W wandered back to her quarters — though to call it a "home" was generous. It was little more than a worn, makeshift tent, unchanged from the day she'd left. The same dull weapons. The same scent of dust and metal.
But her mind was elsewhere — replaying Hoederer's words over and over.
She was lost. Unsure of what to do next. Should she roam the land as a free Sarkaz mercenary, chasing fleeting excitement and meaningless battles? Or should she do as Hoederer suggested — stay by the Pioneer's side, and see for herself what kind of future he was trying to build?
If she had never met the Pioneer, the choice would have been simple. She would have walked away without hesitation. After all, this land held too many memories — her birth, her battles, her blood, and... the Princess's death.
But now… she didn't know anymore.
----
"You didn't go too far, did you?"
Ines shot Felix a sidelong glance, clearly annoyed. "You were the one who said you wanted W to stay. I'm doing my best to make that happen."
"She's free to come and go as she pleases," Felix replied, calmly checking over his equipment. "I don't expect every Sarkaz to obey me. What I seek is unity through difference."
Behind him stood the silent ranks of Tomorrow's Development — adventurers, soldiers, and above all, Sarkaz mercenaries.
"Those with different ideals who wish to leave — I won't stop them," he continued. "My farewell with ACE wasn't exactly pleasant. We drank too much, said too little, and in the end, his squad had to carry him away."
"W represents the will of the mercenaries. All I can do… is show them what I'm capable of."
He smiled faintly, eyes fixed ahead.
On the open plain before Kazdel's Mobile City stood a young woman — cloaked in black, with long silver hair and crimson eyes.
Behind Felix stretched tens of thousands of soldiers. They stood still beneath the harsh, searing sun — silent, their fangs hidden beneath steady lips.
Ines lingered in his shadow, ready to move at a moment's notice. If this Vampire tried anything, she would ensure the Pioneer escaped unharmed.
"Relinquish control of the Mobile City," Felix said evenly, "and hand over the core's activation key. I have no intention of expelling or harming any Sarkaz."
"Hmph. Arrogant, for a mere Sankta," the Vampire sneered, her voice laced with venom. A faint crimson mist pulsed around her as anger stirred. "And who exactly do you think you are?"
"The Frontier District," he replied calmly. "That's my territory. Does that make things clear enough for you?"
"..."
The girl's lips curled into a mocking smile. "The Sarkaz who crave comfort and pleasure will never be accepted by anyone."
"Comfort and pleasure, huh?"
"What, do you disagree?"
"No," Felix murmured. "If that's truly how the royal court thinks… then I suppose that makes things easier."
"You—!"
She stepped forward, baring her fangs. "Name yourself!"
"Don't you think this game's getting boring?" Felix replied coolly. "Withdraw. Otherwise, you will face a coalition ready and willing to employ all means necessary to enforce the will of the Freedom."
Before she could retort, his voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Is that how a defeated enemy behaves? Refusing cooperation, and daring to threaten me instead?"
"How dare you—!"
He reached behind him — and in an instant, flames roared to life, bursting forth in a wave of searing heat that drove back the thick blood mist surrounding them.
"Stand down," he said quietly. "I can guarantee that every Sarkaz within the city will live as they always have. But if you insist on standing in my way... then I promise they'll learn exactly what vengeance tastes like."
Behind him, thousands of weapons slammed against the land in perfect unison — a thunderous roar echoing across the plain.
"Ugh…"
The Vampire girl flinched, taking an involuntary step back. To Felix's surprise, her crimson eyes glimmered — not with rage, but with tears.
"W-Waaah! Why are you being so mean?!"
She spun around, wailing as she fled back toward the city.
Leaving behind a dumbfounded Felix... and a speechless Ines, still hidden in the shadow behind him.
Damn it... she's just a brat! he thought. A spoiled little gremlin!
"So... bratty little gremlins and tsunderes are still a thing, huh?"
"Uh…"
Ines rubbed her temples, recalling that Hoederer had once taken an odd interest in Eastern pop culture. After a brief pause, she replied delicately, "Based on her apparent age... I'd say the young Vampire, despite her mature appearance, is... quite young."
Her tone was polite — but Felix understood what she really meant.
Immature. Completely.
Unbothered by the Vampire girl who had fled moments earlier, Felix spoke with calm authority.
"All units — advance into Kazdel's Mobile City. Secure every strategic position."
He paused, then added, "Have any mercenaries with prior ties to the defeated Military Commission explain our intent and resolve. Give them two paths — join us, or cooperate with us."
The strong must crush the weak — without mercy!
"Yes, sir!"
"Aye, sir!"
"Let's go!"
The mercenaries' responses were firm and disciplined. The players, as always, were more casual — but together, the mass of soldiers and adventurers surged forward toward the Mobile City, a tide of steel and ambition. Behind them followed an even larger army of mercenaries, banners fluttering beneath the burning sun.
Felix followed at an unhurried pace, his expression calm — as though walking into destiny itself.
"The heretical Sarkaz led by heretic Sankta have come to defile our sacred capital!"
"The undying commander Felix still chases that pitiful dream once held by Her Highness!"
"The ignorant leader of the Undying and his mercenaries shall meet their end here!"
"The King of the Undying — the Pioneer — faces his greatest trial today!"
From the city walls, the Goliath guards watched the former Babel mercenaries march in. Their gazes were wary, even conflicted. Among the ranks of Sarkaz and other mercenary races, one man stood out — a Sankta, his halo is in stark contrast amid dark mass. The guards whispered among themselves, trading glances filled with curiosity and unease.
Felix ignored their stares. He strode down the main avenue, across the plaza, and up the grand staircase. On either side, the Sarkaz citizens stood in silence — their faces thin, their eyes hollow, their lives etched with hardship.
The mercenaries from the Frontier District breathed silent sighs of relief. They were grateful for the choices they had made — abandoning this stagnant city to forge a new life in the Frontier District. None had expected how far they'd come… or how much the Pioneer's vision would change everything.
At last, Felix arrived at the steps before the so-called "Parliament Hall." There, he found the young Vampire girl once again — the same one who had fled earlier.
Upon seeing him, she glared furiously, letting out a small huff before reluctantly thrusting a ring of keys toward him — the keys that activated the Mobile City's core systems.
Oh? You look rather unhappy, Felix thought wryly. Care for a spar with Jesselton behind me? Three punches each — just to take the edge off?
Behind the girl stood the former mercenaries of the Military Commission. Their faces were unreadable, eyes following Felix with quiet caution.
"From this day forward," Felix began, his voice calm and resonant, "I will lead Kazdel's advance."
"You once served the Military Commission. If you wish to convey anything to General Theresis, then do so."
"Princess Theresa's path may have led to ruin, and perhaps the Sarkaz will never see the future she dreamed of. But I will fulfill her ideals — in my own way."
He lifted his gaze toward the crowd.
"Now, you have two choices. Join me — stand at my side, and witness Kazdel's rebirth. Or, if you prefer, cooperate from afar. I won't pry into your private motives, nor force you into Tomorrow's Development. But you will assist in our operations. So — what will it be?"
A silence followed. Then, a voice from the crowd spoke quietly:
"...What if we choose a third option?"
Felix's expression didn't change.
"I won't say 'submit or die,'" he said evenly. "But if you choose the third path... then make sure you never cross mine again."
He straightened. "Kazdel's civil war is over. If you wish to continue fighting, then I'll gladly fight you again — anytime, anywhere."
The words hung heavy in the air.
The mercenaries exchanged looks. Some turned silently to leave, weapons on their backs. But more remained — their eyes steady, their resolve clear.
Once the Military Commission's blockade was lifted, Tomorrow's Development naturally took over the city. Mercenaries and players alike went to work — some returned to camp to transport supplies, while others began cleaning the streets, tossing out the remnants of war and neglect.
Felix continued deeper into the city.
At his side — biting her silvered fangs in frustration — walked the young Vampire girl once more, her presence quiet but tense.
"I still don't know your name, Vampire," said Felix calmly.
"Luna. Call me Luna Bloodfallen," she replied coldly.
"Pioneer Felix," he introduced himself with a faint smirk. "But I suppose you already knew that."
Felix glanced at her—her flustered expression almost made him think she had the makings of a comedian. Pushing open the heavy doors before him, he stepped into a long-unused meeting chamber.
The room had been cleaned recently, but the arrangement of chairs and tables hadn't changed since the last council meeting. The air was still and faintly dusty.
"The Sarkaz Royal Court…" Felix murmured softly to himself. "The true foundation of Kazdel was built not by the royals, but by the hands of every Sarkaz and the other races who struggled alongside them. As for those sitting up high—let them just keep watching from above."
"You…! You dare to describe the Royal Court like that? You're bold beyond measure!" Luna hissed, her blood-red fangs faintly visible. "Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid?" Felix chuckled. "Of course fear exists. Right now, I may not be strong enough to face the Royal Court."
His eyes sharpened.
"But behind me stand the Sarkaz—the people who wish to make Kazdel a better place. Unless the Royal Court intends to turn against its own citizens... perhaps that confrontation is exactly what I'm waiting for."
"I heard the Vampire Lord have always been advocates of war," he added casually.
"You—! Don't tell me you're planning—" Luna stepped back in alarm, bumping hard into the door with a thud. "Ow…"
"Do you want to become the next Vampire Sovereign?" Felix asked with a teasing tone.
"You, you, you—!"
Felix shook his head, half amused, and pulled the door open again. Sunlight spilled across the worn floorboards as he turned his gaze toward it.
"The future of Kazdel belongs to everyone in Kazdel. And if anyone refuses to accept that—then we'll fight them to the end."
---
Felix reentered the refurbished meeting chamber, now cleaned and restored by the mercenaries. Without wasting time, he began issuing his first commands as the new ruler of the mobile city.
"First, establish contact with the Northern Frontier District," he ordered. "Inform them of Kazdel's current situation. We'll begin opening trade routes immediately."
The city was in complete disrepair—no food, no clean water, and due to drought and ruined soil, even growing crops was impossible. In the short term, survival would depend entirely on imported supplies. Food was already a pressing issue… and so was clothing.
The Sarkaz were a hardy and simple people; their clothes and armor were usually made from whatever they could scavenge off fallen foes. As for weaving? No one here knew the craft.
It was ironic that the "Tomorrow's Development" mercenaries' standard-issue coats were, for most of them, the finest garments they had ever worn in their lives.
As for housing—Kazdel's people lived equally poor lives. The so-called "mobile city" had no distinction between upper and lower districts. Everyone lived in cramped, decaying shacks. When everyone was equally miserable, no one cared who had the better home.
And transportation? Just their own two feet.
From Luna, Felix obtained the city's layout map. To be honest, the fact that this place could still move was already a miracle. The facilities were so outdated it made him frown—but one area on the map caught his eye.
"What's the situation here?" he asked, pointing to a corner marked in red.
A towering Goliath mercenary, code-named Giles, stepped forward and replied in a deep voice.
"That used to be the residential quarter for the Babel doctors. During the civil war, several mercenaries set it ablaze from within the city… nothing remains but ash."
The implication about the doctors' fate was obvious.
Felix pressed his lips together, while Giles lowered his gaze in silence.
He didn't want to dwell on the madness of wartime actions—but now that the war was over, or rather ended by him, he would not allow such chaos to repeat itself.
"Hoederer," Felix turned to one of his trusted men. "Lead the adventurers to patrol the mobile city. Tell the people who we are and why we're here. Do your best to calm them."
His tone hardened.
"But if you run into troublemakers… teach them a lesson. Don't kill them."
"Understood."
Hoederer struck his chest with a firm salute.
Felix's real reason for assigning the players to Hoederer wasn't simply for backup. Players could see the NPCs' alignment—green for friendly, yellow for neutral, red for hostile. Just last year, they'd used that ability to uncover and capture every assassin hiding in the Frontier District; those assassins were now rotting in prison.
Now, as the Tomorrow's Development first arrived, their reputation in Kazdel was nearly unknown. Most locals and mercenaries were likely neutral—yellow. Anyone showing a red hostile mark? Felix didn't even need to say it; he knew the players would take care of it swiftly.
"Giles," Felix continued, turning back to the Goliath captain. "Take a squad to clear the ruins of the old Babel site. Inform the Sarkaz citizens—those willing to help will be paid. Food and clothing."
Giles saluted again, deeply and respectfully.
Currently, Felix's forces were divided into three groups:
The first—those who had joined the Frontier District early on, loyal members of the Tomorrow's Developments.
The second—former Babel mercenaries, including Sarkaz and other races led by W, who had once cooperated with the Frontier District.
And the third—the latest arrivals from Kazdel's former Military Commission, such as Luna and Giles.
He wasn't a divine emperor, but even he could see that balancing these three factions was only a matter of time before it became an issue.
Kazdel Mobile City — Secured.
The Rebels — Crushed.
Decay — Remains.
Historians would then designate this phase as the beginning of the "Occupation and Reconstruction of Kazdel, 1094." It marked the first instance in Kazdel's modern history in which sovereignty was effectively transferred—albeit temporarily—to a foreign power under the justification of reconstruction and stabilization.
The event has since been summarized in Terran historical literature by the now-famous line:
"The foreign forces of Tomorrow's Development assumed temporary control of Kazdel as an occupying authority, pledging to rebuild the nation."
Though the long-term implications of this occupation remain a subject of debate, it is widely regarded as the turning point between the collapse of the old order and the emergence of the postwar state.