Claudius and the two ladies behind him met with their armed forces, an estimate of one thousand men.
A few more members were also in their midst, led by Jawl—Scylla's personal dog.
'Looks like our performance will be watched by Lady Scylla's Covert Squad.' Claudius mused as he got closer to the group.
'At the very least they're being open about it and not hiding in the shadows.'
He assumed that some were also with Phobio and Fernand, so Claudius chose not to make a big fuss about things and just go with the flow.
"The plan is simple, really. Security is very loose tonight in the Capital. As a result, we can go wild without anyone stopping us."
Personally, Claudius would have preferred a more elaborate plan, but the members of the Mercenary Gang were a rough and simple bunch.
They actually preferred arrangements like this.
"Our primary target is the Blanc Mansion, so please ensure that in your acts of violence, you remain on the path to get to the Mansion."
It was possible to get lost in the thrill of slaughter—not that Claudius could relate—but they couldn't forget their primary assignment.
"Once we're done with the Blanc Mansion, we'll be taking viable individuals as Merchandise for Lady Scylla." Claudius added with a sigh.
"Leave the selection of the appropriate goods to me and my men. Don't kill the ones we tell you not to kill, and help us in restraining the ones we tell you to."
Jawl's voice carried a lot more weight than Claudius', but the Gang members still looked at the latter for confirmation.
After all, they didn't answer to Scylla. They answered to their leaders—who in turn answered to the Chief at the very top.
"Haa… do as he says." Claudius shrugged.
'So that's why they're here. It's not just to observe, but to select the people to capture for Scylla.'
It was no secret what these people were going to be used for.
'Slavery, huh? How annoying…'
Claudius had never liked the concept of Slave Trade, even when it was legal and commonplace in his own Kingdom.
In fact, one of the things he wanted to do when he became King was to abolish the trade.
However, now that he was a criminal himself, he had a whole new perspective on the entire thing. Even if his Kingdom was never destroyed and he had abolished the trade, it wouldn't go away.
It seemed like it was inherent in human nature to desire some form of dominance over fellow humans.
Whether this was in the form of government, employment, or extremes like slavery; people wanted to feel superior to others.
It was unfortunate, but the ones who were weak had no choice but to serve the strong.
'I personally don't see the point, but…'
It was what it was.
"We move out now." Claudius commanded, his two colleagues trailing right beside him as the army charged forward.
'… Let carnage begin.'
************
Just as Claudius expected, it was a slaughter.
Men. Women. Children. Infants.
It didn't matter who they were and what they looked like—they were all mercilessly killed by the bloodthirsty mobs that scoured the Capital.
Of course, in certain instances, Jawl and his people would stop the deaths of certain people.
This wasn't out of benevolence, however.
Death would have been the preferable option if these poor people knew what would befall them in the eventual future.
Of course, the Mercenary Gang Members weren't too pleased about this development.
However, they endured for the sake of the mood.
Rather than whine and complain about it, they chose to revel in even more violence and entertain more bloodshed.
That night, the entire Capital was bathed in blood, starting from the entrance—and continuing as they kept up their advancement.
Claudius simply removed his eyes from the grotesque sight and kept up his calm, slow pace towards the mansion.
On the way, he and the two ladies with him encountered a few guards who tried to fight them in their inadequate numbers.
They were all killed by Feyu—and very swiftly too.
Shuri was a Tamer, so she had to summon her Familiar to fight the battles for her. It wasn't a swift process, and it consumed a ton of Mana, so she wasn't relied upon when facing weak fodder like guards.
Her Summoned Familiars also disappeared after a set period of time, so in order to use them to their best capabilities, it was best to summon them at the time when they had to be used.
As such, she didn't have to summon anything.
As for why Claudius didn't fight, it wasn't that he couldn't do so.
He wasn't averse to killing as well
If the situation called for it, he would take a life without hesitation. The problem was his proximity with these two ladies, and the nature of his power.
Based on these circumstances, Feyu was the best for the situation.
Her mastery over the four basic elements was incredible, and while she could only use them in limited quality and quantity, the fact that she could control them well without Spells was an amazing feat.
'Elemental Mages really are something, huh?'
Claudius made a wry smile and looked ahead and noticed the mansion standing erect.
"Is that it? Will I finally be able to kill some people when we get there?" Shuri asked in her usual blunt tone.
The older man nodded, already used to his comrade's twisted and sadistic behavior.
"Hehehe! I can't wait!"
Shuri's sweet smile betrayed her malevolent desires—the urge to kill.
Her fair skin and cute appearance was just for display. Inside, the girl was as cold and twisted as one could imagine.
'As for Feyu…' Claudius glanced at the woman he desired.
Her dirty blond hair and plain face drew him in. She had freckles on her face, with a stern facade constantly being displayed.
Claudius knew there was more to Feyu than mere business and killing, and he often wondered if he could one day discover those parts with her.
'Ahh… what am I thinking?' He sighed, shaking his head as his dark purple robe danced with the cool wind.
'Let's just focus on the task at hand.'