In the opulent chamber, Hyena leisurely exhaled a puff of cigar smoke, his scarred face appearing somewhat ferocious in the mist.
"How does Marquis Noel respond?" His voice was deep and hoarse.
"...Lord - He, he has declined your dinner invitation."
"..." The man exhaled another puff of smoke, indifferently inquiring, "Which Marquis in the capital can we still contact?"
His subordinate swallowed nervously, "There are... there are none left, we've contacted all that we could."
"What about the extraordinary beings?" Hyena asked, his face expressionless.
"There's no response from the Etheric Academy, the Tower of Babel refuses to participate, the Alchemy Association outright ignored the messenger, the Zero Explorers are willing to help, but only in combat, and their price... their price is very high."
"Is the capital a place where one can stand firm only by fighting?"
