....


    |We''re going to see that stinky old pervert!?| Boundless asked with a scrunched-up face.


    She hadn''t even interacted with the City Lord, and yet her impression of him had already been dragged through the dirt!


    I am sure Eldric would be violently coughing up blood if he knew of such words being spoken by a usually kind and cheerful girl. Either that or he would be rolling in his grave


    After all, it didn''t seem like there was much blood left in him after that fight with the gray basilisk general concluded.


    Azmond wouldn''t find it surprising at all if the City Lord had already fallen over dead because of the reprimands of his own citizens.


    Not that they could really be med for their hostile attitudes, considering that their own City Lord had essentially sentenced them all to death


    A few seconds passed by


    Azmond, Boundless, and Emu had made their way over to the city square thaty in the direct center of RiverBloom.


    It was once a lively square that stretched on for thousands of meters at one point; however, it had turned into nothing more than a gathering ce for the downtrodden and destitute denizens of RiverBloom after the Monster Invasion.


    However, there appeared to be something else going on todaysomething that changed the moods of all those who gathered around therge, cracked fountain in the middle of the square.


    *Cough* *Cough* "Now that all of you are here, I wish to officially announce my apology and subsequent resignation as the City Lord of RiverBloom!"


    A loud and boisterous yet cracked and despondent voice resounded out from above a small stadium that stood beside the fountain.


    "What?"


    "Is that our City Lord?"


    "You don''t know?" A man began with a skeptical tone.


    "Know what?" The first voice inquired.


    "Our City Lord has been at this since the monsters were killed off. Not once has he stopped going up there every day to tell everyone of his apology and his resignation as the City Lord." A scrawny man informed the rest as he looked on at the decrepit figure of the City Lord.


    "Why''s he doing it?" The first person asked.


    "We don''t really know... He says he has betrayed us all by bringing about the monster invasion, and then he tells us that he will spend the rest of his life making it up to us," the first man responded with a thick voice.


    He had been here watching the City Lord make a public apology for thest few days. And he still couldn''t figure out if he was mad at or sympathetic with the City Lord


    A few of his family members had died in the recent monster invasion, and he mourned their deaths every waking moment.


    But after hearing about the City Lord''s wife, Ariana, falling ill for thest few years and after learning of the miracle drug in the possession of the monstersa miracle drug that could cure his wifehe couldn''t help but think that he would likely do the same thing if it were his wife in the same situation.


    "..." "..." "..."


    And it wasn''t just him with that line of thought, as just about every single person gathered around the City Square were having the same contrasting thoughts. They all wanted to hate him; they all wanted to loathe him! After all, he was supposed to be their City Lord! And yet


    They couldn''t help but sympathize with his situation.


    Watching your wife rot away and slowly die over the span of many years while everyone in his city spent their time with merry expressions on their facesenjoying their time with familymust''ve been utter torture for the Old City Lord.


    ...


    They truly wished to hate him for indirectly taking away some of the people they loved! But they couldn''t...


    And that was what led to this awkward silence that pervaded the City of RiverBloomeveryone stood around waiting for something to happen, waiting for someone to do something or make a decision. However, no one ever did, and they would probably not anytime soon...


    It would''ve been a lot easier to hate the City Lord if he hadn''t been so good to them. But unfortunately, for their repressed hatred, they couldn''t have asked for a better City Lord.


    He kept their taxes low; he took money out of his own pocket when ordering the creation of recreational facilities for the city. Hell, not once did he ever bat an eye when it came to providing for the citizens of his city!


    So, with all of that in mind, they simply gathered around the City Square every day in hopes of finally reaching a decision on the judgment of the City Lord.


    And today marked the sixth day since the beginning and end of the monster invasion.


    The day that somebody would finally speak up


    "Yo, old dude, where exactly did you say that ''Nightmare Council'' was located again?"


    A deep, husky voice echoed out across the silent streets of RiverBloom as a tall man in a sunsettish-colored robewearing a fox maskcame into view with a slime on his head and a brown-haired beautythat no one could setched onto his back.


    He appeared on top of the small stadium with a nonchnt attitude, waiting for the Old City Lord''s response.


    The City Lord''s speech was abruptly interrupted as he turned his head up to the debonair figure standing upon his stadium.


    ''This youngster finally finished his ''something'' with that girl? But where is the girl at? Did she run off after he was deemed unable to satisfy her?'' Eldric thought to himself with a pitying gaze.


    ''I feel bad for thed, but tis is life. He''s a strong one, so I''m sure he will get over it sooner rather thanter.'' He lightly shook his head before beginning to speak.


    "There is no need to worry, youngster; there are plenty of fish in the sea. And I''m sure you''ll find more!" The City Lord consoled Azmond with a thumbs up.


    .....