Just as Nina was wondering what was happening, the steward suddenly slapped Kaylyn across the face.
“Who do you think you are? Look at all these people! Black Water City isn’t some refugee camp!” he sneered.
The iron token that Kaylyn had been holding fell to the ground. Kaylyn bent down, picked it up, and carefully brushed off the dust.
“This iron token was given to us by the Death Legion as thanks for helping suppress a rebellion,” Kaylyn said, her voice steady despite her reddened cheek. “With this token, we’re supposed to have a place of our own outside the holy city.”
She repeated the words told to her by the one who had given her the token. Holding the token firmly in her hand, she looked at the steward, seeking some semblance of acknowledgment.
However, the steward only smirked, his disdain apparent. He held no respect for Kaylyn, even though his level was far lower than hers.
If it came to a fight, he would undoubtedly lose—perhaps even lose his life.
But that didn’t matter. Right now, he held the power.
Behind Kaylyn stood a group of people who depended on her for survival. She couldn’t afford to act recklessly or let her pride dictate her actions. She had to bow her head, even to someone weaker than herself.
The steward relished this dynamic.
Forcing stronger individuals to submit was exhilarating.
So many people seeking entry to the holy city had been made to kneel before him.
Their power, their status—none of it mattered. In the end, they all had to grovel.
This wasn’t the first time the steward had enjoyed this power trip.
Usually, if people humbled themselves and handed over some mana stones, he’d let things slide.
But this time, the situation was different.
This time, the person in front of him was clutching a token tied to
that name
.
The steward knew of the Death Legion. He was also aware of their connection to Riverside City.
But these outsiders didn’t know the intricacies of Black Water City politics.
A bit of pressure, and they’d hand over what he wanted.
After all, they were the ones desperate to get into the holy city.
“Sure, you have an iron token. But have you thought about this? You’ve got a lot of people with you. The holy city doesn’t have space for all of them,” the steward said, feigning concern. “How about this? I’ll allow fifty people entry. You can decide who gets to stay.”
“Fifty?” Kaylyn’s voice trembled.
Fifty places weren’t nearly enough—not for the people she had brought with her, let alone the additional forces from Siso who had joined them.
“I can’t help you with that,” the steward said, shrugging. “You’ve got fifty spots. The rest? That’s your problem. Send them back if you must.”
As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting to the storage crystal in Kaylyn’s hand. The greed in his gaze was unmistakable.
Kaylyn, though reluctant, understood his unspoken demand.
The storage crystal contained the resources she had intended to use to help her people settle once they had a place. But under the current circumstances, she had no choice.
Clenching her jaw, she handed the storage crystal to the steward. “Sir, this is all I have. I hope you’ll honor your promise and ensure my people are taken care of.”
“No problem, I’ll—”
Before the steward could finish his sentence, the storage crystal vanished from his hand.
“What? Where’s my storage crystal?” He looked around in confusion.
“You mean this?” Nina’s voice rang out. She held the crystal in her hand, her tone icy.
“Nina, give it to him,” Kaylyn pleaded. “We can’t afford any more trouble. Just handing it over will solve the issue.”
Kaylyn didn’t want to escalate the situation. As outsiders, they had no leverage here and could only strive for peace.
“Oh?” Nina said mockingly, ignoring Kaylyn’s plea. “You said this iron token is only good for fifty spots? Then what about these?”
Nina reached into her belongings and pulled out
two silver tokens
and a
rainbow token
.
The surrounding crowd erupted in astonished murmurs.
“Two silver tokens? Isn’t that a rank reserved for Death Legion officials?”
“And that rainbow token—what even is that? I’ve never heard of it!”
The steward, initially panicked at the sight of the silver tokens, regained his confidence when he noticed the crowd’s confusion.
Surely, these tokens were fake.
After all, who could produce two silver tokens at once? And the rainbow token? It was unheard of. This girl had to be a fraud, preying on desperate outsiders.
“You’ve got some nerve, little girl,” the steward sneered. “Forging Death Legion tokens? Do you have a death wish? Guards, seize her!”
His men advanced toward Nina.
The crowd, believing the tokens to be fake, looked at Nina with pity. How could she have been so gullible?
But before anyone could react further, Nina disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, the steward’s guards were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
“What… what just happened?” The steward’s voice trembled as he stared at his incapacitated men.
Nina reappeared before him, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
“You… you dare attack Black Water City’s law enforcement?!” the steward stammered.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Nina retorted. “Should I have let them attack me first?”
“Do you realize what you’ve done?!” the steward roared. “You’ve made an enemy of Black Water City, the Death Legion, and the holy city itself! There’s no escape for you now!”
Nina smirked, unimpressed. “I’d love to see how you plan to stop me.”
“Fine! You’re finished! I’ve already sent word to the Lord of Black Water City. He’ll deal with you personally! Our lord comes from the legendary Crossbridge Sanctuary. Prepare to die!”
The mention of Crossbridge Sanctuary caused even Daniel to narrow his eyes.
“Oh?” Nina said coldly. “So your lord is aware of everything you’ve been doing here?”
“Of course!” the steward snapped. “You’re doomed!”
Nina rolled her eyes. “No need to wait. I’ll bring him out myself.”
Turning to the gates of Black Water City, she smirked.
“That eyesore? I’ve wanted to deal with it for a while now.”
With those words, a powerful surge of mana erupted around Nina, racing toward Black Water City like an unstoppable tide.
