Hands in her pockets, Seraphina returned to the lower city streets controlled by the Speckled Snake. Despite having dealt with the troubleso butcher, her expression remained far from relaxed.
"So much more to be done..."
The girl muttered with a frown, "I need to suppress the other gangs and find so temporary leaders... Sigh, if only Ansel and Marli were still by my side..."
At this thought, she slapped her cheeks forcefully, admonishing herself with anger:
"I'm relying on Ansel and Marli all the ti—what a useless thing to do!"
Growth can sotis be a drawn-out process, and other tis it happens in an instant.
Following Ansel, Seraphina learned ticulousness and prudence; she knew so problems were beyond her capacity—reconstruction after violence and destruction was an enigma to her.
The old habit of blowing up the root of the problem and leaving without a second thought was utterly unacceptable.
A tyrant's reign indicated strong local control; his death might temporarily end oppression but would inevitably trigger chaos.
On this journey, Seraphina usually dealt with local thugs, rarely overthrowing city lords because she understood the consequences of chaos and knew she was ill-equipped to handle such matters.
She had learned enough painful lessons from her experiences in the Red Frost domain.
If the city lord or the leader of the dominant force was sowhat reasonable, Seraphina would usually give them a lifelong unforgettable lesson and warn them she could return at any ti.
But if the person was utterly vile, regardless of the ensuing chaos, she would eliminate them.
"Among so many people, there must be soone suitable."
Seraphina lacked the ability to discern human nature deeply, but the intuition granted by the head of Wind allowed her to keenly sniff out sincerity from falsehood.... While not infallible, it had never failed in basic moral discernnt.
After resolving each issue, she would invest significant effort in finding a local proxy who could replace the tyrant... Finding a kind-hearted yet capable person was incredibly difficult.
Yet, Seraphina didn't mind expending extra effort and energy to find such a person. It was far better to endure so hardship than to leave only for chaos to resu shortly after her departure.
With this in mind, Seraphina lightly leaped onto the pathway connecting the two main roads below. Amidst the gasps of passersby, she muttered to herself, "I will see how those on top react first."
She had no idea who was behind the likes of the Black Crocodile. It was obvious they weren't good people, but Seraphina wasn't planning to storm the city lord's mansion recklessly.
Dispute Fortress was larger than any other territory she had passed through, so she naturally adopted a more conservative approach this ti. She planned to decide her next steps based on their forthcoming reactions.
Though still sowhat fierce and reckless, the current Seraphina Marlowe had grown imnsely compared to the foolish girl who once made everyone's blood boil.
Cliff managed this area reasonably well... She could ask him if he knew anyone in the territories controlled by the Black Crocodile and the Butcher. First, she would try to find suitable candidates.
Then, she would grab sothing to eat, revisit those two regions, and beat up every lowlife to stabilize the order... She wondered what reaction the higher-ups would have; hopefully, they wouldn't be ungrateful.
Seraphina casually greeted passersby while planning her next steps with a headache-inducing irritation—she longed to punch all the villains and leave it at that, but with neither Ansel nor Marlina by her side, she had no choice but to take responsibility.
Otherwise, the only difference between her and those scoundrels would be that she wasn't evil; the harm to the civilians would be just as severe.
Hmm... Should she take so ti to deal with those two revolutionaries as well? No, they would probably co looking for her once they heard about the commotion. She could give them a good beating to vent her frustrations then.
The thought of soon having her long-desired punching bags, those foolish and wicked revolutionaries, lifted her spirits considerably.
As she traversed the dirty, chaotic streets, Seraphina reminisced about her ti with Ansel and began to ponder... Why was there such an inconceivable disparity in the world?
Not to ntion the imperial capital or the Hydral domain, even the upper city was worlds apart from here.
Why couldn't everyone live under the sun? Why did so have to scrape by in the shadows?
Seraphina couldn't understand, just as she never understood why those already wealthy individuals would still strip her family of their ager remaining food. Enjoy new chapters from empire
But unlike before, even if she still hadn't found the answers, she now possessed the power to effect change.
The wolf who had endured sixteen years of suffering looked back, and the tired faces of the sparse pedestrians on the street were reflected in her dark red eyes.
"At the very least, they should live with so dignity."
The girl murmured softly, her steps growing more resolute as she entered the forr stronghold of the Speckled Snake.
This base had beco her free hostel, sheltering nurous vagrants and the few capable individuals who now regarded her as their leader.
Seraphina had no desire to be a leader; she believed only Ansel was fit for such a role. Initially, she had tried to shirk these responsibilities, but eventually, she accepted them.
She realized these people weren't seeking a true commander, but rather a psychological anchor they could trust.
Now, Seraphina increasingly felt the weight of this trust and need. She often pondered... If she found it exhausting to bear the trust of just a small group, what kind of burden did Ansel, who shouldered the hopes and loyalty of the entire Hydral domain and beyond, carry?
Ansel...is truly remarkable.
Since leaving his side, this was the sentint Seraphina most frequently expressed.
"Boss Fenrir, you're back? That's quick!"
The people inside the stronghold lit up with joy. "Did you deal with the Black Crocodile?"
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