Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Fickle Fortune
Moreover, Andy believed that it was too late for him to try and contain the news from spreading out, especially when the remnants of the Hunter family were still living. There was no way to keep the truth from rearing its ugly mug because the Hunter family remnants would have probably spread the news to half the city by then.
Legally, Zach was bound to be brought before the law for carrying out a slaughter that would be remembered for years to come. In the history of dark mages, this was the greatest damage any single person had ever caused with a single attack.
Still, after witnessing the scene of destruction even if from afar, there wouldn't be a single living soul in the city that wouldn't cower before thinking of subjecting Zach to any kind of law. The dark mage was akin to a god capable of razing their city to the ground with a single spell after all.
As for Andy, he couldn't even think of apprehending Zach for his actions because doing so was nothing less than suicide. He was happily going to leave that task to the higher ups and let them brainstorm on different methods to hold Zach accountable for the loss of life due to his impulsive actions, not to mention the loss of property that still belonged to the government.
"You must warn him that the higher ups would soon come looking for him to hold him accountable for his actions. Let him prepare for it beforehand. But there is no need to worry, my gut tells me that the investigation is going to be perfunctory anyway. They wouldn't take the risk of offending him after knowing what he is capable of."
Andy gave Marico a heads up for what was coming next before leaving the Windsor family estate, practically skipping the whole way back in happiness. He was incredible excited after having successfully grabbed onto the thigh of the most powerful person in the city for a long time to come.
Andy went back to the police station and revealed the information he had gathered so far to the higher ups with some apprehension. He was afraid that the latter would assign him to be the bearer of bad news for Zach which was undoubtedly a one-way path to hell. He was even willing to leave the force if he was forced to do such a thing in the end.
There was another reason that he hadn't hesitated to inform the higher ups himself even though there was a risk of offending Zach in doing so.
Andy had spent his whole life working in the same profession. He was aware of the machinations that took place on the upper level and was sure that those greedy higher ups would never declare Zach to be a threat to peace and security of the empire.
Instead, they would consider him to be a strategic asset and would probably try to curry favor with him instead of punishing him for what he had done. At most they would condemn his actions outwardly but the odds of even that happening were close to nil.
Therefore, it was highly probably that Zach might receive benefits from them instead of being condemned for his brutal actions.
While it was necessary to take the risk of offending Zach, Andy had no other choice if he wanted to further his connections with the higher ups and to gain more authority using their backing.
As for who could give him the greatest bundle of resources, it would be none other than the governor responsible for taking care of Byzantium city on behalf of the royal family.
Therefore, after leaving the Windsor family, Andy didn't make any idle stops and ventured straight towards the residence of the governor in order to break the news regarding the mayhem before anyone else with similar motives did.
Andy's journey took him on a path that led him through the very nucleus of the city, where the Hunter family's residence held its stately presence.
Positioned at the city's epicenter, it served as a tangible symbol of prestige and authority, a grand edifice that silently proclaimed the family's standing in the community.
Surrounding this formidable epicenter were the residences of the other families, each strategically placed to reflect their relative authority and prosperity within the city's intricate social structure.
Like celestial bodies orbiting a powerful sun, these families had organized themselves in concentric circles, with the Hunter family at the center, exerting its gravitational pull over the urban landscape.
It was a living map of influence, where proximity to the Hunter family's mansion symbolized not just geographic location, but also the echelons of authority and wealth within the city.
As Andy's gaze briefly fell upon the Hunter family's abode, he found himself lost in contemplation. It was a stark illustration of the fragile equilibrium that often governed the dynamics of power.
Merely a day prior, the Hunter family had been so overbearing based on their newfound authority after having laid down their hands on the dark mage's wife. They had even been planning to slowly take over the Windsor family by manipulating the dark mage through their blackmailing tactics.
Little did they realize that their actions towards their cause had set in motion a chain of events far beyond their control and called upon a natural disaster that exceeded their withstanding capacity.
Andy saw this reversal of fortune as a poignant reminder of life's capricious nature. Because the very force that had emboldened the Hunter family now loomed as an unstoppable and indiscriminate menace upon them and forced them to vacate their generations old mansion like chickens scurrying around in fear of being gutted.
The ill-advised decision to provoke an adversary they could ill afford to offend had brought the once-prosperous family to the very precipice of ruin in the span of a single day.
The Hunter family's abode had transformed into a scene of utter pandemonium. While the halls and chambers bore the desolate marks of abandonment, a handful of individuals who still bore the Hunter family name darted through the sprawling mansion in a frenetic dance of panic. Their faces were etched with raw fear, their every step resonating with the palpable dread of being hunted, as if a relentless, malevolent force was closing in, its voracious hunger threatening to consume them whole.
This chaotic spectacle was a stark contrast to the family's former stature. Once esteemed and authoritative, they were now reduced to trembling shadows, their lives hanging by the thinnest of threads. There was a sense of urgency in all of them as they gathered what they could find and hurriedly escaped the mansion while looking about themselves in fear.
Of course, Andy had already deduced that these people were the remnants who were trying to escape the terrible fate that they would be branded with, in case they were found lingering about the mansion by the Smith family.
As for the crowd that had gathered around the mansion, there was evident avarice behind their concerned but fake expressions. There gleamed a covetous gleam in their eyes, an insatiable greed that appeared to transcend reason and logic.
It was as if the wealth amassed by the Hunter family over the course of generations had cast a potent spell, beckoning those who lacked the wisdom to resist, or perhaps those who valued their lives so little that they were willing to gamble their well-being for a chance at unimaginable riches.
Andy disdained those vultures more than anyone else. These people only showed their true selves once a force like the Hunter family fell and chaos ensued for them to grab whatever benefits they could get a hold of without attracting attention.
Andy could only watch on in amazement as these chicken-hearted and bird-brained people took advantage of the demise of a behemoth to rise in stature.
Despite not being a prominent figure himself, Andy held himself distinct from these opportunists. While he too intended to capitalize on the Hunter family's decline, he knew he stood leagues apart from these freeloaders who merely rode the coattails of the Smith family.
What set him apart was the fact that he had earned the right to reap these benefits by putting his life on the line, a stark contrast to those who sought to profit without any personal sacrifice. In this respect, Andy was driven by a sense of earned entitlement, a testament to his willingness to stake everything for his aspirations.
Andy couldn't help but shake his head in sheer astonishment at the audacious shamelessness that humans were capable of exhibiting as he continued his stride towards his intended destination, leaving behind the mansion that now bore the haunting visage of despair.
…
The SSS rank magic that Zach had unleashed to vanquish his foes along with an entire island was not only the talk of the town but was also being discussed spiritedly amongst the higher echelons of the government. There were several discussions involving recruiting such a talent for the betterment of the city or for the betterment of the empire.
The whole idea was quite strange because Zach was a well-known dark mage. He had never spoken against the subject, so the masses had already affirmed his identity as a powerful dark mage capable of unimaginable destruction. However, only Zach knew the truth. Not even his closest allies were privy to the truth.
Strangely, the government never mentioned his status as the dark mage as if they wanted to wipe that stigma from Zach and give him a rightful status so as to establish a cooperative relationship with him.
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