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Chapter 98: Bard Commerce Guild
🕑 Added 2025-01-09 23:54:17 +0000 UTCBlack Scorpion heard the sound of the anti-magic armor-piercing rounds shattering the gate and had no idea what was happening. He thought to himself, "Could it be the Lone Wolves Gang? Or perhaps the Dark Night Beasts?"
"Lately, I haven’t had conflicts with any of the other guilds. Why would anyone suddenly attack our Black Scorpion Guild?"
Confident in his strength, he grabbed an iron chain and rushed out of his room, only to see their headquarters being overrun by a force several times their number.
Leading the attackers was a young man wielding a transcendent rifle in one hand. His bearing was godlike and heroic, and he aimed the weapon directly at him.
Charlot didn’t know Black Scorpion, but this guild leader looked “imposing.” Without hesitation, Charlot decided to “kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.”
Not even high-level transcendents could rely solely on their combat energy to withstand an anti-magic armor-piercing round. Black Scorpion, a mere guild leader who hadn’t even ascended as a transcendent, stood no chance.
Charlot fired a single shot and blew Black Scorpion apart.
Though Charlot had deliberately behaved with wild arrogance—shooting one-handed to establish authority and intimidate the chaotic subordinates—his aim was surprisingly accurate.
The guild leader of Black Scorpion was hit with one round, his body exploding into a mist of blood, leaving not even a bone behind.
Charlot hadn’t expected the anti-magic armor-piercing rounds to be so overwhelmingly powerful against ordinary people.
Dubin, an old hand of the City Patrol Guards, recognized Black Scorpion. Seeing Charlot take him down so decisively, he shouted loudly, "Black Scorpion is dead! Members of the Black Scorpion Guild, surrender and you’ll live. Resist, and you’ll die!"
He repeated this several times, but Charlot’s ragtag patrol force consisted of too many prisoners and low-level gangsters who lacked discipline. Charlot had also promised that the Black Scorpion Guild’s wealth would be split among them, which led to many members of the Black Scorpion Guild being killed before they even had a chance to surrender.
Charlot had no intention of restraining his troops. In his past life, he had been nothing more than a math teacher and had no experience managing soldiers.
With their leader dead, the Black Scorpion Guild—far from being a trained combat unit—collapsed under the assault of the City Patrol Guards. Weapons were dropped, and they surrendered en masse.
In less than half an hour, Charlot had taken over the Black Scorpion Guild’s headquarters. The City Patrol Guards were now searching through every corner for treasures, rummaging through bodies—dead or alive—and pocketing coin purses.
Looking at the chaotic scene, Charlot let out a sigh of relief. He had been uncertain about the outcome before setting out. After all, he had never truly led an army before and had only designed the battle based on his understanding of human nature.
For now, the results were satisfactory. At least he hadn’t made a mess of things.
Dubin and his men worked hard to restore some order, forcing the Black Scorpion Guild’s surrendering members to drop their weapons, sit on the ground, and form a circle.
When Mason and Homonsa arrived with large supplies of food, the headquarters finally regained a semblance of order.
Black Scorpion had been killed the moment he appeared, and the guild—leaderless—had put up almost no resistance. Even so, dozens were killed in the skirmish, and more than a hundred escaped, but there were still five or six hundred members remaining.
Charlot scattered these people across his various combat squads, then had Mason and Homonsa distribute the food they had brought. As the troops enthusiastically ate, Charlot jumped onto a statue in the headquarters, standing high above and shouting loudly:
"I told you, the Black Scorpion’s wealth will be divided among all of you!"
"My old subordinates know that Mr. Mecklenburg always keeps his word."
"After you’ve eaten, you can begin gathering the wealth. I’ll have professionals assess its value, convert it into flor and centime, and distribute it according to each person’s contribution to today’s battle."
Charlot didn’t confiscate any valuables his troops had privately stashed away. After all, anything that could be hidden was just small trinkets. Larger items couldn’t be concealed anyway.
Given the lack of loyalty among this City Patrol Guard, Charlot wouldn’t risk angering these rabble over minor wealth. Mismanagement could quickly spiral out of control.
His speech was met with thunderous cheers. After all, no one disliked the smell of money.
Charlot originally intended to capitalize on their momentum and attack another major guild. However, seeing his troops’ exhaustion after their excitement subsided, he abandoned the idea.
After the troops finished eating, Charlot didn’t dare lead them back to No. 1 Falcon Street. Given how complex the composition of this force was, many might scatter on the way back.
Instead, he ordered the troops to rest in place and picked a room for himself.
Wary of trouble during the night, Charlot didn’t sleep. Instead, he spent the entire night cultivating his Blood Glory technique.
Early the next morning, the Black Scorpion Guild’s headquarters stirred with activity.
Charlot was jolted awake. Upon inquiring, he learned that representatives from a few other guilds who hadn’t gone to No. 1 Falcon Street the previous day had arrived, asking to see him.
The battle to destroy the Black Scorpion Guild had sent shockwaves through all factions. Charlot’s City Patrol Guards, though disorganized, now carried some degree of momentum. Without announcing themselves, they simply corralled the visitors and made them wait until Charlot woke up.
The commotion was enough to wake him.
Charlot washed his face, straightened his appearance to look somewhat authoritative, and ordered the visitors to be brought in.
Among the representatives, the most striking was a middle-aged man who looked entirely out of place. Dressed impeccably, he seemed more like a merchant than a gang member. However, the deference from those around him made it clear that this man carried significant influence.
The man spoke first, "I am Ross Bard of the Bard Commerce Guild!"
"As a local guild in the Lukavaro District, I am willing to lead the entire Bard Commerce Guild in joining the City Patrol Guards."
The five largest factions in the Lukavaro District were the Lone Wolves Gang, Dark Night Beasts, Guloff Brotherhood, the now-destroyed Black Scorpion Guild, and the Bard Commerce Guild.
The Bard Commerce Guild was unique. It wasn’t a conventional gang but rather a coalition of seventeen shops, protected by a security force with gang-like characteristics. They rarely clashed with other factions and primarily focused on safeguarding their businesses.
Initially, the Bard Commerce Guild had refused Dubin’s recruitment. However, the previous night’s battle had alarmed all the local factions.
When Ross Bard learned that the Black Scorpion Guild had been annihilated overnight, he quickly persuaded the other members of the guild and arrived early in the morning to pledge allegiance.
He feared that if he delayed, Charlot would target the Bard Commerce Guild next.
Charlot hadn’t expected the Bard Commerce Guild to be so quick to act. Smiling, he said, "Excellent!"
"Welcome to the City Patrol Guards family."
He glanced at the others and asked, "What about you?"
The other guild representatives, pale-faced, quickly shouted, "We’re willing to join the City Patrol Guards too!"
Charlot turned to Dubin and said, "Investigate whether there are any guilds in this district that still refuse to join. I’ll make sure they gracefully become part of us."
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