Ancient Dragon in Arknights

After leaving the school, Nesario boarded a city train bound for the Sadion district, a populous area and a den of iniquity. Nesario's goal was to deal with those lurking in the shadows.

Didn't I mention before? Nesario has his own little treasury, which contains a rather substantial amount of assets.

In Colombia, as they grew older, Nesario and Celia were able to easily defeat an adult after entering high school. Neither Rupert, Ursus, Fonti, nor Felin were a match for the two teenage Vaivafans, let alone the fact that these two Vaivafans were not ordinary Vaivafans.

But Saria did not use her strength to act tyrannically; on the contrary, she believed that violence was the ultimate means.

But Nesario was different. This bastard knew very well that with men in suits, you had to talk about rules and laws; with those tattooed, permed-haired guys, you had to fight.

Nesario's first raid on a gang's hideout was uneventful; he charged in single-handedly and took down all the gang members with just his two fists and his tail.

When he opened the safe in that hideout, he finally realized the true value of the statement: "The most profitable paths are all written in the law."

In the end, Nesario took half of the stolen money, while the other half was seized by the police who arrived later.

After this happened more than three times, the police realized that there was a "superhero" fighting evil and promoting good.

After that, they learned what they should and shouldn't do; Nesario was in charge of the rampage, while the police were responsible for cleaning up the mess and preventing any further trouble. The two sides hit it off immediately, and this cooperation lasted for about four years, which was Nesario's entire high school career.

And so, another urban legend was added to the list of those in Tikkarendo.

When you embark on the path of evil, the black dragon sets its sights on you, and on a dark and stormy night, it will come to take your life and soul—in reality, Neltharion did not indiscriminately kill gang members; the occasional deaths were their own doing; there is a big difference between fighting and massacre.

"Sigh, I wonder if the crime rate in Tikkarendo will rebound after I leave."

"Lentinium is the capital of Victoria. I wonder how fat the leeks are here."

Chapter Four: First Impressions

"Margarita Bar! We have a new shipment of Ursus liquor today!"

"Have you heard? The Fang Gang got beaten up the other day. A new gang took over one of their city blocks."

"I know, I know, everyone's been talking about this lately. Your information is outdated; the new guy is called 'Glasgow'."

"Hey, it's not that important. How many newcomers like this survive to the end? No need to watch, the Fang Gang will probably start their retaliation in about a week. Let's see if anyone opens a betting pool then, and we'll make a good profit."

"..."

Noisy, chaotic, and filthy – this is the stereotype most people have of slum bars, and Nesario agrees, because that's exactly what bars are like in reality.

But only in places like these can you hear things that you can't hear under the sun.

Nesario had arrived in the Sadien district. Instead of experiencing the local culture of Victoria, he headed straight for the favela. Every country and region has its unique customs and culture, but favelas are remarkably similar; the favelas of Colombia and Victoria seem almost identical.

Cheap, adulterated liquor, street thugs and hooligans swaggering around, heavily made-up strippers, suspicious individuals hiding in corners... and infected people concealed.

Nesario overheard something that interested him and looked in the direction of the sound—two Felins were chatting in a corner. The racial structure of Victoria was predominantly Felins (cats), while the rulers were Aslan (lions).

However, according to the knowledge Nesario had read in the book, there was another race called the Drak besides the Aslan. The two races alternated in ruling Victoria, but twenty years ago, the Drak were declared extinct.

This race is extremely mysterious, and because Aslan intentionally eradicated the Drak's legacy, there is no detailed description of the Drak even in books. Neltharion doesn't even know what the characteristics of this race are.

But that's irrelevant now; the fallen royal family has nothing to do with him.

"Hey, you two. Interested in grabbing a drink with me?"

Nesario approached the two men in the corner, hoping to glean some useful information.

"Get lost, kid. I'm not interested in men."

"..."

"Wait a minute, John. You've misunderstood. This guy probably wants to have a chat with us."

"Hmph! Joe, I have nothing to talk about with a brat like that."

"My treat."

"Sit down."

It's rare to be able to see the quintessential culture of China in Victoria.

Nesario's method of gathering intelligence was quite simple: he would talk to the locals. Some of these guys weren't very capable, but they were very interested in the distribution of power and the succession of the throne. Their liveliest time was at the bar every day.

"Hey buddy, you're Colombian. Just arrived in Lentinham? Isn't it a bit of a letdown to start your trip with a favela?"

Clearly, this guy named Joe was much more savvy than that hothead named John.

“Slums are the soul of a city. Big shots and nobles are like shit. Seeing them is a real eyesore.”

"Hehe, good lad, I like that line. Those nobles really are like shit."

How to quickly integrate into the slums? It's simple: just say what they like to hear. Look, the clueless guy is laughing heartily, and even Joe's lips curl into a smile.

"Speak, what do you want to know? Look at the cost of this drink, we'll tell you everything."

When the disheveled film girl brought over the drinks, John and Joe immediately backed down. Nobody turns down a free lunch.

"So, who are the people in the Sadien district that you shouldn't mess with?"

"Hehe, kid, you've come to the right person. Let me tell you, no one knows this area better than Joe."

"Oh? It seems Mr. Qiao also has a glorious past."

"It's nothing to mention. As for your question, let me think about it..."

Joe picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"First of all, the city police and the council guards are definitely not to be trifled with. They are the strongest forces in the country, and to be an enemy of them is to be an enemy of the entire Victoria. As for the gangs... Londinium has more than 100 city blocks, 60 of which are controlled by noble lords. The remaining 40 are our territory."

I do know something about Nesario. The location of the Royal Guard Academy of Victoria is in a very unique urban area, but that can't be used as a reference because of its special nature, so it occupies a relatively large area.

Forty city blocks... that's practically half of the city. If you control it, you'd be the emperor in the dark.

This is the capital of Victoria. Isn't it impressive to have half of the capital?

"Don't overthink it. In these areas, all they can do is collect protection money and engage in some shady business to make a profit. I've heard of Colombia, where gangs control most of the resources; here—no way, those noble lords won't let us lowly commoners run rampant."

Clearly, Joe had figured out what Nesario was thinking.

In other places, gangs might indeed be able to dominate once they reach a certain level; but in Londinim, that's definitely not the case. There are too many armed forces and important facilities here, and such unstable factors as gangs are absolutely not allowed.

"The wealth of the Londinium people is beyond your imagination; the protection fees alone are enough to make them rich."

"I see it."

Nesario pursed his lips, because Joe and John in front of him were actually quite well-dressed, whereas the normal poor were people who were barely clothed and starving.

“There are hundreds of gangs on the forty plots of land, the three largest being the Ghostfire Gang, the Motorbike Gang, and the Rauss Gang—each of them occupies five plots and has more than two thousand members, making them behemoths. Believe me, even the city police would have a hard time dealing with them.”

Two thousand people... that's not a small number, although it seems insignificant compared to the permanent population of Londinium. But this is under the King's feet—it takes a lot of courage to be a gangster in this environment.

The largest gang that Nesario ever wiped out in Ticalendo had only five hundred members, most of whom were insignificant underlings and thugs.

Two thousand people, even if they just stand still and let Nesario beat them up, would exhaust his stamina.

Chapter Five: Victorian Style

"This is not something that small fry like us can get involved in. Let's talk about things around here instead."

Nesario just wants to make quick money, not become a crime-fighting superhero. He might consider taking over the branches and strongholds of these three major gangs, but wiping them out is out of the question.

Given that this place is closest to the school, Nesario plans to start by taking advantage of the local resources.

“This area? Haha, that’s quite a story. This place used to be controlled by the Fang Gang. That gang only recruited Perot. To be honest—if it weren’t for that rule, they would have expanded much faster.”

"Just a few days ago, a new gang called the Glasgow Gang came along; they fought the Fang Gang, and the Fang Gang lost two blocks. They're probably busy fighting back now. We're about to see some good stuff."

Joe was probably a gang member too. Judging from his excited expression, he really enjoyed this kind of turf war. Maybe it was the memories of his dead attacking him.

Nesario didn't know; he wasn't involved in gangs, he was just someone who beat up gangsters.

Do you know where their base is?

"What? Want to join a gang and make it big? But..."

Joe wasn't initially optimistic about the kid joining the gang. Although the gangs in Lontinem were much more lenient than those in Syracuse—they wouldn't even kill—it wasn't a safe haven. While you might not lose your life, injuries were common; a perfectly healthy person shouldn't make things difficult for themselves.

But after Joe looked at Nesario's racial features and physique, he stopped talking. Damn... are all Vayvans this monstrous?

Joe didn't believe this kid was all bark and no bite; he could probably punch through the bar wall.

If Nesario joins a gang, he'll likely rise through the ranks quickly or be poached by a more powerful gang.

"How could that be? I just plan to check out their respective strengths so I can have more confidence when the market opens."

"That's a great idea! Kid, if you find anything, don't forget about us. I'm telling you..."

John then explained the rules to Nesario—because Lontinim has a higher level of control, gangsters certainly can't just swagger out; they'll also have to put on a protective shield.

For example, "security companies" are organizations that employ bodyguards for their business needs—these bodyguards are actually members of gangs.

The second type is "private property that is not very open to the public." In short, it's a storefront that is often occupied but never open to the public. This could also be a gang's territory.

The third type is more traditional—the gray market areas such as nightclubs, bars, and casinos. This is not recommended because it's too easy to get caught; if the city police are interested, they can apprehend the perpetrators in no time.

"So, in other words, I still have to find it myself... Damn it, that's like saying nothing at all. I've destroyed so many hideouts; I've seen all of these places you're talking about."

John's business acumen is indeed not worth expecting.

"Thank you both for your help. I hope we can meet here again next time."

“We’re here every weekend. If you have any problems next time, you can come to us again, but you’ll have to treat us.”

'Joe's still somewhat useful, but you're just a good-for-nothing, forget about it.'

Nesario quickly left; the information he had gathered on his first mission was sufficient.

What happens next... It would be best if we could find the gang's stronghold, but it's okay if we can't—the two gangs will still be fighting, and Nesario can reap the benefits.

"Should we go for a stroll next? Hmm... let's do that."

Then, Nesario began to experience the Victorian style.

Victoria's food culture was notoriously bad on Terra. When Nesario was preparing to apply to the Royal Guard Academy, he collected many of General Victoria's autobiographies, which inevitably included criticisms and insults about Victoria's military rations.

Nesario certainly experienced this firsthand today—the only passable items were fish and chips and potato pies; the rest of the Victorian food was hardly delicious. Most of the street food in Victoria was actually made using methods passed down from the Gallic remnants. The top ten restaurants in Lentinium were all serving Gallic cuisine!

However, in other respects, Victorians know how to enjoy life; the country occupies a vast territory, which makes Victoria not only abundant in resources but also rich in variety.

There are hundreds of varieties of tea and jam alone, not to mention other beverages like coffee. But when it comes to coffee... Colombia is the real coffee-consuming nation.

"My sister seems to really enjoy coffee. Let's buy some Victorian-style coffee and give it to the messenger."