Today, Quintus, the head of the Vega family, had fallen. One of the three giant bastions holding Gobéliard had crumbled to dust. For the first time since the city was established, a predator had lost his life.

The conclusion of this fight would quickly ripple through Gobéliard’s political life, completely redrawing the landscape. Without anyone at the rank of a predator, the Vega family had lost its position as one of Gobéliard’s three main families. More importantly, in this time of struggle and growing challenges, Gobéliard itself could be threatened as a whole. That is if Edward left the city without assuming Quintus’ role as a protector when the need arose.

Quintus’ head was immobile on the floor, while Edward’s dagger was still pierced into his chest. The silence was deafening, the spectators were frozen in shock, not making a noise. One could have heard a pin drop. Edward felt a stream of energy enter his body through his dagger. Um? I can absorb his blood essence just as if he was a monster. The prospect left Edward shaken. He quickly accepted that one could grow stronger by absorbing the power of slain beasts. This was a familiar concept, lots of games were based on gaining experience through killing monsters. Here, it wasn’t experience, but more like absorbing the life force of the monsters to make it yours.

Considering that adventurers were harvesting this power from beasts it made sense that one could in return absorb it from adventurers. And yet, on an ethical level, this was fundamentally different. Monsters were a danger to human beings, they were wild beasts that didn’t hesitate to kill humans. Most of the time monsters were killed either in self-defense or as a preventive measure. Although it wasn’t rare either for adventurers to chase monsters just to progress to the next level. Here, Edward had killed a sentient being.

He hesitated, wondering what he should do. But as his enchanted dagger was already absorbing part of what was Quintus’ power, Edward decided to complete the process. He hadn’t killed Quintus to drain him of his power, but to free himself from his hold. Quintus would have come after him even if Edward left him alone.

Moreover, he wasn’t the most pleasant individual. From what Greta had told him back at Agripin, all of the main families were responsible for the fall of the Artificium family. And that was just because they had managed to acquire a runemaster and had the potential to become a rival. Edward doubted that the Artficium family was the only one they had eliminated. Gobéliard main families had control over the city and they weren’t wanting to let it go. Any possible threat was eliminated in the cradle.

That’s why, Edward used his aura to accelerate the draining process, absorbing all of Quintus’ blood essence, not letting it go to waste. The quantity was less than a monster at the same level. Edward was certain that Quintus would have been able to slay the huge Lusus naturae that he had affronted without difficulties. However, Quintus’ blood essence was less than this monster’s. Monsters have more vitality than humans. It is more profitable to hunt monsters than to kill humans to progress in level. Still, just the fact that it is possible to hunt humans to progress is disturbing. Edward repressed a shudder.

Having absorbed all of his power, Edward threw Quintus’ corpse to the side. This has been a stressful fight, yet I didn’t even need to use the healing syringes I had prepared in advance. Well, that’s good for me, I’m sure they will come in handy at another time.

The moment of stunned silence had passed away, spectators were whispering to each other trying to understand the implications of Quintus’ death.

“CITIZEN OF GOBELIARD! HEAR ME OUT! THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE. I HAD A PERSONNAL VENDETTA WITH QUINTUS. BUT THIS FIGHT ISN’T ABOUT ME. AS I AM SPEAKING RUNES BOOKLETS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF GOBELIARD MINOR FAMILIES, BEFORE LONG THE BOOKLETS WILL GET SHARED WITH THE WHOLE POPULATION. IT IS TIME FOR GOBELIARD TO HOLD ITS FUTURE IN ITS HAND WITHOUT DEPENDING ON A HANDFUL OF FAMILIES HOLDING ALL THE POWER. LONG LIVE A FREE GOBELIARD!!”

Edward wasn’t used to shouting like this. After screaming such a tirade his throat was hurting, but this had to be done. The population had to know that this wasn’t a simple struggle for power with one tyrant toppling another. Gobéliard’s future had changed for the better. However, one point of uncertainty was still hanging above the city. What would be the stance of the Potentia and Regalis families? Would they try to suppress Edward and the spreading of the runes? Or will they accept that it was time to embrace the changes?

People in power very rarely let it go willingly. However, by killing Quintus, Edward proved that he could hold his own against a predator. Moreover, the runes booklets had already been dispersed around, it was already too late to prevent them from spreading. Their dispersion could only be slowed down at most. It was Edward’s win as long as at least one of the families chose to surrender its hold on the city. Sending awakens against a predator would be a massacre, minions wouldn’t be enough to subdue Edward, and the branch managers would have to handle the matter in person. However, in a one-on-one, the issue of a fight would be uncertain against Edward.

While power was nice, Gobéliard hadn’t seen lots of strife at the predator level, and Edward doubted the family’s branch managers would be ready to risk their own life just to maintain their power. It wasn’t as if Edward was cornering them, they still had the choice to leave or even to stay as long as they bow down to Gobéliard’s decisions, instead of being the law.

Still, Edward had to confront them, and the sooner the better. He couldn’t give them the time to react. He didn’t lose time and teleported away, heading straight toward the Potentia’s mansion. He left behind him the Vega family members, still appalled by their leader's death and completely disorganized, not knowing how to react.

The news will run through the city like wildfire, and before long everyone will know about it, but I’m still faster. Edward rushed, running to the top of the roofs and teleporting forward whenever he could. The only concession he allowed was not to use his acceleration power. Moving fast was good, but appearing fully exhausted in front of a potential enemy was bad.

I have to convince the Potentia family first. From what I saw in the Murloc expedition, the Regalis family seems to be slightly ahead of the other families. The Potentia family should be easier to convince. Once the Regalis family is stranded alone, it won’t have much choice but to comply or leave.

In a record amount of time, Edward stood in front of the Potentia family. The guards tensed and drew their weapons at his appearance. Edward appeared out of nowhere still fully clothed in black armor and without revealing any opening. Moreover, he just came out of a fight and his aura was still unhinged and bloodthirsty. Being at the awaken level the guards felt as if they were confronting a particularly dangerous monster, right in the middle of the city.

Edward simply ignored them. He increased his aura until it became a beacon, no matter where Strobilus, the master of the Potentia family in Gobéliard, was, he couldn’t miss it.

The guards were waiting anxiously, deciding not to antagonize such a powerful monster or individual so long as it didn’t make the first move. They didn’t have to wait for long as Strobilus left the mansion in a hurry, searching for the source of the unknown and aggressive predator aura standing right in front of his residence. He didn’t seem to be at ease, shocked was visible on his face and he was slightly disheveled, his tunic creased from his running.

“Whom might you be?” he probed Edward while trying to remain calm.

He seems anxious and he is keeping his distance. From the way he is asking me, he has no idea who I am. He may think that I am from a party exterior from Gobéliard. After all, to keep their control, the main families made sure that no predators could arise from Gobéliard. Should I increase his misconception that I represent an exterior faction? No, it could work right now, but it will only bring problems in the long term when they realize I lied to them.

“I’m sure you have heard of me. I’m Edward the runemaster who made a deal for protection from Gobéliard’s three main families, yours included.”

“The runemaster? But he isn’t supposed to be at the predator level.” Strobilus struggled to acknowledge his breakthrough.

“Guess your information is outdated,” Edward deadpanned.

“What do you want? Predator or not, you should know Quintus will be after you. Don’t think you can match him after having just broken through.” Strobilus asked worriedly before gaining in confidence.

“Quintus is dead. I killed him.” Edward cut him off.

Strobilus seemed to have a stroke, his face frozen in incredulity. “Impossible. He has been a predator for at least a decade. It won’t die to an upstart.” He replied not believing him.

“You can send your men to check the information. Anyway, it’s not a secret, the whole town will know about it before the end of the day.” Edward informed him nonchalantly.

Strobilus doesn’t seem like a fighter. He is at the predator level, so he should have killed his fair share of monsters. Unless…did he rely on potions to break through? This is impossible in Gobéliard but maybe it would be possible in a more advanced city. The ruling families in Gobéliard are only branches. To be at the predator level and to only manage a branch is ridiculous. I can expect the main family master to be at the patriarch level. At this level, they will have means that are unknown to me. Still, what about the potions’ side effects?

Strobilus was shaken by Edward’s composure, it didn’t make sense to lie about something that was easily verifiable. Still, he ordered some of his men to check the information.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to kill you. I have a deal to propose.” Edward declared.

“A deal?” Strobilus asked, not denying the fact that Edward could kill him.

“Gobéliard can’t stay the way it is right now. The hold of the ruling families will stop. Already, common runes have been spread to the minor families, and the Vega family is done without Quintus. I could kill you and then fight the Regalis family, but it would destabilize the city too much. I only had a vendetta with Quintus, I don’t have to kill you, and Gobéliard needs predators to hold against exterior threats.” Edward explained while Strobilus was processing this new unexpected revelation.