Rover ignored the exasperated shouts of the Senate official behind him. With a few flickers of his silhouette, he traversed the chaotic pier district and took the public cable car straight up into the city of the Seven Hills.
High up in the city, built against the mountain, stood the imposing Governor's Palace, its grand momentum unable to conceal the tense atmosphere surrounding it.
The guards at the palace gates were also elite gladiators. Perhaps due to his fame as the arena champion, or perhaps because Augusta had given prior instructions, they recognized Rover immediately. They didn't stop him, instead letting him straight into the Governor's Palace, though the exhaustion in their eyes was equally plain to see.
The atmosphere inside the Governor's Palace was even graver than at the port.
Bustling back and forth were various civilian bureaucrats, but mostly Seven Hills officers and soldiers bearing injuries and blood-stained armor. Standing in the hall were also several Oracles dressed in the attire of the Quadrangle Hall, their faces etched with worry.
A silent anxiety and heavy atmosphere permeated the air.
A female gladiator who appeared to be an officer came forward to greet him.
Her bronze skin bore fresh scars, and her eyes were bloodshot, but her posture remained straight and tall. "Lord Rover, you've finally arrived!"
She recognized him at a glance, her tone carrying a hint of relief that was immediately swallowed by deeper worry. "I am Governor Augusta's adjutant, Vibia. Under the Governor's orders, I have been waiting for your arrival here."
"Where are Augusta and Yuno?" Rover nodded to her, cutting straight to the chase without the slightest bit of pleasantries.
Vibia's face darkened, and she spoke rapidly: "The Governor and Oracle Yuno personally led an elite gladiator vanguard deep into the Sanguis Hunting Grounds three days ago. They established a forward defense line at the hunters' camp beneath the cliffs of the Quadrangle Hall and attempted to locate the Black Tide's core to curb its expansion."
"However, ever since a violent energy eruption yesterday evening, our communications with the frontlines have become extremely unstable. The last message indicated they met powerful resistance and were... engaged in a bitter struggle." Her voice grew strained. "We have lost their exact coordinates and their specific status."
Right then, a somewhat shrill voice interjected, carrying an arrogance that feigned composure:
"Adjutant Vibia, how can such important military intelligence be so casually disclosed to an... outsider?"
A group of people walked over from the side hall. Leading them was a slightly plump middle-aged man wearing a luxurious purple toga. His expression was haughty, and he was followed by several Senate clerks and guards.
From Vibia, Rover learned the identity of the man before him—Marcus, a Seven Hills noble and a senator of the Senate.
Marcus's gaze swept over Rover, filled with scrutiny and undisguised suspicion: "Even if you are the renowned champion of the gladiatorial tournament, the Seven Hills has its own rules. The current situation is critical; the appearance of any unknown power could bring unpredictable risks."
"Governor Augusta rashly leading an army deep into the hunting grounds has already strained the defense lines and caused panic within the city. Before the situation is clarified, please cooperate with the Senate's investigation, explain your intentions, and whether your... relationship with the Governor influenced her judgment."
The implication in these words was extremely vicious, directly pinning the blame for the frontline's disadvantages on Augusta's "arbitrary dictation" and attempting to label Rover, who had come to help, as a destabilizing factor.
As Augusta's adjutant, Vibia instantly glared at him in anger, just about to refute the man's wild and absurd words when Rover raised his hand to stop her.
He slowly turned around, his golden eyes looking calmly at Senator Marcus. That gaze wasn't sharp, yet it carried a heavy pressure that seemed capable of piercing through everything.
"An investigation?" Rover's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly overpowered all the noise in the hall. "Senator Marcus, it seems you still haven't grasped the situation."
He took a step forward, his invisible aura causing Marcus to subconsciously step back half a pace.
"I am not here to request the Senate's approval. I am here based on the mutual assistance agreement reached between the Black Shores and the Seven Hills, at the request of Governor Augusta, to assist in handling the Black Tide crisis."
"As for my intentions?" Rover's tone turned icy, his gaze sweeping over Marcus and his uneasy entourage. "While you are here obsessing over so-called 'rules' and 'investigations,' the true crisis is devouring your lands and your people on the hunting grounds to the south!"
"Governor Augusta is fighting bloody battles on the frontlines, yet you are questioning her fearless courage and loyalty to the people of the Seven Hills?"
His voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable majesty: "Tell me, what can the Senate do to stop the Black Tide? Will you send your debate teams to persuade the Tacet Discords, or will you use your voting rights to pass a resolution making the Black Tide recede?"
Marcus's face flushed bright red: "You! This is an insult..."
"An insult?" Rover cut him off, his voice freezing cold. "If your Senate cannot produce a more effective plan than Augusta, then obediently shut your mouths, get out of my way, and provide all the support she needs! Otherwise—"
He paused, his gaze becoming even more profound, as if containing a brewing storm.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't mind representing the Black Shores... and my allies in Laguna, to re-evaluate our cooperative relationship with the Seven Hills..." As he spoke, he picked up his terminal from his waist, upon which the emblem of the Black Shores was faintly glowing.
"The armed fleet and technical team from the Black Shores have already arrived at the port. They carry countless weapons and technologies to resist the Black Tide invasion. And in Laguna, a fleet loaded with massive supplies sufficient to sustain the operations of an entire city is preparing to set sail."
"Their commanders only answer to my orders. If the Senate believes they do not need this power, or attempts to hinder me from using it to support Augusta and defend the Seven Hills..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the threatening implication was self-evident.
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
Senator Marcus and his entourage turned deathly pale. They hadn't expected the Rover, having traveled from afar, to be so uncompromising. Even less did they expect that he possessed not only formidable personal strength, but also the backing of Laguna's massive commercial alliance and the Black Shores' powerful fleet and weapon technologies.
This power was undoubtedly enough to dictate the situation in the Seven Hills, and could even overturn the existing balance of power.
Marcus opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but ultimately, under Rover's icy gaze and the immense pressure he represented, he resentfully shut his mouth and lowered his livid face.
Rover paid them no more attention. He turned to Adjutant Vibia beside him, his tone unquestionable: "Immediately prepare the fastest transport and a guide to the hunting grounds for me, as well as the supplies and logistical units to reinforce the frontline."
"All orders shall be issued by me. Anyone who obstructs them shall be treated as colluding with the enemy and executed without mercy!"
His words rang with authority, as if he were the true commander here.
The shadow cast by the Senate had been temporarily and forcefully suppressed in the face of absolute power. But everyone knew that this game was far from over.
However, Rover had no time to care what the useless fools of the Senate were still plotting. His mind had long since flown to the peril-ridden hunting grounds shrouded by the Black Tide.
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