Emil’s face turned ghostly white. She couldn’t speak.

More people began to gather, diplomatic staff, servants, attendants, forming a crowd around the commotion.

Then, a raspy yet excited voice called out from the onlookers. “I know her! Sir, her name’s Lisa, she used to serve aboard General McClennan’s airship!”

Lisa turned sharply toward the voice, spotting a sycophantic servant smiling obsequiously at the officer.

She recognized her. Brina, a fellow servant who had once worked aboard the Heart of Steel, until she’d been reassigned before the ship departed east.

The officer’s eyes narrowed further as he looked back at Lisa. His voice was low, but laced with malice. “You know what happens to runaway slaves, don’t you?”

Lisa trembled violently and nodded.

Seeing she had no courage to resist, the officer’s lips curled into a thin smile. He gave a cold order to the soldiers behind her. “Take her back.”

It was an unexpected windfall.

A runaway from Triumphant City itself, one of General McClennan’s property, no less, captured in this distant wasteland. And such a fine-looking girl, too. Returning her would surely earn gratitude, and perhaps a handsome reward.

Even better, she’d apparently been living in Dawn City for some time. Who knew what valuable information she might reveal?

One soldier reached to grab Lisa’s arm, but before his hand could close, another hand shot out from the side and seized his wrist.

The grip was like an iron clamp. The soldier’s face reddened as he strained, but he couldn’t move an inch.

Everyone turned to look. A man in an exoframe stood beside him, expression cold.

Ignoring the soldier’s grimace of pain, he looked straight past Lisa and the servants, his voice calm and deadly. “This is New Alliance territory. Take your filthy hands off her.”

He released his grip. The soldier stumbled backward, crashing into the crowd.

Another soldier reached for his pistol, but before he could draw it, the officer raised a hand to stop him. He didn’t want this to escalate.

Narrowing his eyes, he studied the man in the exoframe. “And you are?”

“Commander of the Storm Corps. You can call me Spring Water.” Spring Water Commander squinted right back, his voice flat. “And who the fuck are you?”

“Jimmy, Centurion of the Army,” the officer replied, his tone cautious yet stubborn. “She’s our slave. We have the right to reclaim our property.”

Spring Water Commander’s reply came cold and sharp. “She’s an New Alliance citizen, not anyone’s property, and we have a duty to protect her.”

The officer’s voice dropped, laced with threat. “I would think carefully before opposing us over a slave.”

Lisa’s face went pale. But to her shock, the man clad in the exoframe didn’t flinch. Instead, he burst out laughing. “I’ll say it again. She’s an New Alliance citizen. And if you want to fight over that, fine by me. We’ve beaten you before, we’ll do it again.”

The air went ice-cold. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The soldiers’ faces darkened; the officer’s jaw tightened.

“You really think we fear you?” he hissed.

Spring Water Commander stared back without blinking. “Then prove it. We don’t need peace bought with submission.”

More players were arriving. The First Army had been alerted, and a patrol was already on its way.

Just as the tension was about to snap, Banteno strode out of the camp, shouting, “Enough! What’s going on here?!”

The Centurion hurried over and saluted. “Sir! We’ve discovered a runaway slave, she may have belonged to General McClennan!”

Banteno’s eyes flicked between the pale Lisa and Spring Water Commander. Truth be told, he despised these wastelanders, especially those living so far from Triumphant City in this barbaric fringe. Compared to majestic Triumphant City, Dawn City was barely a stain on the map.

But even he knew that picking a fight right under the nose of the administrator, in Dawn City, no less, was unwise.

The New Alliance possessed what the Marshal wanted, something said to be able to purge the Mutant Slime Mold Hives infecting the great cities of the wasteland.

Fixing his gaze on Springwater, Banteno approached. “I’m Banteno, a general of the Army and official envoy from Triumphant City. You’re in charge here?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Spring Water Commander raised an eyebrow and said lightly, nodding toward a calm man nearby. “That would be him.”

Old White stepped forward, shaking Banteno’s offered hand with a faint smile. “I am Old White, commander of the Burning Corps. Don’t listen to him, we’re all equals here. No one’s above anyone else. And that goes for defending the New Alliance Constitution too, doesn’t matter who’s standing here.” He paused, then added with deliberate weight, “Oh, and give my regards to Commanders McClennan and Swofte. Tell them they’re welcome back anytime.”

At the mention of those two names, Banteno’s eye twitched, but he kept his composure and shook Old White’s hand. “An honor, truly. Though I must say, it’s surprising that two commanders would trouble themselves over such a small misunderstanding.”

The old maid Sisteel stared in disbelief.

The general was bowing his head to these barbarians?!

Centurion Jimmy looked just as stunned, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

The most shocked, though, were Lisa, Emil, and the other servants nearby.

The proud Wislander people, yielding? To wastelanders?

Banteno’s heart burned with frustration. He hated backing down. But under the Marshal’s orders, and under the watchful eyes of those people, he had no choice.

He cast a sidelong glare at the troublemakers, especially the boastful old hag and the servant who had grabbed Lisa. “I’ll deal with you fools later.”

Old White didn’t press further; he merely gave a knowing look. “I hope this was a misunderstanding, not a provocation. And by the way, slavery isn’t the only thing our laws forbid. If you’re too busy to read them, hire a lawyer before making more mistakes.”

Banteno’s jaw twitched as he forced out, “A fine suggestion. I’ll... consider it.”

By now, the crowd had grown thick, soldiers from the First Army, curious citizens, and many passersby.

Watching the Wislander delegation retreat to their camp with tails between their legs, Noregg stood among the onlookers in stunned disbelief.

Incredible. The Wislanders, who always spoke through force, had backed down?!

Across the way, Wu Changnian stroked his chin, eyes glittering with amusement. “Interesting.”

Yi Chuan glanced at him, unable to tell what the man was thinking.

Meanwhile, Battlefield Cheerleader finally relaxed, stepping out from behind a latrine near the camp entrance. He had spotted the conflict early, contacted Darkest through the Storm Corps’ emergency channel, and through him reached Spring Water Commander.

In the end, their commander had arrived just in time, defusing the situation before it exploded.

Still, the reply Battlefield Cheerleader later received from Spring Water Commander on the offline channel left him baffled.

“Damn it, I gave the side quest, so why does it feel like I’m the one who owes favors now?”

Old White had also been hinting for days that he should drop by the Highway Town Hotel, telling him not to ask questions, just to go.

Battlefield Cheerleader’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

Maybe tonight’s the night.

He had already made up his mind, to sneak out later and take a look for himself...