"The streets at night have a completely different atmosphere."
As the Grandmaster said, Volten at night was far more dazzling than expected.
Not only was it much more crowded than during the day, but there were also people who, like them, seemed to have come from outside.
However, they didn't seem to be here for sightseeing with good intentions.
At best, they were indulging in gambling and drinking, but if one ventured deeper into the alleys, who knew what might be happening there?
"It's easy to hide in a crowd, but the problem is figuring out where to go."
The Grandmaster muttered while glaring at a man who brushed past his shoulder.
"In situations like this, going to a tavern is usually—"
They were about to step into a crowded bar to get a feel for the atmosphere or slip a few coins to the owner to ask about the mercenary group.
Smack!
"You bastard—!"
A commotion erupted on the street. Gasps, whistles, and laughter filled the air.
It seemed like a fight had broken out, but unlike other cities, Volten seemed to revel in such chaos.
"Hmm, lively, isn't it?"
""It's not normal."
A crowd gathered to watch the fight. One man, his eyes bloodshot from excessive drinking, was swinging a bottle around wildly.
The man he had just struck with it clutched his head, grimacing in pain, before adjusting his stance.
"His technique is sloppy. At that rate, even a blind man could dodge."
"Are you really trying to give a lesson here?"
"It's a habit."
The drunken man staggered, wildly flailing his bottle.
It didn't look like he would land a hit anytime soon.
Frustrated, he suddenly threw the bottle onto the ground and roared.
"Son of a bitch! Damn you Volten scum! What the hell are you looking at?! Get lost!"
"Haha! Look at that idiot losing his mind!"
"If you're that drunk, just go sleep it off, old man!"
"Oh wow, this is getting out of hand."
"So pathetic! Ugh!"
It felt like watching a theater performance.
Rather than being offended by his insults, the crowd laughed and mocked him even harder.
As the entire crowd united in hurling insults at him, the drunkard could no longer hold back his rage and bellowed furiously.
"Do you even know who I am?! I am the son of Baron Gelliat! How dare you lowborn trash—!"
"A noble?"
"Probably the youngest son. Even a noble wouldn't get much respect as a baron's youngest."
Judging by his shabby attire, he didn't seem particularly distinguished.
The crowd clearly knew this, as their jeers only grew louder.
Furious, the drunkard raised his middle finger toward them and screamed.
"Damn this wretched city, ruled by a filthy commoner! No wonder the people here are nothing but miserable worms! Just watch, I'll never set foot in this disgraceful—"
Unfortunately, he never got to finish his sentence.
Because at that moment, a stone flew from somewhere and struck him squarely on the head.
Smack!
"Guh—ugh?!"
The staggering drunkard didn't even have a chance to regain his balance before another person lunged at him and knocked him to the ground.
And then, in an instant, the mob descended upon him.
"You bastard! How dare you speak our baron's name so carelessly?!"
"Our lord—our hero, you son of a bitch!"
"The baron is nothing like a worthless piece of trash like you!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Who hit where.
Who broke what.
And who ultimately killed him—no one knew.
The sudden shift in their demeanor was nothing short of religious fanaticism.
The drunkard's screams were soon drowned out by the sounds of fists and boots.
And when the violence had finally subsided, the crowd quietly dispersed, vanishing into the city as if nothing had happened.
"Tsk."
Isaac clicked his tongue.
The body was nothing more than a half-mangled corpse.
"How barbaric."
The Grandmaster murmured indifferently.
Isaac had heard of Volten's notorious reputation, but he hadn't expected such acts to be carried out so openly.
A cruel form of early education.
Even children and the elderly had participated in the violence.
And all for one reason—because their Baron of Volten had been insulted.
"Does this make him a wise and benevolent ruler?"
"...."
"The level of loyalty here is absurd. Isn't this more like a religion?"
"This is difficult to grasp."
This place could hardly be called a good territory. Murder through violence was occurring in broad daylight.
Yet, the loyalty of the people was astonishing.
Even in a place like Volten, such fervor suggested that the Baron's control was something beyond the ordinary.
"Volten is truly a strange place."
To think Millie had lived in such a place…
Was Volten like this during Millie's time?
The Volten Revolution had broken out while Millie was working in Helmut, so the atmosphere might have been different before then.
At that moment, men in black robes appeared and stood before the corpse.
It looked as if they were preparing a funeral, but their actions were closer to cleaning up. They carelessly stuffed the body into a sack and began wiping away the bloodstains on the ground.
"And who are they?"
The fact that the surrounding people ignored them as if they were mere shadows meant that this was a common sight in Volten.
"How surprising. This land is fascinating at every turn—there's never a dull moment here."
She's angry.
Isaac could tell from the subtle rise in the Grandmaster's voice.
No, in truth, she had been angry from the moment the drunken man started shouting earlier.
The only reason she was holding back was because of Isaac's presence and the circumstances they were in.
Isaac had no chance to stop her.
She had already approached one of the men carrying the corpse-filled sack and grabbed his wrist, issuing a warning.
"Where are you rushing off to? Shouldn't the child at least see his parents before leaving?"
"...?"
"He introduced himself as the son of Baron Gelliat, so his identity isn't unknown. His condition may be unseemly, but at the very least, he should—"
The man tried to shake off the Grandmaster's grip, but he couldn't overcome her strength and let out a groan.
"Ugh?!"
The Grandmaster sighed.
Still holding the man, she turned her head slightly and glanced at Isaac.
"It would be best not to interfere any further, wouldn't it? After all, we did sneak out."
"Hmm, that's what I was thinking as well."
But the expression on the Grandmaster's face was far from pleasant.
She looked troubled, as if she had seen something she wished she hadn't.
As her former student, Isaac found it difficult to ignore.
He had meticulously prepared everything.
He had engaged in a battle of wits with Baron Volten, used a diversion to sneak out of the inn unnoticed, and set their next objective.
But now—
"Would you rather just tear it all down?"
He posed the question with a smile.
When the Grandmaster gave a small nod, Isaac immediately abandoned all the plans he had prepared.
"If we're going to do it, we should do it properly."
"That aligns with how I live my life. I like to cut down my enemies thoroughly."
"I'll be sure to tell the princess how foolish I was to think you could manage a stealth operation."
"I did my best. Even now, I'm sure the surveillance thinks I'm just groaning under you."
Boom!
With a flick of her wrist, the Grandmaster twisted the arm of the man she had grabbed and slammed him into the ground.
Despite the minimal movement, the man spun dramatically in the air before crashing down and losing consciousness.
Once again, the crowd's attention was drawn to them.
Good thing I learned that earlier.
Isaac forced a self-deprecating smile and used the magical phrase he had learned from the drunkard to gather the crowd.
"I am Baron Logan of the Kingdom! All those involved in the murder that just occurred will be arrested! Furthermore, Baron Volten, who maintains the city's security in such a disgraceful manner, will also be held accountable!"
"Ho."
A faint smile curved along the Grandmaster's lips.
In that instant, the eyes of the surrounding people once again became tainted with madness.
Their teeth clenched tightly, and they exhaled deep, heated breaths as they slowly approached the two.
"What has the kingdom ever done for us?!"
"A baron? A baron, you say?! You think someone like you is equal to our baron?!"
"Kingdom scum! Damn opportunists! You abandoned us—!"
"The day of the revolution! Do you even understand the hardships of that day?! You, who stole away the peace we built—what right do you have?!"
It was obvious that their outpouring of resentment would soon transform into violence.
Yet Isaac, the very one who had provoked them, remained completely composed. In fact, his expression almost seemed mocking.
The depth of the hardships he had faced in the past was simply different.
The anger of the masses was like waves—powerful, yet shallow.
"Don't kill them."
"Hm? So, you still consider them citizens?"
"There's a chance Millie's family might be among them."
"Ha."
It wasn't that he particularly cared about the citizens.
He was only concerned that Millie's family might get caught up in it.
In an instant, the attack began.
Among the countless people, tourists looked around in panic and backed away,
While the people of Volten, one after another, gritted their teeth and charged forward.
At least it's easy to tell who's who.
Isaac drove his fist straight into a man rushing at him.
Boom!
The man was struck cleanly in the jaw and collapsed, unconscious.
As others charged at him, Isaac calmly took them down one by one.
How cheap and fleeting this satisfaction is.
He could feel it.
He had truly changed.
In his previous life, he wouldn't have been able to fight even a single average man.
If anything, he would have been the one getting beaten senseless.
But now—
He could read his opponents' movements, dodge them effortlessly, and strike back with ease.
I was always the one facing challenges…
Now that the roles were reversed, he was gaining not only a new perspective but also a wealth of experience.
As he continued subduing the oncoming attackers—
"How…."
A faint sob escaped from the Grandmaster.
"How… could it be so ugly?"
Normally, such words would be an expression of disgust.
But in the Grandmaster's voice, there was sorrow.
"Enough."
As she gently tripped a child running at her with a rock, the Grand Master let out a bitter sigh.
"Doesn't it almost seem as if… they were right?"
As if wanting to deny the scene unfolding before her, The Grandmaster swallowed back her tears with great effort.