"Ma... Lady Marika!"
The guard on the wall quickly came down, trembling as he spoke: "What, what are you doing?"
"Oh... Uya, long time no see. How is your child?" Marika gently greeted him.
"Yes! Thanks to you, he's doing alright..." The guard instinctively replied but quickly realized something was amiss, "No, Lady Marika, you..."
"Ah... this Pirate Captain is here for a heist, and I'm here to lead the way."
Marika still had her gentle smile: "If everything goes smoothly, I'll join them and become a pirate myself."
"Become a pirate... that's great, Lady Marika, you finally made up your mind, wait, no!"
The guard had just sighed in relief when he suddenly widened his eyes, "P-Pirate? Heist? This is the Royal City!"
"Indeed, are you going to stop us? Uya, and Kaha." Marika asked with a smile.
The two guards were stunned; one of them blinked, thought for a moment, and looked at the stormy sky, "I just remembered my house isn't fixed yet, I need to go fix it."
"Me too, my child hasn't eaten yet, I need to go feed them. Being a single parent is tough."
The two guards, in a quick exchange, laid down their spears and swiftly evacuated.
As for the bombing of the city gates, which drew the attention of others in the street...
No one cared.
Those who came to watch the commotion, upon seeing Marika, spontaneously lined up in two rows, watching as Sage and the others advanced.
As for Marika, she greeted everyone with a smile.
She knew everyone in the Royal City.
The commoners also returned her greetings; as for blocking the way... no one did.
No matter what these people intended to do, as long as Marika was there, they wouldn't stop them.
In fact, seeing Marika like this, they were even happier.
As for the people who arrived later, they were overjoyed to see family members they hadn't seen in a long time, shedding tears of joy.
Banished to the Shallow Sand Kingdom, their family members didn't even have the right to visit them. Setting foot on the territory of the Shallow Sand Kingdom meant automatically giving up their status in the Deep Forest Kingdom, leading to the confiscation of their property, capture, and eventual deportation to the Bridge Kingdom.
"You truly have the people's support..."
Lily glanced at Marika, "With such a reputation, have you never thought about leading a rebellion? Isn't there anyone strong in this kingdom?"
"Strong..."
Marika contemplated for a moment and shook her head, "If you mean Hiji, you already killed him. The kingdom doesn't have anyone as strong as you. As for rebelling... that's useless, we aren't nobles, nor do we have royal blood."
"Is that so..." Lily nodded, her expression complex.
The situation was completely different.
She was of royal blood but wasn't recognized, constantly obstructed in everything she wanted to do.
Marika had a great reputation but wasn't a noble and could do nothing.
This world... it seemed like one big joke.
Lily glanced at Sage up ahead and sighed inwardly.
Not as free-spirited as Sage...
Soon the group reached the Royal City, where a large number of soldiers had already gathered due to the commotion at the city gate.
Behind the soldiers, at the top of a grand staircase, stood a man in a full-body suit, wearing a grass crown but covered in gold, staring intently at Marika.
"Marika! Have you betrayed me?! I gave you the title of Imperial Chef, even when you refused to follow my orders, I still gave you two years. And now you turn on me, bringing a group of commoners to defy me?!"
"A little interruption here..."
Sage raised his hand, "I'm no commoner. I'm a pirate, plus... you're the King, right?"
"Of course I'm the King of this country! You pirate, you think just bringing this few people, you can..."
"Flying Finger Gun!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sage flicked his fingers, creating a hole in the King's head, spurting blood.
The King's eyes widened, still with a fierce look, as he collapsed heavily on the ground.
"It's settled, your condition is fulfilled," Sage said to Marika with a smile.
Marika was clearly taken aback, "Just like that... simple?"
That was the King!
A ruler of a nation, a being who displaced countless people, a natural-born ruler!
But in Sage's hands, he couldn't even finish his sentence...
"Sometimes, you need to think differently..."
Sage smiled: "Isn't a King human too? When a human dies, they die, regardless of their authority; once dead, they have nothing. Just as if you can't adapt to the rules, change them, that's the life lesson I've learned through countless failures."
If you can't succeed in one industry, just switch to another.
Can a living person be suffocated by urine?
There has to be an industry, even in his unlucky state, where he can fit in.
Hasn't he found it now!
This time, it's not taking the blame for no reason, and even if it is, he's getting the benefits.
Besides, this time, he's actively robbing!
"Kill them!"
The soldiers in the Royal Palace, unlike the guards, received their pay in full, didn't pay taxes, and naturally swore loyalty to the King.
With the King dead, they surely sought vengeance.
"Sage, leave it to us."
Lily stepped forward, pointing her rapier at the charging soldiers, "Let's also test the results of our training."
Whoosh!
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure vanished rapidly, her sword light moving like lightning in the gloomy storm, darting into the crowd and appearing behind the soldiers.
"Soru..."
Lily maintained a crouching posture, slowly sheathing her rapier, not even glancing at the soldiers turning around to stab her with their spears.
"Lightning Waltz."
Click.
The slender rapier blade slipped into its sheath, making a sound.
Fss!!
The next moment, those soldiers' bodies spurted blood, collapsing to the ground.
"Oh... she's mastered it already."
Sage said in surprise, "She's using it quite nicely."
Lily's speed was always fast, and now having mastered Soru, although not yet perfect, she could already utilize it.
Meanwhile, Gin was like a tiger among sheep, leaping into the air with his staff carrying an iron ball and landing amid the crowd, the ball striking a group of people with each swing.
As for the spears thrusting at him, they completely missed Gin, his body twisting oddly, avoiding the barrage of spear thrusts like a paper strip fluttering in the wind, before swinging his staff again to send another group flying.
That he mastered 'Kami-e' first was unexpected.
But considering it, Gin's body flexibility was indeed impressive, his battle reflexes incredibly quick, allowing him to execute unbelievable body movements during combat; mastering Kami-e first was expected.
Though not yet perfect and relying solely on his innate talent, considering the short time, this was already quite impressive.
It left Sage quite satisfied; his subordinates were growing and he was about to gain a chef while seizing a kingdom's treasure!
With so many taxes collected, the accumulated wealth must be greater than that of the Nadia Kingdom!
Rumble!
The thunder roared in the storm, his subordinates sweeping through the soldiers like unstoppable thunders, their bright flashes reflecting off his face, making his wild smile appear sinister.
"Hahaha, hohohoho!"
His wild and arrogant laughter echoed fiercely under the storm, and Renedia, along with Sage's laughter, grinned menacingly, twisting a tool hammer, its mechanism whirring, transforming into a hammer cannon.
Bang!!
A shell exploded within the Royal Palace, blasting a huge gap, burning in the wind and rain.
"What are you doing, Reni!" Sage shouted.
"Just setting the mood a little."
Renedia responded matter-of-factly, "I just felt it wouldn't fit your laughter without doing something evil."
Sage: "..."
What does that have to do with his laughter?