Inside the office, Młynar set down his glass of water and lifted his gaze from the documents on his desk to look at Zofia. She immediately noticed that his eyes were sharper than before. Ever since his change in position, he no longer had to work late into the night or rush out at odd hours to handle emergencies.
Now, Młynar enjoyed an endless supply of newspapers and had adventurers working under him. He could be said to be steadily refining himself day by day. His temperament had naturally improved, and there was no trace left of the listlessness he once carried.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Seeing Magic ZX voluntarily leave the office, Młynar gave him a small nod of thanks. That simple gesture was enough to make Magic ZX happy.
Zofia sat down across from him. After not seeing him for some time, she realized she no longer fully recognized Młynar. Though he did not appear as energetic as he once had, she could sense something else. It was like a longsword long buried in dust, now being wiped clean again and again, gradually revealing the sharp edge hidden beneath.
"The Venus has docked at the Kawalerielki," Zofia said.
"Yes. Adventurers are gradually entering the city, and the branch offices are getting busy," Młynar replied. "The Chamber of Commerce is extending olive branches to all adventurers, trying to recruit them as their subordinates. To be fair, they have successfully drawn in quite a few over the years."
He pulled out a report, opened it, and continued, "Another group of adventurers has joined the Armorless Union, becoming assassins who operate in the shadows. They're giving the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi and the knight orders a real headache. They're hard to deal with, and there simply aren't many adventurers on the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi's side."
"Wait," Zofia interrupted quickly. "That's not what I asked about, is it?"
Młynar paused, looking puzzled. Zofia sighed lightly. "Is Margaret on the Venus?"
"Her identity information wasn't included in the city entry application, so we can't confirm it," Młynar replied. "Please wait. I'll ask the crew directly."
Under Zofia's wordless stare, Młynar calmly activated his connections and contacted several operators he knew aboard the Venus.
After a long pause, he looked up. "Margaret is indeed on the Venus, but I don't know whether she has entered the city."
"…."
Zofia let out another sigh. Seeing her fall silent, Młynar continued, "Are you still supporting Maria's participation in the Knights' Major? I advise you to give it up."
"So you want to stop her, just like you tried to stop Margaret back then," Zofia said flatly.
"The profession of a gladiator, providing entertainment for others, is not an honor for the Nearl family," Młynar replied calmly. "Margaret was stubborn, but she proved herself with her strength, and she had Felix's support. What about Maria?"
He looked at Zofia steadily. "Can you still ask His Highness to look after Maria now? As a descendant of the Nearl family, she already draws the attention of countless eyes. By stepping into the spotlight again, she invites even more danger. Even with you here, can you truly protect her?"
Zofia raised an eyebrow. "I'll try. I don't think Maria will lose to a knight backed by the Chamber of Commerce."
Młynar nodded and said nothing further.
Zofia understood that the conversation had ended. She stood up, pushed open the door, and left the office.
She would protect Maria herself. And with the arrival of Tomorrow's Development, Maria's safety should be even more assured.
As soon as they entered the city, Kumori and the others headed straight for the Tomorrow's Development branch. They met with the players stationed there, including Magic ZX, and exchanged information. The professional players gave Magic ZX, a content creator, some courtesy, and through him, Kumori and the others learned about the current state of Kazimierz.
In short, the Armorless Union had gone mad.
As an assassin organization, their sole financial backer was the Chamber of Commerce. The repeated failures in the Arena Knights' Major over recent years had enraged the Chamber of Commerce, which shifted all the pressure onto the Armorless Union. Yet there was little the assassins could do. They had already done everything they could. After all, who would risk their life for a monthly pay of three thousand? They were assassins, not martyrs.
The Armorless Union only began to panic when the Chamber of Commerce announced that it would no longer fund them. In Kazimierz, there was no other organization as generous as the Chamber of Commerce when it came to direct payments.
So they seized upon their only remaining lifeline: adventurers who feared nothing, and who were willing to risk their lives for money and glory.
Most adventurers chose to join Tomorrow's Development, but many players also opted for other factions across the land. In Kazimierz, some players were drawn to the Armorless Union by its appealing benefits: abundant quests, generous rewards, and even opportunities to receive assassin training. To players, this combination was hard to resist.
For them, as long as there were tasks to take, rewards to earn, and professional skills to learn, it was a worthwhile faction.
As more players joined the Armorless Union, its quest acceptance rate surged, and the quest completion rate gradually returned to its former level.
The rampant activity of assassins was a clear sign that the knight clubs were suffering heavy casualties. They were unwilling to recruit adventurers to fight on their behalf, yet they lacked the resources and rewards needed to attract these mercenary-minded players.
By contrast, the Armorless Union had the Chamber of Commerce backing it, so money was never an issue. Despite operating no differently from villains, an astonishing number of players continued to join their ranks.
After hearing about the situation in Kazimierz, Kumori remained composed, while several professional players stroked their chins in thought.
"Given everything that's happened," someone raised a hand and said, "shouldn't we just wipe out the Armorless Union in one go? The Chamber of Commerce is acting with impunity. As members of Tomorrow's Development, shouldn't we uphold justice and suppress their arrogance?"
"What?"
"Yeah, yeah. We're on the side of justice. That still counts as PvP, right?"
Kumori nodded slightly. "The PvP logic holds, and we can organize it. We can temporarily join the knight Clubs here and fight as mercenaries. But I need to make one thing clear."
"Among these players, there are yellow-name and red-name individuals. You need to understand that they're different from the madmen of Reunion. Butcher and his group killed NPCs purely for fun and to vent real-world resentment."
"The Armorless Union is a gray organization. Players there simply follow missions. In fact, we've killed plenty of hostile NPCs ourselves during missions. It's just that Tomorrow's Development offers convenient ways to clear red names. The Armorless Union doesn't."
"In short, treat this as straightforward PvP. There's no need to go all out like we would against the Laughing Coffin."
"But boss," someone asked, "don't we usually go all out in PvP anyway?"
"…." Kumori fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Then we'll go all out."
"Woohoo!"
The professional players sprang into action, pouring into the chaotic expanse of the Kawalerielki like raindrops. They proactively approached knight clubs plagued by the Armorless Union, offering their services as bodyguards in exchange for a share of the mission rewards.
Faced with such benefits and combat power, the knights naturally accepted. The professional players quickly shifted roles, transforming from legion warriors into hired guards and beginning nighttime patrol duties.
As night fell, the Kawalerielki lit up, and the encampments of the various knight clubs glowed brightly as well.
Yanfei lay resting on a rooftop with her eyes closed. Though she appeared relaxed, the alert system meant she didn't need to actively scout with her sniper rifle to guard against enemies lurking in the shadows.
Just as she was about to fall asleep and log off, a sharp alarm pierced her ears. She sprang up instantly, braced her sniper rifle on the roof, and spotted dozens of dark figures silently approaching the knights' headquarters.
Through the scope, Yanfei saw masked assassin players charging at the front. At the same time, the snipers of Yanyu Pavilion were already in position.
As the assassins entered firing range, the professional players opened fire.
The assassins were immediately engulfed by concentrated firepower. Seven fell on the spot. The survivors were terrified, as if they had stumbled into a horror game. One moment they had been joking about what to eat after the mission, and the next, the figures beside them had vanished.
The Yanyu Pavilion team did not pursue the fleeing assassins. As for the fallen, they had no intention of guarding the bodies. These were not mortal enemies, and corpse camping would have been excessive. Besides, as professional players, such behavior would have been beneath them.
That night, the Kawalerielki once again became lively.
Golden Feather Avenue, the Scarly Martin Bar.
Tonight, the entire place had been reserved by a wealthy young man, or so bald Martin claimed. Sitting at the bar was that very young man, Felix. Beside him were several equally prominent drinking companions: Anthony, Hellagur, and Patriot.
"You really only come back once every four years," bald Martin said as he deftly mixed a drink, his words flowing smoothly without a hint of awkwardness. "You… this kind of behavior truly made the Chamber of Commerce feel both fondness and resentment."
"The Chamber of Commerce should be delighted that their biggest spender has finally returned after four years."
Felix shrugged, took the glass from bald Martin, and clinked it with Patriot and Hellagur beside him. "Patriot, did you take your medicine today? Otherwise, Yelena will have to come watch you take it again."
Although Patriot had undergone treatment after joining Tomorrow's Development, his attitude toward it remained lukewarm. He seemed indifferent to his own survival, often taking his medication late or skipping it entirely. This worried Yelena so much that she personally supervised his treatment in the medical department every time.
"…I've taken it."
A straw protruded from Patriot's glass, leading directly into his mask. This was also how he usually ate. Although he once claimed he could fight for ten days or even half a month without food, Yelena immediately shut that down, insisting she would eat together with him.
Bald Martin scratched his bald head. "No matter how you look at it, it's still astonishing."
"In just a few cycles of four years, Tomorrow's Development has grown into such a massive force." He glanced at the high-ranking figures gathered in the bar and exclaimed, "And on top of that, you're the King of Kazdel. This… it's unbelievable."
"Time is a strange thing," Felix said with a smile. "I never imagined that after so many years, I'd end up where I am now."
"So, have you made up your mind?" Felix added lightly. "Want to wait for the Venus? I can always clear out a spot for you in a bar. The rent's cheap, and you'd earn far more than you do here."
Bald Martin rubbed his head again, clearly tempted.
"…I'll need to think about it," he said after a pause, then smoothly changed the subject. "By the way, why didn't you go to the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi or the Chamber of Commerce this time? Why come here to drink instead?"
"We came to watch the matches, not to pursue diplomatic ties. If anything, messengers from the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi and the Chamber of Commerce have been inviting us nonstop."
Hearing this, Hellagur smiled wryly. "I still think it'd be best to respond to them."
"Your Highness, after all, they're two of the only remaining major forces in Kazimierz."
"Let them wait a little longer," Felix replied calmly. He was in no hurry.
Midway through the gathering, the door opened again, and the old craftsman and the old knight stepped into the bar. When they spotted Felix, their eyes widened in surprise. They had received an invitation from bald Martin and had been confused when they saw the place fully booked, wondering if there had been some mistake, until they pushed the door open themselves.
"It's been four years since we last met," the old craftsman said with a grin. "Didn't expect you to be doing this well."
The two of them took seats on either side of Felix, smiling broadly. Bald Martin wiped a glass and laughed. "Tonight, the place belongs to Young Master Felix. Feel free to open whatever bottles you like."
"Great! I'll have a bourbon!" the old knight cheered.
Felix smiled at their unrestrained enthusiasm. Even after all these years, the two of them were exactly the same as before, almost like lovable clowns.
"Come on, tell me," the old knight said cheerfully. "What's happened these past few years? How many pretty girls have you picked up now?"
Seeing Felix start counting, the old knight spat out, "Damn it, he really built a harem."
Just as the two began bickering, there was another knock at the door. This time, it was Zofia who entered, with Maria following hesitantly at her side. When Maria saw Felix, her eyes lit up. She ran over with a bright smile and gently wrapped her arms around him.
"Brother Felix, give me a hug!"