Aiken’s tone was cheerful, but those who heard it heard the unmistakable threat. However, the Camper was unmoving. He remained sitting with his head drooping low as though he was sleeping. His dark skin gleamed in the darkness, and his sunken eyes were barely visible under the veil of his black hair.

Aiken’s smile disappeared. He made to get up, but one of his friends, Galen, held him back.

Aiken gave the smaller lad a questioning look.

“Aiken... I don’t think you should pick a fight with that guy.”

Aiken paused. “What?”

“You know my ability.” Galen was sweating, looking weak. “He’s a bit... scary. Let’s just leave him alone.”

“Scarier than me?” Aiken laughed.

“L-Listen to him,” Eldon said, breathing heavily. His eyes were fixed on the Camper. “T-T-That g-g-g...”

“Speak if you want to, wimp. What the fuck are you saying?”

“Look, we’ll find somewhere else to stay,” Zachary said, trying to diffuse the situation. “No need to cause trouble with so many Guards around.” Then without waiting for Aiken’s response, he led Eldon to an adjacent banquet table that was still mostly empty and sat there.

Aiken clicked his tongue and muttered, “Whatever,” as he sat back down.

Eldon, still shaken, was quiet. That was another S-rank. He tried not to glance back at the man. Whatever was happening, he did not want to attract the attention of an S-rank. The memory of how quickly Leon had perished when he attracted those monsters’ attention was still fresh.

Eldon spent the next period ruminating over it all. Unfortunately, when he emerged from his reverie, a quarter of the food laid out was gone. Eldon turned in astonishment to Zachary, who laughed embarrassedly while chewing more meat.

“Wait for me!” Eldon dug in, pushing those worries to the back of his mind. He was already here. There was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was face whatever came when it did.

With these thoughts, he focused on absorbing vital energy, hoping to break through to the next rank.

A few hours into the banquet, when the waiters had replenished the tables about three times, a light illuminated the stage, and a beauty emerged in a flowing emerald-green silk dress. All eyes in the hall turned to her.

Whistles erupted in the hall, followed by various cheers of approval. Laughter and the banging of tables echoed through the hall.

“Welcome, Campers, to our banquet,” the beauty said with a slight bow. Her voice was like a tinkling bell. Somehow, her gentle voice reached every corner of the massive hall. “I trust that in these past few hours, you have enjoyed to your heart’s content the hospitality of the Spire.”

“For sure!”

“Hell yeah!”

“We want more!”

“Whoo!”

A man with two girls in either arm bellowed, “Over here! Over here! Join me! I still have one more limb to handle you with!”

Mirth and merriment filled the hall.

Eldon raised an eyebrow. Even he was here. And he didn’t look any worse for wear. Eldon sighed. Leon Strider died for nothing. The Blue Bird Adventurers Captain would never receive justice. The New World Government wouldn’t make enemies with S-ranks over spilled milk.

The guests’ enthusiastic response brought a smile to the hostess’s eyes. “Given that you have dutifully arrived from far and wide in response to our summoning, it is only natural that we give you a warm reception. However, before we move to tonight's highlight dish, allow me to invite you all as honored guests to listen to the esteemed speaker for today.”

Esteemed speaker? Few were worthy to be esteemed at such a high level, so Eldon wondered who this speaker could be. A high-ranking member of the Government? A Legion Commander? Or perhaps...

A murmur rippled through the hall. The hostess waited until the hall was quiet before she smiled.

“Please welcome Richard Thompson, President of the New World Government!”

The hall fell silent. The hostess bowed and retreated from the stage. A few moments later, steady footsteps echoed in the quiet hall. Dressed in a jet-black suit and a burgundy necktie, a man with slicked-back black hair stepped into focus. Black sunglasses hid his eyes, and his build was solid but not overly muscular.

The silence did not last more than a second.

The hall erupted into chaos. People jumped to their feet, pointing speechlessly at the stage, while others sat openmouthed or shouted in astonishment.

Eldon was one of the latter. Nothing could have made him expect the President to show up today. The President... He was one of the strongest S-ranks in the world—the pioneer of the New World Government. Singlehandedly, he united the world's governments under his banner, ensuring humanity was undivided during its darkest moments. On the other hand, he had taken control of the world, initiated inhumane projects, and founded Rehabilitation Camps.

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To the rebels, the victims of the projects, and most of the Campers, he was a demon of hell.

But to the citizens who enjoyed the good life fought for by the Legion and the Campers, ignorant of the daily sacrifices made to ensure their safety, he was the hero of all mankind, a god on earth.

A chilling feeling of death and dread suddenly washed over Eldon, filling his mind with a primal fear. He was not alone. Zachary, Aiken, Galen, Phillip—everyone in his vicinity was frozen stiff. Eldon felt like he would die if he so much as twitched his brow. The suffocating coldness permeated his entire being.

A shadow flitted past Eldon. Eldon turned his gaze in time to see the shadow approach the President at lightning speed, slashing with a short curved sword.

A boom shook the hall, overturning banquet tables and throwing victuals into the air. Eldon planted his feet firmly into the ground and shielded his face from the rubble.

When the haze cleared, Eldon looked at the figure standing on the edge of the stage.

It’s him! As he suspected, the shadow was the S-rank Aiken wanted to evict from the table. The S-rank had dark skin and sunken eyes, and weirdly enough, though Eldon’s eyes were on his stationary form, he seemed formless, like a shadow, present but imperceivable.

Suddenly, a name came unbidden to Eldon’s mind.

Phantom!

In an instant, it all clicked in Eldon’s head. The man was one of the Fifteen Spokesmen— the Phantom, Mack Skirl. It was said that he once attempted the assassination of an S-Rank Monster King, almost succeeding in that impossible feat! He was like a phantom on the battlefield, vanishing and reappearing at will. Both allies and enemies alike were sure to be uneasy when he was on the battlefield.

At this moment, he stood in a low stance, holding his blade in a reverse grip, with his eyes on the President. In contrast, the President stood unharmed. Only his extended hand indicated that something had happened.

The President retracted his hand and blew gently on it. A shadow stirred in a corner of the hall, but he waved it to stillness. He looked his assailant up and down.

“Good moves, lad.” He smiled. “Unfortunately, in that state, there is nothing you can—”

A flurry of darts shot through the air in a deadly cloud, reaching the President’s face in an instant. Eldon’s heart skipped a beat, but the President gently smiled and raised an elegant hand.

In one swift movement, all the darts were in his hand.

A quick-moving figure appeared beside the President and hacked at his neck with a gleaming longsword. Several gleams glinted in the hall as the sword struck several times.

Still moving elegantly, the President blocked every strike with his bare hands. Then, suddenly moving at a speed many times beyond what Eldon could follow, his fist landed on the attacking figure’s chest, throwing him backward as quickly as he had approached.

The first attacker, Phantom, had not been idle during this short scuffle. Appearing silently behind the President, his blade cut a deadly arch, stabbing into the President’s lower back. He struck empty air.

The President’s hand clutched tightly around the Phantom’s wrist. There was a crushing sound as his wrist was twisted, and after a knee to the belly, he was on his knees, breathing heavily.

The entire brawl, from the initial attack to the successive demolition of both assaulters, took only a few seconds, during which the banquet hall was silent enough to hear a pin drop. The shock of the attack and its outcome echoed within Eldon’s mind.

His eyes were fixed on the shadow kneeling on the ground, coughing up blood. That... That’s an S-rank?

Eldon couldn’t see the other assailant before he was struck away, but he was sure that they were also a member of the Fifteen Spokesmen. Yet...

The legendary image he had held of them for so long was crumbling. Maybe it’s because of the restrictions. Yes, it has to be. An S-rank is a force of nature, not a mortal with blood running through their veins.

No matter how Eldon tried to convince himself, he knew deep down that the restriction was not the only reason. His gaze turned to the smiling man on stage. He watched as the President smacked the S-rank around like a rag doll before tossing him to the side, bruised and bloody.

It’s not that the S-ranks are weak. No. It’s the President that’s just way too strong!

“Well, I warned you,” said the President, wiping his bloody hands on a handkerchief. He tossed it on the body nearby. “Okay,” he said, addressing the crowd. “Apologies for the intrusion. Let’s get this started.”

Silence.

“My name is Richard Thompson. I am the humble President of the New World Government, and why you are here on this Island. So allow me to give my heartfelt welcome to you all!”

Silence.

“Every single one of you is a warrior who has fought for the good of mankind. You all are the martyrs who have earned us the peace we enjoy in our territories and are the foremost pioneers of new territories. This banquet is my way of saying thank you. And—” he raised a finger for emphasis, “—to make an offer I’m sure you cannot reject.”

Eldon sat upright. It was time.

“This island,” the president pointed at the ground, “is called Spire Island, home to the core of the government. However, before it became the capital, it already had an identity—the number one Forbidden Land.

“Have you ever wondered why this island was chosen to be the Government’s base despite the danger? Why do the families of the Reclaimers' Legion live here in Spire’s Base, and Adventurers, merchants, and the like thrive here instead of perishing as they should?”

“To show dominance,” a pretty girl with pink bangs said. “The Government wants to show the world that they are the strongest. You want to squash all opposition. To be more precise, you want the rebel factions to surrender to your might and come under your glory. In more precise words, the President wants to rule the world.”

The President snapped a finger in her direction. “Excellent! Simply excellent! I indeed want to rule the world. And you know what? Everybody here is going to help me with that.”

A man laughed out loud, his bellow resounding in the hall. “What makes you think you can make me do anything?! Damn, that’s so funny. Isn’t he funny, Linda?”

The two girls by his side snickered, followed by a few others. Soon, the entire hall was drowning in laughter.

“What makes this sucker think he can make us do anything?”

“Fucking idiot.”

“If you want to rule the world, you should treat your citizens better! A single banquet is not enough to clear the debts!”

“Yeah! We want more banquets! Give us that, and maybe we will reconsider!"

Mocking remarks targeted at the president and the Government were flung around carelessly.

The President waited patiently until the laughter died down. “Now, now, lads. Patience is a virtue you should have learned long ago. Even now, I have not spoken the terms of the agreement.

“This island is the most dangerous place in the world. Anyone who ventures into its depths will never come out alive. But you are strong, talented youngsters. You have great experience dealing with beasts. If you work together, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.” He paused and laughed. “Well, almost nothing. In any case, you are here to complete one simple task as honorable soldiers of the Government.”

By now, Eldon was on his feet. Many Campers were the same way. Zachary, Galen, and even Aiken were staring at the President fixedly. They could not hide the fear in their eyes.

He hasn’t spoken yet. Eldon tried to calm himself, but his heart could not stop racing. Was time drawn out as he stared at the smiling man on stage, or was the President intentionally delaying revealing his intentions and messing with the Campers?

There was no way he could know. All he could do was listen to his heart pound in his chest.

The President finally spoke. “It is about time Spire Island was rid of monsters.”