The tribe left behind by the [Hammerhead God] Copacati didn’t require their intervention.

Just ahead lay Chinchasuyu, the northernmost territory of the Sun Empire, where naturally there were enough hands to help them deal with the situation properly.

Atahualpa summoned reinforcements the moment he heard the news, and the elite forces of Chinchasuyu arrived speedily to take control of the thousand-strong population with practiced ease.

"Xinji Roca, take your men and thoroughly cleanse this tribe. Execute all Transcendents under the [Hammerhead God] system. The rest are to be relocated to our territory, and they must convert to the Sun God within a month; we don’t have that much time to waste. You know what to do with the rest, don’t you?"

"By your command, Your Highness."

In front of Atahualpa, a native warrior with bronzed skin faintly aglow with gold, clad in golden armor and stout as a mountain, bowed deeply, thumping his chest forcefully.

This was his Captain of the Guard, commensurate to a Guardian Knight of the Old Continent nobles, and he was also one of the few Fourth Order Mythical Creatures under his command.

Though Atahualpa’s bloodline was purer, closer to that of the Sun God, and he had grown into a Mythical Creature just by eating and drinking after reaching adulthood, he probably wouldn’t have an easy time defeating Xinji Roca. Xinji Roca, in contrast, had clawed his way up from a lesser bloodline with the Solar Codex.

Byron subconsciously activated the [Echo of History] and glanced at the leading figure among his collaborator’s subordinates, but didn’t find anything unusual. Yet he couldn’t shake off the strange sense that there was a familiar scent about the Captain of the Guard, faint and elusive despite his urge to identify it. It was as if the man had inadvertently come into contact with something.

"Your Majesty, the Lord of Heaven, night is almost upon us, and it will take some time to ascend the mountain once the sailboat docks. Why not take my Sun Chariot through the skies? My Queen Consort has already prepared a dinner in the palace for you and Her Majesty the Empress. Please!"

Atahualpa, having arranged matters for the aftermath, immediately extended a warm invitation to Byron to set off again.

Violet made no effort to conceal her Rank of Queen or the divinity of the Heavenly Queen she carried; naturally, she too was treated as one of the most distinguished guests. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Sounds good."

On someone else’s turf, Byron naturally followed the host’s lead, heeding the arrangements.

Of course, he treasured his own life the most, and even more so Violet’s. If it had been before forming a mutually beneficial alliance with the Prince, he might have hesitated to accept such an invitation. However, with the kickback alliance established, such concerns faded significantly. After all, no normal person, no matter what they betray, would ever betray interests! Byron might view Atahualpa as a Dog Landlord, but to Atahualpa, Byron likely appeared even more like a god of wealth. Generous kickbacks, vast territories, and even the seat of a Fifth Order [False God] now all depended on Byron, the arms supplier. Not even his late father, had he been alive, could have been closer to Atahualpa than Byron, who was like a brother from different parents. With Byron occasionally activating [Echo of History] to discern any underlying malice in others, he felt completely confident about his and Violet’s safety.

He gave a few instructions to First Mate Bruh, took the girl by the hand, and together they boarded Atahualpa’s exceptionally spacious Sun Chariot.

SCREECH—!

The Demon Monster Phoenix tasked with pulling the chariot promptly soared with them into the air.

In an instant, the natives below, still in the process of orderly relocation, shrank to the size of tiny ants.

There was no doubt that, given Atahualpa’s approach, these people would not be nationalized but inevitably end up as the Prince’s personal slaves or exclusive tribes.

Byron was pleased with the Prince’s method of handling things.

If this Prince were the sort who had no personal ambitions and only cared about rules and the Empire’s interests, I would have hesitated to join in on this game. You must know, arms dealers are quintessential masters of instigation; they don’t just capitalize on unrest—they’d actively create chaos to sell their wares if there wasn’t any. To thrive, we need to form a massive conglomerate of interests. This would bring together factions of the military, arms companies, and certain national authorities, becoming an unshakeable super-military-industrial complex! It’s not noble visions and ideals that bind this group, just plain interest. None of us are good people anyway, and there’s no room for selfless Saints.

Glancing at Violet beside him, who was even more excited than he was, he smiled slightly:

The Financial Street back home and Pioneer Bank, those big money-makers, have all been handed to my sister. As the sole proprietor of the world’s only online trading platform, free from any national oversight, she will sooner or later become one of the world’s foremost wealthy individuals. She could even become a Finance Queen in the Gold Sequence! Now, this arms company’s assets and sales channels can be left to Violet, who aspires to become the first female Pirate King. The [War Witch] of the Tower Sequence, Queen of Weapons... sounds truly sensational. With moneybags and gun barrels, plus the administrative system I’ve built with the [Pirate’s Ten Commandments] and [Golden Code], how could any grand plan possibly falter?

High above, the wind howled, and Byron felt a momentary rush of high spirits.

The Sun Chariot flew at great speed and in no time was over a massive mountain range inland.

The Prince, turning impromptu tour guide, enthusiastically began to introduce their homeland:

"This is the Ring of Fire Mountain Range, nearly ten thousand kilometers long. Within this mountain range lie countless active and extinct volcanoes, too numerous to count."