The coastal town had several taverns, and the sailors from the White Tea who had come ashore were indulging in merrymaking at various establishments. Meanwhile, the members of the West Wind Knight Order wandered the streets, exploring the town of Cappadocia.
Charlot Mecklenburg, lacking maritime experience, was unaware of the dangers inherent in such ports—former havens for pirates, now loosely governed and often frequented by unregistered smuggling vessels like the White Tea. Thus, he paid little attention to the free actions of his subordinates.
For the sailors of the White Tea, remaining within the taverns was a habit forged by years of seafaring experience.
Dolores Soumet, the former Laurel Goddess, glanced around uneasily. Without Charlot by her side, she restrained herself from acting recklessly. Combat was not her forte, and without Charlot acting as her “warrior’s shield,” Dolores avoided unnecessary trouble.
Meanwhile, Anastasia and Belisa had become fast friends and were strolling together through the seaside town. It wasn’t long before Anastasia sensed someone tailing them.
As a Second-Tier Transcendent Knight and an alumna of Hartington Thunder and Storm University, Anastasia had never shied away from combat. She discreetly signaled Belisa, and the two parted ways at a fork in the road. Sure enough, their pursuers split up, each following one of the women.
Belisa, however, lacked the courage for direct confrontation. With a nimble leap, she ascended to the rooftop of a nearby building, circled around, and managed to shake off her tracker before rejoining Anastasia.
Behind Anastasia trailed over ten men dressed as sailors. One of them held a bag, gesturing as if preparing to open it.
Belisa, uncertain of the bag’s contents, grew alarmed for her friend’s safety. Her experiences with the Duchess of Mostar had acquainted her with all manner of conspiracies. Without hesitation, she pulled out two alchemical pistols. Charlot never left his subordinates unarmed, and these weapons, though not extraordinary, were far superior to standard pistols in performance.
Belisa refrained from shooting at anyone directly. Naturally timid, she feared accidentally killing someone. Instead, she fired a shot to pierce the bag, causing its contents to spill out—clouds of thick black smoke.
From within the smoke emerged a swarm of black insects, fluttering wildly through the air. The insects attacked the nearby sailors, burrowing into their skin and causing them to scream and thrash about in agony.
Belisa cried out in alarm, shouting, “Anastasia, run! They have bugs!”
Anastasia, bold by nature, had intended only to draw out their pursuers. Hearing Belisa’s exclamation, she initially thought her new friend was overreacting. But then she saw the swarm—a dark cloud of insects.
Though fearless, Anastasia was still a young woman. The sight of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of insects was unnerving. Even the bravest man might hesitate—who knew if these insects were venomous?
Summoning her Thunderstorm Combat Energy, Anastasia leaped onto a nearby rooftop and signaled for Belisa to join her. The two quickly reunited.
The insects were terrifyingly strange. They burrowed into the sailors’ skin, only to emerge from other parts of their bodies, leaving gaping, bloodied wounds.
Several of the insects flew toward the girls. Anastasia drew her rapier and deftly cut them down midair. The severed insects left no corpses; they dissipated into thin black smoke, which drifted back toward the swarm.
Anastasia was visibly shaken. “What’s going on?”
Belisa explained, “I saw them carrying a bag and thought they might be planning something sinister, so I shot it. That’s when the bugs spilled out—they’re horrifying! They’re eating people!”
Anastasia observed the sailors being devoured and remarked, “These aren’t ordinary insects. They must be some kind of Extraordinary Artifact, and the bag is likely what controls them.”
She continued grimly, “Those sailors are beyond saving. But we can’t let the swarm spread, or the entire town of Cappadocia could be doomed. Who knows how many people would die?”
Belisa, now regretting her impulsive actions, asked, “What should we do? We can’t handle these bizarre insects!”
Anastasia responded decisively, “We’ll find Charlot. He’ll know what to do.”
The two quickly left the scene. However, before they could get far, another group of sailors intercepted them. A young sailor pointed at them and shouted, “It’s them! They destroyed the Bag of Insects and killed over ten of our brothers!”
A one-eyed sailor, whom they called Redbeard, pulled a crystal vial from his belt and snarled, “You dared to kill my men! I’ll capture you alive and reward my brothers with you before tearing you apart!”
Anastasia prepared to charge into battle, but Belisa stopped her urgently. “What if they have more of those things?”
Anastasia hesitated. While she wasn’t afraid of the insects—her Thunderstorm Combat Energy could annihilate them all—she considered Belisa’s lack of combat ability and decided to retreat with her friend.
Redbeard, seeing the women flee, returned the crystal vial to his belt and led his men in pursuit.
As they ran, the two women came across a group of Redback Bear Tribe warriors, who were drunk and rowdy, singing crude orc folk songs and howling at the sky, much to the annoyance of the townsfolk.
Belisa cried out, “We’re being chased! Everyone, get back to the ship!”
Big Bear roared in response, “Let me handle them!”
Belisa tried to stop him, but the warriors were not the type to stand on ceremony. Without hesitation, the eighteen Redback Bear Tribe warriors drew their weapons and charged the sailors. In mere moments, seven or eight sailors lay dead.
Despite his swordsmanship, Redbeard was no match for the brutal critical hits of the bear warriors. He was slain in the first exchange by the combined might of Hundred Bears and Honey Bear, unable to even use the crystal vial at his waist.
Belisa, horrified by the carnage, was at a loss. Anastasia grabbed her, urging her to flee toward the port. Having caused such a scene, they needed Charlot to intervene.
Before they could reach the White Tea, Charlot had already been alerted. Concerned for his subordinates, he gathered the crew and the sailors from nearby taverns to prepare for a rescue mission.
He first encountered Dolores and asked, “What happened?”
Dolores pointed ahead and replied, “Follow me.” The former Laurel Goddess then led Charlot to the Administrative Bureau’s estate.
Charlot knew that attacking the Administrative Bureau’s estate would be tantamount to declaring war, but he pressed forward resolutely.