“Defeat everyone?”

Griselda’s words came as a shock to Amelia and Reina. They immediately realized that this woman who owned a popular club was planning on taking on the top dogs in the city. Normally that would seem ridiculous, but when you have someone as powerful Griselda is that woman, they couldn’t find it funny.

“….Why do you want to conquer the city?”

Amelia asked.

“Hm….Conquer isn’t the right word. It’s more like liberating.”

“Huh?”

Seeing that the girl didn’t know what she meant, Griselda released them and took a few steps back.

“Tell me, girls, what do you think of Cugine City?”

“What do we think? Well, it seems like a city that has many different sides to it.”

Amelia replied.

“While there are some dangerous elements here and there, there’s a lot of good things about it as well.”

“In other words, it’s just like any other city.”

Reina added.

“That’s good answers, but I wouldn’t give it a full mark.”

The look in Griselda’s eyes changed and she no longer seemed like that beautiful woman who loved to play around.

“This city is consumed by darkness. Not just one darkness, but multiple darknesses coming together. The mayor, the police force, the Three Dons, and finally me. Our darknesses came together and devoured this city.”

She smiled.

“Did you know? This darkness is nothing compared to the darkness that devoured everything 20 years ago? That darkness wasn’t the combination of many dark desires like the one that clouds the city now. That darkness was purely from one individual.”

She paused a little before bitterly speaking the name.

“Salvatore Riina, the man known as the Don of all Dons.”

“Salvatore Riina?”

Amelia mumbled the name. Griselda nodded.

“Salvatore was the untouchable beast who ruled this city with an iron fist. Back then the city generated more money because of his countless criminal operations. Yet, the people were miserable. That was because his unreasonable dictatorship crushed the lives of countless people.”

She looked up at the ceiling.

“The day Salvatore was brought to an end, that was the happiest day of my life. It was probably the happiest day of many persons’ lives as well. There were peace and the darkness engulfing the city vanish. But it came back in different forms.”

She looked back at the girls.

“I intend to liberate the city from this darkness once more. For that to happen, I want to crush those who stand at the top.”

“What will you do next? Will you rule the city?”

Reina asked. Griselda shook her head.

“That wouldn’t free this city. My hands have been tainted in too much blood for me to lead this city.”

“Every great leader had to stain their hands in blood every now and again.”

Amelia said.

“I don’t believe that. For me, a great leader will find ways to make everyone happy without meaningless slaughter. After I take the city, I want to find such a person and have them take the reins and steer the city in the right direction. When I find them, I want to stand behind them and give them the push they need.”

“That sounds difficult. Suppose the person you pick isn’t right for the job like you thought?”

“Then I would replace them.”

“Then what if you were wrong again? Are you willing to continue replacing them until you find the right person? That would be equivalent to tying your life to this city forever.”

“I’m willing to do that. I’m willing to live in the shadows and quietly watch over this city for all of eternity.”

“You sound like you want to become a god.”

Reina said. Griselda looked stumped for a bit, but she soon burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! I guess I’m really trying to become a god.”

She placed her hand over her chest.

“But you know, I’m willing to become a god or even the devil if I can protect this city.”

“……..”

The girls remained quiet for a bit. Griselda was obviously serious. She was willing to do anything to watch over the city.

“Why do you love this city so much?”

Reina asked.

“Believe it or not, I once hated this city and prayed for its destruction over and over again. But when I was at my lowest with no one to rely on, it was the people of this city that saved me and gave me the will to survive. I want to repay them for that.”

“…..I see.”

Griselda’s words were sincere, there was no trickery behind them. She honestly loved this city.

“…..Can you give us some time?”

Amelia asked.

“We can’t just make an important decision like this.”

“Alright. I know I’m asking for much, but please consider it.”

The girls nodded with serious expressions.

(Looks like things are about to get really messy.)

Elsewhere, Rory was still hanging around with Pearl in her office. This time he was examining a gun in his hand.

“This thing is pretty well made. Was it really made in this city?”

“Yeah. Tony hired some genius gunsmith named Cole. He and his apprentices have made guns that rival some of the top weapons makers in the world.”

“Cole, huh? Do you want to kill him?”

“Cole?”

Rory nodded.

“If you did wouldn’t Tony lose a big asset? It would surely weaken him.”

“That’s impossible. Cole is never that far from Tony. To kill him you need to kill Tony first.”

“I see. So he knows how to protect his most valuable assets. That’s good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah. If your competition was stupid it wouldn’t take much to destroy them if I stepped in.”

Rory put down the gun.

“I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a super genius. My intellect rivals gods.”

“That easily surpasses bragging. You’re just blowing your own horn.”

Pearl swung her hand and a wire wrapped around the gun in Rory’s hand. She pulled it out of his hand and caught it.

“Stingy much.”

Rory said with a frown.

“Like I care.”

Pearl rolled her eyes and put the gun away.

“Say, there’s something I’ve been curious about for a while now.”

“What?”

“This city. It didn’t exist back when I roamed this continent. Where did it come from and who built it? There’s also the Golden Breath Villa. It obviously has some impressive background considering that it’s pretty rich.”

“You didn’t know? I thought that someone of your status would’ve already known who created this city before you came here.”

Pearl suddenly smiled, when he saw her smile Rory got a bit upset because it was a mocking smile.

“What?”

“It’s just that for the last couple weeks you’ve been besting me in everything we compete in like chess, sharpshooting, trivia. It just feels good to know something you don’t.”

“Are you going to tell me or not?”

“What’s this? The big bad Devil King doesn’t like to be teased.”

Pearl burst out laughing.

“Well, the city and the Golden Breath Villa kinda have the same origin.”

She started talking after seeing that Rory was getting upset.

“The Villa was built in the city less than a year after it was created, by the same person who created the city.”

“Then how are you guys able to do as you in the city but can’t touch the villa?”

“Well, that’s because the city was made for anyone to come and live freely. The villa on the other was made to entertain its founder. Touching it is like touching their toy, and no sensible person would do that.”

“And who is that?”

Pearl smirked.

“You just boast that you were a super genius. Don’t tell me that you can’t think of anyone.”

“Golden Winter Lion, Mihos.”

Pearl’s eyes opened wide after hearing Rory’s answer. She then frowned.

“If you knew then why act you didn’t?”

Rory shrugged.

“I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t sure.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“Well, a city like this couldn’t just pop up out of nowhere. A powerful force needed to be behind it. Considering that this is the wild continent, Kashmir there’s only one force who could do something like creating an independent city.”

“The Beast Emperors.”

Rory nodded.

“If it’s a Beast Emperor then it would explain why everyone was scared of the messing with the villa. However, the current state of this city is what made me doubt my own deduction. But if the city was created just to house the villa, then it makes sense. The question was now which emperor would build such a thing.”

“How did you arrive at Emperor Mihos? Any emperor would do the same thing.”

“True. The emperors are egotistic bastards like myself. Any of them would build a city like this just for the fun of it and abandon it.”

(You just called yourself an egotistic bastard…..Well, at least he knows.)

“The reason I figured that it was Mihos is actually pretty simple.”

Rory lift up a finger.

“It’s the name of the villa.”

“The villa’s name? Golden Breath? What’s special about it?”

“I said it earlier, didn’t I? Beast Emperors are egotistic bastards. Which means that if they were going to create something they care about, they would mostly name it something that represents them.”

“Represent them….Golden Breath….Golden Winter Lion…I see.”

Pearl looked like she got it.

“Golden. Of all the Emperors Mihos is the only one with Golden in his alias.”

“Also, in the old days winter was considered the cold breath of gods. So it had to be him.”

“I can’t believe it. You’re actually smart.”

“I’ll ignore that comment. But I only figured it out this way because I didn’t know who it was. Since you were in the know, you would’ve noticed the obvious connection.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Rory has an amused smile on his face.

“But the Golden Winter Lion, huh? With such a terrifying man behind them, I’m surprised Jane took my bribe. Well, she probably wanted to step up in life as well.”

He mumbled.

“Have you’ve ever met Emperor Mihos before?”

Pearl asked.

“Yeah, a few times.”

“What’s he like?”

“Cold and intense.”

“What?”

“I’m not joking. Everyone who met him for the first time always has the same impression. He’s cold and intense.”

“Well, he’s the Emperor of all the Werecats and the most powerful ice user in the world so I guess it makes sense.”

“That bastard, just standing in front of him made it feel like I was being attacked by a pride of lions. If you’re not mentally prepared, his frosty and wild aura will either freeze you to death or rip you apart. Of all the Emperors I met, he and Zahak are probably the most violent.”

Rory’s mood started to sour when he remembered Zahak who was responsible for defeating the entirety of Pandemonium.

“Meeting an emperor, huh?”

“What? Do you idolize the Emperors?”

“Of course, I especially like Bennu. I heard that she’s incredibly beautiful when she flies across the sky. Some say that the sun follows wherever she goes.”

Rory smiled when he saw the girlish expression on the normally harden Pearl.

(I guess that she’s starting to see me as a friend.)

He thought. He looked at her eyepatch and frowned.

“You could’ve probably moved my heart if it wasn’t for that eyepatch.”

Pearl looked at Rory who looked a bit upset.

“Say, the person who took your eye, are they still alive? If so, I might need to pay them a visit and have them answer for damaging a beautiful gem like yourself.”

Pearl shook her head.

“He’s not alive anymore.”

She started staring in space.

“That monster is long gone.”

A memory of a burning building surface in her mind. Around her were countless dead bodies and blood everywhere. She looked at the two boys beside her and screamed their names.

“Tony, Lucas?!”

“So you’re the three rookies who have been causing trouble in my city.”

In front of her was a mountain of a man. A beast walking on two legs. The beast looked at the trembling Pearl and laugh.

“It’s time for you brats to know your place.”

She tried to escape but it was no place. The beast had held her in his grasp.

“…….”

Reminded of the memory from long ago, Pearl’s eye started to ache.

“Salvatore Riina.”