I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

The man named Feilin, being lectured, sheepishly agreed.

“Tell me, Antar. Where have our Viscount Atley, Baron Moore Oliver, the Brave Yarman, Marquis Enoch… gone?”

A deep, muffled roar came from the iron tower, like a heavy drumbeat or thunderclap, shaking the entire hall.

"My lord, those lowly people have abandoned the honor of Gaul and fled to the court of the false king for refuge."

"The false king... Yes. The false king's territory is filled with luxurious living, delicious food, and a leisurely lifestyle."

The old man's voice was steady, slow, and had an elegant tone.

"But... the false king's kingdom has everything, except for a place for us."

Those people remained silent, heads bowed, and not one dared to utter a sound.

“Bring up those cowards who have betrayed their honor.”

He closed his eyes, seemingly unable to bear the sight that was about to unfold.

As the sound of a heavy object slamming onto the table rang out, everyone's gaze shifted to the bag.

Although no one touches it, they all know what's inside.

"They have betrayed the glory of the empire."

Rubicon opened his eyes and looked at the people present.

"The glory bestowed upon them by the Empire will only be granted to the Empire's subjects who are loyal to the Empire."

"Lord Rubicon! I am willing to serve the Empire and slaughter these lowly people who have betrayed the Empire's honor!"

It was that same Fei Lin again. He stood up, patted his chest, and loudly swore his loyalty to him.

"I am willing to share Lord Rubicon's burdens!"

"I am willing to serve the Empire to the death!"

They stood up in a flurry, spouting nice words, but none of them were unaware of the covetousness of the dead's inheritance.

"They're all insects..."

Rubicon looked at them, without any positive emotional response.

With these worms by your side, reviving the glory of Gaul will be nothing but empty talk.

But we can't kill them all yet.

Although they were greedy and pursued petty gains, they did indeed have Gaulish blood.

Without the Gauls, is Gaul still Gaul?

We cannot kill them all, at least not until the bloodline of Gaul continues.

Fortunately, it's alright.

He doesn't rely on these useless people.

"Antar, what did those demons say?"

Back in his study, he looked at his attendant beside him, his voice tinged with a hint of leniency.

“Theresis has entered Victoria, and the dukes’ attention has been diverted to the Sarkaz he brought with him.”

"Although they are inferior breeds, they are still quite handy as tools."

"What are their demands?"

"It's still about materials."

"Theresis doesn't want Gaul's wealth and treasures; he only wants the materials to build mobile cities. And... the technology for the Sky City."

"That country bumpkin actually has some discernment."

Although Rubicon was full of disdain, his expression became serious.

Even though Gaul had been divided and swallowed up by the four kingdoms, the true core technology of the empire remained in the hands of these Gaulish remnants.

For example, the construction technology of the most advanced mobile city core area is a conceptual wonder that combines relics from the old era with the most advanced technology of Gaul at that time - the "Sky City".

Unfortunately, Gaul was destroyed before it could be built. And these remnants of the old regime did not have the resources to build such a grand spectacle.

There's an old saying on the pseudo-king's side: "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."

Rubicon picked up his walking stick, which he never parted with, and handed it to Antar.

“Bring it to Theresis, my child.”

"And what about you? Aren't you coming with me?"

Rubicon looked at him and sighed.

"The hope of Gaul does not lie with me."

"I'm getting old, and I don't have much time left."

"It is up to you, Antar, my child. Take those Gauls who are worth taking with you and carry on the Gaul bloodline."

He didn't say anything more, but both of them knew what the unspoken words were.

“Go, my child. But be careful, Sarkaz. That inferior race is cunning, greedy, and utterly untrustworthy. For power, they will kill their own loved ones, their own brothers, without any remorse. If you sense they are having second thoughts, do not hesitate to destroy it immediately and leave.”

“I remember… Father.”

Antar left.

Rubicon sat in his study, took out a book recording the history of Gaul, and slowly began to read.

"Compared to the Gaul established by Julius, who once dominated the world, the Gauls of today are truly destitute."

He sighed softly, seemingly unmoved by any sounds coming from outside.

He didn't get up until dawn, straightened his clothes, and left his residence alone.

Standing atop the tower in this town, gazing upon the deserted town, a sigh escapes as the somber tolling of bells echoes throughout the town.

"Is this Victoria, Talulah? Look over there."

"Okay, okay, I'm watching. Alina, don't stray too far from me."

Young Draco, wearing a large trench coat, walked the city streets with an excited Elafia.

"The atmosphere here isn't very pleasant."

Talulah learned about Victoria's current situation from the Tara man.

The Duke's allied forces, the local rebels, the Sarkaz from Kazdel, and a gang of thugs claiming to have Drak blood.

"Let's go, let's go to the Rhodes Island office first."

She couldn't fully trust the Tara people; they needed to establish a complete stronghold before her reinforcements arrived.

At this point, they would have to ask their partners for help from their local acquaintances.

"Let me think... Rhodes Island's office in Hillsshire should be located in..."

Following the map provided by the Rhodes Island ship, Talulah, accompanied by Alina, knocked on the door.

A moment later, a blonde Waifan girl opened the door.

A Record of Events in Xiaoqiu County (0)

"Hello, Ms. Talulah. The room is a bit messy, please excuse me."

"You've arrived very early. We thought you would arrive before noon."

The three staff members at the office hurriedly greeted the two guests.

"Mr. Oliver, you're too kind. Due to some personal habits we developed in our early years, we prefer to make the most of our time."

"Hello, please have some sweet scones. They're fresh out of the oven and still warm."

The blonde Waifan girl looked at them with eyes full of enthusiasm.

"Thank you, beautiful Miss Vaivan. We've arrived here in an unfamiliar place and haven't eaten yet. Thank you for your food."

Talulah thanked her softly, then took the snacks she brought, took one for herself, and gave the rest to Alina who was standing next to her.

“My name is Jane Lowe, you can just call me Jane.”

“Hello, Jane. I’m Talulah. This is my friend, Alina.”

Hello, little sister.

The deer girl greeted her gently, while secretly drawing a circle on Talulah's tail with her other hand.

This means the other party is harmless and not an experienced spy.

"Jane, you are... a soldier from Victoria?"

Talulah had done her research beforehand, and upon seeing the other person's attire, she asked them a question.

“I’m just a member of the honor guard. I usually only need to participate in activities and training. Today’s training hasn’t started yet, so I’m taking advantage of this free time to help Uncle Oliver and the others with some small tasks.”

"I see."

Talulah didn't ask any more questions.

For the sake of this lovely little girl, it's best not to talk to her too much, lest she be unjustly dragged into those troubles.

“Ms. Talulah, here is the information you need. Hillshire isn’t very well-known in Victoria, so the rent here is quite cheap.”

"Rhode Island has already rented that house for you in advance, and the rent is 20% off. Would you like to pay in cash or online?"

"Thank you for your help. Please pay online; we don't have much cash with us."

Talulah took out her phone and, under Jenny's curious gaze, paid the rent using software used within the Terra community.

"Then let me take you two to see the house."

Oliver, who was on duty today, volunteered to skip work early.

The story has two parts, on the other side...

"I thought you would have that little thing clean up this garbage."

"So, the so-called professionals you refer to are natural disasters, huh?"