Mr. 1 stared at Sage as he came down from the back of the Crocodile, calmly saying, "You are indeed a big figure. Rumor has it that you have plundered many kings. Are you working with the boss because you have set your sights on the king here?"
"Of course, that's exactly why I'm here."
Sage smirked, casting a glance at these special agents, finding some familiar but not quite recalling them.
"So many people, has it already begun?"
In his pupils, a red dot overlaid, he instinctively glanced at the steps, using Observation to sense the immense city exuding a murderous aura.
"Yes, the war has already started."
Mr. 1 said, "We've received news that Princess Vivi will lead people to stop the rebellion. Just in case, we're waiting here."
With Rain Land to the east and Albana to the west, waiting here at the West City Gate is the best choice whether they appear or not, they can be seen.
"Then continue your work, just make sure to take care of these Crocodiles, I still need them as transportation, make sure nothing goes wrong."
Sage said nonchalantly, ignoring these special agents as he led his men up the steps.
On either side of the giant staircase were steep cliffs. If the steps were destroyed, those here wouldn't be able to descend and would be trapped.
In that vast city, whether on the streets or in alleyways, there erupted sounds of gunfire and the clash of blades.
Even at the city gate, Sage could smell the intense odor of gunpowder and blood.
However, upon sensing the numbers, it seemed there weren't as many people.
The Rebel Army's arrival also takes time and will likely come in batches rather than all at once.
For now, this city is still relatively empty. Each street within the city is long, almost endless to the eye, with distant buildings appearing as mere silhouettes.
At the northernmost end, a giant domed structure can be seen.
That should be where the Royal Palace is located.
"No common people in sight..."
Renedia looked around, "Have they already evacuated?"
"Cobra is quite a decent fellow."
Sage said, "Knowing war was approaching, he should have evacuated the populace early. After all, war leads to deaths, and those civilians are of little use, which is good; there will be less resistance when robbing."
Whether he is a good king or not is irrelevant to Sage. Even if someone were sainted as a great Buddha, at this point, he would still scrape a layer of gold off.
Who cares whether robbing is good or bad?
Can a Royal City really only have a wealthy King?
He took out a golden pocket watch from beneath his cloak, glanced at it, and said:
"It's 10 AM now; the city will explode at 4:30 PM. We'll finish by 3:30 PM, leaving an hour to evacuate. The Royal Palace is the priority. If there's time after looting, we'll check other wealthy areas."
To maintain a nation, there must be nobility, and those guys are certainly rich.
But limited transportation means Sage only brought this many people, so he must choose one place first.
Including Sage himself, a total of fifty-seven people stepped onto the spacious street, and as they approached, the smell of gunpowder grew stronger. They hadn't walked far when two groups burst out of an alley.
One group wore scale armor and capes; the other dressed in ordinary clothes, each carrying injuries, shouting as they charged at one another.
And then...
Thud.
Their steps hadn't even started when their eyes rolled over, mouths agape, falling to the ground.
"A bunch of small fry shouldn't block my path; I won't detour for you."
Sage glanced at them, stepped over their bodies, and continued forward.
Observation could sense the number of people and roughly gauge their strength. If he wished to avoid them, Sage could reach the Royal Palace undetected.
But why bother?
He is not someone to willingly yield to others; moving directly is the shortest distance.
Whether facing battling soldiers or people popping out from the sides, if they appeared before Sage, they all went limp, fainting to the ground.
Until reaching the location of the Royal Palace, beneath equally massive steps, several thousand soldiers stood vigilantly, exuding a killing aura.
They are the soldiers defending the Royal Palace, serving as the last line of defense, determined not to let the Rebel Army near.
"Someone's coming!"
A soldier standing straight in the front noticed something wrong, fixating his gaze on one of the streets. Following his shout, all the soldiers looked over, seeing a crowd in the long, dusty road.
With storms passing, the first sight is a head of white hair, neither too long nor short, parted into two strands from the forehead, swaying as they walk, as does the black and red-furred cloak hung over them.
Rebel Army?
Is there such a figure among them?
"Stay alert!!"
A soldier commander bellowed, with the front-line troops aiming crescent shovel-like weapons forward, showing signs of tension.
They didn't know why they felt anxious; clearly, the opponent only had a few dozen men.
It shouldn't be possible for them to match the thousands on their side...
Buzz!
In the next instant, thousands of men rolled their eyes back, their mouths unconsciously agape, all fainting.
A soldier dropped to his knees, seemingly struggling to support something, fighting not to collapse, glaring at the white-haired man approaching, trying to grip his weapon, but there was no strength left, and with a clang, his weapon fell and he slumped down.