"No. It's better if we stop talking about that Duke altogether."
After saying that, the captain added another line.
His words left the team members stunned.
Cromwell, the Grand Duke. A figure from three hundred years ago. A notorious ambitious man who had been cursed for centuries. Why was he suddenly off-limits?
One of the members, who was relatively close to the captain, hesitated before asking,
"Captain… is there a reason?"
The captain shook his head.
"I'm not sure either. But it seems the higher-ups have changed their attitude toward him."
That answer only made things more confusing.
The "higher-ups" could only refer to the great nobles. But back in the day, Cromwell had made a habit of killing nobles, and the higher their status, the harsher his methods.
After his downfall, the surviving nobles had spared no effort in slandering and suppressing his legacy. For three hundred years, the aristocracy had consistently despised and vilified him.
Yet ironically, those same nobles loved sending their descendants to Cromwell University, even if it meant placing them in the inconvenient Special District.
Although Cromwell's historical evaluation had always been mixed, how could the nobles possibly change their stance toward someone like him?
And to the point of wanting to reshape public opinion?
Had they all gone mad?
Or were they… grateful he hadn't sent them to the guillotine back then?
Before the discussion could spiral further, the captain lit a cigar and spoke,
"That's enough. Whatever happens above us has nothing to do with us. Just focus on your duties. Now, follow the plan. We proceed with the exploration."
"Yes, sir!"
The Beyonders straightened and responded in unison.
The captain took a deep drag of his cigar and exhaled slowly.
But the smoke did not disperse like normal.
Instead, it gathered in the air, forming a line of words.
The Great One is about to return.
In the next moment, the entire area fell into dead silence.
The captain stared at the floating message in disbelief as it quickly faded away.
At the same time, one of his subordinates noticed something horrifying.
Cracks were rapidly spreading across the captain's face, converging toward his forehead.
"Captain! Your face!"
The captain snapped back to his senses. He immediately pulled out a vial of emerald-green liquid and drank it in one gulp.
The spreading cracks slowed, but did not stop.
He quickly followed up with several more potions of different kinds.
Only then did his face gradually return to normal.
Even so, his complexion remained pale, and it was clear he had paid a heavy price.
The team looked at him with concern, but the captain waved them off.
"I'm fine."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Seal off this area. And notify the Inspectorate immediately."
Very soon, black carriages rushed from the New City into the Old District.
More and more patrol officers appeared on every street, announcing a curfew through loudspeakers.
The sudden change threw the residents of the Old District into panic.
Some tried to approach the officers to ask what was happening, only to be driven back by force.
Near the main roads, fully armed imperial soldiers began to take over from the patrol units.
All of this had happened within a single hour.
Meanwhile, at the breach, a new group had taken over.
The previous captain now stood to the side, reduced to a supporting role.
All the top-tier Beyonders who could arrive in the Special District in such a short time had gathered here.
At the front stood three figures.
Each of them was a Sequence 5 Beyonder, just one step below demigods.
In this Special District, they were among the most feared figures by rogue Beyonders and enemy spies alike.
Under normal circumstances, even if gatherings like Audrey's were discovered, at most a captain-level officer would be sent.
These three would never be deployed.
Unless…
Unless the targets were confirmed to be unstable followers of an evil god.
Only then would one of them be dispatched, to prevent supernatural events from being exposed to the public.
Because that would shake the very foundation of the Special District and the Empire's policies.
And yet now, all three of them had arrived.
Even so, none of them dared to step inside.
They stood at the entrance, their expressions grave.
All because of that single message.
The Great One is about to return.
The meaning of "The Great One" had a wide range.
At the very least, it referred to a Sequence 4 demigod.
At worst, it could mean angels, deities…
Or even a King.
And they?
They were only Sequence 5.
Even the lowest possibility was beyond their reach.
How could they not hesitate?
If something went wrong, their deaths would be insignificant.
The Empire had more than enough Sequence 5 Beyonders.
But if their actions triggered something worse…
For example, awakening a severely wounded high-sequence being in need of sacrifices…
Then it would be a disaster.
After all, the message said "return."
That single word carried far too many implications.
So they chose to seal off the Old District and wait.
Wait for reinforcements.
Or more precisely, wait for the Special District's chief to return.
A Sequence 3 demigod.
Under normal circumstances, that would be enough to stabilize the situation.
Meanwhile, where was Mozo?
At this very moment, he was deep within the sewers of Moore Street in the Old District, far away from Hawk Street.
Because of that, he had successfully avoided the official blockade.
But also because of that…
He had no idea that above his head stood an entire army on high alert.
If he had known, he would have fled without hesitation.
After all, someone like him had no business getting involved in something of this scale.
And yet, precisely because he didn't know…
Everything that happened tonight became possible.