Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 228 Rising

"Operation… Typhon? Ha… Haha… Ahahaha!"

"M…Mayor?"

A few hours after the supply team left Typhon's Island, Brenson, who opted to come back with them to the city since he was getting the creeps from the cenleons, personally went to the Mayor to tell what Rhys told him.

Brenson was already a little weirded out with the situation, and now that the mayor-turned-presidential candidate was just laughing at him hard, to the point that the large desk in front of him was shaking — it would seem he was fooled.

"I… I knew it!" Brenson immediately stood up from his chair, "I'll inform the military right away to subdue Rhys Wilder!"

"Stop."

Before Brenson could actually leave, however, the Mayor's assistant, Dan, blocked his way to the door. Dan then smiled at Brenson before gesturing to him to remain seated.

"Where… did you suddenly pop out from?" Brenson could not help but just blink a couple of times as he was sure it was only him and the Mayor inside his office. But now, Dan was suddenly here, holding several pamphlets that all promoted the Mayor's candidacy for President — Joseph Hayden.

"Whatever do you mean, Officer Brenson?" Dan smiled as he adjusted his glasses, "I have been here from the start. Please, take a seat."

"That…" Brenson then turned to look at Joseph, only to see him also gesturing to him to sit back down.

"Rhys works with me," Mayor Joseph then smiled while shaking his head, "As you may or may have not known, the boy and I are quite close — I was the one who sponsored his education when tragedy befell him and his sister."

"So…" Brenson squinted his eyes before proceeding to return to his seat, "...This Operation: Typhon, you really approved it?"

"Oh, I didn't just approve it," Joseph seemed incredibly amused as he tried his best not to laugh, "I was the one who ordered it. After all, you may not be aware, but the criminals locked up in Typhon's are the worst of the worst, incredibly dangerous."

"I'm aware, I deliver supplies there," Brenson nodded, "They even dug a Hole inside. Luckily, Wilder was there."

"A Hole… Yes, a Hole," the smile on Joseph's face widened even further, "That is exactly why I sent Mr. Rhys Wilder there, since I have been receiving reports from my informants that something… terrible is going on."

"...And so you ordered him to massacre everyone?" Brenson blinked a couple of times.

"No, of course not," Joseph once again burst out in a fit of laughter, almost causing the entire room to shake; his desk, barely even holding on, "But I trust Mr. Rhys Wilder's judgment, he probably killed all of them since he saw them as a danger to society."

"...Isn't it just because the leaders of the gang are Nobles?" Brenson's eyebrows began to lower, "And he left the only Commoner gang leader alive. Isn't this just a hate crime?"

"Then why is Talia Talcott alive, as you say?" Joseph sighed, "Talia Talcott, an infamous bigot who had killed millions and millions of Lowborns. Why would Rhys keep someone like that alive?"

"That—"

"You do not know Mr. Rhys Wilder as I do," Joseph then stood up from his seat, causing Brenson to just turn his head up from how tall he was — much taller than Rhys, who probably already stood at 6'6", "Mr. Rhys Wilder, you see, is a very stubborn individual; a being of sheer will, if you may. He…

…followed my orders, and I fully hold accountability for what he had done."

"Wait, so when he killed Sylas West…" Brenson also stood up, "Did you—"

"Oh no, that was all him," Mayor Joseph once again burst out in laughter as he gestured to Brenson to leave, "I would like to chat more, but I would need to practice a speech, so—if you don't mind?"

"Ah, yes. Of course," Brenson awkwardly pointed at the door himself as he started walking away. He could not help but stop, however, as he realized Dan was no longer there… and he did not even hear the door open.

"Is there something wrong, Brenson?" Joseph asked.

"N…no, not at all," Brenson then just headed to the door, glancing at the Mayor before opening it, "And also, I'll be voting for you. I think it's great, what you're doing for the Lowborns."

"I'm not only doing this for the Lowborns," Joseph chuckled, "I am doing this for… equality, a real one."

"Then I hope you win," Brenson then nodded before finally leaving Joseph's office. And as soon as he did so, Dan the Assistant once again suddenly emerged from nowhere behind Joseph.

"Mayor, it would seem Mr. Rhys Wilder has played you," Dan adjusted his glasses again, "Although I hate to say it, it would seem he picked up your bad habits. Should I…

…neutralize him?"

"Hm…?"

Dan's usually emotionless eyes then widened as he took a step back as Joseph suddenly glared at him; sweat, quickly forming on his face.

"Forgive me for getting ahead of myself," Dan then took in a small gulp as he bowed his head, "I'm—"

"Pft." And before Dan could even express more of his regret, Mayor Joseph just once again burst out in laughter, "Remember when I said that Rhys Wilder is a tree that would birth chaos?"

"He seems to be doing that very well, Mayor."

"Beyond my expectations," Joseph chuckled, "Politics, dear boy, strives in chaos — Mr. Rhys Wilder just gave us the opportunity to win this whole thing."

"Then let me congratulate you in advance, President Hayden," Dan once again bowed his head. This time even lower, "Although I did not doubt you would succeed even without Mr. Wilder's stunt. But…

…what do you plan to do with him now? Get him out of prison?"

"Get him out of prison?" Joseph smiled sarcastically at Dan, "He only just got there — and based on our friend's story, Rhys just encountered a tribe of cenleons. I'll let it play out."

"...Could it be you already knew this was going to happen?" Dan squinted his eyes.

"You overestimate me, Mr. Dan," Joseph shook his head, "I do not control the boy's actions. I merely… create a path for him."

"The cenleons just happened to be right near the Hole?"

"Who knows," Joseph then placed his hand on his back as he looked out the window, "But as I have said, Mr. Dan. I strive for equality, where everyone stands on the same ground. Lowborns, Commoners, Nobles. And of course, let's not forget…

…our people below."

***

"...Are we safe?"

"We should be, it has already been a week since those government slaves left."

Back on Typhon's Island, Dominique and Talia were out in the yard, both bathing in the warmth rays of the sun with nothing but their underwear on. It wasn't only them, the female members of Dominique's gang were also with them and just relaxing there.

As for the men, they were busy reconstructing the prison and fixing it. But of course, one might say this was unfair, but not at all — they were all fixing the prison, it just so happened that it was the men's shift.

But perhaps the most surprising of all of this is that the cenleons were working too. Obviously the others still could not understand them, but they were still working together without any problems or without eating each other.

"B… Big Boss, you shouldn't really be doing this."

"No, it's fine."

And even Rhys was not an exemption, as everyone watched as he practically carried a large boulder and covered a large hole in the wall; even compressing and crushing it so that it would completely fit and taper the broken wall,

"I might be gone for a long time, so let me do my part."

Rhys was about to wipe off his sweat, but before he could do so, Edissa suddenly appeared and wiped the sweat for him. Edissa was no longer completely naked, and was now wearing a prison uniform… albeit begrudgingly.

Her and the other female cenleon's breasts swaying around was a distraction for everyone working, and that is why Rhys told them to cover up.

"Big Boss… are you really diving down the Hole again? Didn't you and the Boss almost die last time?"

"The Ice Warden should be gone by now," Rhys nodded, "And we can't just be stuck here forever — we need to see what's down there."

"But… wouldn't we be killed and arrested if they found out?"

"I have a feeling that's not going to happen," Rhys smiled as he recalled Mayor Joseph's face, "All of you might even be pardoned soon."

"R… really!?"

"Well, except Kristie," Rhys then pointed at the bald woman sunbathing, "Her crimes are, well… up there."

"Pft," the men working all quickly stopped what they were doing as they laughed.

"What are you talking about, Rhys?" Edissa, who noticed everyone laughing, could not help but ask Rhys what was going on, "Are… they happy that we are finally returning to our home?"

"Oh no, not you," Rhys waved his hand, "What about you? Aren't you happy that you're returning home?"

"We have no home, Rhys," Edissa shook her head, "Maha and the others are just planning to join a bigger tribe and tell them what happened. But… are you really coming with us?"

"Yes…" Rhys nodded before glancing at Talia; the Hearts floating above her head, not really showing any progression — he needed to do something else to capture her heart, "...I would like to meet your people, Edissa."

"But… why?"

"Well, I am your Bond…" Rhys smiled at Edissa, causing her feline ears to quickly go down,

"...I feel like it's my obligation to get to know you and your people more. Don't you agree?"

"That…" Edissa's healing claws slightly showed themselves as her fur started to stand on their ends; her… posterior, slightly rose as she heard Rhys's words whisper into her ears,

"...You… don't really need to do that."

"Well…

…I want to."