We did our best.
After persuading and rescuing as many groups as I could along the way, I watched as most people cautiously huddled together and left, and hurried to visit the city lord's office building at the transit hub.
Thanks to my mentor, when he showed me that thing that looked like a key, and actually worked like a key, but was actually an object of authority belonging exclusively to my mentor—I'm not saying I'm criticizing my mentor's thinking, although it's impossible to make big changes when establishing authority, but everyone else always likes to have something high-class, piling on gemstones, dazzling lights, laser lights, etc. without spending a penny. In the end, my mentor not only took out a small key, but also looked surprisingly ordinary in addition to its good appearance. Afterwards, a knowledgeable monk checked the information several times, then quickly came over and invited me into the special reception room, and respectfully served me a cup of freshly brewed black tea with the perfect temperature and sugar content.
This makes me feel somewhat uneasy, but now is not the time to worry about these things.
The new lord of the transit hub quickly pushed open the door to the reception room and sat down opposite me. He was a cheerful middle-aged man, probably over two meters tall, as strong as a bear, and the ground seemed to tremble as he walked over. His arms were as thick as two of my waists, and he was intimidating to look at. I heard that he was a mercenary who used to roam the surrounding area. After retiring due to injury, he was brought back by those who had benefited from his kindness, and they all elected him to the position of lord. Anyway, that's what everyone said.
However, this city lord, who supposedly always maintained a "good guy" facade, clearly couldn't stay in a "good" mood after hearing my analysis and speculation.
He pondered for a long time, stroking his long beard, and finally slapped his thigh: "...I understand what you're saying. But as to the specifics, whether everything is really as you say, I still need to discuss with the relevant departments and conduct on-site investigations before I can make a decision."
"but……"
He reached out to stop me from continuing, his voice low and somber: "I know that if this is true, it would be the biggest crisis for the transit hub, already situated not far from the shadowy area, since its previous collapse, and even since its inception. But," he pounded his chest, his eyes revealing sincerity, "I also have to think about my friends who depend on this for their livelihood. I can't just cut off their means of survival because of some danger. I need to be responsible for them, which is why I need to conduct proper due diligence so that I can convince them."
"But now, even the peripheral areas are many times more dangerous than in previous years. I have data I personally measured and statistics on beast tides from previous years. If you need, I can show them to you..."
"These are also on file in our archives." The city lord smirked. "Believe me, my friend, no one cares more about these things than the people who live here. But if it were just out of fear of adventure, why would we have chosen to take up arms and become mercenaries, constantly struggling on the front lines?"
"I know that to a mage like you, who has received an elite education in the Academy City, we mercenaries who only know how to flaunt our martial prowess and are unable to master deeper manipulation of magic are obviously crude and ignorant. But we are not stupid. You don't need to rush to deny it; it's the truth. We are self-aware and know our own shortcomings. But I also want to believe that everyone who is willing to take up their weapons and stand up against danger has a brave heart, which is why they can successfully overcome those hardships every time."
"...Since you've put it that way, there's nothing more I can do to dissuade you."
I was silent for a moment, then bowed to him: "I wish you success in obtaining all the necessary information safely and smoothly. However, please heed my advice: be sure to dispatch a sufficiently strong team, with members capable of handling any potential crisis. If they are to venture into the Dark Zone, please do not go too far, lest they be annihilated."
"Several teams that failed to detect the danger in advance have already perished, and my team almost fell into crisis as well. If I could, I would not want to see any more lives lost because of this."
"Don't worry, my friend."
The city lord's next words, and the power and confidence implied in his words, reassured me somewhat: "Although all of this still needs to be investigated, fortunately, we are not entirely without contingency plans."
"Not to mention the teams you rescued and are currently returning, the Silver Light Mercenary Group, which was recently dispatched to exterminate the Flower Demons, also just returned to the city a little over half a day ago. Like you, their leader reported the same thing to me, and is currently gathering most of the mercenaries in the city who haven't yet set off, recounting everything they've seen on their journey. I believe that with their reputation as a guarantee, it will be easier to get everyone to accept the idea of temporarily slowing down their journey and preparing for battle. Add to that the people who will soon be returning to the city, and it should be even easier to get everyone mentally prepared."
"Of course, we will also set up remote early warning systems at the city gates near the west to guard against possible sporadic attacks, and in the name of my city lord, we will inform everyone in the city of what might happen next, and we must also send warnings to the neighboring cities—you don't need to worry too much, these are all things we should do."
"I heard from the mage who relayed this that you came running all the way here, not only were you out of breath, but you were also pale and your hands and feet were trembling. This must be a sign that you have consumed too much magic and physical strength in a short period of time, right? I apologize, please forgive me for being a rough guy, I only know a little about these things."
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