Chapter 101: 101:The Strength Of City Lord
Reigns’ lips twitched slightly after hearing that.
’Of course you can’t.’
’Once someone has tasted pizza, burgers, and coke, coupled with top-tier laziness and unhealthy habits, how could you ever go back?’
"Representative of the Federation."
Hisen suddenly stood up while holding the contract firmly in his hand.
"You brought me an offer that cannot be ignored, and your thoughts align with my own."
"In truth, I had been waiting for someone from the outer world to arrive at our settlement and show us a way forward."
"I had already prepared my people."
"Give us a day, and we will be ready to move."
For the first time since entering the room, Hex’s stern expression visibly faltered.
Genuine surprise appeared on his face.
He was truly caught off guard by how quickly the discussion had concluded.
This was far from the first migration negotiation he had handled.
Most of the time, such meetings devolved into heated arguments that lasted several days.
On some occasions, he had even been forced to call his superiors and involve additional authorities to resolve disputes and controversies.
Yet this time, everything had progressed with unbelievable smoothness.
His gaze settled on Hisen.
The old man stood there calmly holding the contract without the slightest hesitation.
At that moment, Hex finally understood why this man stood at the top of his people.
He possessed the wisdom expected of a leader.
And more importantly, he possessed the decisiveness required to act when the moment arrived.
_____
What followed next was nothing short of complete chaos.
Migrating such a large number of people was never going to be simple after all.
The entire settlement became busy almost immediately.
People rushed back and forth carrying belongings while families gathered everything they could take with them. Clothes, tools, furniture, food supplies, heirlooms, weapons, and countless personal possessions were packed away in preparation for the journey.
From a distance, it looked somewhat organized.
In reality, however, things were far from seamless.
Many people remained hesitant about the migration and wanted to stay behind despite the City Lord repeatedly explaining the situation to them.
The dangers surrounding the settlement had already been explained. The arrival of stronger monsters had already been explained. The possibility of death had already been explained.
Yet some people still refused to leave the only home they had ever known.
They simply could not bring themselves to abandon the lives they had built here.
Eventually, Hisen stopped trying to persuade them. Standing before the crowd, he calmly announced that anyone who wished to stay behind was free to do so.
No one was being forced to follow the migration.
Once they left this place, he would no longer be their City Lord. His responsibility ended the moment they chose their own path.
That warning alone was enough to silence the barking dogs.
Seeing all this unfold, Reigns felt especially worried.
Standing atop the city wall, he looked down at the thousands of people moving around below before turning toward Hex.
"Captain, if my estimate is correct, we have to carry around 5000 people. We have APCs for transport, but many will still have to travel on foot. Can they even survive? Shouldn’t transport vehicles be sent to accompany them."
Hex silently gazed at the crowd below.
After a moment, he turned toward Reigns.
"Do you think the Federation has that many resources?"
"The first few months after the New Year are always hell."
"With so many zones appearing, the Federation has to send people to establish contact with Zonal Lords."
"There isn’t just one zone village out there."
"There are hundreds, maybe more."
"How many vehicles do you think would be required to transport that many people?"
Reigns felt his heart chill at the realization.
He swallowed hard.
For the first time, he understood the scale of the situation.
The Federation wasn’t dealing with one settlement.
It was dealing with countless settlements scattered across countless zones.
The logistical burden alone was horrifying.
"The most the Federation can do is send squads to protect them."
Hex continued while looking toward the horizon.
"And they are already dispatched, but it would take time."
"If only flights could be used, things might be quicker, but in uncharted territory, who knows what might appear?"
"Escorting that many people while keeping their safety in check is going to be a nightmare."
"Nah!"
Hex simply shrugged.
"It’s gonna be a hassle for sure, but not a nightmare because the city has several guards to arrange things."
"We just need to pull things through and dismember the stronger ones."
Reigns nodded slightly before suddenly remembering something.
Turning back toward Hex, he asked, "Captain, you said something about Sir Hisen being able to remain alive even in case of danger."
"Just how strong is he?"
Hex became silent for a few moments.
His eyes drifted toward the distant mansion where the old City Lord currently resided.
"Strong... Very strong."
"To the point that I feel uncomfortable whenever he fixes his gaze on me."
"If my premonition is correct, I might not be able to last ten rounds against him. And that’s just a vague estimate."
"In reality, he might be able to defeat me in just a few moves."
Reigns’ face immediately stiffened.
"What! He is that strong?"
"How is this possible?"
Hex slowly turned his head toward him.
His expression became somewhat ominous.
"Nothing is impossible."
"Since your arrival, where have you seen an elderly man with gray hair and beard except him?"
"And also the City Lords are different."
"They are troublesome to deal with."
Those words made Reigns fall into deep thought.
’He is correct...’
’Since being transported into the zones, I haven’t seen a single aged man except him.’
’Just how terrifying is he...’
The thought sent a chill through his spine.
Hex suddenly stepped forward and lightly knocked Reigns on the head.
"Stop thinking of messy things and prepare. We might need you a lot during this journey."
He then looked toward the distant wilderness beyond the walls, his expression gradually turning serious.
"The return journey won’t be smooth sailing like our arrival."
"So prepare both your heart and mind for what’s coming."
As those words left his mouth, Reigns subconsciously looked toward the endless horizon.
For some reason, a strange feeling of unease began rising within his chest.
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