The City's Resolve

Ignoring the curiosity and doubt in the onlookers' eyes, Illiya looked straight at the eldest young master of the Taeharin family and gave him a nod.

"From Young Master Taeharin's actions, I can see the sincerity of the City Lord of Haneulseong City. Elves always keep their promises—you no longer need to worry about Haneulseong City being caught in the crossfire."

Eoryun's expression shifted from excitement to disappointment in an instant.

So this was an ally? What a pity.

"Of course, Haneulseong City has never been a place that tolerates injustice," he responded smoothly, hiding his disappointment beneath a composed demeanor.

Illiya clearly caught the flash of disappointment in Eoryun's eyes.

Was this guy really expecting some "cannon fodder" to step up and argue with him?

This wasn't some fantasy novel—it was the real world!

Suddenly, he wasn't so sure about Eoryun anymore.

The other attendees of the auction stared at the golden-haired elf and the Taeharin family's young master.

And just like that, everything became clear to them.

So it was this elf who reported the auction house to the City Lord of Haneulseong City, leading to its destruction.

Not that knowing this changed anything—they had no way to resist.

Just as everyone thought the matter had ended, a voice suddenly rang out in furious protest.

"Does the Taeharin family think they can just deploy the military to burn down the auction house without cause? Are you disregarding the laws of Areuseon Kingdom? Just because Haneulseong City is on the border doesn't mean it's outside the government's control! Do you even respect Areuseon Kingdom?"

After aggressively accusing Eoryun of lawlessness, the man turned his anger toward the elf.

"I used to think elves were noble and righteous, but it turns out they're no better than the rest—colluding with humans, conspiring from within, and committing such monstrous acts! I was right all along—we should gather together and drive out the other races! The continent should belong to humans alone!"

Forget the ones he was accusing—even those squatting beside him quietly edged away, trying to distance themselves.

The auction attendees had only wanted a brave soul to stand up and ask why force was used before diplomacy—not some complete idiot to spout nonsense.

And worse, he was a blatant racist.

Help! They had just wanted to fight for their basic rights, not be dragged to trial and sentenced to hanging!

There was no need for the accused to argue back—before they could even react, the other attendees, as if prearranged, stood up one after another to rebuke and disassociate from the man.

"If you break the law, you get arrested. What's the problem with that? None, right?"

"Exactly! Selling sentient beings is illegal! There's nothing wrong with holding a criminal organization accountable!"

"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"

"Seriously? It's already the year 998 of the continental calendar, and we still have people who believe in racial purity? That's hilarious!"

"We admit our mistakes, but please don't lump us together with that moron!"

The man's face turned as green as a cucumber.

He pointed at the crowd, trying to speak, but after stammering "you" over and over again, he collapsed in a rage-induced faint.

The others: "..."

Was he seriously trying to play the victim now?

After that near-death experience, everyone fully cooperated with the military's arrests.

They even eagerly put on magic-restriction cuffs without protest.

No one complained or resisted—they obediently lined up, waiting to be taken away for questioning.

No one was stupid.

Between getting sent to the gallows or being politely questioned, even a dog would know which one to choose.

With a bewildered expression, both Illiya and Darius arrived at the residence of the City Lord.

Illiya was preoccupied with pondering the philosophical question: Is Eoryun the child of destiny?

Meanwhile, Darius was utterly baffled by the bizarre turn of events.

Unable to hold back, Darius muttered, "Ever since the Continental Pact was signed, I haven't heard such rhetoric before. It seems that just as species are diverse, humans are no exception."

Illiya snapped out of his thoughts and sighed, "As expected, my teacher was right about everything."

"My teacher once said that humans are a peculiar race. While there are many intelligent people, you can't ignore the fact that some have seawater sloshing around in their heads."

"There's no need to sugarcoat it. Just say they're insane," Darius retorted, showing no hesitation in criticizing his own race.

"Apologies for the unexpected trouble during your first visit, Your Esteemed Elf and Captain Darius," a hearty voice called from ahead, startling both the man and the elf who were caught off guard.

Illiya lifted his gaze toward the source of the voice and saw a young-looking man appear in his field of vision.

The man was dressed in a long, floor-length purple robe, its hem embroidered with exquisite golden thread patterns.

The fabric was further adorned with delicate hand-stitched representations of Haneulseong City's emblematic flower—the Blue Moon Flower.

Draped over his shoulders was a cloak of the same purple hue, blending seamlessly with the robe's hem.

On his chest was a badge, similar to the one Eoryun wore, but with a notable difference: two diamonds embedded in the hilts of the crossed swords.

It was this minor distinction that confirmed the man's identity to Illiya.

After all, how many people could move freely within the City Lord's residence?

Illiya inclined his head in a half-bow and greeted, "Good evening, my lord. I apologies for the disturbance today."

The City Lord nodded his head, his tone calm and even. "Haneulseong City does not tolerate sand in its midst."

Both of them understood what he meant, and with that, the topic was left at that—no need for further elaboration.

However, there was another reason the City Lord had chosen to appear in person.

Shifting his gaze to the swordsman standing half a step behind the elf, his expression turned somewhat perplexed, as though he found something difficult to comprehend.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he raised his right hand to his left chest and gave a slight bow in greeting.

"It has been a long time, Captain Darius."

"Ten years have passed since our last meeting."