Village Head's Debauchery - Chapter 1101: The Cost of the Choice, Sentient Steel
If the unknown woman had the power to unleash such a frightening attack, she wouldn’t have waited until now.
Upon hearing Ilse’s words, Orion frowned at their predicament. They could quickly force the door open, but doing so would likely destroy the Sleeping Fox Runaway City. If they didn’t act, the woman could regain her strength, take control of the city, and possibly endanger the other Runaway Cities.
Obviously, capturing the unknown woman would be a challenging feat.
“Supreme Leader, I think the Sleeping Fox Runaway City is a lost cause,” Seth said, offering input. “We can’t risk one Runaway City endangering the others. With the unknown threat posed by this woman-who defeated two Vylkr spawns-we cannot afford to let her recover even a fraction of her strength.”
A wave of fear surged in Lakul’s heart upon hearing Seth’s words. He immediately rushed forward, dropping to his knees before Orion again.
“Please, Supreme Leader, don’t abandon the Sleeping Fox Runaway City! I beg you!” Lakul pleaded, his expression filled with panic as he pressed his forehead to the ground.
The other three leaders joined him, raising their voices in desperation.
“We can’t free the Sleeping Fox Runaway City from the enemy without Paradise’s aid!”
“Please, don’t abandon us, Supreme Leader!”
“If the Sleeping Fox Runaway City is destroyed, where will its people live?”
They knew they couldn’t afford to lose their city. Doing so would place them below the Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise, Trekking Flamingo Runaway City, or even far beneath the Four-Eared Elves. They doubted that Paradise could support about three million people without becoming overburdened, likely resulting in their abandonment.
It was better to plead now than to await the grim fate they feared if such a plan were carried out.
Witnessing the scene, Seth frowned. He felt genuine pity for the Sleeping Fox Runaway City inhabitants, knowing the grim fate that awaited them. Still, Seth also knew that this was the best course of action to secure the future of Paradise and the two remaining Runaway Cities under its command. He understood that they couldn’t let their vision be clouded by sentiment.
Iris’s expression, hidden beneath her helmet, morphed into pity, but she remained silent. It wasn’t her place to interfere with what was unfolding.
Ilse wore an indifferent expression. The world was too dangerous, even for a goddess like her, to consider taking millions of lives under her protection. She was focused on regaining her strength, caring for her children, and safeguarding Paradise. She remained unmoved by their plight.
Orion’s face showed a deep frown as he weighed the gravity of the decision. He closed his eyes for a moment in thought before opening them again. His gaze, now tranquil and steady, shifted to the prostrating Lakul and the others.
“I will send an order to Paradise’s warriors to begin evacuating the inhabitants of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City into Trekking Flamingo Runaway City. You should also focus on preparing to move with your families,” Orion said, his tone firm.
He had made this decision for the good of Paradise and its territory.
Upon hearing his words, Lakul and the others paled.
Lakul attempted to open his mouth to speak but sealed it shut, realizing that his words would make no difference since the decision had already been made. He couldn’t argue with the Supreme Leader’s command and risk incurring his wrath on top of their already unfortunate circumstances.
Lakul nodded in understanding. He stood to his feet and turned to the three others behind him. “Didn’t you hear the Supreme Leader’s commands? Quickly, go and spread the message to every inhabitant of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and inform them that we will be evacuating soon,” Lakul said.
The three former leaders rose to their feet. They attempted to speak but, like Lakul, swallowed their words. They nodded, then bowed toward Orion and the others in the expansive hallway. They left the area without delay, swiftly heading to the surface to deliver the command.
“I want you to take us to see the injured Forge Palace Master before you leave to prepare,” Orion said.
“Follow me,” Lakul replied with a nod, though his movements no longer held the same vitality they once had. He turned and led the way forward.
As they followed behind him, Orion took the opportunity to send a message to Zogar, instructing him to send warriors to lead the Trekking Flamingo Runaway City to their location. He also ordered him to send warriors to aid with evacuating items like the diluted Vylkr vials and others.
Zogar was momentarily silent before asking, “Is the Sleeping Fox Runaway City beyond saving?”
“Yes, it is. The only thing we can do now is evacuate them to another Runaway City,” Orion replied, understanding Zogar’s sympathy for the inhabitants of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City.
“Okay. I’ll ensure your orders are carried out immediately, Chief,” Zogar replied, his tone regaining firm.
Orion disconnected their communication.
They all soared through the air, taking about thirty-five minutes to reach the surface. Upon arriving at the healer centre within the Royal Den, the healers halted and bowed to greet them respectfully as they walked through the hallway until they arrived at a door guarded by two gods’ chosens.
They entered through the door. Within it was a simple room decorated with a king-sized bed at its centre. On the bed lay a fox-kin man, wrapped in bandages, with severely burnt skin underneath. His four tails were hairless and burned, indicating the severity of his injuries. Various small metallic tables filled with bowls containing herbs and tools surrounded the bed. Four healers, two men and two women treated the man and prepared the herbs.
Fortunately, his injuries weren’t something Paradise was incapable of handling.
“Make sure he and the rest of the workers are among the first evacuated. Paradise can treat them easily and help them recover,” Orion said.
He didn’t need to see the other workers to comprehend their injuries, which were likely similar or worse.
“I’ll make sure of it, Supreme Leader,” Lakul nodded. He recalled Sy’ra’s injuries before Paradise fully healed her and her public pledge of allegiance to them.
“You can go and prepare your family and belongings to leave for when the Trekking Flamingo Runaway City arrives,” Orion replied.
Lakul nodded. “Let me escort you out before I take my leave,” he said.
Lakul ordered the healers and the gods’ chosens outside to carry out the Supreme Leader’s orders before leaving with Orion and the others following.
Within a few minutes, they emerged into an open space. Lakul respectfully bowed before Orion and the others, then widened his wings and took off, disappearing into the distance. Orion and the others ascended to the sky to observe the situation from above. Sensing their arrival, Zogar immediately approached them.
“Chief, we have securely protected the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and successfully built a wall around it to push back the Vylkr vines easily,” Zogar reported, arriving beside them. Regardless of the three-star Vylkr vines or the variants that had emerged from the phenomenon, the warriors had all efficiently dealt with them.
Orion looked down at the circular walls, tens of meters away from the Sleeping Fox Runaway
City, surrounding it, and nodded.
“Our warriors will arrive at the Trekking Flamingo Runaway City in a few hours, so we have more time to wait before they return,” Zogar said.
“Inform me when they return, and the evacuation is about to commence,” Orion replied.
Zogar nodded in understanding.
Orion turned towards Ilse and asked, “Can you give the halo and the greatsword you captured from the unknown woman to the research centre so they can look into them?”
He hadn’t mentioned it earlier during their discussion because he was too focused on devising a plan to handle the Sleeping Fox Runaway City’s dilemma and monitoring Aurora’s
condition.
Despite being a difficult task, he knew that if Seraphina could figure out their inner workings, they could significantly bolster their arsenal. Even if she couldn’t fully decipher them, she would likely gain enough knowledge to enhance their existing equipment.
Ilse shook her head with a frown and replied, “Both weapons are sentient and capable of executing commands independently. I locked them in a chamber within my vault, but I could feel them trying to escape when we arrived at the Sleeping Fox Runaway City. If I hadn’t experienced handling stubborn weapons like these, they would have escaped when I opened my vault to push back that attack. I’m aware the research centre isn’t equipped to subdue such weapons, so releasing them would be risky.”
Orion frowned, frustration growing on his face. He took a deep breath and exhaled, choosing
to remain calm.
Suddenly, Ilse’s expression grew weary, her eyelids drooping as though she were becoming
drowsy.
“I think my time is up,” Ilse said, smiling wryly. She had already exhausted her reserves and needed time to rest properly before recovering and functioning normally.
This is troublesome, Orion thought.
….
Author’s Note: I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the daily chapter update is consistent. So, I’ve decided
to continue in this manner. 1.5K words a day.
