The following morning, I gathered everyone together.
The Zatma Mercenary Corps and the Kinzera brothers were all present, forming my forces in one place.
Perhaps it was because news of Rachel's visit the previous night had spread, but everyone wore solemn expressions.
They understood that the real war was about to begin.
"The Zatma Mercenary Corps will take on five locations each day. We need to move quickly."
"Yes, Sub-Leader!"
"The Kinzera brothers will handle the remaining elders."
I reviewed the information compiled by Eddie as I assigned tasks.
Now that I was certain Rachel and Genedine were not involved, there was no reason to hesitate or tone down our actions.
"They don't know I'm the culprit, so we must be careful not to leave any traces."
"I have a question. When will you reveal that you're the culprit?"
Liu, who had been quietly listening, raised his hand eagerly.
Given the serious atmosphere, it seemed he found it difficult to interject earlier.
"I'll keep it a secret until the right moment. The more they don't know who it is, the more confused they'll be."
"But everyone is here now. Even if they find out who the culprit is, they can't do anything about it."
That was true.
I had already evacuated all my people in case of unforeseen circumstances.
The elders couldn't find this place or launch an attack against us.
It felt reassuring to have my mentor here watching over us.
"What about that guy? He's been eating our food for days."
Eddie pointed to a corner of the room.
Dima, shackled with mana restraints, flinched and lowered his gaze when our eyes met.
"I'll use him as a hidden card. Just make sure he stays alive for now."
"In the underworld, even betrayers aren't given crumbs of bread. No, even if they were given some, they wouldn't be able to eat it. They just get killed outright."
"I have no intention of forgiving him either."
"Are you really planning to kill him?"
Eddie's animosity toward betrayers was particularly strong.
Every time he saw Dima, he would lash out and growl at him as if he had some past grievance.
Perhaps because of Eddie's relentless bullying, the other members avoided bothering Dima altogether.
"You're going to kill him? You can't let scum like that live."
While I agreed with Eddie's sentiment, I merely shrugged in response.
Even if I didn't kill him outright, there were many ways to make him pay for his crimes.
I was reluctant to resort to murder; according to imperial law, it was better to use alternative methods whenever possible.
However, I would never forgive or show mercy to a traitor.
"I'll end this meeting here. Move without making any mistakes."
"Yes!"
We would tighten our grip around Martisa's neck even further until she declared her surrender while holding up that white towel.
"How dare you betray your comrades? Damn you!"
Even as we parted ways, Eddie struck Dima on the head again.
The atmosphere among the hardline elders resembled that of a funeral parlor.
This incident was not merely an act of terror; it had deeper implications.
What made their situation even more disheartening was feeling the stark contrast between themselves and the moderates.
Specifically, they felt painfully aware of the gap between Martisa and Rachel.
Did we choose the wrong side…?
I should have aligned myself with Lady Rachel from the start… tsk!
As elders whose own safety was paramount, they couldn't help but feel shaken.
They vividly remembered how Rachel displayed her power while they stood helplessly by as Martisa failed to act against her.
"Come on! Why are you all so gloomy? We need to come up with a countermeasure!"
The elders gathered in a small meeting room struggled to focus despite Martisa's urging.
Their minds were already wandering elsewhere.
Lady Martisa can't protect us anymore. At this point, we must find our own paths…
Instead of uniting together, they had long since scattered like grains of sand.
They weren't even concerned about finding the culprit; all they worried about was their own futures.
In this chaotic atmosphere, Martisa finally exploded in frustration.
"Look at you all! Are you planning to stab me in the back now?!"
"Haha… Of course not…"
"We're all in this together! I am your captain! You must obey my orders without question! Do you understand?!"
"…Yes, of course."
When there's no tiger around, the fox becomes king.
They couldn't act against Rachel but felt emboldened when faced with Martisa instead.
Watching her behavior made them lose any remaining hope they had left for her leadership abilities.
"Ugh… If you understand me then tell me your plans! Who is the culprit? How do we catch them?"
Why should we be burdened with figuring out something we don't even know?
If Rachel were here instead—she would have already devised a plan and assigned tasks accordingly!
The elders realized once again how incompetent Martisa truly was and fell silent in frustration.
Regardless, since she was currently their leader—they needed to pretend to support her at least outwardly!
"Could it be that Martin family is behind this…?"
"Are you joking? What power does that pathetic family have?"
"Y-You're right… Haha… What about Sub-Leader Two?"
"Leon has been on our side for ages; why would he suddenly turn against us? What reason could he possibly have?"
"Aha…"
"No way! Is that all you've got? I've been attacked in broad daylight! And yet we don't even know who did it?!"
"..."
As the meeting dragged on without any progress made—it only served to further irritate Martisa's temper!
Amongst them sat Samad—the second-in-command among hardliners—who sighed deeply before slowly speaking up:
"Lady Martisa. We will do our utmost best in identifying the culprit. It may take some time though; please remain safe while observing from afar."
"Hah! How can I live with such humiliation? To be attacked like this and not retaliate is infuriating!"
"I understand completely. I will focus all my efforts on resolving this matter; please give me some time."
"Ugh…"
Seeing Samad take such an active stance softened Martisa's anger somewhat.
Since he rarely spoke or revealed his thoughts—this change surprised her even more so!
With a calmer voice now—she asked:
"How much time will you need?"
"I'll resolve it within three days."
"Oh? Can you truly take responsibility for that?"
"Yes; leave it to me."
"Very well then; I'll trust only Samad."
"Do you have a safe place where you can stay? If not—I can escort you."
"No; I'll be fine at my villa. The rest of you should focus solely on finding the culprit."
With satisfaction evident on her face—Martisa concluded their meeting.
As soon as she left—the elders sighed collectively as if they had made a pact amongst themselves!
If it weren't for Samad—they would have likely spent all night worrying until their hair fell out!
"Um… Samad? Can you really resolve this within three days?"
At that moment, a cautious voice emerged from among them, hesitantly asking about his capabilities—not out of doubt toward him personally, but because there seemed to be no other options available at the moment.
In response, Samad closed his eyes for a brief moment before speaking again.
"You will need to make decisions soon enough—preferably quickly."
"What kind of decisions?"
"Our thoughts differ from yours."
"Haha… what do you mean by that?"
"If we are stranded on a sinking ship, wouldn't it be better to jump into the sea instead?"
"W-What?!"
The hardline elders gasped in shock at Samad's bombshell statement.
Martisa headed toward a villa near her territory.
This luxurious five-story villa was guarded by hastily recruited caretakers, with her soldiers standing vigilant outside its walls.
"Not a single ant should get through!"
"Yes, don't worry!"
Martisa loved this villa dearly.
Within her territory, she was restricted to building no higher than three stories due to regulations surrounding noble estates—but here, she had five floors! Moreover, its proximity allowed her to meet with the elders easily, all while being nestled within lush mountains that provided fresh air and stunning scenery.
"Mmm…"
With Samad stepping up, capturing the culprit was only a matter of time.
Feeling satisfied, Martisa hummed happily as she settled into a rocking chair, ready to relax.
I'm ready for revenge. That bastard will suffer greatly!
Excitedly thinking about vengeance, her heart filled with joy as she relaxed further, reassured by the knowledge that soldiers guarded the premises closely.
After napping for two hours, she awoke feeling refreshed, mentally and physically prepared for whatever lay ahead.
This was exactly what she wanted—a comfortable, leisurely lifestyle away from the turmoil of current events.
"Ahh…"
Stretching comfortably, she suddenly noticed the villa felt unusually chilly. A frown crossed her face.
"Caretaker! Where are you?!"
Martisa shouted irritably, expecting an immediate response.
Normally, the caretakers would rush over instantly—but no one came forward.
Grinding her teeth, she stood up angrily.
"What's going on?! Where did everyone go?! Someone should always be on standby!"
Her loud shouting yielded nothing but empty echoes reverberating through the villa.
It dawned on her that evening had arrived, yet no preparations had been made for meals, nor were there any signs of movement—not even rats scurrying about.
A creeping unease took hold of her, gripping tightly onto her nerves. Her heartbeat quickened.
"What's going on?! Where did everyone go?"
She began searching through the villa, desperately seeking answers.
Kitchen—bathroom—utility room—all the bedrooms upstairs and downstairs—she checked thoroughly, but no one was there.
Opening door after door, she was met with nothing but silence and solitude.
What are these people doing…?!
At this point, Martisa was convinced that the caretakers had slacked off while she napped, thinking they could get away unnoticed.
She vowed to punish them once she found them.
But despite her determination, the unsettling silence lingered. The shadows surrounding her seemed to grow deeper, their presence ominous.
"What is happening?!"
Suddenly, a faint groan caught her attention.
She turned toward the sound, immediately rushing over to its source, her mind racing as she tried to assess the unfolding situation.
"What happened?! How did this happen?!"
"M-Martisa-nim… Run away…"
"What?!"
Just then, an eerily familiar yet chilling sensation washed over her. Her breath hitched, and her body momentarily froze. Instinctively, she summoned mana around herself, preparing for whatever lay ahead.
Boom!
Whoosh!
"Aah…!"
In mere moments, the villa—the very place where she had taken such comfort—was engulfed in flames, consumed by Cheonghwa's fury. Fire raged, devouring everything in its path, illuminating the night sky with an eerie glow. The once-peaceful surroundings were now a scene of chaos, destruction spiraling out of control.
"This can't be happening… This doesn't make sense…!"
How could such an attack occur when soldiers had been diligently guarding the premises, always on high alert, ready to respond to any danger?
Yet, as the devastation unfolded before her eyes, one thing became painfully clear—this was no ordinary attack. It was something far worse.
And now, she had no choice but to face it.
"My soldiers… how could this happen?!"
As panic surged through veins coursing wildly throughout body feeling overwhelmed emotions flooding senses drowning out rationality leaving nothing but raw instinct guiding actions taken next moving forward blindly stumbling forward aimlessly searching desperately seeking answers amidst chaos erupting everywhere around them both witnessing destruction unfold rapidly escalating beyond control spiraling downward fast approaching inevitable doom looming closer threatening engulfing everything within reach!!!
Suddenly—from somewhere distant came faint voice murmuring softly barely audible amidst chaos swirling around enveloping surroundings completely transforming everything once peaceful into chaos erupting everywhere around them both witnessing destruction unfold rapidly escalating beyond control spiraling downward fast approaching inevitable doom looming closer threatening engulfing everything within reach!!!
"Damn it…. Even using my mentor like this… what kind of coward does such things?"
And then—a figure watching from afar observed quietly muttering under breath growing increasingly frustrated observing events transpiring rapidly escalating beyond control spiraling downward fast approaching inevitable doom looming closer threatening engulfing everything within reach!!!