Village Head's Debauchery

Orion shook his head in response. "I have taken no such things to heart. It's good that they retaliated so they can serve as an example for others who wish to do so in the future," Orion replied, his gaze sweeping over the leaders and gods' chosens behind the two former rulers of their respective Runaway Cities.

Hearing the mysterious masked cold voice and feeling their bodies tense up, their senses on high alert, they all remained in their positions, frightened of the unveiled threat.

Even Freya couldn't help but stop trying to break through the restraints binding her to the ground, her eyes fixed on the mysterious masked individual in caution and fear.

"Now, let's move on to the next topic of this discussion. Former Emperor Lakul, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Divine artefact you were pursuing Patriarch Rylan to obtain and your relationship with the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City and the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City," Orion added.

According to what he could piece together from the information he had received from Patriarch Rylan and Azarok, there was a consOriginal between the two Grade Two Runaway Cities.

The Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City was responsible for destroying the trade relationship between the Four-eared Lone Rabbit Runaway City and the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, which Patriarch Rylan believed to be the cause of all this. However, the orc told them the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City had sent the two Grade One Runaway Cities to retrieve the Divine artefact.

Unfortunately, Seig had no clue which Grade two Runaway City had struck a deal with the Sleeping Fox Runaway City, and Patriarch Rylan was adamant that the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City was responsible for leaking the information, leading to the ambush and subsequent near-extinction of the Four-eared elven race.

Acknowledging Seig and Evadne's capabilities among their peers, especially when paired with their highly praised Unit, even if they were behind it, Orion couldn't fathom how they could eliminate the entire Four-eared elves without assistance from a stronger force. Given Patriarch Rylan's timely escape from the impending onslaught and the sudden arrival of the Wanderlust Traveling Tortoise Runaway City, Orion couldn't shake off the feeling that something fishy was ongoing.

For all he knew, the two Grade Two Runaway City were trying to play a game on who would acquire the Divine artefact first, with one side trying to seem less oblivious than the other, or maybe something else for which he lacked the necessary information to fully come to an inevitable conclusion.

Lakul's brows furrowed, his turbulent emotions hidden beneath a stoic exterior, as he realized that the man before him seemed privy to everything. This may be the reason Patriarch Rylan had headed in this direction.

He cursed himself for not seeing through the facade earlier, assuming that Patriarch Rylan had surrendered and was merely fleeing for his life.

"I may not possess knowledge of the divine artefact, and the relationship between the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City and the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City isn't as close as you assume. Nevertheless, I am willing to share what you need to know," Lakul responded with a wry smile.

He suspected that the divine artefact had already fallen into the hands of the man before him, which could explain his keen interest in learning more about it. However, he refrained from voicing this suspicion, offering an alternative in case the mysterious figure was dissatisfied, attempting to compensate for his lack of knowledge.

"And what might that information be?" Orion asked, his frown hidden beneath his mask. He had exhausted every method to activate Divine artefact, but it seemed to reject all his attempts. So, hearing that the former Emperor lacked knowledge about it was disappointing.

Nonetheless, he was curious to know if they had any insights, especially given the surrounding consOriginal. Orion was willing to learn about the relationship between the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and the Two Grade Two Runaway Cities, hoping to uncover clues about what had transpired.

Lakul swiftly composed himself, clearing his throat before responding, "Initially, the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City approached me to secure the Divine artefact in exchange for even more abundant and rare resources than those offered by the Four-eared Lone Runaway City."

"However, shortly after, the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City approached us with an even more enticing offer, promising greater resources and a longer trading agreement in exchange for retrieving the Divine artefact for them as well. Faced with the possibility of being caught in a crossfire between two powerful grade two Runaway Cities, we were initially uncertain where to align ourselves."

"Thankfully, the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City ultimately advised us to choose the deal with the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City."

He sighed tiredly before continuing, "We were puzzled by the pressure to make such a crucial decision, but we couldn't afford to question their motives, given their immense power. Therefore, we chose the deal offered by the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City. Just as we were nearing the completion of our task, we discovered that Patriarch Rylan had somehow anticipated our attack, forcing us into a pursuit."

"This led us to uncover that the Wanderlust Traveling Tortoise Runaway City had also been dispatched to retrieve the Divine artefact. While we suspected that the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City might have caught wind of our dealings with the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City, prompting them to send a competitor, or that the Wanderlust Traveling Tortoise Runaway City was acting on behalf of the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City, we couldn't confirm anything until we successfully retrieved the Divine artefact."

"That's why I choose to wait rather than recklessly send my chosen gods into the dissipating Vylkr Veil phenomenon due to the consOriginal surrounding it. Then you all emerged, disrupting everything and barging into our territory, which is understandable. So, as you see, the relationship between the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and the Journeying Jaguar Runaway City and the Wandering Wolf Borough Runaway City isn't as close as you might have assumed."

As Lakul concluded his explanation, his expression seemed to have aged several times. He had hoped to dispel any misunderstandings the mysterious human might have had about them or whatever Patriarch Rylan disclosed, all to ensure the longevity of the Sleeping Fox Runaway City and safeguard his own life.