Sonny did not break eye contact with Kaze, his face grimacing. A student of Gunter, Sonny knew best what these two legati were made of. Though they were a lot weaker than Mosiah, not many in Glowmoss could defeat them.Yet, they were crushed. Niko found it the hardest to accept reality. He was convinced that the Three Great Legati would make Kaze grovel at his feet and submit to him. Reality told a different story. The weight of the situation came crashing down on Niko. “That’s impossible. No way.“Uncle Gunter took the legati under his wing. They couldn’t possibly be killed easily. I bet he played dirty,” Niko yelled menacingly. He seemed to be at breaking point. “Played dirty? Ha.” Kaze scoffed and drew close to slap Niko in the face. Wham!Niko crashed to the ground, his jaw dropped as blood gushed out. Kaze did not hold back his strength, nearly whipping the life out of Niko. Unable to take it anymore, Sonny stepped forward and said grimly, “Niko belongs to
Sonny’s death struck fear in Niko and Cosmo. They did not expect Kaze to get blood on his hands. Sonny was Gunter’s most cherished student. Yet, Kaze killed him without hesitation. Even though Niko and Cosmo were no saints, they would never hurt Sonny. Fear finally sunk in for Niko and Cosmo. Thump! They fell to their knees. “Don’t kill me, Kaze. Please don’t kill me.“Just name your price.” They crouched low, laying their heads down before Kaze in a plea for forgiveness. “I can spare your lives, but you can’t escape a punishment.” Kaze, aloof as a god delivering final judgment, said, “You prey on the weak, and for that, I’ll strip off your manhood.” “Thank you.” Niko and Cosmo were overjoyed by Kaze’s show of mercy, but the punishment threw them for a loop. “No! Please, Kaze. Don’t do this.” They begged desperately. Niko and Cosmo would rather die than live without being men. “The punishment fits the crime.” Kaze shook his head and left those words
After driving the Hornbergs out, Gunter occupied the Hornberg Manor in Sunrise City. Gunter was having his usual tea. Mosiah, the top Great Legatus, stood quietly by the wall, his presence still. It would be hard to notice a person standing there. Gunter took a sip and tilted his head at Mosiah before sighing. “It’s a shame. Looks like you might not be put to use on this Arcadian trip.” Niko and Sonny took the two of the Great Legati to Lilyrose. Gunter kept track of Niko and Sonny’s every move in Lilyrose. He had utmost trust in Sonny’s competence too. Niko stood out among his peers in the Powell family. Gunter believed Sonny and Niko would have no problems with their journey to Lilyrose. “Not much is worth my time in Arcadia.” Mosiah was a man of few words. After a brief silence, he gave such a response and ended the conversation there. He only responded because it was Gunter. Mosiah would ignore anyone else, and that included Antovan and Gustav. Knowing t
Gunter stood there, staring blankly at the three coffins without a word. He would grimace at times, a clear sign that he was not as composed as he seemed. Even without opening the coffins, Gunter realized the inevitable and mentally prepared himself for the outcome. “My condolences, Mr. Powell,” George, the head of the Lees, approached with his men and uttered. The Lees escorted the three coffins from Lilyrose. George received the tragic news that revolved around his son, Cosmo, who had turned out to incite Sonny to wreak havoc in Lilyrose.To prevent Gunter from getting the wrong idea and resenting the Lees, George swallowed his grief and fetched the coffins back to Hornberg Manor. Brushing George off, Gunter took a deep breath after a long, stifling silence and spoke, “Open them.” Mosiah went up without a word and whacked his palm on the covers of three coffins, slamming the lids off the caskets. Gunter drew close and scanned each coffin emotionlessly. They were
“So the boy from the Butterworth Queens is involved too?“I heard the Queens were the biggest shareholders of Sky Ocean Corporation, and Kaze’s wife was merely working for them. It seems to me that the Queens are highly supportive of Kaze. “It explains why the bastard was able to reach power in Lilyrose so quickly.” Gunter sneered, reflecting his indifference toward the Butterworth Queens in his words. The Lees might dread old money like the Queens because both families established themselves in Arcadia. The Queens had businesses in South River State while the Lees built an empire in Butterworth. Both families would risk retaliation if they engaged in open conflict.The clashes between powerful and wealthy families were often kept under the table as the consequences could be damaging. Conflict, in fact, would present vulnerabilities that outside entities can exploit.However, the Powells made their mark overseas. Gunter could attack the Queens without any reservations
“Kaze is hosting a send-off party at the mayor’s office to formally step down from his position, Mr. Powell. “All the important people in Lilyrose have received an invitation.” George relayed the latest news with a smile. There they were, racking their brains to remove Kaze from office and kill him without repercussions from the Arcadian government. To their surprise, Kaze turned around and resigned from his position. The news could not have come at a better time. Gunter raised a brow. “Why is the bastard stepping down out of the blue?” By right, Kaze should not give up on a huge political achievement and on gaining resources and connections in return following the launch of the Lilyrose New City project.Anyone with a sane mind would cling to the leadership role in Lilyrose. Something did not seem right. George said with a smile, “The governor appoints the mayor. Perhaps someone is doing you a favor and making things easier for you. “Maybe someone else is looking
Everybody, including George, had a hair-raising moment. The whole thing just blew up. They could already imagine the outcome. Kaze’s send-off would only be attended by the employees at the mayor’s office and no one else. Meanwhile, Sonny would have a grand funeral. This was not just Gunter’s revenge. It was also a flex in preparation for the Glowmoss Powells’ expansion into the Arcadian market. “Find a nice spot for Sonny’s burial in Lilyrose.” Gunter waved his arm. “Yes, sir.” Luis wiped away his cold sweat and responded with his head down. … The communities in the South River State were huge. Yet, Gunter’s message spread across the state in less than an hour. A small city like Lilyrose became the focus of the state. Parties from either side of the law were taken aback by the news. The Glowmoss Powells were painted like royalty due to their success overseas. Yet, the family was ready to pull all the stops to attack a guy who took his wife’s last name in
Heeding Gunter’s call, the Powells and Zion Mercenaries swarmed to Lilyrose, and the numbers rose to tens of thousands. The South River State felt the tremors of impending conflict. Lilyrose, where everything would come together, became the center of attention. All eyes were on that piece of land. Chatter and rumors flared. It was said that the Powells and Zion Mercenaries contacted their friends in high places to put pressure on the South River State’s governor against bailing Kaze out. Based on past incidents, Kaze seemed close to Loid. At least, Kaze likely became the mayor because of Loid’s approval. … A conversation went on in the mayor’s office of Lilyrose. “Are you really stepping down, Mr. Lee? Lilyrose is developing fast, and the city needs you more than ever.” Caleb, Lou, and the others stood before Kaze, reluctant to say goodbye. They were not putting on a show. The feelings were genuine. Kaze was not a mayor for long, but he had achieved many great