Chapter 45

I drove the Golem Car along a highway where the paving was haphazard at best.

The morning sun was peeking out from between the mountains. The dim grasslands would likely be bright before long. The scenery outside flowed past in sync with the sound of the engine. That said, I wasn’t picking up much speed—staying at around fifty miles per hour. I didn’t know if the concept of a speed limit existed in this world, but I certainly wasn’t breaking one. Currently, I was making an effort to practice safe driving.

Ahead of us was a sturdy-looking black vehicle. The masked woman was inside, leading the way as our guide. It was a good car, though not quite as good as the golem car. It traversed the somewhat rough roads without much trouble. It would have been perfect if not for that tacky flag fluttering on the roof. It bore a crest, so it likely signified something specific.

“It’s rare to see you so obedient, Jack,” Alice remarked from the passenger seat while gazing at the view. Her tone wasn’t serious; she was likely just bored.

I played along with her topic. “Is it really that rare?”

“Yes. I never had the impression you were someone who followed orders.”

“Even I can move based on a calculation of profit and loss,” I replied smoothly, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel.

Meanwhile, I reflected on the events that led us here. After the encounter with the masked woman, I had returned to our base for the time being. Following a discussion with Alice, we had departed from the Fortress City. Currently, we were traveling to another city within Eurea.

The independent nation of Eurea was ruled by four Representatives, each governing their own territory. Apparently, one of them had sent for me. It was a summons from a real heavyweight. This wasn’t something I could simply ignore.

Incidentally, that Representative was supposedly the boss of a criminal syndicate. Ralph’s organization was just one of countless subordinates under his umbrella. To put it bluntly, he was the kingpin of villains—a man who reigned at the very top of Eurea. He was surely an extraordinary figure beyond imagination. He was definitely someone I couldn’t afford to let my guard down around.

“Do you intend to keep following along like this?” Alice asked, nibbling on dried meat like a small animal. There was a hint of her trying to probe my true intentions.

I kept my eyes forward and nodded. “Yeah. I plan to see how things go for a while.”

“You’re cautious.”

“I’m always cautious,” I laughed, a cigar in my mouth. I didn’t know what kind of image people had of me, but I didn’t always act without thinking. I’ll admit I lose it when I’m pissed, but otherwise, I tried to keep things as cool as possible. While my acquaintances and colleagues back home might have laughed at that, I was at least making an effort. It’s always best when things proceed peacefully and smoothly.

I ignored the fact that Alice, sitting beside me, didn’t seem entirely convinced. Sensing the tide was against me, I changed the subject.

“What do you think, Alice? Are you against following that woman?”

“I agree with your judgment, Jack. Killing the aide of a Representative would be dangerous.”

“Right? It would be too reckless.”

I had felt a surge of murderous intent toward that masked woman for giving one-sided orders without explaining a thing, but it would be bad to finish her off right away. Even I understood that much. If we ever ended up in a hostile relationship, I’d kill her instantly. She was skilled, but she wasn’t an opponent I couldn’t beat. I’d have to make her regret her arrogant behavior.

After several hours of travel…

After cresting a gentle hill, a strange structure came into view ahead.

As far as the eye could see, a black wall stretched across the horizon, filling my vision. Magical formulas were applied to the entire wall with overwhelming density, glowing with a faint light. Some kind of defensive measures were clearly in place. According to Alice, it was at a level where merely touching it carelessly would result in instant death.

The inscribed formulas were impressive, but the most shocking part was the sheer scale. The black wall curved gently, and from our position, we couldn’t see the end of it. It was likely circular, but it was terrifyingly massive. Even at a low estimate, it was easily several times larger than the Fortress City.

The lead vehicle turned at a fork in the highway and approached the black wall. In all likelihood, that was the city where Dorgu resided. I couldn’t even imagine how many people lived there based on the exterior alone.

Shadows of what looked like countless birds were flying in the sky above the city. Squinting to make sure, I realized they were dragons. They were much smaller than the individual I had taken down, but their shapes were unmistakable. The dragon swarm was circling slowly over the city. They didn’t seem to be attacking; they were likely sentry dragons. They must have been tamed by this city.

I looked at the black wall and the dragon swarm from a distance, feeling impressed.

“That’s some scale.”

“They say Dorgu rules the entire city. It seems there aren’t any internal conflicts like in the Fortress City. Since the other Representatives are in different regions, this is total rule by a single power,” Alice added.

She said it quite simply, but that was an incredible feat. It wasn’t something that could be achieved with half-hearted resolve. If Dorgu truly ruled a city of this size, his influence was immeasurable. His military strength must also be considerable. Judging by the external security, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was on the scale of an army.

Even if something got on my nerves, I should try to endure it as much as possible. If I became enemies with a heavyweight of this level, a peaceful life in Eurea would become impossible. That was an undesirable outcome. I’d finally secured a base and improved the public safety within the city. It would be a problem to have that hindered now.

While feeling the weight of the Representative’s power, we arrived at the city gates. The gates were open, and at a glance, entry and exit seemed free. However, I felt eyes watching us from various points inside the city. It didn’t feel like they were about to attack; they seemed to be just observing our movements.

‘Dorgu’s subordinates?’

Pretending not to notice the gazes, I tilted my head. It seemed that while they preached freedom, they were still doing what needed to be done. It was an expected response. If there were any abnormalities, they would likely be reported to Dorgu immediately.

“Barrier magic is hidden in the gates and walls. Once activated, it should be impossible to escape easily.”

“I see. So we’re about to become birds in a cage.”

“That’s right.”

“What a wonderful welcome.”

Hearing Alice’s additional information, I let out a chuckle. Things were getting interesting. You have to enjoy being in an “away” environment.

I wondered for what purpose Dorgu had summoned us. If he were angry about me crushing his subordinate organization, he would have come to eliminate us rather than sending a summons. The fact that he hadn’t suggested there was room for discussion. He might just want to personally torture us to death, but if so, I’d just have to go all out and kill him back. I was prepared to resist violence. The golem car had been fully upgraded, and the interior was packed with weapons.

‘Well, it’ll mostly be an ad-lib response. What happens, happens.’

Sensing a premonition of turbulence, I drove the golem car into the city.