but I had already forgotten them, as this event was designed only for the protagonist to experience his first encounter with killing humans... you know, overcoming fear and building character, and so on.
I recalled how the scenario went in the game.
Elliot and the prince led two squads to chase the two smaller gangs, and although people like Garon and Caius refused to work in a team and moved alone,
they ultimately targeted the same two gangs and fought together, even if unintentionally.
In the end, everyone united against the remaining gang, and although the criminals outnumbered them, quality made up for the lack of numbers.
This was just a prelude to what would come later,when the first encounter with the Void system begins,
and everyone plunges into an endless nightmare,created by a Rank 5 being.