Chapter 2779: Debt & Duty
Chapter 2779: Debt & Duty
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Teleportation Hub
"Big Sis Christina, I don’t know about the Western Ruler’s parenting style, but my father would never stop me from living the way I want just because it might cause him trouble," Aba said, repeating her father’s wise words to Christina.
Don’t get her wrong. She hated causing trouble for her father, but if it was necessary, she wouldn’t hesitate. Just like now. That was how he raised her. He taught her to follow her heart. And right now, her heart was telling her to stand with her friend, even if it meant facing the entire world, her father included.
Christina’s expression turned awkward as she listened. The words she had prepared got stuck in her throat. In truth, she could count on one hand the number of times her father had spoken to her, let alone actually parented her. Even when he was around, it felt no different from him being absent. That was the kind of relationship they had.
She turned to Agatha and gave her an ’I tried’ shrug, shaking her head helplessly.
Agatha could only nod in response. Then she glanced helplessly at her young lady. Meanwhile, the captain of the demigod squad had seen enough of Agatha’s failed attempts. He turned to Laura and warned, "Miss Hill, you have obligations to your mentor and the Southern Royal Family. You cannot leave without prior permission or proper protocol. Please return to the Southern Capital with us and do not escalate this matter any further."
"Yes, I do have obligations to my mentor and the Southern Royal Family," Laura replied calmly. "But I also have a debt and duty to Master Wyatt. If not for him, neither my family nor I would be alive today. So, my commitment to my benefactor takes precedence over the rest. If my mentor and the Southern Royal Family disagree, I will face them and accept the consequences once I am done here," she stated firmly, making her stance clear.
"Miss Hill, you know it doesn’t work like that. You are an asset of the Southern Royal Family. Deserting your post and refusing to return or cooperate is akin to treason. By doing this, you are not only risking yourself, but your entire family," the demigod squad captain warned, making it clear that the consequences would not stop with her.
"I would like to believe the Southern Region hasn’t fallen so low that it would punish innocent people just to get its way," Laura replied. "Besides, my family would be more than willing to repay Master Wyatt with their lives. We come from a proud line of Sword Dancers. We never forget our enemies or our benefactors," she said, unfazed by the captain’s threat.
If she had been afraid of implicating her family, she would never have dared to run away from the palace to the Sky Blossom City with Aba in the first place.
"Wrong answer," the demigod squad captain said. He stepped forward and declared, "I represent the will of the Southern Royal Family. I hereby detain Card Apprentice Laura Hill on charges of treason. Anyone who dares interfere will be considered an accomplice and punished accordingly."
He signaled his squad to detain Laura, but none of them moved. It was easy to throw around bold words at someone else’s expense. Frustrated, the captain stepped forward to do it himself, only to be instantly suppressed by Redfall’s intent sense.
The moment he felt that killing intent, his knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground. Redfall’s voice followed, "This is Sky Blossom City, a sovereign region ruled by His Highness Dalton V. Wyatt. The Southern Royal Family holds no authority here. Now that you know, choose your words more carefully."
Seeing the situation worsen, Agatha, who had been privately trying to contact the ruler of Sky Blossom City, immediately stepped forward and demanded, "I request an audience with His Highness Wyatt."
All eyes immediately turned to Agatha, who met their gazes without flinching. Aurelia, however, sneered and said, "Not just anyone can meet our boss. Especially without prior arrangement."
"I’m not just anyone," Agatha replied, her voice tight with urgency. "I was his bodyguard once, and I fought alongside him in the battle to purge the Circle branch in Sun Blossom City. Could you inform him that I’m requesting an audience? He’ll agree to meet me."
She spoke with quiet desperation, knowing this was her only way to get Aba to leave this damned city with her. If the ruler of the Sky Blossom City were to refuse Aba’s help, then Aba would have no reason to stay behind in a city that could turn into a warzone at any moment.
Among those present, only Aba, Cindy, and a few older members of the TSR Guild, Fine Gold, and Bright Lions knew which battle Agatha was referring to. The others, like Aurelia and Henricks, had no idea. Agatha and their boss went back much further than they did. Realizing this, Aurelia tempered her attitude toward Agatha, if only slightly.
"You’ll have to wait. Last I checked, the boss was helping Corey attain a soul trait," Cindy said, finally stepping in out of respect for Agatha and her history with their boss. "Madam Agatha please follow me, you can wait for him at our base. The demigods can wait at the teleportation hub, but they are not to leave its vicinity without permission. Any misconduct will be dealt with accordingly."
The demigods were still trying to process what they had just heard. It wasn’t that they hadn’t heard of such things before. They had even seen the video of him helping two women gain traits and physiques. But they had always assumed there was some trick behind it.
Now, hearing that he was doing the same thing again, and so casually at that, left them stunned. They knew he was a genius the Card World had never seen before, but this went far beyond genius. This was a miracle.