"Neh, Silver, didn’t you say Oceanland was a neutral little country? Why’s the Bansfaser Empire’s flag hanging on the city walls?"

"Well… I’m not sure either. Maybe it was occupied recently."

Guessing here won’t help. Let’s just enter the city first and see.

The city guards looked listless. Well, it made sense—soldiers who’d lost a battle would naturally feel low.

They let Wenwu pass without much questioning.

Because of Bai the glutton, Wenwu had lost count of how many extra meals they’d added along the way. Almost all were eaten by Bai alone. Wenwu couldn’t figure it out—Bai didn’t look big, so why could she eat so much?

"Wenwu, I’m hungry."

Here it came again. These past few days, the phrase Wenwu dreaded most was hearing Bai say this.

Wenwu took Bai to a cheap-looking small shop and ordered a few bowls of inexpensive noodles for her.

Bai could eat a lot, but one good thing was she wasn’t picky—she ate anything.

"Silver, watch her. Don’t let her order anything else. We don’t have much money left. I’m going to gather intel," Wenwu instructed.

"Understood, master. But please come back soon."

Though Wenwu had warned her, Bai no longer showed any hint of wanting to eat Silver. Still, a shadow of unease lingered in Silver’s heart.

The best place to gather intel was where crowds gathered and gossip flowed—like a bar.

"Boss, a drink."

"What kind? How much?"

Wenwu glanced at the price list. "Uh… the cheapest one."

"Alright."

The boss agreed without a trace of contempt.

This intrigued Wenwu. Usually, bar owners sneered at customers ordering the cheapest drinks. But this boss seemed different.

"Your drink, sir."

Since Wenwu had ordered the cheapest option, it arrived quickly—no fancy mixing needed.

"Boss, you look unwell."

"Bad business, no money—how can my face look good? You’re an outsider, I see."

Wenwu nodded. He glanced around; the place was nearly empty. No wonder the boss didn’t scorn him—even a mosquito’s leg is meat.

"This should be peak hour for bars. It shouldn’t be this quiet. Is it because of the Bansfaser Empire’s occupation?" Wenwu probed.

"Not really. Whether under the old emperor or the Bansfaser Empire, it didn’t matter much to us common folk. The real issue is…"

"What?" Wenwu pressed.

The bar owner looked around and lowered his voice. "After Oceanland was occupied, they parachuted in a Bansfath noble to rule us."

"That’s normal."

"Young man, let me finish. The problem is that new noble. Every week, he demands one woman—young or old, as long as she’s pretty. What he does with her… well, you know."

Wenwu naturally knew—this trope was all too common.

"Later, he grew bolder. He’d snatch any pretty woman off the streets. Now, everyone stays home guarding their wives and daughters. Then he offered a hundred gold coins for reporting households with beautiful women. Unemployed thugs took it as a job, roaming neighborhoods. Sigh… Who dares open their doors now, let alone visit a bar?"

The boss’s face was etched with worry.

"Didn’t the old king intervene?"

"Intervene? How? That imperial noble threatened to wipe out the country at every turn. The king could only swallow his anger. Now, the emperor’s just a figurehead."

It made sense. A defeated ruler’s words held no weight against the victor.

Oceanland was small, but closest to the Bansfaser Empire—perfect for surprise attacks. Wenwu resolved to ally with them no matter what.

"Boss! A drink—the most expensive one!"

Just as Wenwu pondered this, a man shouted and burst into the bar.

"Customer, wait a moment."

Spotting a big spender, the boss abandoned Wenwu and hurried to prepare the drink.

The man sat at the bar beside Wenwu.

"You."

The man sized Wenwu up. "Do we know you?"

"You don’t know me. But I saw you."

"Oh?"

"You fought well against Delira earlier today."

That’s right—the youth before Wenwu was the boy who’d fled after Delira beat him.

"Daytime? Delira? You… you mean that woman I fought was Delira, hailed as the Bansfaser Empire’s strongest female war god?"

Huh? Wenwu hadn’t expected someone else who didn’t know Delira. From Silver’s praise, her name should’ve been famous continent-wide.

"Wait—you saw me fighting Delira?"

"Yes."

"And you saw me run away after she beat me?"

"Yes."

The boy’s mouth hung open, speechless.

Suddenly, he slung an arm around Wenwu’s shoulders and leaned in. "Bro, can you keep this quiet?"

"Huh? Why?"

Wenwu hadn’t planned to spread it, but he was curious.

"Well… ahem, I’m Rexar. One look at me, you know I’m a mercenary—and undefeated. If this gets out, it’ll ruin my rep and my business."

"A mercenary? Undefeated? Sounds impressive."

"How many fights have you had?"

"Three."

Pfft—Wenwu spat out the wine he’d just drunk.

"Only three fights, and you call yourself undefeated?"

"But it’s true," Rexar insisted.

Wenwu brushed off Rexar’s arm. "I promise. I wouldn’t bother spreading such nonsense about you anyway."

"Really? Thanks!" Despite Wenwu’s disdain, Rexar beamed. "Boss, his drink’s on me."

Though Rexar seemed a bit silly, Wenwu liked him. "Then I’ll thank you for the drink." He didn’t hesitate to let Rexar pay.

Wenwu returned to the small shop where Silver waited. He saw bowls stacked high on their table—far more than he’d originally ordered.